I was just wondering what the board maybe thinking about individual players that have been starters or major contributors at this point in the season, based on your preseason perceptions of those players. I'm not doing this for guys to piss on players or their performance to this point. I just thought I would share what I thought going into the season, and how that stacks up now.

Offense:

1. Patterson - He is about what I expected. Good, great at times, but I think he will be and should be better going forward.
2. Higdon - He is what I expected, and a lot more durable than I thought. I didn't expect him to be carrying the load as much as he is, but very good to great at this point
3. Evans - A little disappointed, but he has been injured. I expected a little more from Evans, but it could be a product of how they are, or aren't using him.
4. Mason - What I expected, very good
5. Peoples-Jones -  Good and getting better. He still seems to have a trouble getting the separation an athlete of his skill set should get, but he seems to be getting there.
6. Nico - A pleasant surprise. I didn't have a ton of expectations for Nico, because I thought Black would be getting most of these snaps, but he has been good to great. 
7. Black - incomplete (injured)
8. Bell -  I had no expections for Bell, so this is a pleasant surprise. He looks to have a bright future.
9. Perry - I little disappointed, and I'm not sure if it's his fault, Shea's fault, the TE's taking his receptions, or the scheme. I expected more at this point. He probably did also. 
10. McKeon -  Expected more from him at this point. He's had a couple critical drops, and it looks like Eubanks is getting a lot of his snaps lately
11. Eubanks - Better than I expected. very good at this point. He has made some very key receptions to this point. 
12. Gentry - I honestly didn't expect him to be this good. He has All B1G potential. Very excited about Gentry and the future. 
13. Runyan - A very pleasant surprise. Started slow, but has gotten better every week. He IMO has been our best lineman to this point. He'still misses an assignment or 2 but less each week, and when they need a yard or 2 they tend to run behind him.
14. Bredeson - Very good, very consistent, but what I expected.
15. Ruiz - Slow start, but coming along and playing great right now. What I expected.
16. Onwenu - Like all the lineman, slow start, but very good lately. 
17. Bushell-Beatty - Slow start but pretty damn good lately (The oline will be a strength next year for sure)

Defense:

1. Winovich - Very good, but I didn't expect him to be this good.Even after last year. All America potential.
2. Marshall - He has exceeded my expectations. He has been very good.
3. Mone - A little disappointed, but that's just me. I expected him to be better throughout his career. I thought when he came in he would be All B1G by the time he left, but I don't think he will, but he has been good this year.
4. Dwumfour - After the preseason hype I was a little disappointed early on, but except for an injury, he has been very good lately. So to this point, he has been better than I expected.
5. Kemp - Better than I expected, and IMO our best interior dlineman. He has All B1G potential next year.
6. Solomon - Incomplete (injured) but getting better. I think he was hurt before ND 
7. Paye - In limited snaps he has been very good. Better than I expected, the future is bright
8. Gary - Incomplete (injured) He was very good early on, and it was obvious by all the sacks and TFL's that Chase was getting. Here's hoping he comes back for OSU.
9. Uche - Very good, and better than I expected
10. Hudson - Good, not great. A couple of targeting penalties have cut into his snaps, and it doesn't look like he is blitzing as much this year as he did last year, but he has not disappointed, he just hasn't dominated like I expected, so I guess he hasn't met expectations to this point.
11. Bush - Stud, and this is what I expected. He will be missed. All B!G and 2nd or 3rd team All America at this point. By the end of the season could be 1st team All America
12. Ross -  Better than I expected, and has a bright future. By better, I mean he has been really good. I expected good, but he is very good
13. Gill - Very good, and better than i expected.
14. Furbush - I didn't really have any expectations for him, so anything he gives us is good. Not sure if he is injured or if Uche has just taken his snaps, but the position has been a position of strength.
15. Kinnel - What I expected to this point. Solid, but not flashy. 
16. Metellus - Better than I expected. All B1G to this point. He is playing some of his best football
17. Long - What I expected. All B!G level, and if targeted more would get more notice, because he is a stud.
18. Hill - Slow start, but what I expected. Has been put in some tough situations why covering slots and dealing with picks, but he is at All B1G level, and is a Thorpe award finalist, so what more could we expect. 
19. Hawkins - Better than I expected, because after the position switch, I didn't expect anything this year. He will be a good one. 
20. Nordin -  A little disappointed
21.  Hart - Stud, and very surprised. He has exceeded expectations. 
22. Thomas - Exceeded expectations in special teams, but he won't get very many return opportunities going forward. Incomplete on offense and defense

These are my thought, what are yours?