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Here's my favorite Big Ten offense and Defense for a Big Ten Team of all time, not including any PSU players.

Mr. Potter

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2004
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OFFENSE: Defense:

QB: Antwan Randel El (Ind) CB: Charles Woodson (Mich)
RB: Ron Dayne (Wisc) CB: Rod Woodson (PUR)
FB: Mike Alstott (PUR) Saf: Jack Tatum (OSU)
OL: Orlando Pace (OSU) Saf: Bob Sanders (Iow)
OL: Dave Rimington (Neb) DL: Bubba Smith (MSU)
OL: Aaron Taylor (Neb) DL: J.J. Watt (Wisc) --- Almost put Grant Winstrom here
OL: Jake Long (Mich) DL: Randy White (MD)
OL: Joe Thomas (Wisc) DL: Alex Karras (Iow)
TE: Vernon Davis (MD) LB: Dick Butkus (ILL)
WR: Braylon Edwards (Mich) LB: Pat Fitzgerald (NW)
WR: Chris Carter (OSU) LB: A.J. Hawk (OSU)
 
Butkus was a better center than Rimington, particularlyin view that Butkus played and was consensus All-American on both sides of the ball.
 
OFFENSE: Defense:

QB: Antwan Randel El (Ind) CB: Charles Woodson (Mich)
RB: Ron Dayne (Wisc) CB: Rod Woodson (PUR)
FB: Mike Alstott (PUR) Saf: Jack Tatum (OSU)
OL: Orlando Pace (OSU) Saf: Bob Sanders (Iow)
OL: Dave Rimington (Neb) DL: Bubba Smith (MSU)
OL: Aaron Taylor (Neb) DL: J.J. Watt (Wisc) --- Almost put Grant Winstrom here
OL: Jake Long (Mich) DL: Randy White (MD)
OL: Joe Thomas (Wisc) DL: Alex Karras (Iow)
TE: Vernon Davis (MD) LB: Dick Butkus (ILL)
WR: Braylon Edwards (Mich) LB: Pat Fitzgerald (NW)
WR: Chris Carter (OSU) LB: A.J. Hawk (OSU)
Lot's of great players.
From my MSU perspective I'd put George Webster in at a LB.
Played on 2_NC teams with Bubba. 2 time All American .
First team Defence on SI's all Century football team.

Side Note; enjoyed my three day RT to Happy Valley in'66( or'65) to watch us play PSU.

Re Butkus: An obvious great college and pro player.
Got to see him and the Illinois team play in E L on the Thanksgiving Day following Kennedy's assassination.


,,,,300
 
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OFFENSE: Defense:

QB: Antwan Randel El (Ind) CB: Charles Woodson (Mich)
RB: Ron Dayne (Wisc) CB: Rod Woodson (PUR)
FB: Mike Alstott (PUR) Saf: Jack Tatum (OSU)
OL: Orlando Pace (OSU) Saf: Bob Sanders (Iow)
OL: Dave Rimington (Neb) DL: Bubba Smith (MSU)
OL: Aaron Taylor (Neb) DL: J.J. Watt (Wisc) --- Almost put Grant Winstrom here
OL: Jake Long (Mich) DL: Randy White (MD)
OL: Joe Thomas (Wisc) DL: Alex Karras (Iow)
TE: Vernon Davis (MD) LB: Dick Butkus (ILL)
WR: Braylon Edwards (Mich) LB: Pat Fitzgerald (NW)
WR: Chris Carter (OSU) LB: A.J. Hawk (OSU)

Since there are no Penn Staters above, I’ll quote Jeff Spicoli:

“Huh, huh. Those guys are fags!”
 
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OFFENSE: Defense:

QB: Antwan Randel El (Ind) CB: Charles Woodson (Mich)
RB: Ron Dayne (Wisc) CB: Rod Woodson (PUR)
FB: Mike Alstott (PUR) Saf: Jack Tatum (OSU)
OL: Orlando Pace (OSU) Saf: Bob Sanders (Iow)
OL: Dave Rimington (Neb) DL: Bubba Smith (MSU)
OL: Aaron Taylor (Neb) DL: J.J. Watt (Wisc) --- Almost put Grant Winstrom here
OL: Jake Long (Mich) DL: Randy White (MD)
OL: Joe Thomas (Wisc) DL: Alex Karras (Iow)
TE: Vernon Davis (MD) LB: Dick Butkus (ILL)
WR: Braylon Edwards (Mich) LB: Pat Fitzgerald (NW)
WR: Chris Carter (OSU) LB: A.J. Hawk (OSU)

Sorry - gotta go with The Big Kat over AJ Hawk. Both had impressive careers (Hawk maybe moreso since he was a much lower ranked recruit and had a much better pro career), but Katz only played three years, while Hawk played four and we're talking college. Tale of the tape:

Katzenmoyer - 1996-1998

256 Tackles (197 Solo), 50 TFL, 18 Sacks, 6 INT (2 for TD)

Awards:

Consensus All-American (1997)
Butkus Award Winner (1997)
Jack Lambert Trophy (1997)
3 x 1st Team Big Ten Selection
2 x Lombardi Award Finalist
Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1996)


Hawk - 2002-2005

394 Tackles (196 Solo), 41 TFL, 15 1/2 Sacks, 7 INT (1 for TD)

Awards:

2 x Consensus All-American (2004, 2005)
Lombardi Award Winner (2005)
Jack Lambert Trophy (2005)
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2005)
3 x 1st Team All Big Ten Selection

Each have a Super Bowl ring.

Winnah!

PettyPeacefulBarnacle-max-1mb.gif
 
Only players since 1990
No Penn Staters (players in bold would be replaced with Staters if they were included)
No pre-Big Ten Huskers Maryland or Rutgers players


OT – Orlando Pace, Ohio State

OT – Joe Thomas, Wisconsin

C – Greg Eslinger, Minnesota

OG – Steve Hutchinson, Michigan

OG – Brian DeMarco, Michigan State

TE – Dallas Clark, Iowa

WR – Charles Roger, Michigan State

WR – David Boston, Ohio State

QB – Drew Brees, Purdue

RB – Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan

FB – Mike Alstott, Purdue



DE – JJ Watt, Wisconsin

DE – Simeon Rice, Illinois

DT – Jared DeVries, Iowa

DT – Dan Wilkenson, Ohio State

LB – Andy Katzenmoyer, Ohio State

LB – Julian Peterson, Michigan State


LB – Kevin Hardy, Illinois

CB – Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State

CB – Charles Woodson, Michigan

S – Bob Sanders, Iowa

S – Mike Doss, Ohio State
 
Sorry - gotta go with The Big Kat over AJ Hawk. Both had impressive careers (Hawk maybe moreso since he was a much lower ranked recruit and had a much better pro career), but Katz only played three years, while Hawk played four and we're talking college. Tale of the tape:

Katzenmoyer - 1996-1998

256 Tackles (197 Solo), 50 TFL, 18 Sacks, 6 INT (2 for TD)

Awards:

Consensus All-American (1997)
Butkus Award Winner (1997)
Jack Lambert Trophy (1997)
3 x 1st Team Big Ten Selection
2 x Lombardi Award Finalist
Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1996)


Hawk - 2002-2005

394 Tackles (196 Solo), 41 TFL, 15 1/2 Sacks, 7 INT (1 for TD)

Awards:

2 x Consensus All-American (2004, 2005)
Lombardi Award Winner (2005)
Jack Lambert Trophy (2005)
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2005)
3 x 1st Team All Big Ten Selection

Each have a Super Bowl ring.

Winnah!

PettyPeacefulBarnacle-max-1mb.gif
That's a great gif of a huge dude at LB gettin' after it. People forget how good Katzenmoyer was. They mostly remember that his career was cut short by the neck injury. He was a force.
 
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That was Missouri QB Corby Jones that Katzenmoyer destroyed.

Some other Buckeyes I would throw out there.

Chris Spielman
Mike Vrabel- Holds the record for Sacks and TFL's at OSU.
Chase Young - 30.5 Sacks in 3 seasons. Vrabel had 36 in 4.
Antoine Winfield- My favorite Buckeye.
Zeke Elliott was the best RB I watched while at OSU.
 
This thread is disgusting. Supposed Penn Staters slobbering with praise over other b1g school players.

buford-t-justice-sheriff.gif
 
That's a great gif of a huge dude at LB gettin' after it. People forget how good Katzenmoyer was. They mostly remember that his career was cut short by the neck injury. He was a force.
This comes from memory, so take it for what it’s worth.

Katzenmoyer’s recruiting came down to a virtual tie between PSU and OSU, and the home field advantage proved to be the deciding factor. After Katzenmoyer chose OSU, his mother called Jay in tears thanking him for making the recruiting such a positive experience. She told Jay that even though she was okay with the choice of OSU, she knew that he would have thrived at PSU. Jay ended up consoling her.
 
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That's a great gif of a huge dude at LB gettin' after it. People forget how good Katzenmoyer was. They mostly remember that his career was cut short by the neck injury. He was a force.
I was at the ‘96 game (think that was the year) where it was the Enis/Harris duo vs. Big Kat. Joe’s strategy was to go straight at him because his lateral speed was ridiculous. It worked and we won, and that was a real battle of college football legends.
 
I was at the ‘96 game (think that was the year) where it was the Enis/Harris duo vs. Big Kat. Joe’s strategy was to go straight at him because his lateral speed was ridiculous. It worked and we won, and that was a real battle of college football legends.
Hmmm lateral speed so great? I read on this board he was a 4.8 guy
 
The expand scope a bit, which non-PSU team had the best team, offense and defense of the PSU era?

I have a hard time with the best team. It is between the 97 and 06 Michigan teams, the 02 and 06 Buckeyes and the 2013 Spartans. I might have to go with 1 loss 2013 Michigan State given how that loss (Notre Dame) was highly controversial and much like our 08 season, I think the Rose Bowl featured the two best teams in the country.

Offense is just as difficult. I prefer to measure offense, especially in the spread era based on effectivity as it accounts for different eras and different rules. I am tempted to go with the 08 Iowa Hawkeyes. Once they got going mid-season, they were a handful for everyone. They played complimentary football with their defense which kept their numbers down but they were darn good.

Defense is easy. The 2013 Spartans remain the best Big Ten defense I have seen well ahead of 94 Illinois, 05 Penn State and 02 Ohio State.
 
The '96 OSU defense was the best I saw.

Allowed just under 11 points per game. 3 shutouts. Only 1 team(Iowa) scored over 20 points.
 
The '96 OSU defense was the best I saw.

Allowed just under 11 points per game. 3 shutouts. Only 1 team(Iowa) scored over 20 points.
Totally overlooked the 96 Buckeyes but still think the 13 Spartans were better as they did what they did against spread and good pro-style offenses alike.
 
I go back a little farther than many of you, but the two best B1G defenses in my lifetime were #1 1973 OSU and a close 2nd - 1997 Michigan. But yes, some of those Dantonio MSU defenses were also very good
 
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I go back a little farther than many of you, but the two best B1G in my lifetime were #1 1973 OSU and a close 2nd - 1997 Michigan. But yes, some of those Dantonio MSU defenses were also very good
I have the 97 Wolverines a notch below those I listed with the 06 team right behind.
 
As a pro, no doubt. In college, Hicks was one of the most dominant OL I recall seeing.
Correct. If you survey many OSU fans, almost everyone had Pace as their greatest OL, followed very closely by Hicks and Jim Parker (take your pick)
 
The name that always comes up on like topics is Randel El. I’ve only seen that game live, never watched a replay. He always comes to mind for me first as well. Great talent.
 
OFFENSE: Defense:

QB: Antwan Randel El (Ind) CB: Charles Woodson (Mich)
RB: Ron Dayne (Wisc) CB: Rod Woodson (PUR)
FB: Mike Alstott (PUR) Saf: Jack Tatum (OSU)
OL: Orlando Pace (OSU) Saf: Bob Sanders (Iow)
OL: Dave Rimington (Neb) DL: Bubba Smith (MSU)
OL: Aaron Taylor (Neb) DL: J.J. Watt (Wisc) --- Almost put Grant Winstrom here
OL: Jake Long (Mich) DL: Randy White (MD)
OL: Joe Thomas (Wisc) DL: Alex Karras (Iow)
TE: Vernon Davis (MD) LB: Dick Butkus (ILL)
WR: Braylon Edwards (Mich) LB: Pat Fitzgerald (NW)
WR: Chris Carter (OSU) LB: A.J. Hawk (OSU)

Another look at this list and I think Michigan State WR Charles Rogers should be there instead of Chris Carter.
 
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