One final question from our anonymous B1G players’ poll remains, and it certainly appeared to be the toughest for most players: Besides your own head coach, what Big Ten head coach would you most like to play for?
We spoke with 17 of the 42 player representatives at Big Ten media days last week, but one player declined to answer this anonymous poll question -- so this one has just 16 responses. Our earlier questions, on the best offensive player and best defensive player, both had 17.
Here are the results:
Coach You’d Most Like to Play For
Urban Meyer, Ohio State – 5 votes
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State – 4 votes
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan – 3 votes
Tim Beckman, Illinois – 1 vote
James Franklin, Penn State – 1 vote
Jerry Kill, Minnesota – 1 vote
Kevin Wilson, Indiana – 1 vote
Again, no surprise with Meyer on top -- which means the Buckeyes swept our poll questions. (Ezekiel Elliott was named best offensive player; Joey Bosa, best defensive player.)
There was still a good mix here because, when some players explained their picks, they said they tried to think back to recruiting relationships and how they jelled with certain guys. That may have been where our most surprising pick -- Beckman -- came from.
“Yeah, I know he’s going through some stuff right now,” the player said. “But I would just say him based off his personality and because I know him a little bit.”
Harbaugh was also a popular pick, despite not yet coaching a Big Ten game. One player said he’d want to play for Harbaugh because he was a bit of a mystery, since he’s seen most all of the other Big Ten coaches. For others? It boiled down to pretty straight-forward reasons.
“I always liked how he got his team going,” one said. Added another: “I think it’d be fun.”