Zook, Mendenhall honored in Big Ten

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AP) - Illinois coach Ron Zook, his star running back Rashard Mendenhall and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis were honored Monday night as the Big Ten announced its 2007 all-conference team.

Zook was named the Dave McClain coach of the year by members of the media for leading the Illini to a 9-3 record that included an upset of then top-ranked Ohio State.

Mendenhall was named offensive player of the year and Laurinaitis was chosen defensive player of the year in balloting for both the media and coaches.

Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was named offensive lineman of the year for a second straight season, while Vernon Gholston of conference champion Ohio State was tabbed defensive lineman of the year by the coaches.

Ohio State has won back-to-back outright titles for the first time since 1954 and 1955 and Laurinaitis was a big reason. He led the Buckeyes with 103 tackles and had five sacks. His teammate Gholston had 10 sacks during conference play.

Mendenhall broke school single-season records for rushing yards, leading the Big Ten with 1,526 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.

In addition to Mendenhall and Zook, the Illini garnered another honor: Arrelious Benn was named freshman of the year after catching 49 passes and being a threat on kick returns.

Zook guided the Illini, which won only two games last season, to a seven-win improvement in his third season on the job and has the program headed to a bowl game. Besides beating the Buckeyes in Columbus, they also defeated Penn State and Wisconsin this season.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: University of Illinois

Tresselmania: No. 7 Ohio State tops No. 23 Michigan 14-3

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Jim Tressel got the best of Lloyd Carr again, maybe for the last time.

Tressel became the first Ohio State coach to beat Michigan six times in seven years, and the seventh-ranked Buckeyes' 14-3 victory Saturday over their archrival gave them consecutive outright Big Ten titles for the first time in a half-century.

Chris Wells ran for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns and Vernon Gholston and the Buckeyes' defense dominated Michigan's banged-up offense.

``Our defense was not going to let Michigan control the game on the ground,'' Tressel said. ``I wish our offense could have scored more, and that we could have been a little more consistent, but today, 14 points was enough to win the Big Ten.''

The Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) are likely headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. They also hold onto slim hopes of climbing back into the BCS title game, but several teams ahead of them would need to go down.

``I might have come from here, but now I bleed scarlet and gray,'' said Gholston, who had three of Ohio State's four sacks. ``Coming from Detroit didn't make this any bigger. When you go to Ohio State, you don't need anything to make the Michigan game big.''

A win would have put No. 23 Michigan (8-4, 6-2) in Pasadena for the fourth time in five years, but the loss might send it to a bowl game prior to New Year's Day.

The game might have been Carr's last regular-season game at Michigan, where the national championship he led the school to in 1997 is a distant memory while his loss to Appalachian State this year and 1-6 record against Tressel are often mentioned.

Carr led many to believe he would retire after this season when he altered his contract last winter and made sure all of his assistants were given unprecedented, two-year deals in the spring. Speculation has run rampant that the 62-year-old will announce his plans within days.

Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent said Carr did not address his future before or after the game.

``We'll just have to wait and see like everyone else,'' Trent said.

For Michigan quarterback Chad Henne, tailback Mike Hart and tackle Jake Long, their stellar careers will end with an 0-4 record against Ohio State and a woeful offensive performance in their final game at the Big House.

If Carr tried to fire up his team before the game by saying it would be his last Ohio State game, it didn't work.

Michigan led 3-0 after the first quarter, but the Buckeyes controlled the game by stopping a one-dimensional offense and handing the ball off to Wells early and often.

Wells put Ohio State ahead with a 1-yard run early in the second quarter and a 62-yard score made it 14-3 on its first snap after halftime. He had a career-high 39 carries, the most by a Buckeye against Michigan, and he ran for more yards than anybody had for them in the history of the storied series.

``Beanie Wells is a difference-maker,'' Tressel said. ``He wanted to take this game on his shoulders and carry us, and that's what he did. In my opinion, he's the best back in the Big Ten.''

The Wolverines struggled on offense in part because Henne was ineffective with a shoulder injury and Hart was unable to find room to run against a defense that didn't have to respect the pass and could concentrate on stopping the trash-talking running back.

When the Wolverines did try to throw, Gholston made life miserable for them.

``I'm sure Chad Henne will be seeing him in his sleep,'' Tressel said.

Henne, whose throws were usually high or wide, left the field for one series in the third quarter and returned in the fourth. When he made accurate passes, star receiver Mario Manningham and teammates dropped some of them.

Henne finished 11 of 34 for 68 yards.

Hart had 18 carries for just 44 yards rushing, his first game this year under the 100-yard mark. He seemed to be relatively healthy after being sidelined with a badly sprained right ankle.

On a wet day, Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman fumbled twice, losing neither, and threw an interception in the first half.

After that, Tressel let him throw only once in the third quarter and once in the fourth. Boeckman completed seven of 13 passes for 50 yards.

Ohio State has claimed three Big Ten titles in a row, earning the last two alone for the first time since 1954-55.

TEN PRO PROSPECTS FROM THE BIG TEN

BY MICK MILLER
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDERS
BIG TEN WRITER


The Big Ten continues to cultivate, and the National Football League salivates. Some of the top talent and impact players that college football has to offer comes from the Big Ten, which produced 32 players in the 2007 NFL Draft, including two of the top five in Wisconsin left tackles Joe Thomas (#3) and Penn State’s Levi Brown (#5). In all, six went in the first round, with Ted Ginn of Ohio State (#9), Michigan’s Leon Hall (#18), Anthony Spencer of Purdue (#26) and Ginn’s fellow OSU wide out Anthony Gonzalez (#32).

This year’s crop is just as bountiful as these ten players will provide teams at the next level cornerstones to build upon.

1. Jake Long, OT, Michigan – The draft status of both Thomas and Brown gives us an idea into the draft potential of Long. It was Long, not Thomas, who won the conference’s Lineman of the Year award, to go along was First-Team All-Big Ten and a consensus All-American selections. Considering where Thomas and Brown were selected, Long’s potential certainly places him in the top five.

2. Dan Connor, LB, Penn State – Although Buffalo Bill draftee Paul Posluszny got all the print, Connor had the better season from the opening kick. He also was a Bednarik finalist last season and his 113 tackles (including nine for a loss) has placed him 99 tackles behind Posluszny’s newly established school record. Some experts consider him a better linebacker prospect than Posluszny.

3. James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State – The Bronco Nagurski Award (nation’s top defensive player) winner had a solid 2006 season and led the Buckeyes with five interceptions from his linebacker spot as he chalked up 115 tackles and four sacks to boot. Said to be not as athletic as former first rounder A.J. Hawk, he will be equally productive in college and at the next level.

4. Justin King, CB, Penn State – How happy is the valley with this Thorpe Award candidate and possibly the first defensive back off the board when he decides to leave for the pros? King has the size (6-0, 186), the speed (4.38) and versatility (Dean’s List in ’05 and Academic All-Big Ten in ’06) to improve on a 2006 when he was selected to the Second Team All-Big Ten. Claiming to be the healthiest he has ever been, coaches are expecting a monumental year.

5. Jack Ikegwuono, CB, Wisconsin – Big (6-1, 199 lbs) and fast, Ikegwuono ran down Arkansas all-world running back Darren McFadden from behind on the opening drive of the Capital One Bowl when it appeared to be a sure touchdown. This play not only displayed the measurables, but showed the type of heart this Badger plays with as well. It fueled the Badgers to a 17-14 win in the bowl game and will carry over into this season. He only had two interceptions, as teams simply threw away from him.

6. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State – Another big (6-1, 202 lbs) corner who simply takes half the field away from opposing offenses. With 4.3 speed and solid tackling ability, he has NFL written all over him. He had four interceptions last season, including a 61-yard for a touchdown on one of his picks. Jenkins was First Team All-Big Ten and after a huge sophomore year, the sky is the limit.

7. Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State – A Second Team All-Big Ten selection last season, Gholston led the Buckeyes with 8.5 sacks while starting all 13 contests. The 6-4, 260 pound junior runs a sub-4.7 forty and looks to pick up the slack on a defensive line that lost three seniors. Having the benefit of a redshirt freshman year could vault Gholston into the first round in the 2008 NFL Draft.

8. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan – A starter since his freshman year, Henne had a solid 2006 with 2,508 yards, 22 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions. In his three seasons in Ann Arbor, he has thrown for 7,777 yards, 70 touchdown passes, and 28 interceptions. With an intact offense coming back and some shootouts bound to come his way this season, Henne could topple all of the Michigan passing records this season and take his place amongst other NFL Wolverine quarterbacks.

9. Alex Boone, OT, Ohio State – A mountain of a man in the midst of a Buckeye reload could be a top ten pick in the 2008 Draft if he comes on with a strong junior campaign. Considered the best offensive line prospect since Orlando Pace, who himself went number one overall. A poor showing in the National Championship loss to Florida has placed a chip on his shoulder and he is out to prove himself.

10. Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan – Derailed by injury last season, Manningham stepped his summer training regimen by working out with quarterback Chad Henne and the rest of the Wolverine receivers on routes, fundamentals, and overall conditioning. At 6-0 and 181 pounds, Manningham is electric on the outside and opens everything up for the Maize and Blue underneath. A big game performer in the clutch, he is looking to explode this season and take his place amongst the greats at the U of M at the receiver position.