ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's Tuesday, and that means mailbag time. Great week in the Big Ten, so let's see what's on your mind.

Andy from Greensboro, N.C., writes: OSU played very scary today and I am not impressed with the overall performance. However I am thinking positive in the fact that hopefully all the kinks got out today in regards to next weekend at USC. I am happy that the defense caused turnovers, but they allowed some big rush plays to a mediocre OU team. I also noticed that OSU played its normal 'non-aggressive' defense and seemed very conservative. I know USC is the opposite and very aggressive with many blitzes and schemes, so do you think OSU will become more aggressive on D as well, or play normal conservative ball come next weekend? I would have loved to see more blitzing today and obviously I would like to put some pressure on Sanchez next weekend as well. If you are Jim Heacock, what kind of things would you throw at USC to either slow down their RB?s or help cause turnovers?

Adam Rittenberg: I'll ask Jim Heacock about this in a few minutes, but I think the Buckeyes have to take some chances against USC, particularly early in the game. The biggest positive -- heck, the only positive -- coming out of the Ohio game was the defense's ability to get takeaways. The Buckeyes might rattle USC quarterback Mark Sanchez by forcing an early turnover or two, which would provide a struggling offense the chance to jump ahead. Though maintaining aggression is key, I don't know how much Ohio State should blitz linebacker James Laurinaitis. He needs to track those running backs and should stay at home as much as possible.

Alex from Indianapolis writes: Adam, First and foremost I love the job you continue to do on here! I just got back from the Iu-Murray State game and WOW the defense is probably one of the best Ive seen around here in years! Matt Mayberry continuesto fly around the ball and making plays all over! I watched the OSU game earlier today, and really dont see that much of a drop off between Laurinaitis and Mayberry. Your thoughts?

Adam Rittenberg: Wow, Matt Mayberry fan club keeps growing. He's seriously the most popular player in my mailbag. I'd like to see him face a real opponent first before putting him on Laurinaitis' level. The guy has excellent speed and good size, but he's no Laurinaitis right now. I will agree that Indiana's defense is much improved. The line boasts more than just Greg Middleton and the secondary should be solid with Austin Thomas, Nick Polk and new arrival Jerimy Finch.

Ryan from Lubbock, Texas, writes: Regarding your pick for Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week: Ray Small did get the sexy punt return for TD, but it seemed the Buckeyes got away with a clip. If I had to pick, I'd take OSU's Shaun Lane, who recovered the fumbled punt by Ohio. That ball was only a few blades of grass away from being out of bounds!

Adam Rittenberg: Ryan, I struggled with that one a bit, but I did pick Lane for the Big Ten's Pontiac Game Changing Performance. I still don't know how he managed to stay in bounds to recover that fumble. An amazing athletic play. Another strong candidate is Purdue's Frank Halliburton, the Big Ten's official choice, who became the first Boilermakers player in 121 years to block two punts in a game.

Leslie from Ypsilanti, Mich., writes: Do you think Michigan has a chance of winning more than 5 games in the Big Ten this year?

Adam Rittenberg: Four or five Big Ten wins sounds about right for the Wolverines, but they have to get much better quarterback play later in the year. The defense looks very solid, particularly up front, which should be the difference Saturday against Notre Dame. The injuries on the offensive line concern me a bit, and the running backs need to perform against top competition. The good news is Michigan has two winnable road games (Minnesota, Purdue) and hosts Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Sam from Chicago writes: Are any Northwestern Wildcats on the NFL Draft watch this year? Tyrell Sutton is obviously their best player and receives the most recognition, but is he big enough to succeed at the next level? What about senior defensive tackle John Gill? Thanks and love the constant updates on the blog!

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Sam. Defensive tackle John Gill is by far Northwestern's top pro prospect. He could be a first-day pick in April with a strong senior season, though being suspended for the opener can't help. Scouts I've talked with love Gill's strength and ability to get in the backfield. Tyrell Sutton should land somewhere because of his receiving ability. He's arguably the Big Ten's top pass-catching running back. A wide receiver or two might get a look, but those two are about it.

Matthew from Toledo, Ohio, writes: Adam, OSU keeps winning, but still drops in the polls. I don't blame the voters for making that call, but it really makes me wonder how voters will react if OSU beats USC. If OSU drops the #1 team in the nation, even if by a small margin of victory, do you honestly think OSU bumps all the way up to #1? I just have a hard time believing voters will let go of the recent BCS past.

Adam Rittenberg writes: Rest assured, Matthew. Ohio State will be No. 1 in the country if it beats USC, especially since the game is in L.A., where nobody beats the Trojans. The flexibility you mention with Ohio State shows that the voters are willing to reward strong play and penalize subpar performances like the Ohio game. There's a lot of negativity going around about the Buckeyes, but they'll get respect from everyone if they knock off USC, which remains the sport's gold standard.