ESPN College Football

The Big Ten and the Big East will meet four times this season, including Syracuse's first three games.

To get the scoop on what to expect in those games, I called upon ESPN.com's resident Big Ten expert, Adam Rittenberg. You know, cross-pollinization and synergy and all that.

Adam was kind enough to break down each of those games from his league's perspective (and I did the same for his blog; to read my answers to his questions, click here). I even broke my summer pledge not to talk about Big East expansion while I had Adam on the hook.

	Joel Auerbach/US PRESSWIRE
	Eric Decker is a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

Feel free to listen in on our conversation:

Brian Bennett: Adam, I guess I missed the announcement that Syracuse had joined the Big Ten. The Orange sure seem to be the 12th member of your poorly named league by playing Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern this year. My first question is, do the Orange have a prayer of actually winning any of those games?

Adam Rittenberg: It really is a poorly named league, but you've got to love the logo. The fact that 'Cuse plays two of those games in the dome really works in its favor. The buzz for Doug Marrone's first game as head coach will be helpful, I'm sure, and Minnesota will be breaking in a new offense for the opener Sept. 5. The Gophers have scrapped the Spread Coast system for a pro-style set under new coordinator Jedd Fisch. They want to get back to being a dominant running team, and though they return a lot of experience, the changes are pretty significant.

As for the Northwestern game on Sept. 19, the Wildcats always lose a game they shouldn't, and this could be the one. Northwestern won't be tested much in its first two games (Towson and Eastern Michigan), so a slow start is possible.

I don't see Syracuse keeping pace with Penn State.

BB: Yeah, the Big Ten needs a more accurate name -- like the Big East, which has members in noted Eastern hubs like Chicago and Milwaukee. Anyway, back to these three games. Let's start with Minnesota. What will be Syracuse's biggest challenge there? Stopping Eric Decker, perhaps?

AR: Yep, Decker should be the top priority for any defense facing Minnesota this year. He's a possession guy who will beat you to death with 7- to 12-yard receptions, and he's a tremendous blocker as well. Minnesota really needs to identify a legit No. 2 wideout alongside Decker, and several players could fill the void. There's a lot of hype surrounding junior-college arrival Hayo Carpenter. Brandon Green also should be more dangerous as a sophomore.

I'm also excited to see whether the Gophers use Troy Stoudermire more as a receiver. Stoudermire had more than 1,000 kickoff return yards last year, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. The other name to remember is MarQueis Gray. He's the backup quarterback, but Tim Brewster fully plans to have a package of plays for him. Gray is extremely athletic and versatile, and might fill in at several spots on offense.

BB: No Big East team has a harder challenge than Syracuse's trip to Happy Valley. Will Penn State be as good as last year's Rose Bowl team, and will JoePa be able to name the score on Sept. 12?

AR: Penn State might not be as strong overall as last year's team, but the Nittany Lions return several key pieces. Quarterback Daryll Clark and running back Evan Royster lead an offense that put up ridiculous numbers in Year 1 of the Spread HD system. But Clark loses his three top receivers from 2008 (Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood) as well as three starting offensive linemen, so the Lions likely will still be in the jelling process when Syracuse comes to town.

If Syracuse doesn't improve its run defense, Penn State will rack up points. Royster is a terrifc back, and Stephfon Green hurt Syracuse in last year's game. The key will be the Orange's ability to force Penn State into passing situations.

BB: Northwestern and Syracuse might make for the best journalism school battle, but what about on the football field? What can the Orange expect to see in Week 3 of their Big Ten jamboree?

AR: Northwestern is on the media bowl circuit after facing Missouri in the Alamo Bowl last December. The Syracuse contest is another game sure to get waaaaay too much coverage. Northwestern comes off a 9-4 season and should once again be very strong on defense after a breakthrough year on that side of the ball. The Wildcats return All-America candidate Corey Wootton at defensive end and all four starters in the secondary, led by safety Brad Phillips. Wootton's health after a torn ACL and the overall run defense is a bit of a concern, but this won't be an easy defense to score points against.

The big questions come on offense. NU loses its quarterback, its top two running backs and its top three wideouts. Mike Kafka has primarily been a run-first quarterback and can gash defenses with weak front sevens. The Orange must force him to beat them with his arm. The running back and wide receiver positions are big mysteries, though I'd keep an eye on Jeravin Matthews, a running back who played wideout last year and was one of only two true freshmen to see the field. Northwestern's offensive line should be much better than a year ago, and it could buy Kafka enough time to find his rhythm.

BB: Let's talk about a Big East team that has had more success than Syracuse lately. Cincinnati will play host to an interesting nonconference game on Thanksgiving weekend when Illinois comes to Nippert Stadium. Last year, the Illini obviously took a step back from their dubious Rose Bowl berth of two years ago. Can the Zooker get them back to national prominence? And who wins this game?

	Chuck Rydlewski/Icon SMI
	Stopping Juice Williams and the Illini offense should be a challenge for the Bearcats.

AR: This should be an extremely interesting game, simply because I have no clue what type of Illinois team will make the trip to Nippert Stadium (one of my favorite venues, by the way). Like last year, the Illini are talented enough, especially on offense, to contend for a solid bowl bid (New Year's Day?) and the Big
Ten's first division. But they also could once again fall victim to a lack of chemistry and discipline, both on and off the field.

If quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn stay healthy, Illinois will give Cincinnati's defense all it can handle. Illinois has by far the Big Ten's best pass offense and an improved running game with Jason Ford and Mikel LeShoure. I have my doubts about the Illini defense, though, and Brian Kelly is a heck of an offensive mind. It's awfully tough to beat Cincinnati at Nippert, especially late in the season. I see the Bearcats winning a great game.

BB: Thanks for the breakdowns, Adam, but I can't let you go without asking the question that's on the minds of a lot of Big East fans. Is the Big Ten going to pluck a Big East team like Syracuse, Pittsburgh or Rutgers for expansion any time soon?

AR: And I thought I could get away without an expansion question (I feel like Jim Delany). Joe Paterno would certainly like to see an addition from the Big East to give Penn State a natural rival. I believe Delany when he says it's not a front-burner issue at this time. The Big Ten continues to make tons of money even though its teams have really stunk in bowl games lately.

My personal preference would be to leave the Big East alone and add Missouri, which makes more sense as a true Midwest team. But if the Big Ten looked to the Big East, I think Rutgers would make sense given the New York/New Jersey market.