Big Ten returning starters for 2011

Nexus

All-American
From ESPN Big Ten blogger, Adam Rittenberg.

Michigan: 20 returning starters (9 offense*, 9 defense, 2 special teams)Purdue: 18 returning starters (7 offense*, 9 defense, 2 special teams)

Northwestern: 17 returning starters (9 offense*, 7 defense, 1 special teams)

Penn State: 16 returning starters (7 offense*, 8 defense, 1 special teams)

Indiana: 15 returning starters (6 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams)

Minnesota: 15 returning starters (5 offense, 9 defense, 1 special teams)

Illinois: 13 returning starters (6 offense*, 6 defense, 1 special teams)

Michigan State: 13 returning starters (6 offense*, 6 defense, 1 special teams)

Ohio State: 13 returning starters (8 offense*, 4 defense, 1 special teams)

Nebraska: 12 returning starters (5 offense*, 7 defense, 0 special teams)

Wisconsin: 12 returning starters (4 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams)

Iowa: 10 returning starters (5 offense, 4 defense, 1 special teams)

*-includes starting quarterback

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I presume they're not counting Burkhead as a starter, even though he started a couple of games. Same for some of the O Line, if I'm not mistaken.

On offense we lose Helu, Paul, McNeill, Henry, Williams and Jones. As little as we used McNeill this year, he's not much of a loss (the loss of potential with McNeill is huge, though). We lose a lot of false starts and holding with Henry and Williams, so while their experience is a loss, net, I'm not sure it's much of a loss.

On defense we'll reload. As bad as it is to lose Amukamara, Hagg and Gomes, I'm not that concerned about their replacements. We lose nobody from the LB corps and only Allen from the D Line, and he won't be missed much, frankly.

I don't know how accurate those numbers are for other teams, but for Nebraska, I'm not worried about who we lose. Won't be much of a dropoff, with the possible exception of RB. And if Green is a freshman phenom, we may be all right there as well.

 
Knappster is right but i think the DB losses will be very big...however we will be much better on D-line i think..much better at LB(they will have more of a sense of identity next year)

Offense i think we get better

special teams we get worse.

I think we still win 10 games next year

 
I will miss Alex Henry and Audi Kunalic. Both were major contributors.

T_O_B

:bonesflag: :throwdabones1: :throwdabones1: :throwdabones1: :bonesflag:

 
This staff seems to have put together the team really nicely to the point where if one unit is predictably not going to be up to snuff during a season, the rest of the units will be fantastic enough to overcompensate and take care of them. Examples being the offense carrying the defense in '08, the D line carrying the secondary at times in '09, the defense carrying the offense in '09, the secondary carrying the d-line this last year, and so on.

 
Knappster is right but i think the DB losses will be very big...however we will be much better on D-line i think..much better at LB(they will have more of a sense of identity next year)

Offense i think we get better

special teams we get worse.

I think we still win 10 games next year
We sure as heck better be better on offense. If we're not a top 3 offense in the Big 10 next year and Watson doesn't get fired, I'm going to lose it once and for all.

 
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