ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

News conferences galore around the Big Ten today. Let's see what the highly paid men wearing whistles had to say:

• A Buckeye backfield of Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor? You might not need to wait until 2009, The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes in his blog. Coach Jim Tressel usually favors his seniors, but at this stage, it's looking like Pryor will play plenty, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch.
  
• Michigan State's Mark Dantonio has never lost to Notre Dame, but he's fighting against a trend on Saturday at home, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal. It hasn't taken long for the Spartans to define themselves as a running team.
• The Indiana-Ball State game hits home for players from 54 in-state high schools, Terry Hutchens writes in The Indianapolis Star.
  
• Bob Flounders of The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News recaps Joe Paterno's news conference, which turned into a Temple love-fest. Mike Lucian (ankle) might be back for Saturday's game, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane writes in his blog.
• Jake Christensen is back in the driver's seat at Iowa, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian is the only Hawkeyes player definitely ruled out for the Pitt game, though there are some other injuries, the Quad City Times' Eric Page writes in his blog.