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BuckeyeNation

Brad Bournival writes : The Buckeyes’ top targets along the offensive line have changed a bit.

Recruiting maibag : Bournival looks at possible next commits to OSU and which prospects who already committed to the Buckeyes could climb the ESPN rankings.

NittanyNation

Josh Moyer writes : J.J. Cosentino is pleased with the recent offer from nearby Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are just a safety valve next to FSU, where the Pittburgh Central Catholic QB already has committed.

WolverineNation

Tom VanHaaren writes : Here’s how Michigan ascended to the top of the ESPN recruiting rankings this week.

Wishing you a great weekend. Follow us on Twitter.

Josh A. from D.C. writes: First of all, I recognize that "parity-based" scheduling wasn't set to begin until 2016 -- along with the introduction of the 9 game B1G slate ... My question is, why? What were the primary obstacles to matching up OSU/UM/PSU with UW/UNL and Iowa in 2014 and 2015?

Adam Rittenberg: Josh, I hear you on this and wish there were a few more appealing crossovers. One issue in 2014/15 is that teams play only two crossover games, not three. It made sense for the Big Ten to have new members Rutgers and Maryland play crossovers with Nebraska/Wisconsin/Iowa. The league wants to give its new members as many showcase-type games as possible right away. The thinking also is that after 2016, we'll see more Michigan-Nebraska, Wisconsin-Ohio State, Iowa-Penn State, so there's less of a need to load up on them these next two seasons. I wish the Big Ten had sprinkled in a Nebraska-Ohio State series or a Wisconsin-Michigan series, but we will see more of those games soon enough.

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Andrew from New York writes: Quick follow up to your story on how the divisions came about. I don't think many Michigan fans are upset about playing at East Lansing in back to back seasons so much as they are concerned about the fact that having OSU and MSU in a home/home, away/away alignment creates tremendous imbalances in the quality of home game slates from year to year. The 2014 home slate is probably the least attractive set of home games Michigan has ever played, with a sanction-ridden Penn State probably the best game. At a time when fans have to pay upwards of $1000 for season tickets (including required donation) that's a pretty bad deal. With that said, do you have a sense whether the MSU/OSU alignment is a permanent thing or just an 8-game schedule thing?

Adam Rittenberg: Andrew, I understand your complaint, but Michigan isn't the only Big Team with an unappealing home schedule for 2014. Ask Nebraska fans how they feel about the Huskers' home slate that year. Nothing is permanent regarding scheduling, and the next model, which kicks off in 2016, could break up the MSU/OSU home-road thing for Michigan. I agree that it's more beneficial for Michigan and its fans to split those games home and road, but as I noted in Thursday's second scheduling post, athletic directors have never asked for rivalry games to be split up home/away. That's not one of the league-wide scheduling principles on which the ADs agree. All Big Ten fans have to be open to scheduling models changing, because there has been so much recent change in the league. Michigan's schedule could go back to the old format regarding Michigan State and Ohio State, or it could flip back and forth in the next few scheduling models.

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Joffre from San Diego writes: Adam,I just looked over your analysis of the 2014 B1G schedules and I'm a bit irked that my Lions don't play Nebraska in 2014. Moreover, the crossover game between the 11th and 12th members of the conference is no longer protected and that's something that all of Nittany Nation has to be displeased with. The Huskers got the best of us in 2011 after Joe (got fired a few days before the game, and last year we were adjusting under a new defensive coordinator (Ted Roof) which led to poor performances against running QBs (Braxton Miller, Taylor Martinez). Where do Penn State and Nebraska fit into the big picture now that they're no longer the "new kids on the block"?

Adam Rittenberg: Joffre, as you might or might not know, the Big Ten eliminated all protected crossover games aside from Purdue-Indiana when aligning the new East and West divisions. The goal is to protect as many rivalries within the division structure and create broader crossover rotations so that each team plays every other team at least once every four years. So Penn State and Nebraska no longer will play annually. The good news for you is that with parity-based scheduling coming in 2016, Penn State will play Nebraska -- as well as Wisconsin and Iowa -- more often than other West division teams in the first 18 years of the scheduling model. I liked the Huskers-Lions games as well, but I think it's more important to establish a structure that eliminates massive gaps between matchups like Illinois-Iowa, which last met in 2008 and won't meet again until 2014.

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Tom from New Brunswick, N.J., writes: Hi Adam, a Nittany Lion in Rutgers country. With all of this talk about 7-5 vs 6-6 bowl eligibility, 9 game conference schedule, needing 7 home games for balancing a budget and out of conference rivalries tying up schedules it seems to me there is one solution that is inevitable...a 13 game regular season. How far away do you think this really is or is it a reality? It seems to me it would solve a lot of issues.

Adam Rittenberg: You know, Tom, I've thought a lot about the possibility of a 13-game schedule these past few months. The money is only going up, most leagues are playing more conference games and it seems like every major-conference school -- traditional power or bottom feeder, big stadium or small -- demands seven home games per year. There would be some pushback from university presidents, especially with so much recent attention on concussions in football. But these folks always have a hard time passing up money, and there's more of it to be made with a longer schedule. I don't think anything is imminent, but it's an issue worth monitoring going forward because of the issues you outline.

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Rich from Des Moines, Iowa, writes: Adam, MAC teams can have a valid place on Big Ten teams' schedules so long as the rest of the non-conference games are scheduled correctly. They way I see it, given the financial realities that govern scheduling, Big Ten teams (and all upper-level conference teams for that matter) should schedule like this: 1 team from another big conference that is on about the same level as itself (Ohio State-Oklahoma; Iowa-Iowa State; Wisconsin-VaTech are good examples); 1 big conference team that is in the middle-tier (Nebraska-UCLA; Northwestern-California, etc.); and 1 game against a MAC team or similar opponent-preferably from inside the same state or nearby. A model for this is the MSU-EMU/CMU/WMU series, which is a great deal for all schools involved. I'm not saying Big Ten schools should make it a habit of playing at MAC schools like MSU is doing in this series, but scheduling in-state MAC teams is a good idea. Paramount is avoiding playing FCS schools or schools like UAB or Troy or any other low-hanging fruit from far away places. I think this scheduling philosophy results in maximizing the number of well-rounded, manageable schedules that meet financial obligations and produce interesting games with national appeal that Big Ten fans will enjoy. What do you think?

Adam Rittenberg: As always, some good thoughts here, Rich. The problem for athletic directors isn't so much the MAC game, but that second game against a major-conference foe. The UCLAs and Californias are going to want home-and-homes, and it's hard for athletic directors to structure things so they have two simultaneous non-league home-and-home series plus at least seven total home games per season. That's very difficult, especially with at least five guaranteed road games every other year as part of the Big Ten's nine-game league schedule. I'm fine with Big Ten-MAC games, as long as non-league schedules also include more marquee opponents. And while I'd love to see Big Ten teams adopt your model, too many ADs have told me they're resistant to that second major-conference series.

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Steve Z. from Lafayette, Ind., writes: Is it just me, or is Northwestern getting screwed (again) with teams having Byes the week before playing NU? Five teams have bye before they play NU, and they are ALL division opponents!

Adam Rittenberg: Great observation, Steve, as that seems to be an odd trend for Northwestern in recent years. I don't think it's intentional, and bye-week avoidance, much like opening Big Ten play on the road year after year (read: Penn State), isn't among the scheduling principles the Big Ten athletic directors agreed on for the league office. While I understand the perception that Northwestern is getting screwed, if you look at recent results for teams coming off of open weeks, it's not nearly as favorable as you might imagine. In fact, many Big Ten teams seem to struggle more after a week off. Sure, it's a chance to get healthier, but there's no significant correlation with success.

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Joel from Virginia Beach, Va., writes: I understand that the B1G has made a push to no longer schedule FCS games, and is encouraging a tougher non-conference slate, but with how the league has done the initial 2014 schedule, are there any plans to play league games earlier in the season? I think the brand will greatly benefit, by have exposure and big games (if only cross-over games) earlier in the schedule. I understand that there can be scheduling complications at this point, but there has to be some teams that this could work for? Or are we expecting more years of the MAC weekend slate?

Adam Rittenberg: Joel, the Big Ten is warming up to earlier league games, but the general attitude remains to play most if not all non-league games before entering the conference schedule. I doubt we'll see Big Ten teams open the season with league games any time soon, but putting 1-2 Big Ten games in Weeks 2 and 3 isn't a bad idea. The league certainly wants to avoid the MAC invitational weekends we've seen in the past, and hopefully, the directive to beef up non-league scheduling will create at least a few appealing games every Saturday in September. I agree that the league brand could be enhanced with a sprinkling of league games in Weeks 2 and 3 going forward.

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Barry from Sheboygan, Wis., writes: I find it interesting that Purdue is considered an also-ran at basketball in the B1G. Note that Purdue has a winning record overall against every school in the B1G and has more B1G championships than every other school. Even recently, Purdue has been one of the top schools in the B1G. Just because we had an off year, it doesn't diminish what the school has accomplished over its history including the majority of the last 5 years.

Adam Rittenberg: Barry, that post was more about recruiting prowess than on-court success. I included Purdue among the Big Ten programs that could rise up to a nationally elite level in recruiting, but might not do so year after year. It had nothing to do with the Boilers' on-court success, which has been very impressive. Purdue finished No. 19 in RecruitingNation's basketball class rankings for 2012, but didn't make the Top 25 in 2011, 2010 or 2009. That speaks to my point -- Purdue has the ability to rise up in recruiting, but might not be among the nation's elite as often as other Big Ten programs.

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T.C. from Philadelphia writes: Adam -- I just read your recent article on the Big Ten ADs new focus on game-day improvements and I just have one thing to say....Are you kidding me Michigan State??? Students didn't show up for the Iowa game in the rain last year because they couldn't text!?!? Hollis should have kept that one to himself, because that is embarrassing. Hopefully that was not the primary reason for most students not attending the game, because if it was, that says a lot about the students at MSU and their commitment to their football program. I graduated from PSU two years ago and I can say from experience that students at Penn State, Ohio State and other Big Ten schools would never even think about this is a reason to not attend a game. It rained all day and night for the Iowa/PSU game a few years ago when Iowa beat us at night ... My phone was broken the next day from the rain -- I never thought "oh man, I should have stayed home last night."

Adam Rittenberg: T.C., I doubt the rain was the only reason some Michigan State students stayed away that day, as the team also was off to a disappointing start after lofty preseason expectations. Hollis' greater point is that students/fans are looking for different things in their game-day experience now than 10-15 years ago. Having good Wi-Fi in the stadium is important, and not just for sportswriters like me who pin their livelihood on it. Supplying good video, audio and out-of-town scores is important as well. These schools need to make the in-game experience comparable with what you get at home. Penn State student support for games is among the best in the country, if not the best. But Michigan has had major problems getting its students to show up for noon kickoffs. Athletic director Dave Brandon this week called student turnout "unacceptable." So it's not just Michigan State. All schools have to be cognizant of what it will take to either bring students back to games or, in the case of Penn State, keep them there for years to come.

Now that spring practice is over, we're examining the most indispensable players on each Big Ten team for the 2013 season.

By indispensable, we don't necessarily mean best. We mean the players who would be hardest to replace between now and the start of the season if they got hurt or suspended or shot out of a cannon. That could be because of their value to the team, or because of a lack of depth at their position.

We'll pick two players from each team, usually offense and defense, but not always. Let's take a look at who's indispensable for the Nebraska Cornhuskers:

Taylor Martinez, QB

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Martinez, who has started the past 39 games, lining up at quarterback for the Huskers. The senior improved as a passer last season and finished with a career-high 1,019 rushing yards to lead the Big Ten in total offense. Backups Tommy Armstrong Jr. and Ron Kellogg III looked good in the spring game, and Armstrong in particular shows great promise. But this is Martinez's offense, and he's in complete control of it as he enters his third year working with coordinator Tim Beck. Martinez will need to stop forcing throws when Nebraska falls behind and take better care of the ball in general. Still, the Huskers would assuredly take a major step backwards if Martinez was lost for any reason.

David Santos, LB

There's no obvious pick for a second indispensable player. Nebraska has valuable standouts like receiver Kenny Bell, guard Spencer Long and defensive back Ciante Evans, but their positions are fairly deep. The Huskers could probably even withstand the loss of running back Ameer Abdullah, given how Imani Cross performed this spring and Martinez's own running ability. That is why we're going with Santos, even though he's just a sophomore with 24 career tackles under his belt. Nebraska lost all three starters at linebacker from last season, and during the spring, Santos became the de facto leader of that group despite his youth. He's versatile enough to play both in the middle or on the outside, though he'll most likely start the year in the middle. The Huskers are frightfully inexperienced in the front seven on defense, but are counting on superior athleticism to make up for that. And they're really counting on Santos to anchor the linebacking corps.

More indispensable:

Michigan
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Indiana
Michigan State
Ohio State
Iowa

 

 

It's still early, but the tide could be turning a little for Big Ten recruiting.

The league undoubtedly has moved down a few pegs on the recruiting ladder in recent years, a drop that can be tied to poor on-field performance, a lack of national titles or plain ol' geography. But the outlook for the 2014 recruiting class looks good for the league, at least on May 17.

Michigan tops RecruitingNation's latest class rankings, rising two spots to No. 1 after securing a commitment from ESPN 150 defensive end Lawrence Marshall last weekend. The Wolverines have eight ESPN 150 commits in the fold in a nine-man class so far.

Ohio State and Penn State hold steady at Nos. 13 and 14 in the rankings. The Buckeyes almost surely will rise as they bring in more recruits, and Penn State, despite the sanctions and reduced scholarships, is well on its way to compiling a strong 2014 class. The Lions have an ESPN 150 prospect in athlete De'Andre Thompkins and two other four-star selections.

The big surprise in the league is Northwestern, which has risen two spots to No. 17 in the class rankings. The Wildcats have 10 commits, the most in the Big Ten, and are more than halfway done with a class that should be the best in coach Pat Fitzgerald's tenure. Northwestern's recent pickups include running backs Justin Jackson and Auston Anderson, as well as offensive lineman Blake Hance.

No other Big Ten teams are currently in the top 25, but Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa aren't too far off and should rise once they pick up more pledges.

For more on recruiting, go here and here.

Tan, rested and ready after a week in Aruba. Well, maybe not tan.

• Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon says the 2014 home game against Penn State could be a night game. Brandon says student no-shows at the Big House are "unacceptable."
• Mark Hollis talks about keeping the Michigan State-Notre Dame game alive. Mark Dantonio says the Spartans "re-assessed" recruit turned rapper Jay Harris.
• Sixteen significant changes made by Bill O'Brien at Penn State. O'Brien's job is still more than just football. Matt McGloin signed with the Raiders.
• What sticks out about Nebraska's 2014 slate is who's not on it. Logan Rath took a different path toward walking on for the Huskers.
• Northwestern got a commitment from an offensive tackle.
• Ohio State's 2014 schedule looks unimposing. Examining the base pass plays in the Buckeyes' offense.
• Purdue will travel to Indiana in back-to-back years for the first time ever.
• Wisconsin picked up a running back from Utah, but he'll go on a Mormon mission before coming to Madison. The Badgers will get an early look at the new guys in the Big Ten in 2014.
• The stars are aligning for a 2014 resurgence by Iowa. The Hawkeyes skip many of the Big Ten powers that year.
• Minnesota's Derrick Wells and Cedric Thompson are mentoring high school students. Analyzing the Gophers' 2014 schedule.
• The 2014 schedule didn't make things easy for Illinois.
• Winners and losers in the 2014 schedule. Tom Dienhart breaks down the '14 slate.

Is it really already time for preseason watch lists? I guess football must be getting near.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy has released its 2013 watch list, and it includes seven Big Ten players on the initial group of 42 nominees. The award goes to the defensive player who makes the biggest impact for his team on and off the field.

The Big Ten players on the list are:

• Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
• Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
• Ibraheim Campbell, DB, Northwestern
• James Morris, LB, Iowa
• Damien Proby, LB, Northwestern
• Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
• Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State

Borland and Bullough also made the 2012 watch list. Notre Dame's Manti Te'o won the award last year, and Wisconsin's J.J. Watt (2010) was the last winner from the Big Ten.

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith chaired the NCAA men's basketball tournament selection committee and had to explain why UAB made it into the field and Alabama did not.

Telling Alabama's basketball team it missed out on March Madness is a tough job. Telling Alabama's football team it missed out on the College Football Playoff is a much, much tougher job.

"Whoever it is," Smith said, "get that flak jacket ready."

It likely won't be Smith. When asked at the Big Ten spring meetings about participating in Sports Illustrated's mock college football selection committee last season, Smith joked, "Thank God it was mock."

Smith thinks there might be clarity in selecting the top two teams for the four-team playoff. But filling the final two spots from a pool of deserving teams will create "the same old debate" that currently exists with the BCS system.

That's why Smith thinks the committee needs crystal-clear guidelines for how to evaluate the teams vying for the Playoff.

"The reason in my view the basketball tournament has worked so well," Smith said, "and you can always argue the last four in, the last four out, but the policies and procedures and guidelines are solid. You've got to have that. And then you have to have people who are willing to watch the games."

Committee members can't just watch the final minutes of the fourth quarters of games. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez recalled a recent conversation he had with SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who served on the NCAA basketball selection committee from 2004-09. Slive talked about watching basketball games after he woke up in the morning, during lunch and late at night.

"He figured the time that he spent on that basketball committee took a year of his life," Alvarez said. "So if you're doing it right, you're going to spend a lot of time watching film. ... And you've got to know what the hell you're watching. Just watching film doesn't do any good, I used to tell that to my players. You've got to know what you're looking at and looking for."

The time commitment could deter those currently serving in college athletics from committee posts. Smith thinks Alvarez has what it takes to serve.

"He'd be the perfect pick," Smith said. "I'm promoting Barry."

Now that spring practice is over, we're examining the most indispensable players on each Big Ten team for the 2013 season.

By indispensable, we don't necessarily mean best. We mean the players who would be hardest to replace between now and the start of the season if they got hurt or suspended or shot out of a cannon. That could be because of their value to the team or because of a lack of depth at their position.

We'll pick two players from each team, usually offense and defense but not always. Up next: Iowa

Brandon Scherff, OT, Jr.

Maybe offensive coordinator Greg Davis will surprise us and call 40 passes a game with an unproven quarterback. It's more likely Iowa relies on its running attack and -- hope AIRBHG isn't reading -- a good stable of backs led by Mark Weisman. That's where Scherff comes in. He's the team's best lineman and a guy who has the potential to follow recent Hawkeyes star tackles like Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff. Iowa's offense already had problems before Scherff suffered a gruesome injury last October against Penn State, but without Scherff -- and fellow lineman Andrew Donnal, who got hurt two plays later -- the unit had no chance. Not only does Scherff provide blindside protection for the Hawkeyes' new signal-caller, but he'll be instrumental in sparking a run game that showed potential when the backs were healthy in 2012. Iowa is very young at tackle behind Scherff and Brett Van Sloten, and it can't afford to lose No. 68 again.

B.J. Lowery, CB, Sr.

Some might expect to see a linebacker here, as Iowa returns starters James Morris, Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey. But the Hawkeyes have strength in numbers with their defensive midsection, and if one player were to go down, the others are there to pick up the slack. Iowa doesn't enjoy the same type of depth at cornerback, especially after losing Micah Hyde, the 2012 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a fifth-round pick in last month's NFL draft. After recording 50 tackles and an interception last season, Lowery capped a strong spring with an interception and three pass breakups in Iowa's spring game. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said the team's quarterbacks avoided throwing toward Lowery in practices, and he showed why in the scrimmage. Iowa has some questions at the other cornerback spot and not much overall depth at the position, so it needs to keep Lowery on the field this fall.

More indispensable:

Michigan
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Indiana
Michigan State
Ohio State

The Big Ten released its 2014 league schedule earlier Thursday, completing what its architect Mark Rudner called a "long, arduous process" of crafting a slate with two new teams, two new divisions and a second open week.

ESPN.com caught up with Rudner, the Big Ten's senior associate commissioner for television administration, to discuss how the 2014 schedule came together.

It's important to note the Big Ten compiled the 2014 slate based upon principles green-lighted by its athletic directors.

They are:

• Nonconference games that had been previously contracted were protected. For example, Northwestern visits Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2014, so the Big Ten made sure not to schedule the Wildcats on that day. Also, Penn State and Rutgers had a previously scheduled non-league game for Sept. 13, 2014, which became a conference game with Rutgers joining the Big Ten. The date wasn't changed.
• No more than two consecutive road games
• Each team must play two home games and two road games in each half of the season

It's not as if athletic directors ask the league not to schedule multiple rivalry games on the road every year.

"Once you do that," Rudner said, "you're at risk of never having a schedule."

There has been some reaction to Michigan facing in-state rival Michigan State in road games in consecutive seasons (2013, 2014) and Purdue visiting Indiana for the Bucket game the same two years. The Wolverines never have played the Spartans in East Lansing in back-to-back years and haven't hosted MSU in consecutive years since 1967-68.

Although it'll be new for Michigan, such back-to-backs are fairly common when a scheduling model changes. Between 2010-11, there were 13 instances of back-to-back matchups, including rivalry games like Iowa-Minnesota (both games in Minneapolis) and Penn State-Ohio State (both games in Columbus) and other good matchups like Wisconsin-Michigan State (both games in East Lansing).

"It's unavoidable," Rudner said. "It happened five times in 2008-2009. So it's not foreign, it's not ideal, but it's unavoidable. When you're introducing new institutions and you dole out home and road games, it just happens."

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has said "parity-based scheduling," where teams will face one another more often in crossovers based on historical success,will begin in 2016, will begin once the league goes to a nine-game conference schedule. Rudner said the league asked the ADs if they wanted to start the nine-game schedules in 2014 but they couldn't because of so many signed contracts for non-conference games. If they had, the 2014 would have incorporated parity scheduling.

The 2014 slate ultimately features none of it, as the traditional powers in each division -- Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the East, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa in the West -- don't play at all.

"I don't think it's going to hurt us," Rudner said. "Brand is strong enough. There are enough games that are strong that'll drive television interest. Short of a full round-robin, which nobody in our conference wanted to do, you're going to have these sort of issues."

A few other schedule notes:

• Rudner and his staff didn't have a directive to schedule mostly division games in November, but it worked out that way as most teams will play exclusively in their division or play only one crossover in the season's decisive month. "Ideally, that's what we would like to do," Rudner said. "It makes a lot of sense to play division games late in the season, toward a championship."
• The Big Ten doesn't look at long-term trends of how often teams open league play on the road when crafting schedules. Athletic directors haven't asked it to a be a principle of building schedules. "It's never been important to them," Rudner said. "What they want to avoid is long road trips and making sure there's balance, home and away, in each half of the season. The rest of it, they can live with. Not everybody plays the same kind of schedule, but they do it based on those principles. They look at it and say, 'That's fair. Let's do it.'" Penn State, by the way, will open league play on the road for the fifth straight year and for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons.
• That new members Maryland and Rutgers host traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan on the same day (Oct. 4) was pure coincidence, Rudner said.

The 2015 Big Ten schedule, which should be released by the end of the month, will feature the same matchups at the opposite locations. The league has to maneuver around some previously scheduled non-league games before finalizing the slate.

Indiana athletic director Fred Glass talks about being in the Big Ten's new East division, football scheduling and the program's progress under coach Kevin Wilson.

Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips talks about future games at Wrigley Field, the progress on the team's lakefront practice facility and more at the Big Ten spring meetings.

BuckeyeNation

Austin Ward writes : DT Michael Bennett looked fully recovered in the spring from nagging injuries that hampered him in 2012, raising expectations for the defensive line.

Brad Bournival writes : 2014 DT prospect Dylan Thompson is 6-foot-5, 274 pounds with the attitude to match his size.

Bournival writes : Here are the top five uncommitted DT targets who have OSU offers.

NittanyNation

Josh Moyer writes : 2014 DB prospect Dravon Henry, an Aliquippa, Pa., native, is a terrific athlete who counts Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State among his 20-plus offers.

Moyer writes : Two-way lineman Noah Beh of Scranton, Pa., is down to Penn State and Boston College, and he admits he’s leaning toward the Lions.

WolverineNation

Chantel Jennings writes : 2013 Michigan signee Wyatt Shallman, the nation’s No. 1 fullback, is quite a character.

WolverineNation roundtable: : The staff tackles the question of what one player from the past decade it wishes it could add to the 2013 team.

The Big Ten has released its conference schedule for the 2014 season, when new members Maryland and Rutgers join the league and play in the East and West divisions begins. The league hopes to release the 2015 schedule, which will flip the game sites of the 2014 slate, by June 1. There are still some dates of games to be worked out for 2015, as the Big Ten is working out several previously scheduled nonconference contests.

Remember, the Big Ten will play an eight-game league schedule in 2014 and 2015 before going to nine games in 2016. As is the case this fall, the 2014 season features an extra week, so each team has two open dates.

OK, let's dive in ...

DIVISION CROSSOVERS

East Division


Indiana: Purdue (home, protected game), Iowa (road)
Maryland: Iowa (home), Wisconsin (road)
Michigan: Minnesota (home), Northwestern (road)
Michigan State: Nebraska (home), Purdue (road)
Ohio State: Illinois (home), Minnesota (road)
Penn State: Northwestern (home), Illinois (road)
Rutgers: Nebraska (road), Wisconsin (home)

West Division


Illinois: Ohio State (road), Penn State (home)
Iowa: Indiana (home), Maryland (road)
Minnesota: Michigan (road), Ohio State (home)
Nebraska: Michigan State (road), Rutgers (home)
Northwestern: Penn State (road), Michigan (home)
Purdue: Indiana (road, protected), Michigan State (home)
Wisconsin: Maryland (home), Rutgers (road)

Well, Nebraska can't say the Big Ten was picking on Big Red with its initial crossovers in 2011 and 2012. The league has Rutgers hosting the Huskers and visiting Wisconsin. Maryland also must visit Madison, Wis., in its initial Big Ten go-round. How about Rutgers' opening stretch: Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin. Yikes.

Minnesota gets the toughest 2014 crossover with Michigan and Ohio State, and Northwestern and Illinois also both will be challenged with their crossover games. Wisconsin is the only West Division team to play both new members, a pretty favorable draw for Gary Andersen's crew. Iowa also has a seemingly easier path than others with Indiana and Maryland.

NO PLAYS


Here's who each Big Ten team skips on its 2014 schedule ...

Illinois: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers
Indiana: Illinois, Minnesota Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Iowa: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Maryland: Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue
Michigan: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin
Michigan State: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Minnesota: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers
Nebraska: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Northwestern: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers
Ohio State: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Penn State: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin
Purdue: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Rutgers: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue
Wisconsin: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

Parity-based scheduling doesn't start until 2016, and it's pretty obvious here as the Big Ten is losing most of its exciting crossover games. We won't see Ohio State, Michigan or Penn State playing Nebraska or Wisconsin in 2014 and 2015. Wisconsin and Michigan State, the pairing in the inaugural Big Ten title game, also won't play. That's too bad. I understand the need to build the brand in new markets with the new members, but those are a lot of good games to give up.

Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota don't play either of the new members in 2014 (and 2015).

RIVALRY WEEKEND


As expected, the final weekend of the regular season will feature rivalries like Ohio State-Michigan and Indiana-Purdue, the only protected crossover game. The Wisconsin-Minnesota game moves back to this date, which I like a lot (battle for the frozen Axe), and Illinois will visit Northwestern on Nov. 29. The Heroes Game between Iowa and Nebraska will remain on its traditional Friday spot at Kinnick Stadium.

The only question here was what to do with East Division teams Michigan State, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers. The Big Ten opted to pair the two new members with a Nov. 29 game at Maryland's Byrd Stadium. That means ... drum roll, please ... the Land Grant series is back. Michigan State at Penn State, Nov. 29, with this on the line, in all its glory. Fired up.

Other notes

• The Big Ten season will kick off much earlier than normal as Rutgers makes its league debut against Penn State on Sept. 13. The game had been previously scheduled between the teams, and the league decided not to move it. The Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions will kick off league play a full two weeks before any other squads. Three Big Ten teams -- Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin -- won't kick off league play until Oct. 4. Blame the double bye.
• The Little Brown Jug rivalry between Michigan and Minnesota won't be an annual thing as the teams are in opposite divisions without a protected crossover, but the Wolverines and Gophers will kick off Big Ten play on Sept. 27 at the Big House. The Illibuck rivalry also resumes in 2014 as Ohio State hosts Illinois on Nov. 1.
• Not surprisingly, the Big Ten is splitting the Ohio State-Michigan trips to Maryland and Rutgers. Maryland hosts Ohio State on Oct. 4 in its Big Ten home debut, while Rutgers hosts Michigan the same day. The Big Ten wants to get its most visible members into the new markets.
• Wisconsin's and Iowa's overall schedules are very favorable. The Badgers miss the East Division powers and host Nebraska on Nov. 15 (night game, perhaps?). Iowa hosts Wisconsin, Nebraska and Northwestern and makes road trips to Purdue, Maryland, Minnesota and Illinois.
• Nebraska fans likely won't be thrilled with the schedule. Not only do they miss Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, but the Huskers' Big Ten home schedule -- Illinois, Rutgers, Purdue and Minnesota -- isn't too appealing.
• While Nebraska's home schedule is a dud, Michigan State won't have trouble selling tickets to a Spartan Stadium slate that features Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State. The Spartans must travel to all three venues in 2015.
• One plus of the schedule is that most November games will take place in the division. The current setup had way too many crossovers down the stretch. Five teams -- Maryland, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern -- will play only division games in November. Ohio State and Illinois have two crossovers, while all other teams have one crossover in November.
• Michigan will play its three biggest rivals -- Notre Dame, Michigan State and Ohio State -- all on the road in 2014. The Wolverines no longer will have a home/road split with Michigan State and Ohio State. Michigan also will make consecutive trips to East Lansing the next two seasons.
• Illinois and Iowa are back in the same division and will play their first game since 2008 on Nov. 15, when the Hawkeyes visit Champaign.

That's enough for now, but we'll have more on the schedule in the coming days.

Some spring meetings leftovers and much more ...

• The Big Ten is expanding its bowl options for 2014 and beyond. The new lineup will combat "bowl fatigue," Kyle Meinke writes. There's a lot to like about what the Big Ten is doing.
• Some good takes on the Penn State/medical care issue from Neil Rudel, David Jones, Bob Flounders and Donnie Collins. The former Penn State walk-on mentioned in the SI story defends trainer Tim Bream. Hear from Penn State's latest recruit.
• New Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann must be a visionary for the program. Hermann is the right type of hire for Rutgers. The historical ramifications didn't motivate Rutgers in hiring a female AD. Those who knew Hermann at Nebraska weigh in on her hire.
• Big Ten leaders talk about the possibility of the major conferences separating from the rest, Jeremy Fowler writes.
• Graham Couch weighs in on what Jim Delany and Mark Hollis said at the spring meetings.
• Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi talks recruiting and Joel Heath's development. The Spartans add to their 2014 class with Chris Frey. Former MSU signee Jay Harris knew the school wouldn't like his rap video.
• Michigan likely won't wear alternate unis in 2013.
• Alex Lewis wasn't wearing Nebraska gear the night of his arrest. Three former Huskers make the NFL Network's top 100 list.
• Wisconsin adds a defensive lineman to its 2014 recruiting class.
• Ohio State AD Gene Smith supports a Big Ten title game at Detroit's Ford Field.
• Illinois completes its 2014 nonleague schedule. The Illini are pursuing Oklahoma State transfer QB Wes Lunt (subscription required).
• More Big Ten spring meetings notes. Expansion isn't dead, but it's not on the front burner for the Big Ten.
• Northwestern's latest recruiting target watch.

 

Michigan coach Brady Hoke joked that he nearly didn't call ESPN's "Mike & Mike" on Thursday. The reason: he "didn't want to chicken out."

Hoke went on to discuss his comment Monday that Notre Dame was "chickening out" of its annual series against Michigan after the 2014 season. He told hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic that he perhaps could have used a different word, but he remains disappointed not to see the two historical powers meet every year.

"Being a guy from the Midwest and watching the rivalry and obviously being a part of it as a coach, we had 115,000 people at Michigan Stadium two years ago at night and Mike [Golic], you were there," Hoke said. "That excitement, that landscape of that game on a national level, it's going to be too bad when that series ends."

Hoke also discussed Michigan's future schedules and the Big Ten's move to nine league games in 2016, among other topics.