Coming of Age

In America, we typically associate a "coming of age" with late adolescence. But the truth is, some people (or things) take longer to adapt to their surroundings.

The Big Ten, America's oldest college football conference, has been known for generations as a run-first, smash-mouth league. And in the past, those characterizations were, if anything, compliments. But in recent years they've taken on new meaning.

Today, most people identify the Big Ten as an out-of-touch league whose bite doesn't match its bark. And since it's last National Champion in 2002, the numbers support those claims: Since the '02-'03 bowl season, the Big Ten has a combined bowl record of 15-28 (the worst of the six "power" conferences), including a 3-8 record in BCS bowls.

Does that make the Big Ten the sixth best conference in the land? That's debatable. What isn't is the fact that the Big Ten is making strides to turn things around. From new systems to more dynamic athletes, I believe the conference is on its way to a comeback.

It may have taken some time to catch on, but nearly every Big Ten program -- with Wisconsin being the lone exception -- has installed some type of spread offense. And considering how bad the Badgers' offense looked in '08, maybe they should consider joining the club.

Often, the casual fan will mistaken any shotgun formation as a spread. But where the quarterback lines up is not what defines this revolutionary scheme. While no two are alike, a spread is easy to identify: A formation is classified as such when three or more offensive skill players are spaced horizontally across the field, on or near the line of scrimmage. The idea is to, literally, spread the opposing defense. This makes the middle of the defense more vulnerable to the run and opens passing lanes for the quarterback to throw.

This basic principle, though never so widespread, has been around for years. But today the game's brightest offensive coaches are finding ways to build on that philosophy. Many of America's most successful football programs are incorporating spread formations into their offenses. And the Big Ten is no exception.

While Purdue has used a pass-heavy spread for years, Michigan is just beginning to make the transition to Rich Rodriguez's zone read, triple option spread. Others, such as the Big Ten's last two Rose Bowl representatives, Illinois and Penn State, prefer to use pro-style spreads, utilizing fullbacks and tight ends. But of course, these schemes are only effective if they have the right personnel. And it all starts with the quarterback position.

The most significant change over the last few years may indeed be the quarterback play. Instead of one-dimensional pocket passers that "manage" the game, the Big Ten -- due in part to the aforementioned changes in offensive philosophy -- features a handful of athletes at quarterback that can take control of a game.

Without digging too deep into the Big Ten history books, I'd like to share a few names that have garnered First Team All-Big Ten honors at quarterback since 1993, the year in which the league expanded to eleven schools. Out of convenience, I've listed only three players, each separated by five years, all of whom fit the mold of the "classic" Big Ten quarterback:

• Darrell Bevell (Wisconsin, 1993)
  
• Joe Germaine (Ohio State, 1998)
  
• John Navarre (Michigan, 2003)
  

Each of these players were above-average quarterbacks known more (or should I say, only?) for their throwing abilities. Quite the contrary, the Big Ten's headliner quarterbacks of 2009 are three multi-dimensional athletes. These three players (Isiah "Juice" Williams of Illinois, Daryll Clark of Penn State, and Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State) have taken the conference by storm the last two seasons. And they don't look to be slowing down, either.

Williams and Clark, both seniors heading into '09, each received All-Big Ten honors last season. And Pryor, the nation's No. 1 recruit and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in '08, may have the most upside of the three. Is it a coincidence that Illinois, Penn State, and Ohio State are among the Big Ten favorites in 2009?

It's difficult to deny the Big Ten's rise in offensive production over the last few years. From top to bottom, each conference representative is scoring more touchdowns than ever before. The following figures are the averages of the Big Ten's highest and lowest touchdown totals over the last five seasons:

• 2004 -- 37 (high: 50, low: 24)
• 2005 -- 38.5 (high: 56, low: 21)
  
• 2006 -- 43 (high: 61, low: 25)
  
• 2007 -- 42 (high: 56, low: 28)
  
• 2008 -- 47 (high: 63, low: 31)

Note that (besides a minimal drop '06 to '07) the number of offensive touchdowns has risen steadily over this time period. Actually, a 27% rise in touchdowns over a five-year span is more than steady - it's remarkable.

But these offenses will eventually plateau. Defensive coaches will begin to recruit players to fit their system. And believe it or not, that's when we'll see a turnaround in the Big Ten.

After all, that 3-8 BCS bowl record I mentioned above is due more to a lack of defense than a lack of offense. In those eleven games, Big Ten teams scored a respectable 24.9 points per game. Meanwhile, they allowed an embarrassing 32.6 per game.

There will continue to be doubters. They'll trash the Big Ten for being old-fashioned or slow. But soon enough, Big Ten teams will start to win big games against SEC, Big 12, and Pac-10 opponents. It's certainly taken a few years to catch up - but I think the Big Ten is finally coming of age.