The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/52988
In an Urban Meyer scheme that uti- lizes the quarterback as both a passer and runner, Miller will have every opportunity to realize his potential next season. On The Rise — Linebacker Ryan Shazier: Despite a nagging knee in- jury, Shazier finished his rookie cam- paign strong, recording 40 of his 57 total tackles over the last four games, including a 15-tackle outburst against Penn State. With a year of experience, Shazier has the potential to become the next great OSU linebacker. PENN STATE 2011 Record: 11-3, 6-2 Big Ten Departing Starters: 7 offense, 6 de- fense Biggest Shoes To Fill — Defen- sive tackle Devon Still: Still, who recorded 17 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season, is a huge loss for a Penn State squad that is ultra-depen- dent on controlling the field position battle to compensate for a pedestrian offense. In The Spotlight — Quarterback Matt McGloin: Following a locker- room brawl that caused his absence from the Nittany Lions' bowl, the se- nior quarterback — who went 125 of 231 for 1,571 yards with eight touch- downs and five interceptions in 2011 — needs to improve dramatically to give an unstable Penn State team a steady force at the most important position on the field. On The Rise — Tailback Silas Redd: Redd finished his sophomore campaign fourth in the Big Ten with 1,241 yards on the ground, while adding seven touchdowns, and he should be an even more dangerous threat in his junior year for the Nit- tany Lions. PURDUE 2011 Record: 7-6, 4-4 Big Ten Departing Starters: 3 offense, 4 de- fense Biggest Shoes To Fill — Line- backer Joe Holland: Holland was one of Purdue's most prolific line- backers ever, making 315 career tack- les to rank 16th in school history, and he was a reliable force in the middle for the Boilermakers throughout his four seasons. In The Spotlight — Defensive tackle Kawann Short: The big line- man received well-deserved first- team All-Big Ten honors as a junior while racking up a team-best 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2011. Short will be depended upon to an- chor a Purdue defense that needs to improve on its ninth-place confer- ence showing (395.9 yards allowed per game) to be competitive in 2012. On The Rise — Cornerback Ri- cardo Allen: Following a breakout freshman season in which he re- corded 83 total tackles, Allen nearly matched that total his sophomore season, finishing with 81 stops. He also proved a menace in coverage, intercepting three passes with four more breakups. With Josh Johnson also at corner, Purdue may have the best starting covermen in the Big Ten in 2012. WISCONSIN 2011 Record: 11-3, 6-2 Big Ten Departing Starters: 6 offense, 5 de- fense, 2 special teams Biggest Shoes To Fill — Quarter- back Russell Wilson: Wilson may have played only one season at Wis- consin after transferring from NC State, but he made a monster impact, leading the Badgers to a victory in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Wilson led the Big Ten in pass ef- ficiency (191.8) while throwing for 3,175 yards and a conference-leading 33 touchdowns. In The Spotlight — Tailback Montee Ball: With an inexperienced quarterback stepping under center next season, Wisconsin will be place plenty of responsibility on the Heis- man finalist. Ball had a huge season in 2011, rushing for 1,923 yards and matching an NCAA record with 39 total touchdowns. He may need to better those numbers in 2012 if the Badgers are to return to Pasadena. On The Rise — Offensive line- man Travis Federick: In his redshirt sophomore campaign the guard be- came an integral piece of an offensive line that led the way for the Big Ten's top rushing attack. With UW losing three offensive line starters, Federick must play an even bigger role in his junior season. Legends Division IOWA 2011 Record: 7-6, 4-4 Big Ten Departing Starters: 5 offense, 6 de- fense, 1 special teams Biggest Shoes To Fill — Tailback Marcus Coker: Coker, who finished second in the Big Ten with 1,384 rushing yards on 281 attempts (4.9 yards per carry), accounted for 77.3 percent of the Iowa ground attack. He had two years of eligibility re- maining but left the program after getting suspended for its Insight Bowl appearance. In The Spotlight — Quarterback James Vandenburg: Iowa will rely heavily on Vandenburg, who hit 237 of 404 targets (58.7 percent) for 3,022 yards and 25 touchdowns this sea- son, to lead an uncharacteristically pass-happy offense that will be with- out Coker and the program's all-time leading receiver, Marvin McNutt. On The Rise — Safety Tanner Miller: After stuffing the stat sheet with 76 tackles, including three tack- les for loss, forcing one fumble and leading the team with three inter- ceptions, one of which he returned a school-record 98 yards for a score, Miller will look to have a breakout junior season for a Hawkeye defense that loses six key contributors. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, who will return for his senior season, ran for 1,923 yards and totaled 39 touchdowns in the 2011 campaign. PHOTO BY ERIC BRONSON MICHIGAN STATE 2011 Record: 11-3, 7-1 Big Ten Departing Starters: 6 offense, 3 de- fense FEBRUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 41