Glasgow's comin'

The Question: Which big ten players are over/underperforming your preseason expectations?

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The Responses

Ace:

Underperforming: While I didn't expect them to be world-beaters, I didn't see Michigan State's safeties being so inconsistent, like twice-benched Montae Nicholson, or inconsistent and injured, as is now the case with RJ Williamson. With Williamson now out for most of the season, that secondary is vulnerable, and there may only be so much their excellent defensive line can do to mask the weakness.

Overperforming: Ryan Glasgow, Chris Wormley, Maurice Hurst, Matt Godin, and Taco Charlton. I'd include Willie Henry, as well, but I was expecting big things out of him this year. Remember when Bryan Mone's injury looked to be a huge hit to the defensive line? They've coped pretty well. You could also throw Jeremy Clark and Channing Stribling in here, as they've very much exceeded expectations, too. The defense was supposed to be good with a couple of weak points; at the moment, it's great, and thus far they haven't shown a glaring weakness.

[Jump for not draftageddon (until Seth goes)]

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David:

Under-performing: This may be a bit of a reach and slightly unfair due to small sample size, etc, but I'm going with JT Barrett.  I know, I know, I know, he's barely played and has throw fewer than 40 passes this season.  I get that.  But it's also kind of the point. 

Much has been made of Ohio State's QB struggles this season.  Nobody thought that would be a position of need two months ago.  In fact, the general consensus was how is Ohio State going to get all of these great QB athletes on the field.  It seemed that they had three desirable QBs and the rest of the league had maybe two.  After Braxton Miller was moved to WR, the job eventually went to Cardale Jones.  Jones has had his struggles in different games and JT Barrett has gotten his opportunity to win the job a couple of different times.  But he hasn't.  As previously stated, the sample size is very low; however, in his opportunities this season, his YPA has dropped from 9 to 5.1, his completion percentage from 65% to 55%, and his INT/attempt ratio has risen  from 1/31 to 1/17.  This was a guy who as a redshirt freshman went 203 of 314 for 2834, 34 and 10.  Lastly, Urban Meyer has had to come out and publicly state Jones as his starter a few of different times.  That is going to make it very difficult for Meyer to take Jones out in favor of Barrett -or anyone else for that matter- aside from some sort of injury. 

I think is rather notable given the fact that Barrett has a lot more explosability (see Bolden) than Jones and has more eligibility remaining.  Barrett also MIIIIIIIIGHT have been the #1 overall in the 2015 Draftageddon...but who's counting?  Sorry, Adam.

Over-achieving: Markell Jones.  While Purdue has stumbled to a 1-4 start, no one can blame Markell Jones for not pulling his weight.  Jones has 405 yards on only 60 attempts, so far -good for a 6.8 a pop!- and 5 scores.  He's also combined 10 receptions for 58 yards and another score.  In case you want to discount his competition, he's had his most productive games against Virginia Tech (6 for 90 and a TD) and Michigan State (22 for 157 and 2 TDs).  Jones is also a true freshman!  He wasn't super highly rated at the #56 rated RB in the nation (according to Scout.com), but he did win Mr. Football in the state of Indiana.  That would be the first of two straight Indiana Mr. Football winners (presumably) that I would definitely be excited about having on Michigan's roster. 

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Adam:

Underperforming: Well, Dave, I'm counting, and when I look at my team and count how many guys there are on offense there are 10. Thanks, Urban. Thanks, Cardale. There's a pretty dang explosable guy stapled to the bench. To be fair, though, Barrett's aforementioned stats don't do much to engender confidence. He just hasn't been as good, and that's incredibly disappointing given the obviously high expectations I had for him.

Overperforming: Desmond King is one of those guys who I kept on my Draftageddon board but was never fully sold on, and now I'm kicking myself for not taking him. He's been great so far this season when I've watched, and his stats reflect that; he already has a conference-leading five interceptions and four PBUs. He's also averaging 18.7 yards per punt return and 22.5 yards per kickoff return. His combination of measurables and on-field production now have some of the NFL Draft-centric sites openly wondering if he could be a first-round pick.

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Brian:

Underperforming: Pick a quarterback. I think literally any quarterback. Mitch Leidner and Austin Appleby got yanked for freshmen. Ohio State's efficiency has gone off a cliff post-Herman. Jake Rudock is a sad ghost much of the time. Collectively, Maryland leads the nation in interceptions thrown. CJ Beathard just won a game against Joel Stave in which Beathard acquired 79 passing yards. Oh and remember when Christian Hackenberg was supposed to be the first pick in the draft? That feels like a million years ago. Even Connor Cook, who people are still projecting as a high first round pick, has been a bit underwhelming.

The QB most outperforming expectations is... Zander Diamont? Not great, Bob. Except for Michigan's defense, which will leave most of these people in a heap of their own entrails.

Also disappointing: Maliek Collins (I was expecting more from him as an upperclass NT, maybe the Pelini to Riley transition isn't helping), most of MSU's secondary, Rutgers as a team and institution, and Wisconsin's run game.

Overperforming: Michigan's defense, particularly the defensive line, is the story of the Big Ten so far. It's the Somme out there for opposing centers, and it's not going that much better for guards and tackles. The number of superior players is such that PFF isn't even mentioning a rampant Ryan Glasgow in its postgame top fives, instead going with Henry and Hurst--guys who are technically not even starters. Meanwhile the development of Clark and Stribling takes a close second.

In the non-Michigan division: if you watched the Maryland tape closely you saw Yannick Ngakoue smoke a heretofore clean Mason Cole three or four times. He's on pace for a 15 sack season and should be an All Big Ten first team lock. He is that D's Brandon Graham. I will also put in a shout for King; Indiana's Jordan Howard has been a lot closer to maintaining Tevin Coleman's production than I thought he'd be—sounds like we should also be appreciating the Indiana OL.

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Seth:

There's a lot of guys in the Big Ten so I made an extremely biased graphic from our gimmicky preseason top 100 players in the conference draft. Gray is underperforming my expectations, red is injured or not playing for some other reason, otherwise is meeting the spot we drafted him.

Will Likely as a returner only.

Underperforming: Every quarterback except Connor Cook. Without looking, name the top five quarterbacks in the conference by QBR right now. No you are wrong. Now make sure breakfast is secure:

Big Tennnnn! tag: deployed.

I wouldn't call OSU's offense "disappointing" Bob. Zeke Elliott is putting up good numbers and the blocking seems okay; the quarterbacks who blasted Oregon and Alabama and Wisconsin however are struggling with Western Michigan. That goes double for State's secondary.

Will Likely has disappointed me as a cornerback; he got bombed against West Virginia and even Michigan picked on him in pass pro (Chesson had that box-out 3rd and long conversion on his face and beat him on the long pass he didn't catch). Likely's been an excellent tackler and one of the nation's best returners, but at his primary function not so much.

And of course Wayne Lyons, who was shuffled to safety and hasn't even looked good there. Stribling and Lyons have played well at the spot Lyons was supposed to inherit, but to get nothing from that guy is a huge comedown.

Overperforming: Seth's High-Flying Green Cheesewheels. Ryan Glasgow! Joe Schobert is leading the conference in sacks. Geronimo Allison is the surprise best receiver. Malik McDowell was apparently worth the fight.

(Leonte Carroo may be reinstated by Rutgers but eff that guy).

I have to credit Adam's special teams picks. I'll have to check with Mathlete but drafting a crappy offense to set up Blake O'Neill punts may actually be an effective strategy. Big Toe (8/9) as the last pick in the draft is much better than my fat kicker, who's missed four of ten, including both from 50+, and Paul Griggs, who's 3/8 after going 16/20 last year. Brad Craddock is 5/6 but has lost a lot of his Aussie on punting. Kickers: weird.

And I want to note Darius Hillary, who has STILL yet to be targeted this year when I've been watching. Seriously somebody find me a video of him being thrown at in 2015.

And of guys we missed, I reiterate the stuff about PSU safety Marcus Allen for anyone with a Spartan in their secondary. Aaron Burbridge finally looks like a guy now, at the point when the other receiver from my local high school his year is in the NFL. Penn State's also getting great play out the huge DE Carl Nassib, a former walk-on who'd been hidden behind Olaniyan and Barnes.