NCAA Football '12 Big 10 Conference Guide: Ratings, Offensive Schemes, Stats, and Best Players For All Teams

NCAA Football '12 Big 10 Conference Guide: Ratings, Offensive Schemes, Stats, and Best Players For All Teams
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The Big 10 is the oldest Division I college athletic conference in the nation. Despite the name, there are twelve teams that make up the Big 10 conference with this year’s addition of Nebraska.

The Big 10 teams are some of the most formidable in NCAA Football ‘12. Our complete guide to the conference offers scouting reports for each team including offensive and defensive ratings, overall scores, offensive scheme information, and the most dominant players on both sides of the ball for each team.

Whether you’re looking to take one of these teams to the national title game or simply find out how to beat them, our scouting reports have all the information you need to succeed with or defeat each team in the Big 10.

Our guide uses player names rather than the position/number combination of the default rosters in NCAA Football ‘12. Most players of the game download named rosters and we wanted our guide to reflect this.

Illinois

The Fighting Illini of Illinois utilize Multiple offensive sets to keep their opponents on their toes. They receive an overall score of B, with ratings of B on offense on B- on defense.

The best player on the Illinois team is their kicker, Derek Dimke. Watch out for his accurate leg while in field goal range.

Defensively, watch out for Thomas at LOLB.

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Nathan Sheelhaase and halfback Jason Ford are among the most talented players on the team.

Indiana

Indiana, like conference foes Illinois, use Multiple offensive sets. Defense is the team’s weak point, with a score of C+. The offense is a bit better, with a B rating, giving the Hoosiers an overall score of B-.

Indiana has a very solid offensive line and a potent offensive weapon in Belcher at wide receiver.

On defense, MLB Jeff Thomas is a force in the middle of the defense at linebacker.

Iowa

The Hawkeyes favor the Pro-style offense. With scores of B for both offense and defense, Iowa still manages to earn an overall rating of B+.

For Iowa, the left side of the offensive line is anchored by Riley Reiff, a powerful tackle. Watch out for runs to his side by Coker at halfback.

On defense, a pair of talented corners in Prater and Hyde make it incredibly tough on opposing quarterbacks.

Michigan

The Wolverines, like the Hawkeyes, use the Pro-style offensive set. They receive a B+ for defense and an A- for offense, adding up to an overall score of A-.

Quarterback Denard Robinson is the centerpiece of the Michigan offensive attack. His favorite target is Roy Roundtree at wide receiver.

On defense, watch out for Martin at DT and Kovacs at SS.

Michigan State

Michigan State relies upon its A- rated, Pro-style offense to put points on the board and take the pressure off of their B rated defense. Overall, the team scores a B.

The Spartans have a pair of potent offensive weapons in Edwin Baker at halfback and Kirk Cousins at quarterback.

On defense, FS Robinson and CB Adams are standouts, so watch yourself when passing in their direction.

Minnesota

In the land of 1,000 lakes, the Golden Gophers are fond of using Multiple offensive sets. Offense is the team’s weak point, with a rating of C+. Defense is slightly better at B-, giving the team an overall rating of B-.

Minnesota has a pair of highly-rated linebackers anchoring their defense. Watch out for Tinsley at MLB and Cooper at ROLB.

On the other side of the ball, the most potent weapon in the Gopher arsenal is Da Jon McKnight at receiver.

Nebraska

The newest member of the Big 10, Nebraska uses a Spread offense. A very consistent team, the Cornhuskers score a B+ in offense, defense, and overall.

Attempt to run up the middle or spend too much time in the pocket when facing the Huskers and you’ll find yourself running into the brick wall that is Jared Crick at DT.

Offensively, Nebraska relies heavily on Burkhead at halfback to put points on the board.

Northwestern

The Wildcats score a B+ overall, with ratings of B+ for offense and B for defense. Northwestern, like Nebraska, uses the Spread offense.

The best player on the Northwestern squad is Dan Persa at quarterback followed closely by Ebert at WR. Watch out for this potent combination.

Defensively, watch out for Peters at SS and Mabin at CB.

Ohio State

Ohio State

The subject of recent controversy, Ohio State runs Multiple offensive sets to keep opponents on their toes. Overall, the Buckeyes receive a rating of A-, with an A on offense and a B+ on defense.

Ohio State relies on a pair of weapons on offense. Posey at WR and Herron at HB are talented players who can score on practically any play.

On the other side of the ball, keep your eye on Williams at RE and Simon at DT. Together, they form a very solid defensive line for the Buckeyes.

Penn State

Penn State

The Nittany Lions of Penn State are a very solid team this year, with ratings of A- on both offense and defense, and an overall score of A. They also run Multiple offensive schemes.

The Penn State secondary is formidable, with four of the team’s ten best players in the defensive backfield.

On offense, Moye at receiver and Redd at halfback benefit from a very solid offensive line.

Purdue

Purdue

At Purdue, the Spread offense is the name of the game. The B- rated offense wields it while the B rated defense keeps opponents out of the end zone. Overall, the Boilermakers score a B.

Purdue is another Big 10 school with a very solid offensive line. Bolden at halfback is their most potent offensive weapon, so watch out for a lot of runs from the Boilermakers.

Logan Link at strong safety is the centerpiece of the Purdue defense. He and Beckford at MLB, along with Holland at ROLB, combine to stop opposing offensive drives.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin offense is the highlight of the team, running the Pro-style offense and scoring an A rating. On defense the Badgers receive a B+, leading to an overall rating of A.

The right side of the offensive line is a major strength for the Badgers, as well as their standout players in Wilson at QB, White at HB, and Toon at WR. Don’t let this potent offensive attack get out to an early lead unless you want to spend the whole game playing catch up.

On defense, CB Fenelus and DT Butrym are the standout players.

References

All screenshots and references from NCAA Football ‘12.

This post is part of the series: NCAA Football ‘12 Conference Guides

Our series of guides to the different conferences in NCAA Football ‘12 features a team-by-team breakdown of offensive and defensive ratings, offensive schemes, and top players on each team.

  1. The Most Dominant Conference: Scouting Reports for the SEC Teams in NCAA Football ‘12.
  2. Pac-ing ’em In: Scouting Reports for the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Football ‘12
  3. Eastern Promises: Full Scouting Reports on all NCAA Football ‘12 ACC Teams
  4. The Elite Eight: Full Scouting Reports for Big East Teams in NCAA Football ‘12
  5. Football With Hawkeye and Wolverine: Scouting Reports for All NCAA Football ‘12 Big 10 Schools