ESPN College Football

Ivan Maisel talks to Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett about the quiet Big Ten Conference featuring a big game this weekend.

There has been a bit of confusion in the past week about the Big Ten's proposal to make full athletic scholarships go further than they currently do.

Since commissioner Jim Delany mentioned the proposal to reporters last Tuesday, you've probably heard a lot about pay-for-play, stipends, salaries and the like. It's not what the plan actually entails.

I checked in with Big Ten associate commissioner for compliance Chad Hawley to get a clearer picture.

Here are some key points:

• This is a scholarship structural issue; it's not about stipends or salaries for athletes. The Big Ten is proposing whether a full scholarship (grant-in-aid) should cover more costs than it already does. Scholarships currently cover tuition and fees, room and board and books. The proposal would have scholarships potentially cover "cost of attendance," a dollar figure set by each institution according to federal regulations for financial aid. The difference between the current scholarship cost and one that covers cost of attendance has been estimated at an average of $2,000-$5,000 per athlete per year.
• If the proposal is adopted at the NCAA level (more on this later), it would affect every athlete on a full scholarship. A women's soccer goalie would have the same scholarship structure as a quarterback. "What we're talking about is not limited to football and men's basketball," Hawley said. The proposal wouldn't impact athletes on partial scholarships.
• This wouldn't be a case of the Big Ten going out on its own to adopt a new policy. An NCAA bylaw would need to be changed, Hawley said, for anything to go into effect. Any NCAA insituation or league then would have the option to change its scholarship structure or keep the status quo. "To think this is something we could do on our own and leave everybody else behind, it's not reality," Hawley said.
• Keep in mind that cost of attendance figures represent maximums. The proposal would allow schools to have the option to reach the cost of attendance. "It wouldn't be a mandate," Hawley said. Schools also could structure their scholarships so more costs are covered but the full cost of attendance isn't reached. This is akin to some schools not using the maximum number of allowed scholarships for a given sport.
• Hawley said the proposal had been brewing for a bit but wasn't brought up in a league-wide forum until the spring meetings last week in Chicago. The discussion hasn't reached a phase in which every school evaluates its ability to restructure scholarships in this way. "The reality is it would cost more money," Hawley said. "There's certainly a presumption that institutions with more resources would be able to do it."

I'm sure we'll be talking much more about this topic, so stay tuned.

Happy Monday.

• Car salesman Aaron Kniffin says his sales to Ohio State players were all legit, WBNS-TV reports.
• Nebraska appears at No. 10 on Athlon Sports' preseason countdown. Three Nebraska defenders appear on the early 2012 draft boards, Brian Christopherson writes in the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Michigan coach Brady Hoke is winning the in-state recruiting battle, Pat Caputo writes in The Daily Tribune.
• Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez advocates making the scholarship go further for athletes, Andy Baggot writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. SEC commissioner Mike Slive seems to agree, Jon Solomon writes in The Birmingham News.
• Retiring Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther has a close bond with Big Ten commish Jim Delany, Loren Tate writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette. A list potential athletic director candidates for Illinois.
• An interesting piece by The Columbus Dispatch's Ken Gordon on how the wait for the Hall of Fame call can be a lot longer for some than others.
• Recruit Patrick Destefano could fulfill his father's dream by playing ball at Penn State, Frank Bodani writes in the York Daily Record. Unlike last spring, JoePa is making the rounds, statecollege.com's Mike Poorman writes.
• Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz talks about finishing games better, John Bohnekamp writes in The Hawk Eye.
• Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray is a guy to rally around, Jim Souhan writes in the Star Tribune. Minnesota's academic situation is better than coach Jerry Kill expected, Sid Hartman writes in the Star Tribune.
• Indiana lands its first commitment for 2012. Former Hoosiers quarterback Dave Schnell dies after battling cancer.
• Purdue comes in at No. 84 on the Orlando Sentinel's countdown of FBS teams.
• Missed this from last week, but Bill Connelly looks at how Northwestern keeps defying the stats and winning.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Joe Paterno talked about the kicking game being a big factor in this game and early on that's proving true.

After a pair of three-and-outs by each offense, Ohio State’s Ray Small took a short 37-yard punt from Penn State’s Jeremy Boone and returned it 41 yards to the Nittany Lions 9.

Two plays later it was Ohio State 7-0 as QB Terrelle Pryor used his legs to scramble and find the end zone for the early Buckeyes lead.

If Jim Tressel turns Pryor loose today and lets him create with his legs it could be Ohio State’s best chance against Penn State’s tough defense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Dig in.

The man alleged to have attacked Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller has been charged with felony battery, The Columbus Dispatch's Ken Gordon writes in his blog. A great piece by The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises about Ohio State's first opponent, Navy.
Defensive tackle Abe Koroma, who we knew wouldn't be back at Penn State, will transfer to FCS Western Illinois, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. Penn State's wideouts are eager to prove themselves, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Tate Forcier generated most of the preseason buzz at Michigan, but keep your eyes on another freshman quarterback, Denard Robinson, Michael Rosenberg writes in the Detroit Free Press. More on the young quarterbacks from The Sporting News' Dave Curtis. Also, a nice wrap-up of Michigan's media day.
Hand signals are pretty common in football, but Minnesota offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch takes things to a new level, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune.
If you want to play quarterback in the NFL, go to Purdue, Cory Giger writes in The Altoona Mirror.
Wisconsin running back Zach Brown came into camp with a chip on his shoulder, and it's showing as he's the projected starter, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Badgers quarterback Curt Phillips has drawn comparisons to Tyler Donovan, which is both good and bad, Mike Lucas writes in The Capital Times.
Illinois star wideout Arrelious Benn earned Bob Asmussen's award for training camp MVP.
Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga wants a Big Ten title before he's through in a Hawkeyes uniform, Ryan Suchomel writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
Injuries are once again cropping up for Indiana's offensive line, Hugh Kellenberger writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times.
The defensive line remains the one area of concern on Michigan State's defense, Shannon Shelton writes in the Detroit Free Press.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg Rather than bogging down the daily lunch links with stories about the weekend scrimmages around the league, I'm giving you the scrimmage recaps first. Not every team scrimmaged, and not every team had media present, but here are a few links to get you caught up.  You can thank me later.  OHIO STATE Terrelle Pryor had a decent performance in Saturday's scrimmage, completing 17 of 27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Other standouts included wideout DeVier Posey and running back Dan "Boom" Herron, though the shuffling at left tackle continued.  Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel is pleased with his run game so far.  WISCONSIN The quarterbacks struggled in Saturday's 100-play scrimmage, but the running backs, led by junior Zach Brown, looked impressive.  MINNESOTA More than 15,000 fans attended Saturday's scrimmage in TCF Bank Stadium, and the Gophers' offense showed some promising signs at both running back and wide receiver. Still, much will depend on the offensive line's ability to adjust to a new system.   Quarterback Adam Weber had a mixed performance, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. INDIANA The Hoosiers' coaches seem closer to announcing their depth chart for the opener, which means we'll soon learn who starts at running back. Redshirt freshman tailback Darius Willis had some nice moments in Saturday's 120-play scrimmage.   NORTHWESTERN Backup quarterback Dan Persa stood out in Northwestern's scrimmage. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The AP preseason poll is out, and there are few major surprises, from the team on top to the three Big Ten squads included in the rundown.

Defending national champ Florida received 58 of 60 first-place votes and leads off the rankings ahead of Texas, which got the other two first-place votes. 

Ohio State comes in at No. 6, while Penn State appears tied with Oklahoma State at No. 9. Iowa rounds out the Big Ten contingent at No. 22. Those rankings seem about right to me. I had Iowa a few spots higher in the ESPN Power Rankings, but the knee injury to running back Jewel Hampton creates a bit more anxiety about the Hawkeyes.

Illinois finished 27th in the voting, two spots ahead of Michigan State. The hype around Illinois continues to grow, largely because of what Ron Zook has coming back on offense. I'm a little more hesitant to buy in after last year's struggles, but Illinois certainly has the talent to perform well this fall. 

Northwestern received five votes in the poll, putting the Wildcats at No. 44. Michigan didn't receive an AP preseason vote for the first time in recent memory. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Linebacker once again figures to be one of the Big Ten's strongest positions, as the league boasts one of the nation's best tandems (Penn State's Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee) and several other standouts. 

Seven Big Ten players appear on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. Ohio State's James Laurinaitis was the last Big Ten player to win the award (2007), and six Big Ten players have won since 1994. 

Here are this year's candidates:

• Iowa's Pat Angerer
• Penn State's Navorro Bowman
• Iowa's A.J. Edds
• Michigan's Obi Ezeh
• Michigan State's Greg Jones (Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year)
• Penn State's Sean Lee
• Illinois' Martez Wilson

I fully expected to see Angerer, Bowman, Jones and Lee make the list. It's nice to see Edds and Ezeh get some recognition as well. Edds quietly had a strong 2008 season, and Ezeh was one of few bright spots for Michigan last fall. Wilson's enormous potential landed him on the preseason watch list for the second straight year. He knows the time has come to produce, and I think he'll come through for the Illini.

If Indiana's Matt Mayberry puts up some big numbers early this fall, he should gain consideration as well.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's been a while since we did one of these. Let's get started. 

Brett from Scranton, Pa., writes: Adam,It is well documented how big of a game the September 12th matchup is between OSU-USC for the Big Ten. My first question is, which is the second most important match-up for our conference and why? Purdue-Oregon (you never know after last year's squeaker), Minnesota-Cal (the new stadium will be a great atmosphere), Iowa-Arizona (Has little Stoops made strides?). And which big OOC game has the potential to do the most harm? If any more can be done to our reputation that is. Thanks, and Fight On State.

Adam Rittenberg: Excellent questions, Brett. As for the second most important non-league matchup, I'm going with Minnesota-Cal. Obviously, if Purdue pulled off the upset in Eugene, it would be huge for the Big Ten, but it looks like a long shot at this point. Iowa really should handle Arizona if the Hawkeyes are as good as they're supposed to be. Minnesota gets a top 15 team in its new stadium with a chance to make a national statement. A Gophers victory coupled with one from Ohio State would be huge for the Big Ten and prove that when these games with the Pac-10 are played on Big Ten soil, things turn out differently. An Illinois win against Missouri also would help the league. 

As far as the game that can do the most damage, any of the three games against Syracuse could hurt. Syracuse has been an awful program the last few years, and the Big Ten should be able to handle the Orange. But two of those games are in the Carrier Dome and Syracuse has the Greg Paulus factor now, so you don't want to take anything for granted. Losses by Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern would hurt. Other potential stingers include Wisconsin-Fresno State, Iowa-Iowa State and Michigan-Western Michigan. I don't think the Notre Dame games hurt or help the Big Ten. 

---

Josh from Minneapolis writes: Adam, everybody at the U of M is pumped for the TCF Bank Stadium and our football team. However, we have a difficult opening stretch of games (Cal, Syracuse, Air Force). Do you see the Gophers getting through this stretch unscathed?

Adam Rittenberg: I don't see Minnesota starting 3-0, but 2-1 is certainly possible. The Gophers need to take care of business in the Carrier Dome and not get caught up in all the hoopla over Doug Marrone's first game and Paulus playing quarterback for the Orange. Minnesota then must manage its own emotions again for the opener of the new stadium against Air Force, a team that always tests your discipline. Cal will be a major test no matter what, but Minnesota should be pleased with a 2-1 start. 

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Ron: What cologne are you gonna go with? London Gentlemen or ... wait ... no no no, hold on -- Black Beard's Delight.
Brian: No. She gets a special cologne. It's called Sex Panther, by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries. Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Ron: It's quite pungent.
Brian: Oh yeah.
Ron: It's a formidable scent ... stings the nostrils ... in a good way.  

Just like these links. 

• Drew Astorino might lack the measurables some colleges seek, but his knack for clutch plays hooked Penn State on the promising safety, Bernard Fernandez writes in the Philadelphia Daily News. Illinois could be the trap game for Penn State this fall, and Illini star wide receiver Arrelious Benn tops the list of players Penn State should worry about. 
• Michigan State quarterback Keith Nichol has impressed his teammates, while injuries nag the Spartans' offensive line, Shannon Shelton writes in the Detroit Free Press.
  
• With athletes like MarQueis Gray and Troy Stoudermire on the roster, it's no surprise Minnesota will use the Wildcat offense this fall, Marcus Fuller writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press. 
• The big play should be a bigger part of Michigan's offense this fall, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News. Don't count out Nick Sheridan, who was first in the quarterback rotation at Thursday's practice, annarbor.com's Dave Birkett writes.
  
• With Jewel Hampton nursing a knee injury, redshirt freshman running back Jeff Brinson could take center stage for Iowa, Andy Hamilton writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 
• Northwestern's "Brew" is refreshing, but not for the reasons you think, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.
  
• Jake Stoneburner isn't your typical Ohio State tight end, Doug Lemerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Blowing off the Big Ten before the season starts is a big mistake, CBSsports.com's Dennis Dodd writes.
  
• Wisconsin expects all of its starting offensive linemen to return from injuries, but time is running out and young players must get prepared, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Can the Big Ten have a repeat winner for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center?

Five players hope to make it happen. 

Penn State's A.Q. Shipley took home the hardware last fall. Here are the five Big Ten centers named to the Rimington Trophy preseason watch list:

• Ohio State sophomore Mike Brewster
• Northwestern sophomore Ben Burkett
• Wisconsin junior John Moffitt
• Michigan sophomore David Molk
• Michigan State senior Joel Nitchman

A very solid group overall, and what really stands out to me is the fact that the center spot in the Big Ten appears to be a strength for years to come. Only five sophomores made the watch list, and three are from the Big Ten.

Many will notice that Shipley's successor at Penn State, junior Stefen Wisniewski, does not appear on the watch list.  Wisniewski, a second-team All-Big Ten guard last season, moved to center during the offseason. According to Penn State, the Rimington folks were hesitant to include Wisniewski because he hasn't played center during his first two seasons, a decision Penn State respected. Wisniewski will be able to earn consideration for the award with a strong performance this season.

Brewster obviously has tremendous upside and should contend for the award each of the next three years. Burkett and Molk both will be part of much-improved offensive lines this fall, and Moffitt and Nitchman will be looked to as leaders for their respective teams.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The college football season is rapidly approaching, but many of you draftniks out there are starting a longer countdown -- to a weekend in late April when the NFL draft rules. 

Mel Kiper is always thinking about the NFL draft and released the first installment of his Big Board (Insider access), projecting the top 25 picks in the 2010 draft. Only two Big Ten players made the board, and just barely.

They are:

10. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois: Silky smooth, with excellent run-after-catch ability.

25. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan: Awesome athlete and force off the edge.

Benn obviously has another season of eligibilty left after this one, but if he performs as expected this fall, it would be hard to see him sticking around Champaign. 

I'd be very surprised if only two Big Ten players went in the top 25 picks. Iowa left tackle Bryan Bulaga definitely has first-round potential if he delivers another strong season and comes out early.

Linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee of Penn State and Greg Jones of Michigan State also could boost their stock. I could also see Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton and Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick getting first-round consideration. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Study up. These will be on the test. 

• The attorney for the man alleged to have attacked Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller says his client acted in self defense, The Columbus Dispatch reports. 
• Surprise, surprise. J.B. Shugarts is getting a shot at left tackle for Ohio State, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Buckeyes players have stiff-armed technology for some team bonding during camp.
• Illinois cornerback Miami Thomas might have suffered a torn ACL that will sideline him for the season, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette.
  
• ESPN analysts weigh in on Michigan's chances this fall, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News.
  
• Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster expects to have much more depth this year than either of his first two teams, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune. The Minnesota Twins praised Gophers wideout Eric Decker for being honest about his athletic intentions, Charley Walters writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press. 
• Iowa fans are geared up for the Stanzi show this fall, Andy Hamilton writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
  
• Yet another Wisconsin offensive lineman sat out practice Wednesday, Jim Polzin writes in The Capital Times. Badgers players are polled on several topics, including their favorite road stadiums.
  
• This townie is ready to get in his kicks for Penn State in 2009, Gordon Brunskill writes in the Centre Daily Times.
• Purdue's new coordinators like what they see so far in camp, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Another round of Big Ten position rankings are in the books.

While I enjoy doing these and many of you read them and offer your opinions, let me remind everyone that preseason predictions are educated guesses, nothing more. Just take a look at some of my misguided musings from the preseason last year.

• Iowa ranked dead last in running backs and Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene didn't appear in the top 10 individuals.  
• Penn State's Jared Odrick didn't make the top 10 defensive tackles heading into the season. 
• Ohio State's offensive line topped my list last year but turned into a major disappointment for the Buckeyes. 

So don't take things too seriously.

That said, I'm much more informed about the league and its personnel right now than I was a year ago. There should be fewer swings and misses with these rankings.

Here's how things ended up and the top three teams for each category. 

Defensive line -- Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa
Linebackers -- Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State
Secondary -- Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State
Running backs -- Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan
Quarterbacks -- Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State
Offensive line -- Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin
Wide receivers/tight ends -- Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State
Special teams -- Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Thought the position rankings were over? Think again.

We don't forget the specialists on the Big Ten blog, so after a lengthy lull -- blame training camp -- it's time to examine the kicking game around the league. The rankings are based on kickers and punters, return men and coverage units.

Let's begin.

1. Michigan State -- The Spartans return two second-team All-Big Ten picks in kicker Brett Swenson and punter Aaron Bates, who averaged 42 yards on 71 punts. The return game looks a little suspect but a healthy Mark Dell should help.

2. Michigan -- It helps to have the best punter in the league in senior Zoltan Mesko, a leading candidate for the Ray Guy Award. Michigan should be more dynamic on returns with Martavious Odoms and others. The big question here is at kicker.

3. Penn State -- Punter Jeremy Boone didn't get many chances last fall but executed well when called upon. There are questions at kicker after the loss of first-team All-Big Ten performer Kevin Kelly, and Derrick Williams will be missed on returns. Penn State is always good on coverage teams.

4. Ohio State -- A few more question marks here than normal, but Ohio State's special teams track record under Jim Tressel can't be denied. Aaron Pettrey should be fine at kicker and has a strong leg. Ohio State brings back the league's top punt return man in Ray Small. The Buckeyes need to upgrade their kick return unit after finishing 108th nationally in 2008.

5. Iowa -- Punter Ryan Donahue is a stud and likely will set school records by the time he's done. Daniel Murray showed he could make a clutch kick against Penn State, though he remains in competition with Trent Mossbrucker. Andy Brodell is a big loss at punt returner, and Jewel Hampton might not be available to return kicks.

6. Wisconsin -- I really like Wisconsin's young specialists, kicker Phillip Welch and punter Brad Nortman. But you can't rank last nationally in kickoff returns and expect to be high on this list. Wisconsin needs to jump start its returns with David Gilreath.

7. Indiana -- Chris Hagerup is a terrific young punter after nailing 13 punts for more than 50 yards last fall. Demetrius McCray looks solid on kickoff returns. Indiana must replace former All-Big Ten kicker Austin Starr, but Starr really struggled last fall (10-for-17). Heralded freshman kicker Mitch Ewald joins the mix.

8. Purdue -- Carson Wiggs did a nice job at kicker after taking over for Chris Summers, who will handle the punting duties this fall. Purdue needs to improve its punting after finishing last in the league in 2008, but the return game looks solid with Aaron Valentin and Royce Adams.

9. Minnesota -- The Gophers are starting over after losing both of their top specialists. They'll be relying on junior Eric Ellestad and freshman Dan Orseske to step up. It helps to have the league's most dynamic return man in Troy Stoudermire.

10. Northwestern -- All too often, the kicking game has cost Northwestern, most notably in the Alamo Bowl against Missouri. Stefan Demos is finally healthy and could handle both the kicking and punting duties this fall. The Wildcats could use a boost in the return game from Stephen Simmons or Andrew Brewer.

11. Illinois -- I really like sophomore kicker Matt Eller, who beat Iowa with a field goal last November. But it's no secret the Illini need significant upgrades on their punt teams after finishing 10th in punting and last in returns. Florida transfer Jarred Fayson should boost the return game. The Illini must improve their kickoff and punt coverage.