ESPN College Football

Serving up the links at lunch because, well, it's my job.

• Kirk Ferentz opens up in this Q&A with Bryce Miller.
• True freshman Dymonte Thomas has a chance to contribute right away in the Michigan secondary. The Wolverines' hopes of landing a transfer quarterback are dimming. Jake Long offered counsel to Taylor Lewan about his draft decision.
• Mark Dantonio talks about the business of recruiting. Michigan State is upgrading its practice field. The Spartans' offensive assistants got bigger raises than their defensive counterparts.
• Jon Tevlin tries to figure out how Minnesota lost money selling beer at football games. Philip Nelson has a lot to work on this summer.
• Nebraska's pursuit of a top 2014 wide receiver is one to watch closely. Tim Beck's value to the Cornhuskers is clear, Sam McKewon writes.
• Wisconsin admirably is upgrading its nonconference schedules, but that might not benefit the fans who pay for seats at Camp Randall Stadium.
• He might not be the No. 1 tailback, but Rod Smith should play a key role in Ohio State's offense. Breaking down the Buckeyes' linebackers.
• Northwestern incoming freshman quarterback Matt Alviti is excited for the future.
• Why so many are still fighting for Joe Paterno. Another impressive "run-on" joins the Nittany Lions.
• A preview of Illinois' 2014 season.
• Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke wants his teams to break out of mediocrity.
• Big Ten teams should cut out their September snoozers, Lee Barfknecht writes.

Ohio State already had started paying more competitive salaries for assistant coaches before Urban Meyer arrived in November 2011.

But when Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith sat down to discuss staff pay, Smith soon realized he needed to do more.

"I think Michigan had stepped up with their coordinators," Smith recalled last week during Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago. "So we were already going to that before Urban Meyer came, but we bumped it up a little more. Any time there's change, you have that opportunity."

"Everyone's always focused on head coaches' salaries," Smith continued. "That's always the thing. But really when you look at the changes, it's really been assistants' salaries across the country -- not just in the SEC, but the Big 12, Pac-12, all across the country."

The Big Ten is part of the change, too, as the league is allocating more money toward football assistants than ever before. The Detroit Free Press has an excellent look at Big Ten assistants' salaries, complete with a database that includes 10 of the 12 current members (Northwestern doesn't submit salaries as a private institution, and Penn State doesn't have to because of state laws).

The Free Press found that eight of the 10 schools are paying more for assistants in 2013 than they did in 2012 (only Indiana and Illinois are not). There are some significant total increases, such as Wisconsin (up $558,000), Nebraska (up $518,500), Purdue ($400,000) and Minnesota ($355,000). Staff pay had been an issue at Wisconsin, which lost six assistant coaches following the 2012 Rose Bowl, and at Purdue, which paid less for its staff during the Danny Hope era than any Big Ten school.

The total trend among the 10 schools is an increase of $1,720,852.24 for 2013.

Ohio State and Michigan remain No. 1 and No. 2 in Big Ten staff salary, as the Buckeyes allocate $3.416 million and the Wolverines allocate $2.805 million. Nebraska and Wisconsin make the biggest moves in the league for 2013, as the Huskers rise from sixth to third and the Badgers rise from seventh to fourth.

Illinois, which replaced five assistants from the 2012 team, including co-offensive coordinators Chris Beatty and Billy Gonzales, dropped from third in staff pay ($2.314 million) to eighth ($2.065 million).

The database shows that nearly every Big Ten assistant with "coordinator" in his title -- whether he's the sole coordinator or a co-coordinator -- will earn north of $300,000 for 2013. Only 18 assistants listed will make less than $200,000 in 2013 -- 15 work for Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana.


Some notes:

• Although Wisconsin paid former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst good coin, the school has increased its commitment for Gary Andersen's staff, not only with the coordinators but with some coveted position coaches like running backs coach Thomas Hammock ($300,000).
• All of Nebraska's assistants are earning $200,000 or more for 2013, but there's a huge drop-off between Beck and the next highest-paid assistant (defensive coordinator John Papuchis at $310,000).
• Michigan State has a similar drop off between Narduzzi and co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner ($270,000) and Jim Bollman ($260,000). Warner will be the primary offensive play-caller and has been on Mark Dantonio's staff since 2006, while Bollman is a newcomer.
• Although Michigan is paying top dollar for its coordinators, the school gets its assistants for a relative bargain. Receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski will earn $225,000 in 2013, while the others all will earn $205,000. Ohio State, meanwhile, pays all but one of its assistants $286,000 or more.
• The Big Ten's three lowest-paid assistants all are in their first years: Illinois wide receivers coach Mike Bellamy ($125,000) and Purdue linebackers coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Jafar Williams (both at $120,000).
• Although schools like Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa ($325,000) pay their coordinators the exact same amount, others have slight differences in salary. Purdue's Shoop makes $5,000 more than defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. Minnesota defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys ($340,000) makes $5,000 more than offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. Wonder if that leads to any underlying jealousy?
• Most Big Ten schools have assistant salaries in round numbers, but there are some interesting totals from Indiana, which pays co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Kevin Johns $255,500.04 and new recruiting coordinator/assistant defensive line coach James Patton $173,740.08. Never know when that change can come in handy.

The Big Ten still lacks some of the OMG totals seen in the SEC -- LSU is paying new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron $3.4 million in the next three years -- but the overall trend puts the league more on par with what we're seeing nationally.

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

 

Coming to you a little late after a busy morning in Chi-town.

• Julie Hermann is Rutgers' new athletic director, and here's what she has to do next.
• Big Ten athletic directors are looking to strengthen future non-league schedules. More notes on the spring meetings here and here and here.
• The Holiday Bowl is expected to have the third pick in the Big Ten's future bowl lineup, Scott Dochterman writes. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz likes the Big Ten's bowl options.
• Big Ten ADs are looking for clarity on the selection process for the Playoff.
• Michigan State's future football schedules could feature a lot of Northwestern. More on the Jay Harris rap saga here and here and here. The Spartans could add Washington State to the future schedule.
• Andrew Logue writes why a 10-game league schedule doesn't make sense for the Big Ten.
• Michigan AD Dave Brandon is disappointed to lose the annual series against Notre Dame.
• The 2014/2015 schedules aren't out yet, but Illinois and Iowa will finally resume their series. Illinois' player personnel chief wishes he could recruit off campus.
• Northwestern's strong recruiting push continues with RB Justin Jackson. The Wildcats have upgraded their local recruiting efforts.
• Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez isn't sorry to see Michigan State less on the Badgers' schedule.
• Some Big Ten/Purdue notes from Mike Carmin. The Boilers are looking to Florida for an offensive line recruit.
• Nebraska AD Shawn Eichorst had an uneventful first go-round at the Big Ten meetings. The Huskers should cut ties with transfer Alex Lewis if he's charged with a felony.
• After losing money on alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota negotiated a new deal.
• Penn State fan reaction to the East division doesn't show much respect for the league's new members. The Lions' coach aims to poach a Washington State QB recruit.

The mail comes to you a little early today as I'll have coverage of the Big Ten spring meetings this afternoon.

Badger in Columbus from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Please explain giving the edge to Washington over Wisconsin. If it was a contest of which defense would give up more points then Washington is the obvious choice. Or is this one of those auto-correct errors. Maybe some form of hangover. Did you forget which teams were which.... Help me out.

Adam Rittenberg: I've received several similar emails from Wisconsin fans, and I'm quite frankly a little surprised. Wisconsin was a slightly above-average football team in 2012 that couldn't pass the ball, struggled in close games and only got to the Big Ten championship because Ohio State and Penn State were barred by NCAA sanctions. Both Wisconsin and Washington finished 7-6, and Washington beat two teams -- Stanford and Oregon State -- that Wisconsin lost to last season. The Huskies have a talented veteran quarterback in Keith Price, a solid running back in Bishop Sankey and one of the nation's best tight ends in Austin Seferian-Jenkins (currently suspended). Sure, the matchup might be a toss-up, but to say Wisconsin is leaps and bounds ahead of Washington is silly talk, especially after the Badgers went through a coaching change. You can't base these picks on how a program has done in the past decade (Wisconsin obviously better). You base it on the current teams and the upcoming season.

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Matt from Omaha writes: People are worried about how the BIG West will be just as bad as the Big Twelve North, but they forget one key argument that no one seems to be talking about, COACHING STABILITY. The old Big Twelve North was actually really good before instability in the Coaching position affected Nebraska, Kansas State, and Colorado. I mean, during that time both Kansas (that?s right I said Kansas) and Missouri had pretty dominant programs for a short while. The fact right now is that the BIG West has enough stability at the coaching position to be competitive. Nebraska, Northwestern, and Iowa have had the same head coach for five years or more and each schools coach doesn?t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Had the divisional split happened two or three years ago, there wouldn't be such a problem in my opinion. Remember that time when Michigan was terrible under Rich Rod., when Ohio State lost Tress, or when Joe Paterno was fired? All these programs had faltered, but became more attractive when coaching stability came back to eaches respective programs. Nebraska will be competitive, so will Northwestern, and does anybody really think Ferentz is going to let Iowa fall far and let Iowa State take over as the top school in the state?

Adam Rittenberg: Good points here, Matt. Coaching stability is a big issue not only for the new Big Ten West division but throughout the Big Ten. We've seen coaching changes at eight of 12 programs in the past three years, and the lack of stability certainly has contributed to the league's overall downturn. Pat Fitzgerald doesn't appear to be going anywhere at Northwestern, but some would say this is a big season for both Bo Pelini at Nebraska and Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. I wouldn't put either coach on the hot seat, but there's some grumbling from both fan bases, and it wouldn't shock me to see either coach eventually leave for another job (Pelini in college, Ferentz in the NFL). Jerry Kill should remain at Minnesota for a while, as long as he remains healthy, and Gary Andersen has the potential to be a long-term answer at Wisconsin. Your point is a valid one, but I also think it's imperative that West division programs upgrade their recruiting efforts to keep up with Urban Meyer, Brady Hoke and Bill O'Brien in the East.

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Adam from Chicago writes: Lots of excitement within Northwestern fan circles about the forming 2014 recruiting class. Is this class a sign that Northwestern is ready to become a legitimate contender for the immediate future or is this class just exciting because previous ones have been more average?

Adam Rittenberg: The recruiting uptick shows momentum is building at Northwestern. The combination of wins on the field, improved recruiting and, most important, the new lakefront facility being built puts Northwestern in position to be a more consistent division/league title contender. Northwestern's placement in the seemingly easier West division also helps. Pat Fitzgerald brought in some average recruiting classes at the start of his tenure, but the quality of recruits has improved in the past three seasons and 2014 has a chance to be the best yet. The question is whether Northwestern can continue to win 8-10 games per year as the schedules get a bit tougher in future seasons. Ultimately, it all comes down to wins and losses, but Northwestern definitely is bringing in more talent now than it was five years ago.

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Aaron from Bettendorf, Iowa, writes: After getting engaged over the weekend we have been discussing possible dates. We both like Fall 2014; however, that prime time Big 10 football season. We are in agreement that it CANNOT be on an Iowa weekend. With the additions of Maryland and Rutgers next year it is hard to know the schedule this far in advance. Any ideas when we might have some clarity on this situation regarding bye weeks for next season.

Adam Rittenberg: First of all, congrats to you and your fiancée! The simple answer is to tell her, like I told my wife, that we had to get married in the spring or summer (wife still a bit peeved, by the way). If that doesn't fly, wait a few more weeks as the Big Ten hopes to release the 2014 and 2015 schedules by the end of May. The Big Ten would like to get all its significant business -- bowl lineup, future schedules -- finished by the presidents/chancellors meeting June 2. So sit tight for now and you should know the schedules soon. One thing in your favor is that Iowa will have two open weeks rather than one in the 2014 season, like it will this fall.

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Craig from Braintree, Mass., writes: Adam, like your choice of important games for Minnesota. Have you done any more in depth study as to why previous Kill teams have succeeded in their third year? I believe that there are three particular reasons - Kill's leadership, consistency of staff and the quality of his physical fitness coach.

Adam Rittenberg: All three of those factors undoubtedly have contributed to Kill's Year 3 success at previous spots like Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois. Two other factors: he had more of his own recruits in positions to contribute, and every player had greater familiarity with his system. Former Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish, for example, was recruited by the previous staff but redshirted the season before Kill arrived. He had two years to develop in the offense under Kill's staff before putting together a record-setting 2010 season -- Kill's third at the school -- in leading the Huskies to the MAC title game.

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Jeremy from Columbus writes: You've said that Big Ten fan bases tend to frown upon games against the MAC, but why is this? Obviously we'd all rather watch a game against the Pac 12, but no team is going to schedule 12 games against BCS teams. If the Buckeyes demand on playing two 'cupcakes' each year, I'd much rather play local teams like Miami and Toledo than Alabama-Birmingham and Central Florida. When we played Miami last year, there were tons of Miami fans. Half the OSU students at the game had a friend from high school who had gone to Miami that they had been trash talking with in the week leading up to the game. In my opinion, that local aspect really helps build up the excitement for the game, even if the game itself usually isn't very good.

Adam Rittenberg: Jeremy, some great points here. Most fans don't understand why teams play cupcake/guarantee/gimme games in non-league play, and that's not a bad thing as programs should be pressured to challenge themselves and schedule attractive opponents for the fans. But the reality is these games will be played in some form (one per year, two per year), and there's value in playing teams from the same state or region. Ohio State has done this a lot over the years, and it helps that six MAC programs are located in Ohio. These are great opportunities for MAC teams to not only play on bigger stages but record signature wins. As long as Big Ten teams are playing at least one marquee game per year, I think there will be less grumbling about the MAC games. But it's also important for the MAC to keep improving as a league. Last year was a step in the right direction, but the MAC had been on a steady decline for a while. Most Big Ten fans will never get excited about playing MAC opponents, but if they understand the realities of scheduling and the benefits for playing in the state/region, they could start tolerating them.

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Ryan from Lincoln, Neb., writes: No more Pretender or Contender? When will you finish the remaining schools?

Adam Rittenberg: Ryan, we actually completed the series last week with the Illinois post. You can check out all nine posts here. As we pointed out in each post, we considered Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska likely preseason top-20 teams and therefore bona fide contenders. So we didn't do polls for those squads. Maybe we should have for Michigan and Nebraska, but we didn't. There was some interesting voting. You guys don't think much of the Big Ten as only Northwestern was labeled a contender. Wisconsin finished with a 50-50 contender/pretender split. The voting for both Michigan State and Penn State was fairly even but leaned toward pretender. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue all were clear-cut pretenders, according to the voting.

Your Big Ten spring meetings version ...

• Future football schedules likely will be a hot topic at Big Ten meetings. So will bowl games, Lee Barfknecht writes.
• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has been tough on player conduct, so how will he handle Alex Lewis? The details of Lewis' assault arrest aren't good.
• Michigan State picks up a commitment from tight end Matt Sokol. MSU's athletic budget once again is balanced. The Spartans have a favorable 2013 schedule.
• Minnesota coach Jerry Kill will get a raise, but not right away, his boss says.
• Michigan's depleted 2010 recruiting class hurts depth but not leadership. The Wolverines are recruiting Snoop Dogg's son.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien would like to be able to meet with players during the summer. CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd checks in with Jay Paterno. Nine Lions players take part in NFL rookie minicamps. Penn State quarterback Tyler Ferguson made this list of spring standouts.
• Purdue has seen an increase in football season-ticket sales after a more aggressive push. Missed this from late last week, but Jim Tressel talks Darrell Hazell.
• Former Northwestern receiver Demetrius Fields signs a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears. Northwestern kick specialist Hunter Niswander relishes pressure situations.
• Several key Ohio State players to watch this season.
• Wisconsin deputy AD Sean Frazier is a finalist for the top job at Rutgers.
• Some Indiana tidbits from athletic director Fred Glass.

CHICAGO -- The Big Ten's annual joint group meetings are under way as men's basketball coaches, athletic directors and others gathered Monday afternoon.

The portion of the ADs' meetings most relevant to the Big Ten football blog take place Tuesday and Wednesday, so I'll have much more coverage on those days. Groups of athletic directors are scheduled to meet with media members both days, and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany will make an appearance Wednesday afternoon.

A few quick notes from Day 1:

• The Big Ten's bowl lineup will be changing beginning in 2014, and colleague Brett McMurphy has some more details here. McMurphy reports that the Big Ten and ACC will share tie-ins with the Gator Bowl and Music City Bowl during a six-year agreement, so three Big Ten teams would go to Jacksonville and three to Nashville in the span. They'll face SEC opponents in both games. The Big Ten had a tie-in with the Music City Bowl from 2002-2005. As ESPN.com reported earlier, an ACC team could replace a Big Ten team in the Capital One Bowl when a Big Ten team makes the Orange Bowl. Other bowls the Big Ten could add to the lineup include Pinstripe (against ACC) and Holiday (against Pac-12). Don't expect the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas to be part of the next Big Ten bowl lineup.
• All 12 current Big Ten athletic directors are here along with Maryland AD Kevin Anderson, whose program joins the conference in 2014. Rutgers has yet to hire an athletic director to replace the ousted Tim Pernetti, although The Star-Ledger reports that the pool is down to two candidates: Wisconsin deputy athletic director Sean Frazier and Louisville senior associate athletic director Julie Hermann. A decision is expected later this week. Frazier has been with Wisconsin since 2007 and became deputy AD in 2011 after Shawn Eichorst left for the top job at Miami. Eichorst is now AD at Nebraska.
• The Big Ten will move its spring meetings to its new office beginning in 2014. Coaches from football, men's basketball and women's basketball will attend on a rotation basis. Since men's basketball coaches are here this year, football coaches or women's basketball coaches will attend next year's event.

Red Wings-Blackhawks one last time in the Western Conference playoffs? Yes, please.

• No more media trailers at Michigan State? Yes, please. Here's more on the proposed Spartan Stadium renovation. Matt Charboneau is reserving judgment on a Spartans team projected all over the map. Linebacker recruit Chris Frey is headed to East Lansing.
• Minnesota offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover talks about his amazing weight-loss transformation, which included gastric-bypass surgery.
• Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst has a new style but old-school values, Tom Shatel writes. A Q&A with the new Nebraska AD. Bo Pelini's Big Ten colleagues challenge him on the recruiting trail.
• Teddy Greenstein tees it up with Illinois coach Tim Beckman. Get to know these five Illini players before the fall.
• A good look at how Ohio State's unheralded 2010 recruiting class factors into a national title push. Orlando Pace's Hall pass puts the spotlight on Ohio State's great offensive linemen. Former Ohio State player Barry Walker passed away Friday.
• Northwestern's recruiting efforts are on the upswing for 2014 and beyond. Recruit Auston Anderson's mom gave him the extra push he needed to pick Northwestern.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is excited about LB Nyeem Wartman in 2013 and beyond. A good piece on O'Brien, his wife and the challenges they face with a special-needs child. The Lions add two more recruits to their 2014 class.
• Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison played a big role in Lawrence Marshall's commitment. Kyle Meinke takes our "most indispensable" series one step further and lists Michigan's six most indispensable players. Breaking down Michigan's 2013 schedule.
• Coach Gary Andersen wants to keep a small-school feel at Wisconsin.
• Purdue coach Darrell Hazell talks toughness, the summer plan, personnel and much more in this interview with Pete DiPrimio. Will the Boilers' streak of NFL draft picks continue in 2014?
• Pat Harty runs down the top 10 Iowa players of the Hayden Fry era. Marc Morehouse examines Iowa's future nonconference schedules, which include more games with Northern Illinois.
• Indiana strength coach Mark Hill is mic'd up during a spring practice.

Alex Lewis' Nebraska career is off to a very rocky start.

Lewis, an offensive lineman at Colorado who Friday said he's transferring to Nebraska, was arrested Saturday and charged with second-degree assault. Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb was with Lewis and also faces charges stemming from an incident Friday night in Boulder, Colo.

Lewis, who started all 12 games last season at guard for the Buffaloes, also faces two counts of harassment. He had been expected to start for Colorado this season but asked first-year coach Mike MacIntyre for his release last month. Lewis sat out spring practice following shoulder surgery, visited Nebraska late last week and announced his transfer decision to Rivals.com.

"As for Alex Lewis, as of Friday he was off of the team when he did a media interview and announced that he is transferring to Nebraska," MacIntyre said in a prepared statement. "Since he is no longer a Colorado Buffalo, it will be up to Nebraska to decide what discipline he might face."

It will be interesting to see how Nebraska coach Bo Pelini reacts to Lewis' arrest. The timing couldn't be much worse, and as the Denver Post points out, second-degree assault is a felony in Colorado and carries a mandatory prison sentence if convicted.

Keep in mind that Nebraska hasn't officially announced Lewis' transfer to the school. Does he still have a landing spot in Lincoln? Does Pelini pull the offer?

Lewis, the son of former Nebraska All-America offensive lineman Bill Lewis, told multiple media outlets that he plans to start taking summer classes next month. If he still has the green light from Big Red, he'll have to sit out the 2013 season because of NCAA transfer rules and have two years of eligibility left.

Pelini takes a pretty hard line on player discipline. He could wait to see how Lewis' legal situation plays out, but he can't be happy about the situation. If Lewis gets a second chance with his new team, he had better treasure it.

You can bemoan the Big Ten's recent lack of elite talent at some positions like quarterback and wide receiver. But one spot where the league has been traditionally strong is at defensive tackle.

That has been arguably the conference's deepest and strongest position in the past two years, filled with stars like Devon Still, Mike Martin, Jerel Worthy, Jordan Hill, Kawann Short and Johnathan Hankins, to name a few. In an otherwise slow NFL draft for the league, the Big Ten saw four defensive tackles get selected last month, including two underclassmen (Hankins and Akeem Spence). In 2012, the conference had five defensive tackles get drafted.

That's why it's notable that, heading into the 2013 season, the Big Ten has no established stars on the defensive interior. Several schools lost top players to either graduation or the draft, including Ohio State (both starters, Hankins and Garrett Goebel are gone), Penn State (Hill), Purdue (Short), Michigan (Will Campbell), Indiana (Adam Replogle and Larry Black Jr.), Illinois (Akeem Spence and Glenn Foster), Nebraska (Baker Steinkuhler), Northwestern (Brian Arnfelt) and Michigan State (Anthony Rashad White).

That's a big talent drain for one position. None of the returning defensive tackles in the league have ever made first- or second-team All-Big Ten. The top veteran tackles in the conference look like this (in alphabetical order):

• Beau Allen, Wisconsin, senior: An underrated player, the 330-pound Allen has what you'd call a low center of gravity, with calves that look like a normal man's thighs. He's a big reason why the Badgers were able to keep teams from running the ball effectively up the middle last year.
• Bruce Gaston, Purdue, senior: Overshadowed at times by Short, Gaston has the ability to disrupt things up front as well and will be asked to do more this season. He was slowed by injuries last year.
• Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota, senior: As athletically gifted as any Big Ten D-tackle, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Hageman started to figure things out last season and had a strong spring. He looks like a guy who can take his game to the elite level if he stays focused and driven.
• DaQuan Jones, Penn State, senior: The 330-pounder is hoping to break out as a senior the way Hill and Devon Still did the past two years. He's been more of a run-stopper than a big-time playmaker so far in his career.
• Quinton Washington, Michigan, senior: He moved into a starter's role last year and will be the most experienced tackle on the Wolverines following Campbell's graduation. With the Michigan coaching staff's expertise on defensive line play, he could take a step forward this year.

All of those guys have been solid contributors, but hardly superstars. They're also all seniors, so maybe they'll go out with a bang.

Or maybe it's younger guys who emerge as the next wave of great Big Ten defensive tackles. Iowa's Carl Davis had a huge spring game and has always had talent but not health. Injuries have also held back Nebraska's Thad Randle and Ohio State's Michael Bennett. Michigan State's Lawrence Thomas, Michigan's Ondre Pipkins, Nebraska's Aaron Curry and Penn State's Austin Johnson could be on the rise. Recruiting and developing stud defensive tackles may be one of the hardest things to do in football, however.

On paper, the Big Ten defensive tackle situation looks to be down from the past couple of years. But new stars are sure to step forward in the fall. Several of them will have to do if the league's recent strong tradition at the position is to continue.

Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Big Ten:

Illinois Illini
What they’re selling: A chance to rebuild a program from the ground up, beginning with four-star quarterback Aaron Bailey, who signed in 2013.
What they’re missing: Just about all of the top prospects from their own state.

Indiana Hoosiers
What they’re selling: Indiana coach Kevin Wilson embraces the idea of a college spring break and is ready to head to Cancun with some of his players.
What they’re missing: Wilson looks like he might hold the group up in Mexico, however, as he still needs the assistance of a flotation device. Points that it is in the shape of a turtle, though.

Iowa Hawkeyes
What they’re selling: Iowa boasts one of the few staffs that can say they will be there all four years of a recruit’s career and has the history to back it up. Kirk Ferentz is the longest tenured coach in the Big Ten and it’s not even close.
What they’re missing: Out-of-state prospects tend to think Iowa is all cornfields, leaving the staff to battle that misconception countless times throughout the recruiting cycle.

Michigan Wolverines
What they’re selling: Michigan coach Brady Hoke looks like an outlaw patrolling the sideline on Saturdays without a headset.
What they’re missing: The player who graces the NCAA Football 2014 cover Denard Robinson. "Shoelace" was one of the Wolverines’ best recruiting tools.

Michigan State Spartans
What they’re selling: Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is the man behind Little Giants, one of the greatest trick plays of the last few decades.
What they’re missing: A trip to a Rose Bowl under Dantonio would put Michigan State over the top when it comes to recruiting. There is already a significant difference in the caliber of player the Spartans are now getting compared to just a few seasons ago.

Minnesota Gophers
What they’re selling: The Gophers boast the biggest locker room in college football.
What they’re missing: They have not had a winning season since 2008.

Nebraska Cornhuskers
What they’re selling: Bo Pelini whipped out “The Bernie” in the Huskers’ Harlem Shake video. Harlem Shake equals instant credibility with recruits.
What they’re missing: A lack of a strong base of in-state talent makes it tough to recruit at Nebraska, and a Harlem Shake video can overcome only so much.

Northwestern Wildcats
What they’re selling: The new facilities are right near Lake Michigan, which, as assistant Bob Heffner is telling recruits, is a great spot for fishing.
What they’re missing: Not too many high schoolers in New Jersey have taken up fishing as a hobby. At least not yet.

Ohio State Buckeyes
What they’re selling: Urban Meyer is bringing SEC speed to the Big Ten.
What they’re missing: Has anyone actually clocked Meyer in the 40-yard dash? How fast is he really?

Penn State Nittany Lions
What they’re selling: Beaver Stadium fits more than 106,000 on Saturdays, making it the second largest stadium in the country. Inside is also one of the country’s most passionate fan bases, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit once listed Penn State’s student section as “simply the loudest, most supportive student section in college football.”
What they’re missing: A full slate of scholarships and a chance to play for a Big Ten title the next few years.

Purdue Boilermakers
What they’re selling: Few programs have the history Purdue does at quarterback, and former Boilermakers Drew Brees, Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter are all on NFL rosters. The Boilermakers just signed ESPN 300 QB Danny Etling, too.
What they’re missing: Brees, Orton and Painter.

Wisconsin Badgers
What they’re selling: The Badgers have been to three straight Rose Bowls.
What they’re missing: The coach who took them there.