It seems the Midwest is relatively quiet in early August. If you were to drive through the small farming town I grew up in in Mid-Michigan, even the most intense observer wouldn't see or hear a whole lot. That observer wouldn't have to stop either; I believe the town's one stoplight is a blinking yellow now.

But if you did take a quick drive up to the intersection of Meridian and Colony, you may hear the crunching of football pads and the yelling of high school football coaches. All over the flattened (thanks glaciers) Midwest, the sound of football glory rings in the ears of young combatants, coaches, and fans.

That same sound is ringing in the ears of The Rivalry. Our attempts to correctly predict the 2008 season will surely fail, so in true vainglorious fashion, here are 11 things that The Rivalry wants to see this year in the Big 10.

#1 - I want to see someone punch OSU right in the mouth.

Figuratively of course. Ohio State rules the Big 10 roost right now, just like they did last year...and the year before that. But the Bucks need a challenger to that throne or the Big 10 risks losing respect and legitimacy. Last year, the upstart Zookians successfully ran the shotgun spread right at the heart of the undefeated Buckeye's and their #1 ranked defense. Fans of the Scarlet and Gray watched in horror as Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall hammered the interior of the OSU defense with an 8 minute, game ending drive that shook up the BCS rankings. The Illini used this upset to springboard onto the national consciousness.

It seems the Midwest is relatively quiet in early August. If you were to drive through the small farming town I grew up in in Mid-Michigan, even the most intense observer wouldn't see or hear a whole lot. That observer wouldn't have to stop either; I believe the town's one stoplight is a blinking yellow now.

But if you did take a quick drive up to the intersection of Meridian and Colony, you may hear the crunching of football pads and the yelling of high school football coaches. All over the flattened (thanks glaciers) Midwest, the sound of football glory rings in the ears of young combatants, coaches, and fans.

That same sound is ringing in the ears of The Rivalry. Our attempts to correctly predict the 2008 season will surely fail, so in true vainglorious fashion, here are 11 things that The Rivalry wants to see this year in the Big 10.

#1 - I want to see someone punch OSU right in the mouth.

Figuratively of course. Ohio State rules the Big 10 roost right now, just like they did last year...and the year before that. But the Buck's need a challenger to that throne or the Big 10 risks losing respect and legitimacy. Last year, the upstart Zookians successfully ran the shotgun spread right at the heart of the undefeated Buckeye's and their #1 ranked defense. Fans of the Scarlet and Gray watched in horror as Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall hammered the interior of the OSU defense with an 8 minute, game ending drive that shook up the BCS rankings. The Illini used this upset to springboard onto the national consciousness.

Punching the Bucks in the face will be a formidable test this year, with that #1 defense improved (check out Jon's article on Blue Ribbon's odd thoughts about the Buckeye's defense) and raring to prove they aren't too slow to beat top SEC teams. But the Rivalry doesn't want to watch a one horse race in the Big 10. The games @Madison on October 4 and @Champaign on November 15 will be the best chances for The Rivalry's #1 wish to come true.

#2 -I want Michigan State to live up to expectations.

I have talked about this before; the ingredients are mostly there for a successful Spartan season. Veteran QB, stud halfback, solid coach blah blah blah...the truth is, a strong base for success in East Lansing has been in place before, only to be shoved aside by drug problems, shocking losses, and bad coaching. The Rivalry fervently hopes that the Spartans can return some of the glory of 1965-66 to East Lansing. Michigan State's three game stretch versus OSU, UM, and Wisconsin will show whether a consistent effort can be displayed against the Big 10's powers.

Why is it so imperative that the Spartans excel? Simple: the Big 10 needs a middle of the pack team to step up. The SEC has Arkansas, the Big 12 has Kansas, the Big East has UConn and Cincinnati...These perennial 6-7 win teams have catapulted themselves over the hump of mediocrity into the national spotlight. MSU has the tradition, coaching, and veteran experience to do the same.

#3- I want Terrelle Pryor to break out in a "Sportscenter Top 10" way.

There are certain recruits that take on national appeal because of their seemingly otherworldly talents. Chris Webber, Adrian Peterson, Jesus Shuttlesworth......Pryor's high school star shone brighter than those three, plus he couldn't skip to the NFL so there was an added onus on him having to pick a college. Now he plays at the Horseshoe, backing up Todd Boeckman, and this leaves me deeply unsatisfied. He is a singular talent with Vince Youngesqe poise and speed and I want to see what he can do against Linebacker U and Brandon Graham.

#4 - I want people to stop talking about Joe Paterno retiring.

I don't care if hes 80 years old. I don't care if Greg Schiano is practicing his "JoePa was a legend, but it's a new day in Happy Valley" speech. Longevity of a head coach/coaching staff is one of the most important things a college football can have and Paterno has cornered the market on longevity (Bobby Bowden, calm down). Penn State has been a relevant and thriving football program for 40 years; in fact, JoePa should be toasting a 40th anniversary glass of champagne to his undefeated 1968 team, a team that went undefeated and was denied the national title. Paterno is the highly respected face of a program that pushes players into the NFL consistently and reinvents itself consistently (look at the offense becoming more varied and adaptable in the last 5 years, look at the 3rd ranked 2005 Nittany Lions with running QB Michael Robinson).

Blame for the undisciplined and felonious behavior of Penn State's players shouldn't lie in Paterno's lap either. No Nittany Lion player has ever thought, "Hey, my coach is so old that he has forgot to instill discipline, F*** it, lets go break down a door and assault someone." Paterno's age just isn't relevant, only his results are.

#5 - I Want the Midwest to Represent in the 2008 Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge

Everyone knows how the Big 10 performs in the annual Big 10/ACC basketball challenge; it's pretty much a yearly reminder of how badly those Southern schools outclass the Midwest's best in head to head match-ups. And now that the Big 10 has entered into a de facto football "Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge," I am nervously awaiting Penn State v Oregon State, Ohio State v USC, Michigan State v California, and Purdue v Oregon.

What can the Big 10 gain in this Snow v Sun challenge? Nothing large really - only a foothold for BCS berths (OSU, PSU) and early momentum for veteran quarterbacks looking to lead their teams to 8 or 9 wins (Purdue, MSU). Most intriguing match-up here (besides the Game of the Century): Michigan State v Cali, no question. These two teams are blessed with NFL caliber talent and have solid coaching; plus they both reside in the same preseason ranking group...

#6 - I Want Ron Zook to Keep the Good Feelings Coming

USC put its arm around the Illini and led them to the woodshed last year in the Rose Bowl, but the fact that Illinois even made it there was a huge testament to Ron Zook, Juice Williams, and the offensive system that was installed in Champaign-Urbana. Zook has hooked up good recruiting classes (thats a top 20 class for a 2 win team, in case you're counting at home), a veteran quarterback with star quality, and a defense that Zook is high on. But Mizzou waits in the wings, as do the high hopes of Illinois fans everywhere.

#7 - I Want a Wide Receiver to get his Name in the Headlines.

For his football performance, of course. The Big 10 is not a Mecca for stud WR's in 2008 and there is a tremendously shallow pool of top level wide receivers. Mario Manningham, James Hardy, and Devon Thomas have departed and left a void for which....someone will have to fill.

The problems for Big 10 wide receivers are two fold.

The first problem for this class of hands men is the changing attitude in the Big 10. The attitude of run first, pass second does not lend itself to grooming WR's and many teams have moved in that direction. The University of Michigan provides the perfect example. Michigan ran a Pro Style offense that attracted top wide receivers like David Terrell, Braylon Edwards, and Mario Manningham. These top notch receivers knew they were going to get the ball and use their time at Michigan to improve their shot to play in the NFL. Now Michigan has moved towards a spread run attack and Manningham, who would have been the Big 10's top ranked returning wide receiver, got out of Ann Arbor as quickly as he used to run routes for the Blue and Gold.

Second, the best wide receivers according to CFN (Brian Robiskie of OSU, Andy Brodell of Iowa, Eric Decker, Jr of Minnesota, Derrick Williams of PSU, Arrelious Benn of Illinois) all play on teams that may not be able to nurture a breakout season for these talented players. Robiskie will always be the 2nd option to Heisman frontrunner Beanie Wells and the Buckeyes will probably pull him in blowout games against Youngstown St, Ohio, and Troy. Brodell plays on an Iowa team with no running game to speak of with a quarterback who spent 2007 being slammed into the grass over and over again; expect him to see double teams or a safety shading to his side. Williams is a mega-talent, but PSU's quarterback situation will hinder his stats. Decker plays for a struggling Minnesota program and will have to put up obscene numbers just to get some hype.

This leaves us with Benn, the only Big 10 WR that I could find on anyone's Preseason All American list. Everyone knows Benn's QB struggled with accuracy last year, but Juice Williams has had a year to mature and work with coaches. Plus, Benn got the ball a considerable amount regardless of William's throwing issues. Benn is the Big 10's best chance to follow in the All-American footsteps of Braylon Edwards and Charles Rogers.

#8 - I Want to Avoid a Repeat of the Monster 2007 Upsets.

Gregg Easterbrook, the ESPN Page 2 columnist, writes about how BCS schools schedule cupcake match-ups with weak teams by paying these smaller schools upwards of $500,000 to come and get killed on the BCS school's home turf. The Big 10 followed this simple formula in 2007 and the results were mind boggling. North Dakota State left the Metrodome with a 27-21 victory, the Bronco's of Western Michigan left Iowa City triumphant, and Appalachian State went straight from Ann Arbor to Los Angeles to collect its ESPY for Upset of the Year.

#9 - I Want More Heartwarming Stories.

The Terry Hoeppner saga made Indiana's battle to "play 13" a great story. But there was more to that than a courageous head coach's battle with cancer. Indiana doesn't have a storied football program and has mediocre results of late, so the recent success was doubly surprising. Since when does the Big 10's top quarterback reside in Bloomington (as one preseason publication dubbed Kellen Lewis)? Since when is the Hoosier crowd storming the field to celebrate a night-game victory? Hoeppner and the subsequent competitiveness of the team makes Indiana a Rivalry favorite. Let's hope Lewis's recent return from suspension lifts the Hoosiers to another Bowl game.

#10 - I Want Minnesota to Stop Embarrassing the Big 10.

One Win. North Dakota State. Worst defense in recent history. As Jon put it earlier:

"Suffice it to say (head coach) Tim Brewster enjoyed the kind of honeymoon traditionally reserved for people with chronic motion sickness who forget to pack Dramamine on a three-month cruise around Cape Horn."

2007 was a legitimately horrid year for the Golden Gophers. This program, which once featured two of the best running backs in the NFL (Marion Barber, Lawrence Maroney), should have been relegated to the MAC, English Premier League-style, after last years performance.

But the Gophers will still inhabit the Big 10 in 2008 and could be decent. Solid offensive weapons exist in veterans QB Adam Weber and WR Eric Decker, Jr, while Ted Roof comes from Duke to try and salvage some defensive respectability. An easy early season schedule should push Minnesota past their win total of 2007 easily.

#11 - If Ohio State Makes it to a Bowl Game, I Would Appreciate if they Showed Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvjpNgNnXUI&feature=related

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