BTN/Dienhart: Ranking the Big Ten's top 10 running backs

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Weird, would have thought he would be 7-8 on the list with potential to jump into the top 3-4 by end of this season.
 

Likely left him off because of the combination of a new Offensive Coordinator, the questions at OL, and the 2-3 other running backs with potential. Hard to tell how much running we'll do, how effective it will be, and how it will be split between the players.
 

It just goes to show you the level of Dienhart's analysis, I suspect that Brooks is downgraded because, he shares the backfield with Smith. I expect that Brooks will on the list in the post season analysis.
 

This type of questionable analysis should fire up the Brooks/Smith duo to prove Dienhart dead wrong.
 


The one that stands out to me is the Ohio State kid - where he ranked a player in the top 10 who hasn't taken a snap yet in a B1G game.

This smells to me like taking the recruiting rankings, and using them to rank players based on potential, not performance.

If Brooks had been the lead back in a 1-back system, and racked up more yards and carries, I bet he still wouldn't have been ranked, because he wasn't a big name coming out of high school.
 

Ke'Shawn Vaughn is the one that doesn't make sense to me. He had 38 more rushing attempts than Brooks, but only 14 more yards.
 

nsmike said:
It just goes to show you the level of Dienhart's analysis, I suspect that Brooks is downgraded because, he shares the backfield with Smith. I expect that Brooks will on the list in the post season analysis.
Click to expand...

Agree. Very clear he completely mailed this one in...could have easily talked about both.
 

Although I think Smith will break out this year his stats were ho hum last season, so I can see why he was left off the list. OTOH Brooks had 6 yards per carry and some highlight reel material. He (and Smith) are also versatile in being good passcatchers. Inexcusable oversight IMO but it's Dienhart.

Anyone want to break down that Newby run against us? LOL. I'm not sure that was a draw play so much as an inside zone parting of the Red Sea play.
 



I'm sure you could put most B10 guys in this category but Brooks' production came against Ohio, Purdue, a solid game against Iowa, and Illinois. Maybe that played in? Either that or just oversight.
 

I don't know what his criteria are. As SON pointed out one guy hasn't played. Another guy, Deveon Smith is David Cobb witth worse stats. I think with our line in shambles for all of last season, our backs should get a bit more credit, IMO. They aren't Corey Clement cleaning up in the 4th quarter after Melvin Gordon and that 2014 line wore everyone down.

This kind of stuff is meaningless and opinions will be all over the map after the first guy or two, but it can be sort of interesting to look at what the competition is for the skill players.
 

It is only speculation written to fill the vast void of summer until fall arrives.
It is not part of the vast sporting news conspiracy to belittle Gopher football.
 




olddoc said:
It is only speculation written to fill the vast void of summer until fall arrives.
It is not part of the vast sporting news conspiracy to belittle Gopher football.
Click to expand...


People said that the author mailed it in. We all know what "it" is. It is the "speculation written to fill the vast void of summer until fall arrives". They argued that the writer was lazy in not acknowledging Brooks. No one talked about a conspiracy.
 

I'm ok with this, Dienhart is wrong about literally everything and his predictions are a curse.

Keep picking everyone else, Tom..just gives me more confidence.
 

olddoc said:
It is only speculation written to fill the vast void of summer until fall arrives.
It is not part of the vast sporting news conspiracy to belittle Gopher football.
Click to expand...

You're awesome at criticizing people for things they didn't say.
 


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