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After Minnesota ran a multitude of plays but very few of them well last season, new offensive coordinator Jeff Horton came in with a simple plan.

Step 1: Identify a feasible package of plays for the Gophers execute well.

Step 2: Stick to it!

In preseason camp, he's seeing the desired results.

"We’re really close to that point right now," Horton told me after Friday's practice. "They’re even calling the plays along with me. They’re anticipating what’s going to happen because they’ve seen a variety of looks from the defense to what we’re doing.

"There’s still a lot we’ve got to clean up, but the effort is there and guys are working really hard to be good."

Minnesota didn't dramatically change its offense after Jedd Fisch returned to the NFL, but Horton spent most of the spring installing his plan. He needed the players to continue the process on their own in the summer to make sure they had it down for the season.

So far, Horton has seen "great carryover" in practice, thanks in large part to senior quarterback Adam Weber, a three-year starter who had to reclaim the top job this spring after beating out MarQueis Gray.

"He always approached it like he was going to be the starter, and he did a great job leading the workouts this summer, getting guys ready for camp," Horton said of Weber. "He gets a bad rap. I’m his fourth offensive coordinator in four years. I don’t know many people who can work for four bosses in four years. He’s doing a great job."

The easiest way for Minnesota's offense to keep it simple in 2010 is to effectively run the ball, something haven't done well in a while. One of the nation's premier rushing offenses just five years ago, Minnesota has finished 111th and 104th nationally in the past two seasons, ranking last in the Big Ten both times.

Horton expects to use multiple backs this season -- Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge can be considered co-starters, while Horton said freshman Donnell Kirkwood is performing well -- and he's thrilled to have fullback Jon Hoese back in the fold. But it won't matter who carries the ball if Minnesota's line doesn't markedly improve.

The experience is there, but Horton, head coach Tim Brewster and others have challenged the line to be tougher and more physical.

"They’ve played a lot of football for us, all five of them," said Horton, who singled out center D.J. Burris for his leadership. "I told them when we started camp, ‘It’s on you guys. You have to take charge.'"

Minnesota also has to survive without record-setting receiver Eric Decker, whose foot injury last fall coincided with the offense's nosedive. Horton joked that he almost expected Decker to be on the field for camp -- "That’s one of the reasons I took the job as offensive coordinator," he said -- but acknowledged the major production void left by No. 7.

Horton doesn't expect a receiver to catch 70-80 passes like Decker used to, but he likes the variety he has with players like Da'Jon McKnight, Troy Stoudermire and Bryant Allen.

“From what we put in in the spring, those guys worked on it in the summer, and you can see a big improvement running those plays in the fall," Horton said. "They’re not thinking as much. And if you’re thinking, you can’t play fast. They know what they’re doing, and that brings confidence."

D.J. Burris doesn't need to be reminded of the way it used to be at Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers weren't just a good rushing offense, but a record-setting one. Minnesota didn't just produce good offensive linemen, but great ones like All-Americans Greg Eslinger and Ben Hamilton.

The team's history isn't lost on Burris and his linemates this spring.

"We're definitely aware of the tradition here about running the football," said Burris, Minnesota's starting center. "That's why we're taking it upon ourselves to get it back."

Pride is the word Burris and even non-linemen like quarterback Adam Weber use to describe what's happening up front this spring in Minneapolis. The team's running game hasn't merely slipped off its perch, but plummeted to the bottom of the Big Ten.

The last two seasons have seemed extremely un-Gopher-like:

• 2008: Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten and 104th nationally in rushing offense (103.8 ypg)
• 2009: Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten and 111th nationally in rushing offense (99.5 ypg)

Part of the problem has been a lack of continuity. Minnesota ran the spread offense under Mike Dunbar in 2007-08, and then switched to a pro-style system, designed to emphasize the power run, under Jedd Fisch last season.

The Gophers are adjusting to another new coordinator this spring, as Jeff Horton takes over the offense. But Horton's top goal, one the players clearly appreciate, is simplifying a convoluted system and identifying the hallmarks for the unit to succeed.

"We know where we're going as an offense," said Burris, who started at guard as a freshman before moving to center the last two seasons. "Our playbook's a lot thinner, and we know exactly what we're doing on every play now, so it's nice. Every season, it's been something new, something new, and then this year we simplified it with what we've already been doing.

"That makes us a lot more comfortable."

Head coach Tim Brewster didn't hide the fact he wanted more toughness from the line this spring, and he has seen the group respond. All five starters are back and continuing to work in the top spots, but they're being pushed by players like Ed Olson and Brooks Michel. Returning starters like Matt Carufel and Jeff Wills are healthier, and massive tackle Jeff Wills has slimmed down a bit.

During an April 10 scrimmage, the line started slow but got stronger as things went along, creating holes for backs DeLeon Eskridge and Duane Bennett.

Weber, who has a vested interested in the line's performance, has seen a difference this spring.

"They’re playing with confidence and they’re playing with pride," he said. "You can definitely tell, when it’s third-and-1, when it’s fourth-and-1, they can sense that they need to pick up their game a little bit, and we've been winning a lot of those battles."

After being pushed around too much the last two seasons, Burris and his crew expect to turn the tables this fall.

"As an offensive line, that's where your pride comes from, when you can walk into a game and you can run the ball up and down the field," he said. "That's when you feel good about yourself."

Just a quick note about e-mails before I get started. Feel free to write as long as you'd like, but if you want to see something posted in the mailblog, try to keep it as brief and to the point as possible. It also helps me read through things a little faster if you write shorter.

OK, now let's get started.

Sam from Minneapolis writes: Hey Adam-Would love to hear about anything Gopher related that doesn't have to do with the QB competition or Brewster's hot seat. Any other positions or matchups that you can break down for us?Thanks

Adam Rittenberg: Sam, I'll get into this more next week, but Minnesota's offensive line seems to be turning a corner this spring, which is a very good sign. From talking with center D.J. Burris, the linemen know their play the last few years hasn't been up to par, and they've really rededicated themselves to becoming better run blockers and playing as a unit. Quarterback Adam Weber told me he sees a clear difference with the line this spring, and Burris pointed to a more simplified offense under coordinator Jeff Horton as being beneficial. I was also struck by this quote from tackle Jeff Wills to the Star Tribune about former coordinator Jedd Fisch: "Last year [Fisch] preached running the ball. But we knew, deep down, he wasn't into running the ball. I think this coach [Horton], with his history, we know he's down to run the ball. He wants a physical team." Pretty candid stuff there from Wills.

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Vince from San Diego writes: How about Iowa-PSU to end the season? The PSU-MSU game has not been competitive or even watchable the last two years. PSU won 6 of 8; of those six wins, four wins were by 54, 24, 31 and 28. It makes for an anticlimactic ending to the Big Ten regular season. Iowa has had their way with Minnesota and its not like their is any tangible rivalry there. The Big Ten could end with OSU-UM and PSU-Iowa for a really good last weekend of football to tide us over until the bowl season.

Adam Rittenberg: Interesting thought, Vince. Since I'm not as emotionally tied to the rivalries as Big Ten fans, I'll throw this out there for you folks to debate. Send me your responses for Tuesday's mailblog. I doubt Penn State and Michigan State would mind moving their game. I'd imagine there would be a little more resistance for Iowa and Minnesota fans, since their rivalry has much more history and goes back generations. The Iowa-Minnesota rivalry is real, but the recent games haven't been memorable. Since I've started this blog, the Iowa-Penn State rivalry has certainly grown and will continue to do so for future years. It would be a fun end-of-season game.

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Jordan from Iowa City, Iowa, writes: I wanted to know your take on the eye black/taunting rules approved by the NCAA. I for one think taunting is tacky...looking at you SEC and Pac 10 (2-5 bowl record complaining about the weather and the officials, could you tell Ted Miller to suck it up)... and I must say I'm pretty impressed with the class the Big Ten players and coaches display by winning the right way. As for the eye black...not such a big deal for me, but it seems a little too much to make it a rule.

Adam Rittenberg: I don't like the taunting rules, unless it's a real blatant case. You need emotion to play college football, and 19-year-olds shouldn't have to tone it down so some geezers can feel better about watching games. Again, if it's blatant and disrespectful, throw a flag. But I hated seeing what happened to Jake Locker a few years ago against BYU. Terrible call there. As for the eye black, I don't have a strong opinion either way. These players know they get a ton of exposure, and they'll find ways to get their messages out there.

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Greg from East Lansing, Mich., writes: I?ve always read your blog with a skeptical eye. You being a California native who didn?t start out covering the Big Ten, I always kind of assumed one of the Big Ten biased media had Trojan horsed his way into a Big Ten blog. But after you got a little feisty with that Oregon fan in your mail-blog, my respect for you grew. I know you?ll say that your comments on Big Ten defenses, and the bowl results, came from an objective, journalistic place?but I can?t help but feel that maybe you?re time blogging these past few years has Big Tenned you a little?

Adam Rittenberg: Wow, Greg, I'm surprised you remembered that much about my past. I try to keep my coverage as unbiased as possible, but I'm definitely a Big Ten guy now. Grew up rooting for Cal, but I've been in Big Ten country for almost 11 years now. Attended a Big Ten school and seen multiple Big Ten games on every campus. I love covering this league. I'll always defend the Big Ten when I think it's necessary, but when the league deserves some heat, I'll provide it without hesitation.

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Michael from St. Louis writes: If the B10 adds another member, gets its championship game, but loses a BCS berth in the process the teams will end up splitting the same-sized pie more ways. Could expanding by 3 or more teams be a way to get the championship revenue AND keep the seemingly annual at-large BCS berth? Out of 14 teams the odds seem better that 2 will be in the top 10.

Adam Rittenberg: Good comment here, Michael. It would depend on which three teams you add. If you're adding three teams without much history of reaching BCS bowls, either with automatic berths or at-large berths, you're probably not helping. If one of those additions is Notre Dame, however, you greatly enhance your chances of an at-large berth because BCS bowls will take the Irish without hesitation as long as they're eligible (big question mark). So it has to be the right three teams. Do Rutgers, Connecticut and Pitt really enhance your chances? I'd feel better about Nebraska and Notre Dame.

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Dustin from Clive, Iowa, writes: What's up with [Adrian] Clayborn not being on the Lott trophy watch list? Is it because of the misdemeanor he received for the incident with the cab driver? That would be the only thing I can think of, otherwise that is just a huge oversight by whoever chooses the watch list candidates.

Adam Rittenberg: You know, Dustin, I was thinking about this very thing while driving to Iowa City today. I don't know the ins and outs of the Lott Trophy selection, but I might give them a call to ask about Clayborn. The cab driver incident certainly could have played a role, but Clayborn has been portrayed as a model citizen and teammate by Iowa coaches and players. He's one of the Hawkeyes' team leaders, and he seems like a great guy in my interactions with him. That was a bit surprising to see him off the list.

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Edward from Chicago writes: Adam, saw you on campus at North Park today (unless it was your twin). I made a friendly wager with a close friend that my Illini will end the season with more wins than Michigan. Should I be worried?

Adam Rittenberg: Ha, that was me! My wife works at North Park, and we were out enjoying what likely will be the last 80-degree day in Chicago until July. As for your bet, it could be tough. While Michigan has a ton of issues and scrutiny right now, the Wolverines boast more talent than Illinois and should be potent on offense. Illinois really needs to surprise people on both sides of the ball, especially after all the changes. Maybe your bet will come down to the No. 6 game between the Illini and Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. That would be fun.

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Kelly from Manassas writes: One of these days you will come to grips with the fact that I know more about what is going in at Michigan than you do. 10 wins is what he needs to keep his job, and those are not my words but rather a former player and booster who I will not name.

Adam Rittenberg: Kelly, I came to grips with that a long time ago. I'd be highly surprised if Michigan fires Rich Rodriguez after a 10-2 season, and somewhat surprised if he goes after a nine-win season. Eight wins is sort of the hazy area in my mind. Would they keep him at 8-4? Depends on the NCAA stuff and who the wins came against. Anything less than eight wins, and it'd be tough to see this staff back in 2011.

Minnesota had the Big Ten's most experienced roster in 2009, and there are quite a few holes to be filled this spring. The Gophers must replace nine starters on defense as well as All-Big Ten wide receiver Eric Decker, a team record-holder.

The spring features a competition at quarterback between Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray and plenty of opportunities for young, highly recruited players to step up.

Here's a look at Minnesota's strong point and weak point heading into spring ball, which kicks off March 23.

Strongest position: Safety

• Key returnees: Senior Kyle Theret (73 tackles, 3 INTs, 7 passes defended); senior Kim Royston (86 passes, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 7 passes defended); senior Ryan Collado (34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass defended).
• Key departures: None
• The skinny: Minnesota boasts the Big Ten's top safety tandem in Theret and Royston. The two finished the 2009 season on a high note in the Insight Bowl. Theret had two interceptions and a 40-yard reception on a fake punt, while Royston recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including a forced fumble. Collado provides depth behind them. Although the Gophers lose both starting cornerbacks (Traye Simmons and Marcus Sherels), the veteran leadership at safety combined with some exciting young players should fill in the gaps.

Weakest position: Offensive line

• Key returnees: Tackles Dom Alford, Jeff Wills and Ryan Wynn; guards Matt Carufel, Chris Bunders and Trey Davis; and center D.J. Burris.
• Key departures: Tackle Matt Stommes, center Jeff Tow-Arnett
• The skinny: It would be easy to spotlight linebacker or defensive tackle, positions where the Gophers lose multiple starters from 2009. But until the offensive line starts stepping up, this team is going to struggle. Minnesota has ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing yards in each of the past two seasons, which is simply unacceptable for a program steeped in running tradition. The Gophers have experience, but whether these linemen are good enough or tough enough to execute a new scheme remains to be seen.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It was a heavy news day around the Big Ten, so my regularly scheduled mailbag will be pushed back to Wednesday. From here on out I'll have mailbags on Tuesdays and Fridays, so make sure to send in your questions.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced this afternoon that junior Jake Christensen will start at quarterback Saturday against Maine. Sophomore Ricky Stanzi, who has come on strong toward the end of preseason camp, also will see action. Christensen threw for 2,269 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions as the starter last season, completing only 53.5 percent of his passes.

"He came in as a starter, and I think he's practiced well," Ferentz said of Christensen. "It's not a matter of his performance. He's elevated his performance from the spring. I thought he was better in the spring than he was in the fall [of 2007], and I think he's continued to improve, which is what we're hoping for."

Here are some notes and links I didn't get to earlier:

• Ferentz announced that reserve running back Nate Guillory will transfer. Guillory had been competing for the starting job this month but fell behind opening-day starter Shonn Greene and emerging sophomore Paki O'Meara. Freshmen Jeff Brinson and Jewel Hampton are also in the fold, so Ferentz isn't concerned about depth despite the losses of Albert Young and Damian Sims. "The jury is still out because we haven't played a snap that counts," he said, "but based on what we've seen, we're pretty optimistic."
• Ferentz also announced that tight end Tony Moeaki and Michael Sabers, wideout Trey Stross and offensive lineman Dan Doering will miss the opener with injuries. Doering, a possible starter at left guard, has a hand injury but should be back by next week. Moeaki will miss 1-2 weeks with a foot injury. Sophomore linebacker Jeff Tarpinian has a hamstring injury but could play.
• Wideout Brian Gamble and offensive lineman Mark Jackson are no longer with Illinois' team, coach Ron Zook announced today. Gamble had been expected to contribute at receiver this fall.
  
• Minnesota's Week 1 depth chart is out, and not surprisingly, there are some notable changes. Junior college transfers Tramaine Brock and Traye Simmons are listed as starters at safety and cornerback, and former wideout Marcus Sherels has won the other starting cornerback spot. Sherels also will serve as the team's primary return man on kickoffs and punts.
  
• Sophomore Ralph Spry and emerging junior Ben Kuznia have joined star Eric Decker as the Gophers' starting wideouts. Freshmen Brandon Green and Brodrick Smith are listed as backups. Minnesota's starting spots at left guard and right tackle remain undecided. Sophomore D.J. Burris is competing with Ryan Orton at left guard, and redshirt freshmen Ryan Wynn or Jason Meinke will start at right tackle.
  
• Penn State safety Nick Sukay will miss the season with a broken bone in his foot, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Starting cornerback Tony Davis expects Lydell Sargeant to win the other top CB job, Jeff McLane writes.
  
• Ohio State running back Brandon Saine is healthier but must leapfrog several players on the depth chart, The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes in his blog. Also check out the list of Buckeyes true freshmen likely to play this fall (besides Terrelle Pryor, of course).
• Maybe RichRod is fooling all of us, but he seems fine with playing two quarterbacks in the season opener, the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder writes in his blog.
  
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio praises the play of defensive end Dwayne Holmes, who could start the opener.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Game week is almost here, and coaches around the league have some big decisions to make. Your only decision is to keep reading.

• Rejus Benn could use a shave, particularly if he ends up on stage accepting an award or two in December. But the Illinois sophomore wideout isn't concerned about his preseason hype, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign, Ill.) News-Gazette. Sirod Williams' season-ending knee injury put Illini defensive tackle Josh Brent in the mix to start, Mark Tupper writes.
  
• No one at Indiana has said much about the reasons behind quarterback Kellen Lewis' spring suspension. But Lewis finally opened up Monday, saying he had thrown himself into "a party lifestyle," skipping classes and team meetings, Terry Hutchens writes in The Indianapolis Star. Very candid stuff from the junior:
  

"There were times when they called me and couldn't get a hold of me for three days. I had gone out and partied and then missed two classes and didn't wake up until 12:30. ... When you start believing in your own hype a little bit, you start thinking you can slide in a little bit later than everybody else. And now that you don't have to follow the same rules, you can bend this rule or that one. 'The essay is due on Thursday, but I can just e-mail it to [the instructor] later that night,' that kind of thing. And then it all just kind of caught up with me and my grades slipped to a point they had never slipped to before."

Also, some notes from Hoosiers practice, as wideouts Andrew Means and Brandon Walker-Roby returned to the field.

• Iowa's linebacking corps has a youthful look after the losses of the Mikes (Humpal and Klinkenborg). Jacody Coleman leads the next generation of Hawkeyes linebackers, Ryan Suchomel writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' name isn't the only interesting thing about the sophomore wideout, Marc Morehouse writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette.
  
• More details are emerging about Michigan running back Kevin Grady's drunken driving arrest. According to police, the Wolverines junior was passed out at the wheel, The Grand Rapids Press reports. Michigan doesn't have many definitive answers on its depth chart, but coach Rich Rodriguez isn't lacking for options, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News. The healing process continues for Wolverines offensive lineman Elliott Mealer, who lost his father and girlfriend in a car accident last Christmas.
• Brandon Long was overshadowed by Michigan State teammate Jonal Saint-Dic last season. The defensive end knows his time is now, Chris Solari writes in the Lansing State Journal. Long and the other Spartans defensive linemen face an immediate test in Cal's Jahvid Best, Eric Lacy writes in The Detroit News.
  
• Minnesota's offensive line is young and banged-up, but guards Chris Bunders and D.J. Burris are back in the mix after injuries, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune.
  
• Northwestern broke camp in Kenosha, Wis., after a solid 10 days.
• Ohio State opened its doors to the public Monday night, and freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor didn't disappoint, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch. More on Pryor's throwing motion and wideout Dane Sanzenbacher, the star of Ohio State's camp, from The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises. Also, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel weighs in on the debate about closing practices and scrimmages to the media and the public.
  
• Josh Hull has gone from walk-on to projected starter at Linebacker U., Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 50-yard Lion blog begins ranking Penn State's opponents, from easiest to hardest.
  
• The prognosis doesn't look good for Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor, who has his right knee evaluated today, Tom Kubat writes in The (Lafayette, Ind.) Journal and Courier. Boilers fifth-year senior safety Frank Duong has been rewarded with a scholarship, WNDU-TV reports.
  
• Wisconsin will name its starting quarterback Wednesday, with Allan Evridge the likely choice, Jim Polzin writes in The Capital Times. The team also could open the season without star linebacker Jonathan Casillas (ankle). Badgers cornerback Niles Brinkley, a possible starter, is inspired by the memory of his sister, who died earlier this month.