FanHouse ZoltanMesko

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, smart guy. You're thinking this post should be one letter long, and that letter should be 'F.' It's true that the Big Ten did little to advance its reputation during the season, and even less during the postseason. In spite of it all, there are still a few diamonds among the, um, whatever else it is the diamonds are scattered among.

They're scattered among things like 35-3, a 1-6 bowl game record, the fall of the Michigan dynasty, a tragically unwarranted and completely unjustified preseason overrating, several regressions to the mean, and the worst sendoff since the last episode of "Seinfeld."

So we'll go through the league team by team, painful as that is, to build up the successes and try to understand the failures of Big Ten football in 2008. Yes, I used "success" and "Big Ten football" in the same sentence without the connecting phrase "lack of." Deal with it, Buck. Every team gets an overall grade and a quick look at its prognosis for the 2009 season. For you Big Ten fans, I promise you it's not all bad news; for you Big Ten haters, I promise you it's not all good.

Now is the time on Fanhouse when we pore over minutae.

Michigan has released its initial depth chart for the fall and whoo boy, if you like the word "or" you are in for a treat. Points of interest:

• 5'6" fifth year senior walk-on Alijah Bradley is the third name listed... at flanker?
• David Moosman is nominally the backup center; Redshirt freshman Tim MacAvoy, thought to be a tackle, is also listed there.
• Rueben Riley is the starting right tackle. Mike Kolodziej is not on the two-deep.
• Ex-fullback Brian Thompson is listed as the fourth tight end.
  
• Nose tackle: Terrance Taylor or Will Johnson. Non-Woodley DE: Tim Jamison OR Rondell Bigs OR Eugene Germany. Let my Jamison go (upfield)!
• Burgess is listed as Crable's backup at SAM; apparently Graham has at least a tenuous hold on the WLB job.*
• Brandent Engelmon is listed as the starter at free safety. Mundy is his backup. Jamar Adams starts at SS.
• Charles Stewart is officially listed as the starter opposite Leon Hall. Behind him it's Brandon Harrison OR Johnny Sears.
• Aaand the most deliciously important piece of the depth chart: Punter. It's Ross Ryan OR Zoltan the Inconceivable.

Takeaway bits: starting battles have been won by Graham at WLB, Engelmon at FS, Adams at SS, and Stewart at CB. Will Johnson is going to see a lot of time. Jamison is still locked in a deathmatch with Biggs and Germany.

*(I assume that The Wolverine's labeling of Harris/Thompson as WLBs and Graham/Logan as MLB is a typo, either from the Wolverine or the athletic department.)