ESPN College Football

Look, I know that you're concerned, but I'm designing T-shirts now. They're gonna be huge. Also medium and small.

• Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith says the department isn't facing any major violations right now. Former Buckeyes linebacker Andrew Sweat chooses safety over potential NFL stardom.
• Michigan State expects top quarterback Andrew Maxwell (knee) to be 100 percent by June. A look at several 2013 recruits Michigan State has offered.
• Jerry Kill says Minnesota needs a facilities upgrade soon. Minnesota's outgoing AD Joel Maturi weighs in on playoff possibilities and other Gopher-related topics.
• Penn State 2013 recruit Greg Webb talks about his recovery from a torn ACL. Lions coach Bill O'Brien reviews spring ball and looks ahead.
• Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is geared up for his second season in Bloomington. Wilson weighs in on the trickiness of non-league scheduling.
• BTN.com's Tom Dienhart looks at Week 3 in the Big Ten this season.
• Purdue offers scholarships to two teammates from Georgia (subscription required) who both play defensive end.
• Hail to the Orange writes that Illinois needs Tim Beckman to be its version of Hayden Fry.
• Great news as Iowa announcer Gary Dolphin is cancer free and ready for the 2012 season.
• Several freshmen offensive linemen could be in the mix for Michigan this year. Michigan's backup quarterbacks remain works in progress.
• A look back at Tom Rathman's 84-yard touchdown run for Nebraska in 1985.

When you think Big Ten football, what usually comes to mind is big, corn-fed Midwestern players and bruising offenses. The kind of place that would be perfect for a tight end.

But the 2011 season was a little lackluster for that position in the league, at least as far as the passing game goes. Sure, Northwestern's Drake Dunsmore and Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen were Mackey Award semifinalists, but those two and Michigan State's Brian Linthicum were the only two tight ends in the conference to record more than 25 catches. Some guys we expected to have big years, like Nebraska's Kyler Reed, Minnesota's Eric Lair and Indiana's Ted Bolser, were nearly invisible on the stat sheet. And there was certainly no one who rose the level of recent Big Ten stars like Dallas Clark, Matt Spaeth, Travis Beckum, Lance Kendricks or Dustin Keller.

Dunsmore, who won the league's inaugural Kwalick-Clark tight end of the year award, and Linthicum have both graduated. Yet 2012 is shaping up as a potentially big season for tight ends across the league.

Some of it has to do with changing offenses and playcallers who love utilizing the tight end. Urban Meyer made a star out of Aaron Hernandez at Florida and could do the same with Jake Stoneburner, who started off blazing hot last year before the Ohio State offense forgot about him. With the Buckeyes searching for playmakers, expect Stoneburner to be utilized heavily in 2012.

"Seeing Hernandez make all those plays makes someone like me pretty happy," Stoneburner told Adam Rittenberg last month. "It's something I've been waiting for since I graduated high school, being able to go out there knowing you're going to get the opportunity to get the ball more than once or twice a game. "

Bill O'Brien coached Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski as offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, which featured the tight end as much as anybody in football. Now O'Brien is at Penn State, where tight ends have mostly been an afterthought. That will change quickly.

"That’s a very important part of what we’re going to do offensively,” O’Brien told reporters in March. “Obviously, the last two years in New England taught me a lot about the use of a tight end, multiple tight ends.”

At Iowa, new offensive coordinator Greg Davis is raving about sophomore C.J. Fiedorowicz, a 6-foot-7, 265-pounder who began to emerge late last season as a weapon. With an uncertain running game and an excellent passer in quarterback James Vandenberg, Fiedorowicz could follow in the footsteps of Clark and Tony Moeaki as breakout Hawkeyes tight ends. Coincidentally, Iowa's new offensive line coach is Brian Ferentz, who coached the tight ends with the Patriots last year.

“You’ll see the tight ends playing outside sometimes,” Davis told the Des Moines Register during spring practice. “Used to seeing them in motion, but there will be motion in wide receiver sets in some situations because they’re tough match-ups.”

Wisconsin returns one of the best tight ends in the country in Pedersen, who had led Big Ten tight ends with eight touchdown catches a year ago. Bret Bielema is also excited about the depth at the position, with veterans Brian Wozniak and Sam Arneson, redshirt freshmen Austin Traylor and Austin Maly and Pittsburgh transfer Brock DeCicco. Given the inexperience at receiver outside of Jared Abbrederis, the Badgers could look to throw to their tight ends even more this season.

Indiana's Bolser had only 14 catches last year, but he was one of the stars of the spring for the Hoosiers. An improved passing game should help him become more of a factor. Purdue likes the depth it has at tight end, led by Gabe Holmes and Crosby Wright.

“A year ago it was one of the leanest positions on our football team," Boilers coach Danny Hope told reporters in the spring, "and now I think going into the season that the tight end position is going to be one of our strengths.”

Reed's numbers dropped last year, but he still led Nebraska with an average of 17.1 yards per catch. He and fellow senior Ben Cotton form a nice tandem of targets for Taylor Martinez. Michigan State must replace Linthicum but is optimistic about 6-foot-5, 280-pound Dion Sims, who practiced this spring with a cast on his hand. Sims could provide a safety valve for new quarterback Andrew Maxwell early on as the Spartans break in some green receivers.

Minnesota's Moses Alipate will at least be a curiosity as a former quarterback who grew to 290 pounds. Michigan needs Brandon Moore or someone else to step in for Kevin Koger, while Illinois' Jon Davis could have a different role in the team's new spread offense after a promising freshman campaign. Whoever replaces Dunsmore for Northwestern should get a lot of touches.

Tight ends could play an important part of many Big Ten teams' attacks this fall. Just as it should be.

During the course of spring practice, Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett visited 11 of the 12 league schools, getting an up-close look at the players and coaches who will shape the 2012 season.

Now it's time for them to share their thoughts on what they saw and learned this spring, and you can follow along as they exchange emails. Check out the Leaders Division exchange here. They now turn their focus to the Legends Division.

Adam Rittenberg: Let's take a look at what I believe to be the stronger division in 2012. You spent a lot of time in the Mitten State last month, and while you didn't gorge yourself like you did in America's Dairyland, you got the money quote of spring ball from Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, who said, "We're laying in the weeds. We've beat Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?" How spicy is the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry getting, and how good do you think these two teams will be this season after visiting both campuses?

Brian Bennett: Oh, there was some serious gorging going on at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and Sparty's in East Lansing. Good thing there's only one spring practice session per year.

Anyway, I went into the spring thinking Michigan and Michigan State were the two strongest teams in the league, and I didn't see anything to change my opinion. While the Wolverines are more focused on Ohio State and even Alabama, they know they have to end their losing streak against Michigan State. And the Spartans take serious pride in that four-game run while bristling at all the offseason accolades thrown toward Brady Hoke's team. Oct. 20 can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.

If the two teams played right now, I'd definitely take Michigan State. Dantonio has done a terrific job of developing depth on both lines and all over the defense. There's not a deeper team in the Big Ten, and the Spartans' physical play has given Michigan fits. The Wolverines still need to figure some things out in the trenches, especially on the defensive line, but that's one area where Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison excel. I believe these two teams will be neck and neck all year for the Legends title.

Of course, there's another team lurking in the division, and that's Nebraska. You went to Lincoln this spring, and it sounded like the Cornhuskers are feeling mighty ambitious this season. Do they have the necessary tools to back up their lofty goals?

Adam Rittenberg: It was interesting to see a team openly discuss the national title, Brian, especially in a league like the Big Ten. Huskers safety P.J. Smith even went so far as to say a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl championship would be "kind of disappointing." That's bold. Nebraska would have to skip a step or two to reach that point, but I can see where the confidence stems from. There's a greater comfort level between players and coaches in Lincoln, and also between the coaches and what they face in the Big Ten. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck was candid about the difficulty of preparing for so many new opponents, particularly since Nebraska's offensive and defensive systems are a little different from what we see in the rest of the league.

Quarterback Taylor Martinez received good marks from the coaches, and his focus on footwork could translate into a more consistent passing attack. Beck certainly wants to be a bit more balanced, and Nebraska returns pretty much everyone at wide receiver and tight end. We often hear the cliche that it's all about the quarterback, but it holds true with Nebraska. If Martinez actually makes strides as a passer -- he'll be operating in the same offense as the starter for the first time in his high school or college career -- the Huskers will put up points this fall. But after watching Martinez last season, it's fair to have some doubts about No. 3.

The defense expects to exploit a schematic advantage we heard a lot about last season but didn't see much on Saturdays. I like coordinator John Papuchis, and Bo Pelini made two good staff additions in D-line coach Rick Kaczenski and secondary coach Terry Joseph. They're all about details and accountability, and they believe they'll be able to replace star power with greater depth in certain areas. Nebraska also should be strong in special teams. Do the Huskers have a unit better than Michigan State's defense? Not right now. But Nebraska could end up being the division's most complete team by season's end.

Getting back to Michigan State and Michigan. Both teams lose tremendous leaders from 2011 (Kirk Cousins, Mike Martin, Jerel Worthy, Joel Foreman, David Molk, Ryan Van Bergen). Who do you see filling those roles this year?

Brian Bennett: That's a good question, and one that will have to be answered this summer. For Michigan State, Andrew Maxwell impressed me as a guy who can lead in a similar way as Cousins did; he'll just have to play well at quarterback and battle through adversity. The Spartans have some seniors on defense who can lead, like Anthony Rashad White and Johnny Adams, but they also have some highly respected juniors in Max Bullough and William Gholston.

But they are replacing some very valuable leaders, just as Michigan is doing. Denard Robinson has worked on becoming more vocal and sounded like a different guy in interviews this spring. There's no question he has the respect of his teammates. Craig Roh and Jordan Kovacs seem like natural leaders on defense, and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan says he wants to take on that role as well. But leadership can't be forced, and it remains to be seen if either team can find such strong captains as guys like Cousins and Martin were.

Speaking of question marks, I feel like Iowa and Northwestern are two of the bigger mystery teams in the league. Both have talent and potentially potent offenses, but they'll also need some players on defense to rise up out of the shadows. What did you take out of your visits to Iowa City and Evanston this spring?

Adam Rittenberg: Let's start off with Iowa, which underwent some major changes this spring with a new offensive coordinator (Greg Davis), a position coach promoted to defensive coordinator (Phil Parker) and several more assistants shuffling, arriving or being promoted. The players seemed to embrace the changes, and coach Kirk Ferentz basically said the team needed a fresh start even though he didn't want to lose his previous coordinators. There's a lot of excitement about Davis' offense, which will be more up-tempo than what we've seen in the past from Iowa. Quarterback James Vandenberg really seems to get it, but will he have enough weapons around him to execute? The running back curse struck again this spring with Jordan Canzeri's ACL injury. Iowa needs young and/or unproven players to step up there, and wide receiver isn't a deep group. It'll be a big summer for Keenan Davis.

The feeling I had coming out of Evanston is that Northwestern will be a younger team but potentially a better one. The Wildcats say goodbye to an accomplished senior class that featured some outstanding players like quarterback Dan Persa. But was it the most talented group? I don't think so. Northwestern has improved its recruiting efforts in recent years, and the team could begin seeing the benefits this year. There are a lot of new faces at spots like defensive back and defensive line. I was impressed with cornerback Nick VanHoose and end Deonte Gibson. The wide receiving corps should be one of the Big Ten's best, even if Kyle Prater isn't eligible until 2013. The Wildcats might not have many familiar names at receiver, but they boast incredible depth there. This team still has question marks -- secondary, pass rush, running back, quarterback -- but the talent level is getting a bit better.

Neither of us made it up to Minneapolis this spring, but we both talked with Gophers players and coaches. What was your sense of the second spring under coach Jerry Kill?

Brian Bennett: We swear it's nothing personal, Gophers fans. Both of us would have enjoyed a trip to the Twin Cities, but the schedule just didn't work out.

Anyway, I did sense more confidence from the Minnesota players and coaches we interviewed. That's not surprising, given that it's the second year for Kill's staff and more familiarity almost always brings a better comfort level. MarQueis Gray really started to come on late last season and appears to have made strides as a passer. He could be one of the league's top playmakers this year. Overall, the Gophers look to have a little more talent this year, thanks to some junior college imports, youngsters who got experience last year and Troy Stoudermire coming back at cornerback. The defense should have more speed, though it remains undersized. The big question for me is who will emerge as weapons alongside Gray, especially at receiver.

But I think that, with a manageable nonconference schedule, Minnesota has a chance to win five or more games this year and it will be much more competitive in Big Ten play than it was early last season. The Legends Division looks more balanced top to bottom than the Leaders and should be fun to follow all year.

2011 record: 11-3
2011 conference record: 7-1 (Legends Division champions)
Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 8; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

DE William Gholston, DE Marcus Rush, LB Denicos Allen, LB Max Bullough, LB Chris Norman, CB Johnny Adams, CB Darqueze Dennard, S Isaiah Lewis, RB Le'Veon Bell, LT Dan France, C Travis Jackson

Key losses
QB Kirk Cousins, DT Jerel Worthy, WR Keshawn Martin, WR B.J. Cunningham, S Trenton Robinson, RB Edwin Baker, TE Brian Linthicum

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Le'Veon Bell* (948 yards)
Passing: Kirk Cousins (3,316 yards)
Receiving: B.J. Cunningham (1,306 yards)
Tackles: Max Bullough* (89)
Sacks: Denicos Allen* (11)
Interceptions: Isaiah Lewis* and Trenton Robinson (4)

Spring answers

1. Defensive depth: Michigan State returns eight starters off one of the best defenses in the country, and the coaching staff might have been most excited this spring about guys who didn't play much last year. Linebackers Darien Harris and Taiwan Jones, defensive ends Joel Heath and Shilique Calhoun and defensive back Trae Waynes all had impressive practices and showed that they're ready to contribute and push the starters. The Spartans won't have much drop off if their first-stringers need a break or get injured. That gives this defense a chance to be scary good in 2012.

2. The Bell tolls: Le'Veon Bell asserted himself at the end of last year as the team's top tailback, overtaking Edwin Baker. And after appearing to get called out by coach Mark Dantonio for being complacent early in the spring, he turned in some dominant efforts. At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he's a rumbling freight train with surprising nimbleness in the open field. Do not be surprised to see him emerge as a superstar back this season if he remains focused.

3. O-line on the way up: Michigan State mixed and matched on the offensive line early last season because of injuries and inexperience. By the end of the season, the group was playing well. This spring, the line features six players who have started and much more maturity. That's one reason why Bell excelled this spring, as the Spartans' power running game looked much better. This figures to be the best and deepest O-line in Dantonio's tenure, and the offense could lean more on the ground attack while the passing game finds its wings.

Fall questions

1. Catching on: The top receivers coming out of spring were redshirt freshman Andre Sims Jr., little-used sophomore Keith Mumphery and Jeremy Langford, who made the switch from running back in the middle of spring practice. In other words, there's a dire lack of experience at the position that Keshawn Martin, B.J. Cunningham and Keith Nichol patrolled so well. Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett was cleared by the NCAA for immediate eligibility on Thursday, and that should help. The Spartans are also going to need Tony Lippett and Bennie Fowler -- their two veterans even though both lack much receiver experience themselves -- to get healthy and for some true freshmen to make an impact. If there's a glaring concern for this year's team, it's definitely at this spot.

2. Maxwell's house: Michigan State feels confident that Andrew Maxwell, a fourth-year junior who sat behind Cousins the past three seasons, can make a smooth transition into the starting quarterback job. But Maxwell doesn't have much game time under his belt, and we won't know whether he can bounce back from adversity until it happens on the field this fall. It didn't help that he missed the last couple weeks of spring practice with a knee injury. The Spartans need him to stay healthy, or else they will have to turn to redshirt freshman Connor Cook. And a new quarterback could struggle with such a green receiving group.

3. Worthy replacements: Jerel Worthy skipped his senior season and wound up as a second-round NFL draft pick after an All-America campaign. The Spartans have a host of players looking to replace him at defensive tackle, with Vanderbilt transfer James Kittredge stepping up late in spring practice to assume the No. 1 reps. Depth won't be an issue, but it remains to be seen whether any of his successors have the kind of game-changing ability that Worthy brought when he was fully engaged. Nothing boosts a defense quite like a disruptive force in the middle of the line. We know the Spartans' defense will be good. Can it be great without a player like Worthy up front?

Sometimes the NCAA gets it right. When it came to DeAnthony Arnett's waiver application, the folks in Indianapolis had an easy decision to make.

Fortunately, the NCAA made the correct call Thursday and approved Arnett's residence waiver, which allows the wide receiver to play for Michigan State this season. Arnett transferred to Michigan State from Tennessee after the 2011 season to be closer to his ailing father, who is awaiting a kidney transplant and is on dialysis. The waiver prevents him from sitting out a season. Arnett, a native of Saginaw, Mich., has three years of eligibility remaining.

The NCAA can be tough to predict on waiver requests. But after green-lighting Notre Dame receiver Amir Carlisle, whose case didn't seem nearly as urgent Arnett's, the NCAA had only one decision to make here.

The decision is big news for Michigan State, which loses its top three wide receivers and its top tight end, not to mention starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, from the 2011 team. Arnett, a decorated recruit who left Big Ten country to play at Tennessee, recorded 24 receptions for 242 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in 2011. He practiced this spring with the Spartans and will join Keith Mumphery, Bennie Fowler, tight end Dion Sims and others as quarterback Andrew Maxwell's top targets in the passing game.

Although Michigan State will remain a run-first team this fall, Arnett's presence on the field gives the Spartans a talented target who has produced at a high level.

Let's dive back into our series looking at the most indispensable players on each Big Ten squad entering the 2012 season. Once again, this is not necessarily a listing of the best players on each team, but ones whose absence would be toughest to absorb because of their particular value or a lack of depth behind them.

We'll select two players from each Big Ten team, usually one on offense and one on defense, but not always. Your move, Michigan State Spartans.

Andrew Maxwell, QB, Jr.

Well, here's an unusual choice, as Maxwell has never started a game. But he has enormous value as a quarterback who is entering his fourth year in the system and who has been groomed for this job. Without Maxwell, Michigan State would have to turn to redshirt freshman Connor Cook, and the depth at the position would be annihilated. Cook took over for the last part of spring practice while Maxwell dealt with a knee injury and showed it wouldn't be the end of the world if he had to run the show. But the Spartans' offense wouldn't be the same without the more veteran quarterback, and it would place the entire team in a precarious position if he weren't available.

William Gholston, DE, Jr.

I actually struggled with whom to select on defense, as there are many viable candidates. Middle linebacker Max Bullough is a terrific leader, and while there are lots of good players at the outside linebacker spots for the Spartans, I don't know that they have one with the size and skill of Bullough to captain the defense. Cornerback Johnny Adams is also incredibly valuable because if his experience and ability to both cover receivers and provide run and blitz support. But Michigan State's defense is deep and likely could absorb the loss of any one player. The exception may be Gholston. Although there are other capable defensive ends on the depth chart, there are few players in the country quite like Gholston, a 6-foot-7 athletic freak who can dominate at times. If he takes the next step in his development this year as expected, then he can be an elite player who brings the whole defense up a level. That makes him indispensable.

Few position groups in the Big Ten lost more production after the season than Michigan State's wideouts.

Gone are the Spartans' top three targets: B.J. Cunningham, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, along with the speedy Keshawn Martin and key veteran Keith Nichol. The personnel losses at both receiver and tight end (Brian Linthicum, Garrett Celek) combined with a new starting quarterback (Andrew Maxwell) create some serious question marks for the passing game.

But help is on the way. Super Moon Bad Moon is coming back to East Lansing.

That's right, former Spartans great Andre "Bad Moon" Rison is headed back to Michigan State to complete his degree. While there, he'll serve as a student assistant coach. Rison is second on Michigan State's career chart in receiving yards (2,992). He played 17 NFL seasons, made five Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro selection. Rison spent the past two seasons as a high school head coach in his hometown of Flint, Mich. He'll assist Spartans receivers coach Terry Samuel beginning this summer.

Rison's presence should really help Keith Mumphery, Bennie Fowler, DeAnthony Arnett, Tony Lippett and the rest of Michigan State's receiving corps. Arnett, who also hails from Flint, has to be excited to work with Rison.

From Mlive.com:

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know I'll be able to help Michigan State's receivers better their game," said Rison. "I have a lot of experiences in college, the NFL and through my coaching that I can pass along. I am really looking forward to coaching with Mark Dantonio because he cares about the right things, the fundamentals of the game."

Although Michigan State can't get the 45-year-old Rison to suit up, his arrival should boost a group that really needs it heading into a season with lofty expectations.

The depravity and decadence of Derby weekend await me. But first: your emails.

Bryan from Chicago writes: Regarding your handicapping of the B1G race, I'm betting on all teams. With the odds you gave each team, if you add them up, the player has about a 33% advantage over the house! If you ever decide to open a casino, let me know and I'll be the first one in line. But, if I'm taking 1 team, betting with emotions I'm taking my Huskers -- hoping they can outscore a lot of teams this year. Betting with brains, I'm taking Wisconsin -- no Ohio State to worry about, gives them the easiest road to the title game and who knows once you get there, and 8-1 is a good payout.

Brian Bennett: In defense of my admittedly poor math skills, Indiana is much higher than the listed 99-to-1, but the toteboard can only handle double-digit numbers. And Ohio State's scratch threw off the odds. But I agree with you about Nebraska and Wisconsin being pretty good value plays. I'd add Penn State to that mix as well.

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Brian from Newark, DE, writes: Am I the only person not completely overjoyed with this whole playoff deal? To me, it's a real stretch to call a two game tournament a playoff. There's four teams involved. Granted, that's double what the current system allows. But it's still not exactly opening the championship up like the basketball tournament does. All this really amounts to is one extra game for two teams. So can we stop calling it a playoff and start referring to it as what it really is: The one more game after the bowls so we can all make a little more money and appease the fans bowl?

Brian Bennett: Brian (great name, by the way, and correct spelling), I'm perfectly fine with the four-team format. It keeps the value of the regular season, keeps the season from dragging far into January and still opens the championship up to more teams. How many years have there been more than four legitimate national title contenders at the end of the year, anyway? I've never been in favor of a 16-team format because that's too many teams and not enough quality. An eight-teamer would be a lot of fun, and I think we will eventually see an expansion of any playoff system. But for now, while we can quibble with the details, let's rejoice that the sport is actually giving us something we want.

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Zach from Lincoln writes: Why are we even listening to the "on campus semi-finals won't work" [sentiment]?? I understand they are worried about teams with small stadiums not being able to host large crowds, but how many times since the BCS model was created has 1 of those teams been #1 or #2? Zero is the correct answer. Also, even if one of these teams did eventually finish #1 or #2 doesn't the fact that college stadiums are in general larger than NFL stadiums make up for the fact that there could be a smaller venue every once in a blue moon?

Brian Bennett: Couldn't agree more with you, Zach. The capacity of the Superdome is just over 72,000, while Sun Life Stadium -- home of the Orange Bowl -- seats a little more than 75,000. There would be a whole lot more seats (and money to be made) with games at the Big House, Horseshoe, Bryant-Denny, etc. MGoBlog does a good job of breaking down the difference in capacity and how campus sites would have meant more, not less, seats during the BCS era in this post.

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Josh S. ? @josh_sim writes: Re: Big 6. Won't voters change their voting patterns and work around the rules for best matchups?

Brian Bennett: That's a concern with any system, including the one we have now. Which is why we need to take this out of the hands of voters, especially one with obvious biases like the coaches themselves.

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Roger from Denver, Colo., writes: Really, 25 [for Ohio State in your rankings]? Come on, Blue had the easiest schedule in the conference, barely beat an extremely down The Ohio State team and you have Blue ranked top 10 not to mention in ACC bowl game that they really lost but got a bogus call in their favor on a touchdown.

Brian Bennett: The mountain air might be getting to you, Roger. Fact is, Michigan went 11-2 last year while Ohio State was 6-7. Michigan brought back its coaching staff and arguably the most productive backfield in the league (Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint), while the Buckeyes will be going through a coaching transition and lack offensive playmakers. I like Ohio State to be much improved this season, and there's no question the team has talent. But given last year's results, I think a ranking at the bottom of the Top 25 is fair for this point in the year.

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Dying for The Gophers To Be Relevant Again from Minneapolis writes: I find it interesting how people get excited about the new A.D. at Minnesota. Everyone is giddy over his fund raising abilities. Sure, raising funds is important for all programs, but winning is the key. Some would say that fund raising will help winning, I believe that winning will hep fund raising. Your thoughts?

Brian Bennett: An athletic director absolutely has to be able to do two things right: hire good coaches, and keep the money fountain flowing. Since Norwood Teague didn't hire Jerry Kill, the best thing he can do is make sure donations are coming in so the Gophers can keep up with facilities, salaries, etc. Winning solves a lot of ills, but ultimately that will be up to Kill and his staff to it make happen.

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David from Houston writes: I just saw your 4/26 mailbag and the Wisconsin coach and AD answers concerning their non-conference scheduling. As a Badger, I'm calling "BS" on Bret Bielema. His answer of "people don't want to play here" may be right in some rare instances, but that is most definitely not what is going on with Badger scheduling. The real issues are this: 1) The Badgers will only play one road game per year (at least Barry was honest about that one). 2) Wisconsin is not willing to schedule more than one BCS opponent per season. They went through a nice stretch for 2001-2003 of playing two such schools, but that turned out to be an aberration. 3) They won't even do that if they think a future year's Big Ten Schedule is "too tough." See the 8-year postponement of the Virginia Tech games. ... The Pac-12 deal is nice, but this team is not going to then start scheduling 2 BCS foes each season. This will just take their one good game out of their hands, leaving them to deal with the 3 buy games each year.

Brian Bennett: David, I can understand your frustration as a fan in not getting to see great nonconference games at Camp Randall. At the same time, Wisconsin is not alone in only scheduling one BCS AQ school per year in its nonconference slate. In the Big Ten alone, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue all only have one such opponent on their schedule this season. Indiana has none.

While I'd love to see the Badgers schedule more aggressively, it just doesn't pay many dividends for schools to do so. The Badgers went to the Rose Bowl the past two years and were a couple plays away from being in the national title mix both times. I hope the new playoff format rewards strength of schedule to encourage all teams to play better nonconference opponents.

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Max from Madras, India, writes: Brian, what do you think is more detrimental to the season? QB competition and playing 4 guys in your spring game, a la PSU? Or pretty much knowing who your starter is going to be, and not having him for your spring game, a la MSU? Or at this stage does it really matter?

Brian Bennett: It's early enough to not really matter. Remember Wisconsin won the Big Ten last year, and its starting quarterback didn't arrive in Madison until the summer. But in the scenario you mention, I'd much rather be Michigan State. The Spartans know Andrew Maxwell will be their starter, and his injury wasn't serious. He's been in the program for four years, so playing in a spring game means very little. Penn State still doesn't seem to be settled at the position. Maxwell can confidently lead the offense all summer. I'm not sure any of Penn State's quarterbacks can do the same.

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Paul from Orlando, Fla., writes: Last season, Nebraska had All Big Ten-caliber players at each level of the defense in Crick, David and Dennard. Although these players made major contributions in 2011, the defense ranked a mere 36th nationally in total defense; well outside the norm for a Pelini coached defense. It appeared, especially early in the season, that offensive coordinators could simply pick on the young guy lined up opposite Crick, David or Dennard and these players didn?t really impact their game plans. This spring Pelini has been vocal about how much he likes his secondary and expects the defensive line and linebackers to be a solid veteran group. Do you think having a veteran defense without any weak links and a potentially dominate group at one level of the defense can lead to a better 2012 defense despite the loss of such great players?

Brian Bennett: It's an interesting question, and one I've been thinking about a lot this season. In fairness to the 2012 Huskers, Crick, David and Dennard were never really all healthy at the same time. But a big problem, as you mentioned, was the obvious holes on that defense. Bo Pelini seemed optimistic this spring about the defensive play, but aren't all coaches optimistic in the spring? Still, I think this defense has a chance to be very solid. I just want to see a couple of players take the next step into becoming major difference-makers, whether that's a guy like Will Compton or Cameron Meredith or Daimion Stafford. You need special players to be a truly special defense.

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Mr. Pewter from Farmland, Iowa, writes: I hate the new Cy-Hawk trophy. I am still going to rally around my family with a basket full of corn. Come with it now!

Brian Bennett: You keep raging against that machine.

Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett will occasionally give their takes on a burning question facing the league. We'll both have strong opinions, but not necessarily the same view. We'll let you decide which blogger is right.

In our most recent Take Two, we debated which position group was the strongest throughout the league. So on the flip side, today's Take Two topic is this: What position group in the league looks most in need of improvement after spring practice?

Take 1: Brian Bennett

The Big Ten had nine receivers drafted into the NFL over the weekend, and overall the league lost its top seven pass-catchers from the 2011 season. So there's no wonder that position looked a little weak across several campuses this spring. Only two players who caught at least 50 passes last year -- Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis and Iowa's Keenan Davis -- return in 2012. Michigan State lost its top two wideouts in B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin and is relying on wildly inexperienced players to step up there. Ohio State didn't have a player catch more than 14 passes last year, and new coach Urban Meyer criticized the receivers all spring, though Michael Thomas did have a strong spring game. Wisconsin missed Abbrederis (foot injury) this spring and is trying to find someone else to play with consistency at that spot. A.J. Jenkins basically was the passing game for Illinois last year, and now the Illini need more options in their new spread system after losing the first-rounder. Michigan needs to replace Junior Hemingway and is hoping Roy Roundtree bounces back after a subpar junior year stats-wise.

I could go on and on. Very few schools appear settled at receiver right now, and I'd be hard pressed to select a pair of preseason first-team all-conference performers there at this point. While receiver is one position where young players can often have a quick impact, it's also true that the league is lacking proven stars at that spot heading into the season.

Take 2: Adam Rittenberg

The league undoubtedly loses a lot at receiver, but I'm going with the guys throwing the passes, not catching them. Great quarterbacks can make adequate receivers good and good receivers great. It rarely works the other way around. The Big Ten doesn't lose as many standout quarterbacks as it does receivers, but the league says goodbye to three of its best in Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins and Northwestern's Dan Persa. Wilson energized Wisconsin's offense with his strong arm and athleticism, and while his accomplishments were overshadowed by those of teammate Montee Ball, he'll be sorely missed. While Danny O'Brien is a nice addition, he's not Russell Wilson. Cousins and Persa also leave significant voids in East Lansing and Evanston, respectively. While Kain Colter is a great athlete and Andrew Maxwell has been groomed for the spotlight, both men have a lot to prove.

The overall quality of quarterback play in the league needs a boost in 2012. Remember that the Big Ten failed to have a team ranked in the top 35 nationally in pass offense in 2011. Nebraska's Taylor Martinez, Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase and Minnesota's MarQueis Gray must become a lot more consistent. Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Indiana's Tre Roberson must grow up. Michigan's Denard Robinson needs to cut down on his interceptions and add reliability to his repertoire. Iowa's James Vandenberg has to get a lot better on the road. Purdue and Penn State need a quarterback to separate himself from the pack. There are many more familiar names at quarterback, but if they don't make strides, the Big Ten once again will be grounded on offense.

We wrap up our 2012 spring game previews now with -- last but not least -- the defending Legends Division champion Michigan State Spartans. Here are your Green-White essentials.

When: 1 p.m. ET Saturday

Where: Spartan Stadium

Admission: Free. Parking is free around the stadium. Gates open at 11:30 a.m.

TV: The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and streamed live BTN2Go.

Weather forecast: High of 48 degrees, Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain.

What to watch for: Michigan State makes this a real competition and held its player draft on Wednesday. Here are the rosters for the game. Running backs coach Brad Salem will coach the Green team, while receivers coach Terrence Samuel will coach the White.

Fans won't be able to see new starting quarterback Andrew Maxwell, who has a sprained knee. But they'll get a long look at redshirt freshman Connor Cook, who will take lots and lots of reps while quarterbacking both squads. One of the things Spartans supporters will want to see is how the wide receiving corps looks after the team lost its top three wideouts from a year ago and the only experienced receivers, Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett, got hurt this spring. Andre Sims Jr. appears to be the leader of the group for now, but Jeremy Langford is an intriguing athlete. And there will be plenty of eyes on Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett, who may or may not be eligible this year.

Though the squad will be split, the spring game will offer a chance to see how good the Michigan State defense is. Defensive tackle is one of the few question marks, and it appears that James Kittredge has made a move this spring. Emerging defensive players like Joel Heath, Shilique Calhoun and Darien Harris will also get a chance to strut their stuff.

The offensive line and running game have improved this offseason. But given the inexperience at quarterback and receiver and the fact that top tailback Le'Veon Bell will be limited, don't expect an offensive showcase on Saturday.

Michigan State held its spring game player draft this afternoon. It's always a fun event, as the seniors pick teams and everyone takes it pretty seriously, with Mark Dantonio serving as the commissioner. It's like a fantasy league come to life.

In no surprise, junior defensive end William Gholston was the first pick, by the White team (remember, seniors did the drafting). Both teams have to finish up the entire position group after a player is taken, so the Green team took the other starting defensive end, Marcus Rush.

The second overall pick, by the Green team, was middle linebacker Max Bullough. Then the picks went like this:

Green: C Travis Jackson

White: OT Dan France

Green: TE Dion Sims

White: LB Denicos Allen

Green: CB Trae Waynes

White: S Isaiah Lewis

Green: DT James Kittredge

White: FB Niko Palazeti

Green: RB Le'Veon Bell

White: WR Andre Sims Jr.

It's interesting that Bell went so late, but the truth is he probably will be limited in the spring game, making him less valuable for this kind of draft. James Kittredge's selection seems to indicate he may be in line to start opposite Anthony Rashad White inside. Receiver may be the least experienced position on the team, so it's no wonder that position went last. Sims' selection shows you who the players think is the top wideout in camp right now (remember, Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett are hurt). In fact, Jeremy Langford, just moved over to receiver, was the second wideout taken, while DeAnthony Arnett was third. With Andrew Maxwell out, the quarterbacks weren't a part of the draft.

Here's your hump day linkage.

• Check out the latest from the BCS meetings here and here and here. Dennis Dodd writes the Rose Bowl will have to relinquish more tradition to remain in the playoff mix.
• Looks like "The Victors" will play at JerryWorld after all on Sept. 1.
• No surprise here, but Michigan State quarterback Andrew Maxwell (knee) will miss the spring game. Spartans' NFL prospects look forward to a big draft weekend. Joe Rexrode writes about the first lady of Michigan State football, who recently passed away.
• Ohio State's Michael Bennett shares some interesting thoughts on the new coaches. Jim Tressel returns to Columbus but doesn't talk football. The Bowtie slams media outlets critical of Ohio State.
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio spearheaded the idea of spring scrimmages against other teams.
• Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz seems to be opening up to more new ideas. Ferentz's accessibility is a welcome change, Pat Harty writes. Iowa is in the market for more neutral-site football games.
• Brady Hoke discusses the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, Ohio State's academic majors sign and other topics. Michigan WR Junior Hemingway boosts his draft stock into the middle rounds.
• Rod Woodson discusses his Purdue career, the current Boilers program and other topics in this Q&A.
• Whitney Mercilus might not be Illinois' only early round selection. It doesn't make the waiting game any easier for Illini draft prospects.
• ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay says Northwestern QB Dan Persa is "limited" as a pro prospect. An interesting look at Northwestern's new partnership with Under Armour.
• Steve Heiser writes Penn State should stop scheduling non-league nobodies. Bill O'Brien's assistants hit the recruiting trail.
• More on the measure approving alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium. Some praise for Minnesota's new athletic director.
• Athlon Sports wonders whether Nebraska can win the Big Ten this season.
• Wisconsin's offense struggled in the two-minute drill Tuesday. The Badgers' A.J. Fenton has a new look, literally and figuratively.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Andrew Maxwell can predict with absolute certainty at least one thing that will happen this season. No matter what he does, he will be compared to Kirk Cousins.

"I've gathered that, yeah," he says, smiling.

It's only natural. Cousins started the past three years at quarterback for Michigan State, leaving his stamp on the program as arguably the top signalcaller in school history. Now Maxwell will take over the huddle for the Spartans and try to keep the success going.

Both have much in common. They're both 6-foot-3. They're both very good students who are eloquent in interviews. They both have strong leadership skills, and count their faith as essential parts of their being.

"They're the same kind of people," Michigan State left tackle Dan France said. "Andrew is just like Kirk back there."

Yet Maxwell is his own person and player. He has learned a lot by serving as Cousins' understudy, but he will not simply provide a carbon copy for the Spartans.

"I can't let the comparisons overwhelm me," he said. "I can't get too caught up in trying to be Kirk's replacement. I just have to focus on being Andrew Maxwell, on being the starting quarterback for Michigan State."

Maxwell sprained his right knee in a scrimmage 10 days ago, and will miss the rest of the spring. The injury is not considered serious, however, and Michigan State has every expectation that Maxwell will start the season opener.

When he does, it will be the culmination of a long waiting process for the fourth-year junior. He was an Elite 11 quarterback in high school who came to Michigan State after Brian Hoyer completed his career. Cousins and Keith Nichol were competing for the starting job that year, so Maxwell knew he might have to sit for a while. A while ended up lasting three years.

"It was something I prepared myself for when I committed," he says. "But I don't know if I actually knew how long three years was."

Many players with his talent would have looked to transfer or sulked about playing time. Maxwell did neither.

"He's an extremely patient young man," head coach Mark Dantonio said. "There's never been a feeling of entitlement or a need to be playing from him. He's never once come in and said, 'I need reps, I need this, I need that.'"

Instead, Maxwell bided his time on the sidelines, trying to soak up as much knowledge as he could.

"Everything I learned from watching Kirk in the games -- the mistakes he made on the field, the good things he did -- I could learn all that from a distance," he said. "Whereas those are things I would have had to learn the hard way if I had played as a younger player, making mistakes on the fly. Instead, I made those mistakes kind of in the dark behind Kirk.

"I'm not saying I'm not going to make mistakes. But I have gained a lot of learning experiences from sitting."

For all their similarities, there are some key differences between Maxwell and Cousins.

Maxwell is a little more athletic than Cousins. He was a high jumper in high school, at one point clearing 6 feet, 7 inches. Which basically means he jumped over William Gholston, though he's not apt to try that in practice. ("I don't know if the Fosbury Flop would work as well against Will," he jokes).

That extra mobility means Michigan State can do a few different things with Maxwell.

"I think he can extend plays," offensive coordinator Dan Roushar said. "I don't know that he's a guy we can run a lot of option football with, but he can get out of the pocket, move around, extend a play and keep his eyes downfield. He can make a throw on the move, but he'll also look to run it."

Cousins was as comfortable delivering keynote addresses as he was screen passes. Maxwell isn't quite as outgoing, so he's had to work on that. As soon as last season ended, he said, he tried to assert himself vocally during winter conditioning. He's been around the team long enough that he was easily accepted.

"You can tell he's been studying his playbook for four years," center Travis Jackson said. "His knowledge of the game is incredible, and the way he comes out and leads the team is really exciting."

The Spartans won't dumb down the offense any with Maxwell at the helm. Dantonio says Maxwell is "fully functional" and can execute everything that Cousins did. The drawbacks for him are a lack of game experience and a young receiving corps that might need some time to find its sea legs.

So the early comparisons to Cousins might not be fair. But while they are inevitable, they are not insurmountable. Maxwell looks ready to make this team his own.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan has garnered a lot of positive attention this offseason thanks to its Sugar Bowl victory and success in attracting highly-ranked recruits to Ann Arbor.

Up the road in East Lansing, however, Michigan State shrugs off talk about the Wolverines regaining their superpower status under Brady Hoke. The Spartans are confident of their own standing and future prospects.

"We're laying in the weeds," Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio says with a half smile. "We've beat Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?"

Truth is, the rest of the Big Ten had better be on high alert for these Spartans in 2012. There's a quiet sense of self-assurance around the team this spring, borne of recent success, coaching cohesion and a deep well of talent.

Dantonio's team has gone 22-5 over the past two seasons, winning a share of the Big Ten title in 2010 and claiming the first Legends Division championship a year ago. The program finally got over the postseason hump in January, beating Georgia in the Outback Bowl for the school's first bowl win since 2001.

It's the best two-year run by the Spartans in nearly half a century, and only six other FBS teams have won more games since the start of the 2010 season. Of course, one elusive goal remains: Michigan State's first trip to Pasadena since 1988. Rose Bowl logos are plastered all over the team's football facility, serving as a constant reminder.

Even with a small senior class and the losses of three-year starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, all-time leading receiver B.J. Cunningham and All-America defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, this year's team believes the Rose is within reach.

"Our goals keep climbing every year, and I think they're very attainable," new starting quarterback Andrew Maxwell said. "I feel like we have all the pieces in place."

That's a tribute to both the building job and the stability Dantonio has carefully constructed.

While other Big Ten staffs have undergone tumultuous turnover the past couple of years, the Spartans coaches have mostly stayed intact. Dantonio, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi and several key assistants are entering their ninth straight season together, dating back to their time at Cincinnati. The benefits of that constancy can really be seen on defense, where Dantonio and Narduzzi have been able to reinforce their philosophy year after year without changing terminology or schemes. The Spartans finished No. 6 nationally in total defense in 2011.

"That helps a lot," junior middle linebacker Max Bullough said. "So much of the game is mental, and having [the same coaches] allows you to just focus on getting better as a football player and not having to learn new things every year or two."

Dantonio said the continuity means that if he turns to, say, a redshirt sophomore, that player has received the same teaching in the same system for three years. And few teams in the Big Ten have redshirted as many players as Michigan State, which put only two of its 2011 signees on the field last season.

That patience, along with very few recruiting mistakes, has led to a situation that every other Big Team would envy: terrific depth, especially in the trenches. The Spartans have eight starters back on defense, plus Anthony Rashad White, who started the bowl game at nose tackle. The talk of the spring has been about young guys making a move behind the starters, like linebacker Darien Harris, defensive end Joel Heath and cornerback Trae Waynes -- all redshirt freshmen.

"When we go against the twos [the second string defense], I feel like those guys would start at a lot of places in the Big Ten," offensive tackle Dan France said. "We definitely have a lot of depth on both sides of the ball."

Defense has been a hallmark under Dantonio, but he may now have the deepest and best offensive line of his tenure. After a season of shuffling and injuries, that unit returns six players who have started, along with some promising newcomers. Ask Dantonio about either line, and he says what every coach would love to say about those positions: "We've got numbers."

Like every team in the spring, Michigan State has its questions, too. Maxwell is well-groomed to take over at quarterback after three years in the system, but he'll have to prove he's as unflappable under adversity as Cousins was. The receiver position is barren tract for experience, though there are plenty of athletes trying to emerge. And while the Spartans feel they can go seven- or eight-deep at defensive tackle, they have yet to discover someone there who can take over a game the way Worthy could when he was switched on.

"I didn't realize what a difference he made until he left," defensive end William Gholston said. "The first couple of practices I was like, 'Man, it's not the same.'"

Still, this is a team that's loaded at the most important positions and with a strong sense of its identity. Michigan's rise may be a fact; the Spartans don't plan on going away any time soon.

"People should be looking forward to Michigan State being one of the top teams every year," safety Isaiah Lewis said.

By all accounts, Andrew Maxwell had been impressive in his first spring as Michigan State's projected starting quarterback.

Unfortunately for Maxwell, his spring could be coming to an early end after he sprained his right knee in Saturday's scrimmage. Spartans coach Mark Dantonio told reporters before today's practice that Maxwell suffered the injury when he fell while backing away from the defense. Teams go to great lengths to protect quarterbacks in practice -- most quarterbacks aren't allowed to be hit -- but noncontact injuries like this one do occur at times.

Maxwell hasn't been ruled out for Michigan State's spring game on April 28, but he will miss some time and be re-evaluated next week. While it's certainly better to have this injury occur in the spring than in the summer or fall, Michigan State's first-team offense needs as much time as it can get with Maxwell. The Spartans are replacing their top three wide receivers (B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol) and their top tight end (Brian Linthicum) from the 2011 team.

The Spartans lack depth at quarterback and have only one other scholarship player, redshirt freshman Connor Cook, on the field this spring. Cook will take most of the first-team reps this week and could play quarterback for both teams in the spring game.

Coach Mark Dantonio put a positive spin on the situation, telling reporters, "The reality is, if it had to happen, you'd rather [Maxwell] do it than Connor. Connor needs the work. He's the true freshman. Andrew's been in the system for three years and he'll be ready to go."

The coaches don't need to see what Maxwell can do in practice, but his absence places added importance on the summer for the offense to come together.