BTN: School-by-school: Big Ten's top BCS era players (Eslinger over Maroney and TC)

[BleedGopher]

per BTN:

With the new playoff system set to debut this fall, I hit the rewind button and asked one beat writer from all 14 schools for his team’s top player during the BCS era.

MINNESOTA

Chip Scoggins (@chipscoggins), Star Tribune: Greg Eslinger (2002-2005) - I’d give center Greg Eslinger a slight nod over Laurence Maroney and Tyrone Carter as the Gophers best player in the BCS era. Eslinger was exceptional in Glen Mason’s zone blocking scheme and was relentless in the way he moved and blocked defenders downfield. He started all 50 games of his career and was a three-time All-American who won the Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy as a senior. The Gophers had one of the top rushing offenses in college football in those years.

http://btn.com/2014/06/25/school-by-school-big-tens-top-bcs-era-players/

Go Gophers!!

 

[highwayman]

Hard to argue with that.

 

[nsmike]

Esslinger was one of the best college centers of all time so it's an easy choice.

 

[Ski U Master]

per BTN:

With the new playoff system set to debut this fall, I hit the rewind button and asked one beat writer from all 14 schools for his team’s top player during the BCS era.

MINNESOTA

Chip Scoggins (@chipscoggins), Star Tribune: Greg Eslinger (2002-2005) - I’d give center Greg Eslinger a slight nod over Laurence Maroney and Tyrone Carter as the Gophers best player in the BCS era. Eslinger was exceptional in Glen Mason’s zone blocking scheme and was relentless in the way he moved and blocked defenders downfield. He started all 50 games of his career and was a three-time All-American who won the Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy as a senior. The Gophers had one of the top rushing offenses in college football in those years.

http://btn.com/2014/06/25/school-by-school-big-tens-top-bcs-era-players/

Go Gophers!!

Without guys like Eslinger hard to say what Maroney's career would've been like. He was still a fantastic runner, but there is a reason we had so many successful RBs during that time period.