<
        >

          Chicago Colleges Report

          Big Ten Monday mailbag

          • Austin Ward, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2014, 05:00 PM ET
            Close
            • Covers the Big Ten.
            • Joined ESPN in 2012.
            • Attended the University of Wyoming.
            Follow on X

          So, the streak of Monday mailbags from me leading to chaotic Saturdays ended last week at one, but I still think we should give it another test. If nothing else, it's a great way to keep the time moving until football returns in the Big Ten again.

          Austin Ward: There's no question that Nate Sudfeld's injury was a significant blow to the Hoosiers after they had climbed back into the game last weekend at Iowa, but I don't think it can realistically be pointed to as the reason Kevin Wilson's club dropped another decision in the league. The defense, quite frankly, is still too big of an issue for Indiana to be a consistent winner, and it's pretty likely going to keep it out of a bowl game now that Sudfeld is out for the rest of the year. The passing game already hadn't been quite as effective as in years past for the Hoosiers even with Sudfeld healthy, although Tevin Coleman's incredible production has done a pretty good job of offsetting those troubles. But as long as the Hoosiers keep forcing themselves into shootouts, even against offenses that had previously struggled like Iowa had early in the year, they just can't be taken seriously as a threat in the Big Ten. And especially now after going from a surplus of quarterbacks down to essentially none with the experience needed to operate the spread at a high level, the second half could be pretty rough for the program.
          Austin Ward: If the matter is solely based on what a player does on the field and not a popularity contest or a tribute to the starting quarterback of the nation's No. 1 team, there's really no case against Melvin Gordon being at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Maybe the Wisconsin star is unlikely to win it because his team has struggled to a couple losses even while he's piled up eye-popping numbers, but if anything, what he's done in rolling up more than 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns through six games is even more impressive because of the limitations of the offense he's playing in this season. Illinois was loading up the box with seemingly every defender on the roster last weekend because the Badgers posed virtually no threat to pass at all, and Gordon still sliced it up for 175 yards and four scores. The things Gordon is capable of blow the mind, and the Badgers would be a truly frightening team if they were even average at quarterback this season. But perhaps if voters look close enough at that weakness for Wisconsin, Gordon's candidacy could get a boost and ensure that he does win up in New York City at the end of the year.
          Austin Ward: The Michigan State safety certainly wasn't at his best on Saturday against Purdue, but he wasn't alone in blowing some assignments in a game that may have prompted some second thoughts about a team that is presumed to be the class of the Big Ten again after winning it all last season. Giving up a bunch of points to Oregon is one thing. Getting burned for 31 points against Purdue is quite another, and the most troubling thing for coach Mark Dantonio should be the plays that were giving the Spartans fits last weekend are the same ones Ohio State will run with much better athletes during the East Division showdown on Nov. 8. As for Drummond, he has let a couple interceptions slip through his hands and he may be pressing to do too much at times, but he has the experience and knowledge of the system to snap out of a recent funk. And after the near meltdown against Nebraska and the breakdowns at Purdue, the sooner the better for the Spartans.
          Austin Ward: On the pace the redshirt freshman is currently on, all Barrett needs right now is to keep doing what he's been doing over the past few weeks. The Buckeyes are gaining confidence every week at the same time Barrett is becoming more comfortable in the offense, and the progress is clear to see as he delivers accurate passes, manages the run game like a veteran and wins over teammates with his leadership in the huddle. The path to the kind of recognition Braxton Miller earned over the past two years is a bit more complicated now that Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman and Ameer Abdullah are posting huge individual numbers. But if the Buckeyes run the table and win the Big Ten with Barrett continuing to account for multiple touchdowns every week, he's going to be tough for people to ignore when the ballots are cast for the league Offensive Player of the Year, even if a national trophy might be out of reach thanks to memories of the Virginia Tech loss.
          Austin Ward: There could be two interesting test cases for that theory coming up soon at Michigan and Illinois. I agree that schools have to invest in the product if Big Ten teams are going to compete for national championships, and the SEC has proven that paying top dollar for coaches, facilities and anything else remotely tied to football usually leads to results. If Michigan, for example, wants to ensure that it remains on even footing with the game's elite, it shouldn't let anything financially stand in its way when it goes shopping for the next coach to lead the program. And that's not just at the top -- the best coordinators in the country or the top position coaches should all be compensated that way also, or else they'll go work for a program that will pay them accordingly. The Big Ten schools can certainly afford to pony up.