ESPN College Football

Most coaching transitions bring roster attrition, and Indiana has endured a mini-player exodus.

Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson confirmed the departures of three players and the indefinite suspension of another. Running backs Nick Turner and Antonio Banks and defensive tackle Marlandez Harris all recently have left the program.

Banks was one of just two true freshmen to play last season, appearing in 10 games before suffering a torn ACL. Both he and Turner had been viewed as potential answers to Indiana's chronic problems in the run game. Harris redshirted the 2010 season.

Wilson also said cornerback Peter St. Fort is indefinitely suspended following his arrest early Sunday on charges of drunken driving and marijuana possession.

The typically candid Wilson didn't hold back in describing why Turner, who had been moved to defensive back but returned to offense and had a carry last week against Penn State, left the team.

"He came in and said he didn’t want to play," Wilson said. "Thought it was a good choice because he hadn’t been practicing hard. … He came in to practice Monday, dressed and then took his clothes off and went home. Came in Tuesday and said he didn't want to play. Said he'd been thinking about it for a month or two. I said, 'Well, the way you were practicing, that's why you weren't starting at running back. That's why we put you on defense. You hadn’t made any clicks there. That’s why we put you on special teams took you off special teams.' Because he’s been going through the motions, because he's not physical. He's a nice kid. He's got good talent. He's a smart young man. I just don’t know if he wants to play. I kinda thought it was a good choice. Wished him well, had no issues."

Alrighty then.

None of the departures should sting too much, although Indiana is now down three running backs (Turner, Banks, Darius Willis) and hasn't established much of a rushing attack.

The Darius Willis story has officially gone from sad to bizarre.

Willis, if you recall, is an Indiana running back sidelined by knee problems since early last season. Coach Kevin Wilson said last week that Willis' football career might be over, a position the coach reiterated Tuesday.

Here's where it gets weird.

During Indiana's loss to North Texas last Saturday night, Willis was participating in a pro wrestling event in Bloomington. The Indiana Daily Student reports Willis was summoned to the ring, where he helped pro wrestler PJB "take down his opponent with a flying shoulder tackle." According to PJB, Willis wasn't paid for participating.

Oh yeah, there's video.

Well, at least we know Willis' shoulder is OK.

"I've just always wanted to be around it, wanted to come watch it," Willis said Saturday after the match. "It was just something I wanted. I always watched wrestling and just wanted to go out and give it a try and see how it is."

Here's the problem for Willis: Wilson didn't know the running back planned to enter the wrestling ring.

Wilson told reporters Wednesday that Willis remains on scholarship with the team and that they're applying for Willis to be declared a medical hardship, which would end his career.

As for whether an amateur college athlete entering a professional wrestling event is against NCAA eligibility requirements, Wilson slightly shrugged his shoulders. He stepped away from the circle of media crowded around him, as he said, "I don't know."

The Daily Student reports Willis plans to wrestle again in November.

Maybe he'll go by Darius the Destroyer.

I have no more words.

I think I need to see that Steve Bartman play one more time ...

• Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez has grown comfortable playing on the road. Jared Crick is motivated to perform after sitting out last week.
• Sports Illustrated profiles the Wisconsin offensive line. This could be merely Round 1 of Huskers-Badgers. Wisconsin's biggest threat is the Nebraska running game. Madison is bracing for the Sea of Red.
• Michigan State still seeks an elusive win over Ohio State. Kirk Cousins hopes to find his rhythm earlier in games.
• The rugged October schedule will make or break Ohio State. Jordan Hall went from being suspended to being named a team captain in just a couple of weeks.
• Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison still sees a lot of areas that need fixing. One area where the Wolverines are perfect: the red zone.
• Minnesota is doing its best to keep things normal in an otherwise difficult situation. MarQueis Gray and Denard Robinson share some similar traits.
• Fans seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach toward Illinois. Vic Koenning is preparing for both Dan Persa and Kain Colter.
• Colter won't stay on Northwestern's bench, regardless of Persa's role this week.
• Forget the quarterbacks. Penn State needs to get its running game going. ACL injuries run in Michael Mauti's family.
• Indiana running back Darius Willis' career is pretty much over because of injuries.
• Purdue's defensive focus this week will be on stopping Notre Dame star receiver Michael Floyd.
• Iowa is looking for a quarterback on the recruiting trail. It's better late than never for Hawkeyes safety Jordan Bernstine.

Running back Darius Willis came to Indiana with tremendous promise and showed snippets of his tremendous talent in 2009.

But Willis never has been able to stay on the field. Hamstring and ankle issues limited him during his first three years at IU, and after appearing in the first four games last fall, Willis suffered a patellar tendon injury and underwent season-ending surgery.

Willis has yet to play this fall, and the knee problems have put his career in jeopardy.

Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson told reporters Wednesday that Willis reaggravated his knee injury, which could be career ending. The Indiana Daily Student reported Wednesday that Willis is out for the season, and while Wilson didn't confirm the report, things don't look good.

"It could be the end of his career," Wilson said. "It’s a recurring deal. He's far enough along. That's just for the doctors and his family to decide."

It's a tough situation for a player who has had no luck on the injury front. Willis looked like Indiana's featured back of the future in 2009, when he rushed for 607 yards.

Wilson said Willis could apply for a medical hardship waiver, which would keep him on scholarship even though he won't play.

Is it Saturday yet?

• Penn State will need to be nearly perfect against Alabama to have a chance. Joe Paterno says there's a good chance he'll be back on the sidelines Saturday. There's still no clarity in the Nittany Lions quarterback situation.
• Michigan and Michigan State still have much to prove, Lynn Henning says. Greg Mattison has worked on both sides of the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry. Troy Woolfolk practiced on his sprained ankle and expects to play Saturday.
• The left tackle job remains up for grabs at Michigan State.
• Nebraska wants more out of center Mike Caputo, one of the lone veterans on the offensive line. Linebacker Will Compton returned to practice after surviving an injury scare. scare. Quincy Enunwa is emerging as a big-play receiver.
• Why can't Northwestern win nine or more games this year?
• A long wait to play is now paying off for Ohio State quarterback Joe Bauserman.
• New Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas wants to boost home football attendance. The Illini have stayed remarkably healthy so far.
• Darius Willis may not return this season for Indiana (subscription required).
• Marcus Coker knows he messed up and is working to fix his fumble problems. For some reason, Iowa State never even recruited James Vandenberg. The Hawkeyes won't be wearing new, wacky uniforms a la Maryland any time soon.
• Minnesota coach Jerry Kill isn't afraid to move players around, as evidenced by his use of running back Lamonte Edwards at defensive end in spots at USC. Troy Stoudermire is close to breaking the Big Ten kick return record.
• Robert Marve is getting closer to being able to contribute for Purdue.
• Wisconsin used a heavy rotation on the defensive line against UNLV. The Badgers added a Pitt transfer at tight end and deleted defensive end Jake Irwin from their roster.
• Don't like our Big Ten power rankings? Athlon has a different take on the league pecking order.

Tonight, it begins.

Madison, Wis., weather: Clear skies, temperatures between 79-88 degrees, winds at 9-10 mph

Let's get linky:

• Wisconsin welcomes the national hype, Jim Polzin writes, and no player faces higher expectations than QB Russell Wilson, Tom Oates writes. Most predictions forecast Wisconsin crushing UNLV tonight.
• The Big Ten head coaches have a defensive tone about them, Doug Lesmerises writes in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.
• Former Nebraska QB Eric Crouch understands the pressure Taylor Martinez faces in Lincoln, Tom Shatel writes in the Omaha World-Herald. The Huskers' Jason Ankrah translates a strong offseason into a starting defensive end spot, Brian Rosenthal writes in the Lincoln Journal Star.
• Ohio State QB Braxton Miller is ahead of where his predecessor was at this point in his career, Lesmerises writes.
• Penn State's offensive line still must prove its toughness to JoePa, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. Former Nittany Lion Adam Taliaferro is running for office.
• Brady Hoke looks like a perfect match for Michigan, but now he has to win games, Mitch Albom writes in the Detroit Free Press. According to one writer, Western Michigan's Alex Carder is the best college quarterback in the state.
• Iowa's James Vandenberg prepares for his first full year as the starting QB, Steve Batterson writes. Three Iowa players hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis in January have quit the team.
• Northwestern QB Kain Colter is a fighter, Lindsey Willhite writes in the Daily Herald.
• A lot of good Michigan State preview content here. The Spartans offensive line puts its best five forward, George Sipple writes in the Detroit Free Press. Kirk Cousins talks a good game and plays one, too, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Although Rob Henry is out and Robert Marve is hobbled, Purdue will stick with a 2-quarterback system. Purdue's defensive ends must fill a major void this fall, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• Illinois has some holes to fill on defense, Herb Gould writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• There are a bunch of unknowns around Indiana entering the season opener, Bob Kravitz writes in the Indianapolis Star. The Hoosiers will be without RB Darius Willis on Saturday night, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• Minnesota's offense is an "amoeba," according to coordinator Matt Limegrover, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune.
• Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart previews Week 1 in the Big Ten.

After years as one of the nation's top assistants, Kevin Wilson will make his collegiate head-coaching debut Saturday night when Indiana faces Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium. But he's not getting wrapped up in the moment. Too much to do. Wilson has conducted his first preseason camp in Bloomington, evaluating positions and bringing his no-nonsense philosophy to a program that needs a jump-start.

Wilson took some time Tuesday to discuss camp and the outlook for IU in 2011.

How do you feel the players have adjusted to you and your staff so far?

Kevin Wilson: We're gaining on it every day. We've made a lot of strides, with not just our physical conditioning level but in our schemes, how to practice, how to be upbeat, how to have some energy. We've yet to play and go through a season, so can we maintain that in good times and bad times? But they've done better than I would have hoped or thought they could have done. I'm very proud of our guys.

Are there examples where you see them understanding what you want?

KW: Just on a consistent basis, our effort's greater, our physicalness in practice is greater, our enthusiasm, the tone of the guys when they're talking. Our total body language and team attitude, they're embracing the structure, the discipline, the toughness and the work ethic that we believe good teams have. Not that we didn't have it before, but I like the way they're relating to our staff.

What are your realistic expectations for Saturday?

KW: We want to take care of the ball. It's easy early in the season to be off your mark and allow an opponent to beat you because you're playing sloppy football, so ball security is something that's been strongly emphasized and encouraged. I'd like to make sure we're not sloppy with a bunch of penalties, getting us behind chains or helping the opponent. Really like to see if we can tackle well, whether it be in the kicking game or on defense, and let the scores be what the scores can be. Taking care of the ball, being smart, tackling well, being physical. I never put a score or a stat or a number or how many yards on either side of the ball. I'd like to see our play show the values we've been trying to preach to our team.

You said you're probably going to play multiple quarterbacks. How do you see that going? Will you play two? Three?

KW: I don't know if we have a guy who has clearly separated [himself]. There will be a guy that goes out first and we'll decide that. They've all done pretty well, they've all got different strengths. It's not going to be like after the second drive we're putting a [new] guy in or at the start of the second quarter. We'll see as the week finishes which one goes out first and that guy's going to go out and be the starter. And even if he has some glitches, we'll play through that.

We don't expect a guy to be perfect and hit every pass, but also you can tell when a guy can handle the arena, the environment, handle the emotions. So if a guy's doing well, we'll let it play out. If he looks to be struggling, out of whack, and we need a little jump-start, we'll go with someone else. We're not trying to be coy. They've all done well, but the quarterback needs to be the greatest extension of the coaching staff and a guy we feel needs to play smart and handle the ball properly so he's giving our team the best chance.

(Read full post)

Indiana has released its depth chart for Saturday's season opener against Ball State. Not surprisingly, the chart includes co-starters at quarterback in Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker. The sophomores have been competing for the job with true freshman Tre Roberson, who isn't listed on the two-deep.

Some other notes:

• Two likely starters, wide receiver Duwyce Wilson and tight end Ted Bolser, aren't listed on the depth chart. Both have been battling injuries during camp. Senior Dre Muhammad is listed as the starter in Wilson's spot ahead of freshman Shane Wynn, while senior Max Dedmond will start at tight end.
• Redshirt freshman Matt Perez, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, is listed as the No. 1 running back ahead of Stephen Houston. Junior Darius Willis is suspended for the opener for conduct detrimental to the team.
• Redshirt freshman Ryan Phillis is listed as a starter at defensive end ahead of veteran Fred Jones. He'll play opposite Darius Johnson. Indiana seems to have some good depth at the defensive tackle position.
• Another redshirt freshman, Chase Hoobler, has secured a starting job for the opener at strong-side linebacker. He'll join senior linebackers Jeff Thomas and Leon Beckum in the starting lineup.
• No major surprises in the starting secondary as sophomores Lawrence Barnett and Greg Heban are listed as the top corners and fifth-year seniors Chris Adkins and Jarrell Drane are listed as the No. 1 safeties.
• Wynn and Perez are listed as the top kick returners, as Indiana must replace the dynamic Tandon Doss on special teams.

Some interesting stuff here. Youth will be served this season in Bloomington as 14 true freshmen or redshirt freshmen appear on the depth chart.

I had a chance to catch up with first-year Indiana coach Kevin Wilson on Thursday afternoon, and he told me the Hoosiers have a new addition in the backfield.

Stephen Houston, a junior college transfer who had signed with North Carolina in February, arrived in Bloomington this week. He's a 5-foot-10, 225-pounder who played at Independence (Kan.) College last season, where he rushed for more than 1,000 yards. He originally signed with Ole Miss out of high school in the Cincinnati area but did not qualify. He did not gain admission to North Carolina and was left looking for a new school this spring.

"He had to take a math course to get admitted here," Wilson said. "He just graduated [from Independence] and showed up here and was admitted."

The Hoosiers could use some more options at running back, which was like a walking wounded list this spring. Darius Willis and Antonio Banks didn't practice while healing from injuries, leaving Nick Turner and Matt Perez to get the bulk of the reps. Incoming freshman D'Angelo Roberts will join Houston as newcomers to the position this summer.

"We have some bodies now," Wilson said. "I'm anxious to see Willis and Banks to see if they're healthy. Hopefully when it shakes out, we'll have two or three, because we're going to need more than one running back to play. You'd like to think with six bodies that you'd get a couple or three to stick."

I'll have more from Wilson later this afternoon.

Beginning today, we're going to start ranking each position group in the Big Ten. These rankings will reflect the overall strength at each position, so depth matters as well as individual star power. Following each group ranking, we'll also give out our list of the top individual players at that position.

Let's start out with a look at the running back groups across the Big Ten.

1. Wisconsin: No surprise at the top. Even with John Clay gone and Zach Brown transferring, the Badgers are loaded at tailback. They've still got junior Montee Ball, who finished four yards shy of 1,000 last season with 18 touchdowns, along with reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year James White, who ran for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns. Throw in senior fullback Bradie Ewing and redshirt freshman Jeff Lewis, and the Badgers should be powerful on the ground yet again in 2011.

2. Michigan State: Other than Wisconsin, the Spartans have the best collection of experience and talent in the backfield. First-team All-Big Ten performer Edwin Baker ran for 1,201 yards and 13 scores last year. Le'Veon Bell, a 237-pound bruiser, complemented him as a true freshman with 605 yards and eight scores. Larry Caper is a capable veteran, and fifth-year senior Todd Anderson starts at fullback. The Spartans are deep and versatile in their rushing attack.

3. Ohio State: The Buckeyes might have earned a higher ranking if Dan Herron were eligible to play a full season. But with Herron (1,155 yards and 16 scores in '10) suspended for the first five games, Ohio State will need some youngsters to fill his shoes. The good news is that there are plenty of talented candidates. Jaamal Berry is the leading returning rusher outside of Herron, and he averaged 8.3 yards per carry in a limited role last season. Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde will also battle for more playing time, while redshirt freshman Rod Smith could emerge as the No. 1 tailback after an impressive offseason. Zach Boren is back at fullback. Things may be in flux in Columbus, but you can almost always count on a good running game from the Buckeyes.

4. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers led the Big 12 in rushing last season with 247.6 yards per game on the ground, good for ninth in the FBS. Leading rusher Roy Helu Jr. is gone, but junior Rex Burkhead returns after a 951-yard campaign. He will occasionally line up at receiver or take snaps in the Wildcat. The Cornhuskers lack experience behind him but are expecting big contributions from incoming freshmen Aaron Green and Amer Abdullah. ESPN Recruiting ranked Green as the No. 11 player overall in the Class of 2011.

5. Penn State: Yes, the school's all-time leading rusher has moved on, as Evan Royster graduated. But the Nittany Lions still feel confident about their running game, which should be led by sophomore Silas Redd. He ran for 461 yards and 5.7 yards per carry as a true freshman, showing a physical style. Senior Stephfon Green will be asked to take on a larger role, and Brandon Beachum is back after missing last season with a knee injury. Joe Suhey and Michael Zordich are productive players at the fullback spot.

6. Purdue: The Boilermakers' stock in this chart could go up if Ralph Bolden successfully returns from injury. So far, so good for Bolden, who was a second-team All-Big Ten performer in 2009. Rob Henry led the team in rushing last year with 547 yards, but fullback Dan Dierking graduated. Junior college transfer Akeem Shavers got a lot of carries this spring and should contribute, and Reggie Pegram also is in the mix.

7. Iowa: Running back depth is a serious issue for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. Adam Robinson, who would have been the leading returning running back in the Big Ten in terms of yards per game, was dismissed from the team following a December arrest. Marcus Coker could emerge as a superstar, however, after starting four of Iowa's final five games as a true freshman. He was the offensive MVP of the Insight Bowl with 219 rushing yards on 33 carries and has drawn comparisons to former Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene. There's virtually no proven experience behind him, though, and three-year starting fullback Brett Morse is no longer around.

8. Michigan: If only we could count Denard Robinson as a running back. Brady Hoke plans to cut down on Shoelace's carries, which means the Wolverines' tailbacks will get more of a chance to shine. The question is who will step up. Senior Michael Shaw and junior Vincent Smith split time as starters last season, while Stephen Hopkins and Michael Cox are in the mix for more carries. Can celebrated recruit Justice Hayes contribute right away?

9. Illinois: Mikel Leshoure's dash to the NFL left the Illini with uncertainty at running back. Senior Jason Ford, the most likely successor, sat out much of spring ball with a hurt knee, while Troy Pollard's promising spring was cut short by a concussion. Incoming freshman Donovonn Young will get a look this fall.

10. Northwestern: Like Nebraska and Michigan, Northwestern relied on its quarterback -- in this case Dan Persa-- for a heavy chunk of the rushing yards. Mike Trumpy came on late in the year as a freshman and solidified his starting spot with a strong spring. Sophomore Adonis Smith, senior Jacob Schmidt and junior Tyris Jones will fight for carries behind him.

11. Minnesota: There was healthy competition at tailback this spring with a mixture of veterans and fresh faces. DeLeon Eskridge led the team last year with 698 rushing yards, while Duane Bennett added 529. They're being pushed by redshirt freshmen Donnell Kirkwood and Lamonte Edwards. New coach Jerry Kill will look to improve on the Gophers' paltry 3.6 yards per carry average last season. This is a group that could make a major move up the rankings.

12. Indiana: New Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson has a challenge in figuring out this group. Three of the top candidates for the starting tailback job, Darius Willis, Antonio Banks and Xavier Whitaker, all suffered season-ending knee injuries in 2010 and missed spring practice. IU's leading rusher last season finished with just 352 yards. Nick Turner and Matt Perez got the bulk of the reps in the spring. Perhaps Wilson's high-tempo offense will improve the stats for Indiana ball carriers.

Indiana

2010 overall record: 5-7

2010 conference record: 1-7 (11th)

Returning starters

Offense: 7; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

WR Damarlo Belcher, WR Duwyce Wilson, RB Darius Willis, T Andrew McDonald, G Justin Pagan, DE Darius Johnson, LB Jeff Thomas, S Donnell Jones, DT Adam Replogle, K Mitch Ewald

Key losses

QB Ben Chappell, WR Tandon Doss, OT James Brewer, WR Terrance Turner, LB Tyler Replogle, CB Richard Council, S Mitchell Evans

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Trea Burgess (352 yards)

Passing: Ben Chappell (3,295 yards)

Receiving: Damarlo Belcher* (832 yards)

Tackles: Tyler Replogle (87)

Sacks: Darius Johnson* (4.5)

Interceptions: Mitchell Evans (3)

Spring answers

1. Cup of Kofi: It wasn't a huge surprise, but Kofi Hughes really solidified himself as one of Indiana's top receivers this spring alongside Damarlo Belcher and Duwyce Wilson. Hughes, who recorded only seven receptions last season, made several big plays in scrimmages and became a favorite target of quarterbacks Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker. Receiver will be Indiana's strong group this season, and Hughes adds to it.

2. LB tandem emerges: Indiana's defense needs significant upgrades, but the Hoosiers should have some pieces to build around at linebacker. Senior Jeff Thomas and Leon Beckum both drew favorable reviews from the staff this spring. Both players have grasped the new defense, and Thomas is more than willing to take a greater leadership role in the fall. The key now is for IU to find a third starter at linebacker.

3. Young DBs show promise: The Hoosiers' secondary has a long way to go, but several young players provide hope for the future. Greg Heban came on strong toward the end of last season, recording 40 tackles, an interception and five passes defended. He continued to show promise this spring. Cornerback Lawrence Barnett had an interception return for a touchdown and a pass breakup in the spring game. Both sophomores should play big roles this fall.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback: New Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson made it clear that starting jobs must be earned, and no quarterback earned the starting spot this spring. Kiel and Wright-Baker will continue to compete for the No. 1 job in preseason camp after mixed results in spring ball. During my visit to Bloomington, I got the sense Kiel has the edge, but this race could last until mid-to-late August.

2. Running back: This might be Indiana's biggest question mark entering the fall, as lingering injuries limited the group in spring practice. Darius Willis, Antonio Banks and Xavier Whitaker all are coming off season-ending knee injuries, and none has been evaluated on the field by the new staff. Willis boasts the most experience but also the most injury problems. Matt Perez and Nick Turner participated in spring ball and will be in the mix.

3. Grasping the systems: Wilson really made the spring about attitude and understanding the new demands from the staff. At times, he'd call the same play over and over just to see who stepped up and who caved in. The next few months will be critical as Hoosiers players start to grasp the schematics on both sides of the ball. This might be a bigger challenge on offense, as Wilson likes to play extremely fast, but the defense also needs a lot of work after struggling for so many years.

Let's begin with the teams that played spring games Saturday and then move on from there ...

• OHIO STATE: Spring game reaction from colleague Brian Bennett, The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Bill Livingston, The Sporting News' Matt Hayes and The Columbus Dispatch's Bob Hunter.
• WISCONSIN: Spring game reaction from the Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Oates, the Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Mulhern and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus. The poor quarterback play during the game was compounded by the news Curt Phillips will miss the 2011 season following a third knee surgery.
• ILLINOIS: Spring game reaction from the Daily Herald's Lindsey Willhite, The (Champaign) News-Gazette's Loren Tate, The (Decatur) Herald & Review's Mark Tupper and the Alton Telegraph's Pete Hayes.
• MINNESOTA: Spring game reaction from the Star Tribune's Jim Souhan and Phil Miller here and here, and the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press' Marcus Fuller.
• In case you missed the Ohio State/NCAA/Jim Tressel news from this morning, check out some information here and here and here and here.
• Check out the details of Bo Pelini's revised contract at Nebraska from the Lincoln Journal Star's Steven M. Sipple. Incoming Huskers freshman running back Aaron Green doesn't focus on the competition, only himself, Jon Nyatawa writes in the Omaha World-Herald.
• A team-by-team look at Big Ten spring football from the Lincoln Journal Star. The Big Ten's recent struggles show in the past few NFL drafts, annarbor.com's Pete Bigelow writes.
• The Rob Bolden watch continues, and here are 12 reasons the Penn State quarterback stays or goes, statecollege.com's Mike Poorman writes. A spring snapshot of the Nittany Lions from The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse. Penn State might have a tougher time replacing running back Evan Royster than you may think, Dustin Hockensmith writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News.
• Converted defensive lineman Dan France makes an impression on offense for Michigan State, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal. Don't forget about Nick Hill in a crowded Spartans offensive backfield, George Sipple writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Indiana made the right call by suspending running back Darius Willis for a game, Andy Graham writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• Michigan coach Brady Hoke attends Ball State's spring game but doesn't wear any red, Doug Zaleski writes in the Muncie Star Press. Former Wolverines cornerback Cullen Christian reportedly will join Ray Vinopal at Pitt.
• Iowa is a "milk carton" team in 2011, Ryan Suchomel writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. The Des Moines Register's Sean Keeler sits down with DJK.
• Ryan Kerrigan's versatility makes the Purdue defensive end a coveted draft prospect, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.

Apologies for posting this late, but Indiana junior running back Darius Willis has been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

Indiana didn't specify which game Willis will miss, although it likely will be the opener Sept. 3 against Ball State. The team had no additional comment on the suspension.

Willis had a protective order filed against him in March stemming from allegations of domestic violence from an Indiana female student. No charges were filed against Willis and the protective order remains in place until Aug. 25.

Willis is one of several Hoosiers running backs limited by injuries during spring practice, which concluded Tuesday. The team's leading rusher in 2009, Willis played the first half of the 2010 season before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his patellar tendon.

Hope you're having a good Friday. Here's what's happening around the league.

• Ohio State coach Jim Tressel forwarded emails about players' wrongdoings to Terrelle Pryor's mentor. Here's the initial report from The Columbus Dispatch.
• Jerry Kill sets the tone in his first practice at Minnesota, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune. Quarterback MarQueis Gray responds after a shaky start, Marcus Fuller writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• More on Curtis Drake's injury at Penn State practice from Sean Fitz. Penn State is one of many schools eying elite recruit Keith Marshall, the Sporting News' Brian McLaughlin writes.
• Any discipline Indiana running back Darius Willis faces will take place internally, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• Nebraska's secondary is adjusting well to new coach Corey Raymond, Dan Hoppen writes in the Omaha World-Herald.
• Michigan State cut ties with a local booster club in financial trouble, Scott Davis writes in the Lansing State Journal.
• Wisconsin offensive lineman Travis Frederick tries to find his inner mean streak, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal.
• A closer look at Iowa's secondary from The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse. Iowa's spring depth chart reveals the home-grown talent on the squad, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Michigan picks up its first commitment for 2012. Both Michigan and Michigan State are looking at defensive line recruit Sheldon Day, Sam Webb writes in The Detroit News.
• Despite the tragedy at Notre Dame, Purdue will continue to use scissor lifts at practice and closely monitor the weather.

Greetings from ACC country. I heard Miami is playing Ohio State this year. Will Ohio State's suspensions be the difference? Not if Jacory Harris throws four picks again ...

• Purdue got back to work on Wednesday with its first spring practice.
• Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst is done exploring other job options and is preparing for the 2011 season in Madison.
• A protective order has been issued against Indiana running back Darius Willis, who has been accused of domestic assault.
• Defensive end recruit Tom Strobel has caught the attention of several Big Ten schools.
• Remember former Penn State defensive lineman Phil Taylor? He might be one of the top NFL draft picks. And he might be Penn State's only link to the first round.
• Michigan State receiver Mark Dell wants to continue a tradition of "wide receiver U."