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What's happening?

• Iowa is looking for a No. 3 wide receiver this spring, and Colin Sandeman and Keenan Davis are in the mix, Marc Morehouse writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette. Several Iowa players, coaches and officials are named in a witness list submitted by the attorney for former Hawkeye Abeberell Satterfield in Satterfield's sexual abuse case, Lee Hermiston writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Penn State lacks a dominant defensive player this spring, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. Jay Paterno has a lighthearted look at 10 things he's learned while overseeing quarterback competitions at Penn State.
• Head coach Tim Brewster provides a viewer's guide for Minnesota fans attending Saturday's scrimmage at TCF Bank Stadium, Sid Hartman writes in the Star Tribune.
• Despite Bret Bielema's tweet about Wisconsin trying to add Nebraska or Notre Dame to the schedule, the coach now says nothing is imminent, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Notre Dame looks like a better option than Nebraska for Wisconsin's 2012 slate, Jim Polzin writes in The Capital Times. Of course, none of this will matter when the Big Ten adds Notre Dame and Nebraska.
• Purdue is holding out hope that running back Ralph Bolden can play in 2010, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier. Quarterback Robert Marve put up impressive numbers in the Boilers' full scrimmage Wednesday, Carmin writes.
• Illinois' new coordinators don't like seeing celebration dances in spring practice, Mark Tupper writes in the (Decatur) Herald & Review.
• Prep running back Valdez Showers receives an offer from Michigan State and could soon get one from Michigan, Sam Webb writes in The Detroit News.
• Michigan athletic director David Brandon reflects on his first month on the job, annarbor.com's Dave Birkett writes.
• Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick said his comments about expansion last month were misinterpreted, Steve Wieberg writes in USA Today.

Spring has come to Chicago -- at least for a day.

• Michigan officials are investigating an incident at the Big House that left the block 'M' vandalized, annarbor.com's Jeff Arnold writes. New Michigan AD David Brandon can earn performance bonuses at the school, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino will name a starting quarterback this spring only if a candidate "just runs away with it," Mark Tupper writes in the (Decatur) Herald & Review. Illinois' first practice of the spring took on a spirited tone, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette.
• Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton talks about his NFL draft prospects with The Sporting News' Dave Curtis.
• Chris Kramer's college hoops career is over, and he's at least considering the idea of playing football for Purdue, Pete DiPrimio writes in The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel.
• At Penn State, the linebacker position always takes the spotlight, statecollege.com's Mike Poorman writes.
• Indiana's junior college arrivals adjust to life at an FBS program, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times.
• Minnesota linebacker Mike Rallis is back after a serious leg/ankle injury that could have been a lot worse, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune.
• Wisconsin fans will stay up late to watch the Badgers open the 2010 season at UNLV.

Word of the day: Farokhmanesh.

It will be on the test.

• Wisconsin backup quarterback Curt Phillips sustained a knee injury in Saturday's scrimmage, Jim Polzin writes in The Capital Times. The Badgers picked up their first commitment for 2011.
• Missed this one from last week, but Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith outlines improvements for the team's football practice facility, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Ohio State has the talent to do big things, but it needs to gain the mental edge, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch.
• A look at the Big Ten expansion candidates from Paul Trembacki of the Northwest Indiana Times.
• Yahoo! Sports' Matt Hinton breaks down an Iowa team that seems to decide its fate in the final two minutes of games.
• Night football is a hit everywhere, and Michigan Stadium should be no exception, annarbor.com's Michael Rothstein writes. Finalizing a night game was just the first item on AD David Brandon's lengthy to-do list, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News.
• Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart breaks down Minnesota and Michigan State as the teams begin spring practice.
• Juice Williams had a disappointing senior season at Illinois, but don't count him out for the NFL, Bob Asmussen writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette.
• The (Bloomington) Herald-Times' Dustin Dopirak looks at five big issues for Indiana this spring (subscription required).
• Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald (die-hard White Sox fan) stops by New York Yankees camp to visit with pal Joe Girardi, Marc Carig writes in The Star-Ledger.

Enjoy a weekend of hoops, and get ready for more spring football next week, as six Big Ten teams open practice.

Joel from Bismarck, N.D., writes: I'm a Hawkeye fan, and many people (don't let me put words in your mouth, but I'll include you) view them as legit contenders for the B10 title this fall and to continue to be a strong program for years to come. I'm a contrarian fan in that I'm nervous about the high expectations. So many of the games this past year had such close scores, and the haters weren't wrong to say that more of those wins could easily have turned out differently. (But they didn't, was Hawkeye Nation's reply.) Yet the same could be said in the 2008 season when Iowa's 4 losses were by a total of 12 points. Were they just "unlucky" then? Help me to reconcile these mixed responses. Is it enough to simply say that good sports teams win close games? And in predicting Iowa's continued future success, is it enough to say that they have good coaches? These were the same coaches that were in place just one forgettable season before 2008. Bottom line: I hate to concede to the haters that style points matter -- plus Iowa's close games have been very exciting to watch -- but do they need more style points, more consistently (not the W's as they've been earning them) before they can get national respect and before they can safely garner predictions of being among the B10's leaders in the coming seasons? Apologies for the wordy question(s), but I hope you can find something there to respond to. Thanks.

Adam Rittenberg: Joel, you've got some interesting thoughts here, and I'll try to address them all. It's true that good teams find ways to win close games, and Iowa was a good team in 2009. Also, Iowa's track record the last decade or so backs up the claim that the Hawkeyes have good coaching. I wouldn't be too concerned about Iowa players facing high expectations in 2010 because they also faced high expectations -- and an incredibly daunting road schedule -- in 2009. I remember Kirk Ferentz saying in August that Iowa could be a better team (than 2008) with a worse record, which didn't turn out to be the case as the team went 11-2. Style points matter in the polls and with national perception, but I'm not sure Iowa is a team built to win 45-7. You would like to see Ricky Stanzi cut down on his interceptions, especially the pick-sixes, but Iowa will win with defense, strong line play and timely big plays. As for national respect, Iowa got some by beating Georgia Tech rather soundly in the Orange Bowl. Iowa should enter 2010 as a top 15 team and one of the three favorites for the Big Ten title. I understand Iowa fans' frustration about national respect, but the coaches and players really don't seem to care that much. They just win games.

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Sam from Madison, Wis., writes: Hey Adam, when are the announcements made about the times and television schedules for this upcoming season? I ask this mainly out of interest for my Badgers, considering that they have a couple of home games that would appeal to be nationally televised. I was merely 50 feet away when Terrell Pryor ripped my heart out and scored the winning touchdown with about a minute left two years ago at Camp Randall. Regardless, the experience was in my opinion the most exciting atmosphere at a Badger game in my lifetime and was just curious if there was a good shot at seeing the Buckeyes come into Madison under the lights again.

Adam Rittenberg: The Big Ten's primetime schedule should be finalized in the next five weeks. I know these decisions are starting to be made right now, and Ohio State-Wisconsin has a decent shot at being played under the lights. It all depends on what else is happening around the country that night. I was on the opposite sideline at Camp Randall when Pryor scored in 2008, and it was a pretty exciting/demoralizing moment, depending on whom you rooted for. No guarantees on a night game for Oct. 16 in Madison, but it looks like a pretty good bet.

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Michael from Los Angeles writes: With people already talking about Michigan's next head coach, why has Les Miles disappeared from the conversation? He's a Michigan man, like Jim Harbaugh, but Miles has a National Championship on his resume, which is a lot more impressive than running up the score against an overrated 'SC team.

Adam Rittenberg: Maybe time is running out on Les Miles. Sorry, bad joke. I'm sure if Michigan has an opening, Miles' name will be mentioned. But his stock has fallen off a bit since the national championship in 2007, especially with the time-management problems his teams had last season. I totally agree with you that Harbaugh gets too much credit for simply making Stanford respectable again, but the guy clearly is a hot coaching name right now, and I bet Michigan would be extremely interested if it has to replace Rich Rodriguez.

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Anthony from Chicago writes: After watching your interview with JJ Watt, I was wondering if you're looking to bulk up a little. I do some work as a trainer on the side. I'd be happy to help you out.

Adam Rittenberg: Haha, thanks, Anthony. I'm sure my wife would appreciate that. I think I'd have to put in some serious weight-room work to get anywhere near as big as J.J. Watt, or his Wisconsin teammate Jay Valai, for that matter. Thanks for the offer. I'll let ya know.

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Daniel from Grass Lake, Mich., writes: Hey Adam, Do you think this news of Michigan playing the first ever night game at the Big House could have been a move by Dave Brandon to get some positive stories out there about Michigan Football? If so i think it is genius.

Adam Rittenberg: I think it's more Brandon responding to his head coach's desire to improve the game-day atmosphere at Michigan Stadium and create a stronger home-field advantage with a night game. Most Michigan fans wanted to see this happen, and I think Brandon would have seen it through even if the football program were thriving right now. He's looking to make his mark early in his tenure as AD, and Thursday's announcement certainly shows that things are changing in Ann Arbor. Night football is tremendous. Fans love it, players love it, most coaches love it and TV loves it. I see very few downsides.

For years, night football at Michigan Stadium has been brought up, only to be shot down.

Michigan's brass has been generally opposed to night football, so games remained early-afternoon affairs. It didn't help that the tradition-bound Big Ten has scheduled fewer night games than the other major conferences.

But Michigan now has a head football coach (Rich Rodriguez) open to night football and ramping up the in-game atmosphere. And, more importantly, UM has a new athletic director in David Brandon who doesn't mind shaking things up.

As a result, night football finally will come to the Big House.

Michigan announced Thursday that it will host Notre Dame under the lights on Sept. 10, 2011, marking the first night football game at Michigan Stadium. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and be televised nationally by ESPN or ESPN2.

My guess is most Michigan fans will welcome this news. Getting the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry under the lights should create an unbelievable atmosphere, the one Rodriguez wants to create, at the renovated Big House.

"Our players have always enjoyed playing night games and I think it's something that our fans will truly enjoy and embrace," Rodriguez said in a statement. "I expect the atmosphere will be electric for this match-up at the Big House."

Michigan owns a 22-11 record in prime-time games (kickoff after 5 p.m. local time), having won 11 of its last 14 appearances. U-M is 19-5 on the road and 3-6 in bowl games. The Wolverines are 0-3 in night games against Notre Dame, playing three times under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium (1982, 1988, 1990).

It's amazing to see how a new athletics director can change long-held views on scheduling issues. Brandon clearly understands the value night football can bring to a school, and it's a huge advantage for the home team.

Michigan-Notre Dame is almost always a huge deal, but playing under the lights enhances things.

What's on your mind?

Alexander from Lansing, Mich., writes: If Michigan State improves its defense, do you think they have a legitimate chance to win the big ten title?

Adam Rittenberg: The defense is certainly priority No. 1 for Mark Dantonio this spring, Alexander. I don't think the Spartans are good enough up front on both sides of the ball to challenge Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa for the Big Ten title, but they're certainly in that middle pack of teams. Kirk Cousins has a lot of promise at quarterback, and I really like the young running backs. The secondary really needs to improve after a lousy 2009 performance, but Michigan State certainly should be bowl bound once again this fall.

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Drew from New York writes: Love the sly dis on the Big 10 thrown in that Dallas newspaper's analysis of ND joining the conference. Well behind the SEC and Big 12? I could be convinced to give you the SEC but the Big 12. Two great teams does make up for a whole lot of mediocre. People better fill up on their hatorade in the off season, Adam. A storm of retribution is brewing in the upper mid-west, and its about to sweep the nation. '09 bowl season was just the beginning. How do you keep yourself from pulling out all your hair on a daily basis? I imagine you must read comments like this much more than the rest of us.

Adam Rittenberg: Drew, I definitely understand your frustration. It's gotten a lot easier for me after the Big Ten's strong bowl performance. The Big Ten hate certainly has decreased a bit on this blog and elsewhere. That said, the Big Ten needs to start beating the Big 12 more often on the field, particularly in bowls. I'll get to this soon in the blog, but the Big 12 has certainly gotten the best of the Big Ten in bowls the past few years. Still, I don't see a huge gap between the two leagues on the field. To suggest the Big 12 is as strong of a conference -- from a financial or operations standpoint -- as the Big Ten is just silly. The Big Ten is the richest and most well-run league in the country, hands down.

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Elliott from Mountain View, Calif., writes: Hi Adam,I'm having a difficult time understanding your top-30 BT postseason rankings. In my opinion, success in college is not necessarily related to pro potential--see Tim Tebow. I do agree with much of the list based on how the players performed on the field, but I'm pretty sure that Tyrelle Pryor and John Clay have much more potential than say Darryl Clark. Staying on Clark, I think you ranked him much too high. I would argue that Ricky Stanzi--who you did not rank--had a better season and probably has more pro potential. Although you said Stanzi's high INT total turned you off, don't forget that Iowa was 10-0 in games he started and finished--despite an inconsistent running game led by freshman. Clark had a strong running game and, like Stanzi, a great defense. His poor play in the losses to Ohio State and Iowa should have moved him down the list.-I realize lists/rankings are very subjective, so there are bound to be conflicting opinions. Ultimately, pro potential and college performance are two very different things.

Adam Rittenberg: Elliott, from the start of the rankings, I made the criteria pretty clear. I looked for a balance of college performance and pro potential. You might disagree with the order based strictly on college performance, but that's only part of what I evaluated. Moving onto your next point, Daryll Clark had a better season than Stanzi. It's not really close when you look at the numbers. Clark had a much worse offensive line and a new group of receivers. And he put up much better numbers than Stanzi, with seven more touchdown passes, five fewer interceptions and nearly 600 more passing yards. I know Iowa fans love The Manzi -- and he loves America, in case you didn't know -- and Rick did a great job of leading his team to victories, but he also got bailed out by his defense way more than Clark did. Both quarterbacks didn't play well in the Iowa-Penn State game, but Stanzi got more help on D and special teams. Now you might be right about Stanzi's pro potential being better, but until he cuts down on mistakes that would have led to losses for a lot of teams, I'm not going to move him above Clark in any rankings.

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Christopher from Dublin, Ohio, writes: Adam, I read that the Big Ten would have a hard time admitting Notre Dame due to not being part of the AAU. Yet Jim Delany flat out said on ESPN radio when this process began in the Fall that that wasn't going to be a factor (not being in the AAU).The AAU is based on research, however isn't Notre Dame a good enough school to overlook that criteria? Just based on college rankings (U.S. News), Notre Dame is 20th and Rutgers is 66th, while Mizzou is 102.

Adam Rittenberg: Christopher, you're absolutely right. This AAU issue keeps getting raised -- the Chicago Tribune mentions it again today -- but Delany and other Big Ten officials I've talked to say being an AAU member is not a requirement for Big Ten admission. I mean, the Big Ten already pursued Notre Dame twice to join the league, so the league clearly has no trouble admitting Notre Dame. ND is certainly a strong enough academic school to gain admission. There's no issues there at all.

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Rob from Ann Arbor, Mich., writes: Regarding your comment that the next football coach at Michigan would be Jim Harbaugh. If you ask around Ann Arbor most would seriously doubt it. In May of 2007 as Stanford head coach, Jim Harbaugh made comments about Michigan accepting borderline students and steering them to easier courses. If you read his comments he, under the current administration, would not be considered coaching material. What he said hurt many at the instution and once you make that kind of statement you shut yourself off from being considered a true "Michigan Man."

Adam Rittenberg: Rob, Harbaugh's comments certainly would come up if Michigan pursued the former quarterback, but my guess is enough fans would be willing to forgive and forget. Especially if the Wolverines miss a bowl for the third consecutive year and the fan base continues to fracture. If Michigan has to make a change following 2010, it needs to be someone who has more familiarity with how things work in Ann Arbor. I just have a hard time believing Harbaugh wouldn't be the No. 1 target for new AD David Brandon.

Reporting to you live from Purdue's tight ends meeting room at the Mollenkopf Center. Feeling very Boiler-y today.

• Former Michigan State running back Ashton Leggett receives probation and community service after pleading guilty to assault, Dan Kilbridge writes in the Lansing State Journal.
• Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and several assistants and players will lose their locks today for a great cause, colleague Bruce Feldman writes.
• Offensive line is Michigan's top priority for 2011 recruiting, and the Wolverines are looking to Arizona for prospects, Josh Helmholdt writes in the Detroit Free Press. New Michigan AD David Brandon isn't afraid to go all Donald Trump on you.
• Our pal Frank The Tank breaks down the possibility of Notre Dame joining the Big Ten. Notre Dame needs to speak up before the Big Ten moves forward, CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd writes.
• The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse breaks down Iowa's crowded running back room.
• A good look at Purdue's 2011 recruiting efforts from Mike Carmin of The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• Indiana's NFL hopefuls stand out at the combine, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).

All good poetry is forged slowly and patiently, link by link, with sweat and blood and tears.

• Purdue is keeping a roster spot open for former starting quarterback Justin Siller, who could return if he gets his grades squared away, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• More from The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News' David Jones on possible Big Ten expansion, including a look at Rutgers and why Pitt doesn't make sense.
• The Sporting Blog's Brian Cook doesn't understand all the fuss about Rutgers as an expansion candidate.
• New Michigan AD David Brandon reiterates his support for embattled football coach Rich Rodriguez, but adds, "It's a big season ahead. A big season." The Wolverines' young offensive linemen will get every chance to showcase themselves this spring, annarbor.com's Dave Birkett writes.
• A case-by-case update of where the Michigan State players stand with their assault charges.
• A look back at Penn State in the 2000s from The Rivalry, Esq.
• The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse takes a look at Iowa's quarterback situation entering 2010.
• Minnesota picks up a commitment from a local defensive back with roots in the program.
• Bret Bielema talks spring ball at Wisconsin here and here.

David Brandon officially begins his new job as Michigan's athletics director today, and he's certainly taking over at an interesting time.

The athletic department is stable, certainly more so than when Brandon's predecessor Bill Martin arrived a decade ago, but Brandon faces several challenges right off the bat. Michigan's three flagship sports programs -- football, men's basketball and hockey -- are all struggling to varying degrees, and the football program is facing NCAA allegations of five rules violations.

Michigan has until May 23 to respond to the NCAA's Notice of Allegations, and the school is scheduled to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in August. Many will watch how Brandon handles this initial challenge, and he's off to a good start.

If there was one bright spot for Michigan fans from the university's Feb. 23 news conference to address the NCAA's allegations, it was Brandon. The former Domino's pizza CEO seemed prepared, poised and totally in command, even though he hadn't officially taken over as AD.

As annarbor.com's Michael Rothstein writes: "He was genuine. He was confident. He didn't stumble over words. He acted like a CEO and a leader. All of this even though this situation is not one any employee wants to walk into -- let alone someone preparing to take over one of the country’s most storied athletic departments. ... He was the star, if there could be a headliner in a three-person press conference."

Brandon represents a new breed of athletic director who are better suited to handle the current climate of college athletics. You're more likely to see lawyers and CEOs in these jobs than football coaches and athletic department lifers. Brandon certainly has a lot on his plate -- Rich Rodriguez and the football program are right in the center of it -- but he likely won't be overwhelmed.

Here are some more Brandon-related links as a new chapter begins in Michigan athletics:

• Brandon talks Big Ten expansion, advertising in Michigan Stadium and other topics with annarbor.com's Dave Birkett.
• Those who know Brandon say he's well prepared for the challenges he'll face at U-M, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Brandon will look beyond wins and losses to evaluate Rodriguez and the football program, Birkett writes.
• The alleged violations and the struggles in football top Brandon's early agenda, Synder writes.
• Brandon left a strong impression on his former coach Bo Schembechler, Synder writes.
• Playing for Bo and attending Michigan shaped Brandon's life, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News.

See kids, this is where we bring suspects in order to be detained. Trust me, you do not want to be sitting in these seats. We call this place "Loserville."

• Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne is keeping a close eye on the Big Ten's and Pac-10's possible expansion plans, Steven Sipple writes in the Lincoln Journal-Star.
• Blogger Frank the Tank writes that the Big Ten has more leverage now than ever in expansion negotiations, so the league doesn't need a small-splash choice like Rutgers. The Rivalry, Esq., agrees that Rutgers doesn't deserve the Big Ten.
• Outgoing Michigan AD Bill Martin reflects on his tenure, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press. The man succeeding Martin, David Brandon, had his life shaped by playing football at U-M, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News.
• New Michigan State running backs coach Brad Salem is excited to be back in East Lansing, Shannon Shelton writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• A judge rules that former Penn State running back Austin Scott cannot sue prosecutors in his civil lawsuit.

You really need a law degree to understand anything issued by the NCAA. I do not have one.

Fortunately, your e-mails are a bit easier to decipher. Let's get on with it.

KJ from Ann Arbor writes: Told you so. They found evidence of multiple major infractions and clearly did not have institutional control over the program yet the NCAA has not levied that much deserved and much needed charge against a prominent institution...again. Another sad day for college athletics.

Adam Rittenberg: While several of the allegations can be termed as major, nowhere in the NCAA's report is there a statement about the loss of institutional control. As incoming Michigan AD David Brandon said at the news conference, "there was no charge of loss of institutional control, none whatsoever." Sorry to disappoint you. It will be interesting to see how hard the NCAA comes down on Michigan, but to expect postseason probation or anything like that for these allegations is certainly pushing it. Michigan made some mistakes and needs to be more careful on both ends (coaches and compliance), but this isn't paying players or academic fraud.

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Thomas from Chicago writes: Adam,I'm disappointed in your "instant-analysis" headline and article regarding the UM football press conference. I genuinely appreciate your work, but I fear that in your haste to "post something," you abdicated your role in analyzing and reporting the actual facts. It's hard not to draw the conclusion that your article was chasing "comments" and "clicks" rather than attempting to honestly discern the facts underlying the story. I watched the press conference and learned that the Free Press' allegations that the program was flouting "countable hours" rules may have, at worst, exceeded such limits by somewhere between 20 minutes and one hour. I realize my summary isn't precise - I'm a lawyer who watched the press conference and then hastily read a few reports about it before turning back to work. I'm not a journalist whose role involves analyzing and reporting with some level of precision.As a side note, it really is disappointing how low the level of sports journalism has gotten on the WWN. Again, I usually consider you alone on the top half, but this article? Very knee-jerk.

Adam Rittenberg: Thomas, this was an extremely well-written note. Unfortunately, your reading skills don't match your writing ability as the story you reference was written by the Associated Press, not me. Here's my take on the Michigan situation, which I think you'll find a bit more to your liking.

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Jimmy from Chicago writes: Adam..As far as the ranking of attendance in the big ten, can we please see those numbers as a percentage of maximum capacity? We all know Northwestern has its challenges but I would be curious to see how the big ten teams did with these numbers and see if that shakes up the rankings any.Thank you for the great blog.

Adam Rittenberg: Jimmy, I'm glad you brought this up. Here's how the schools finished in the national rankings in capacity filled:

Ohio State: 7th (102.87 percent capacity)
Michigan: 8th (102.57 percent)
Minnesota: 11th (101.61 percent)
Penn State: 21st (99.74 percent)
Wisconsin: 21st (99.74 percent)
Michigan State: 23rd (99.65 percent)
Iowa: 24th (99.47 percent)
Illinois: 33rd (94.71 percent)
Indiana: 57th (84.98 percent)
Purdue: 64th (80.73 percent)
Northwestern: 107th (51.33 percent)

Still pretty bad news for Northwestern, while Minnesota certainly is seeing the benefits of its new stadium.

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Alex from State College, Pa., writes: Adam,Loved the Penn State game day traditions blog post. As President of Paternoville, I certainly know how special a fall Saturday in Happy Valley is. If one were to take a stroll over to Paternoville, you'd find the most passionate and knowledgeable fans the Big Eleven has to offer. I would love to invite you to spend a night in Paternoville next fall. If ESPN analyst Rob Stone could survive as he did this past season, anyone in my opinion can.

Adam Rittenberg: Alex, thanks for the note. I'll have to run this by the bosses, but it's a great suggestion. Hope you don't mind snoring.

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Jan from Milwaukee writes: What is going on with the three kids from Wisconsin who are suspended? Does anyone know what they are being charged with? That is to say if it is a legal matter.

Adam Rittenberg: Jan, police have yet to file any charges against the players, but Wisconsin is conducting an internal investigation into an incident that led to the suspensions. University police tell the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the school isn't requesting any police involvement, and no reports/complaints have been filed. There are a lot of rumors out there about the incident, but until charges are filed -- if they're filed at all -- we won't know much more.

Michigan officials today addressed the NCAA's report that details five allegations of violations against the football program between January 2008 and September 2009.

The NCAA sent the notice Monday morning, and Michigan now has 90 days to respond. Michigan then will appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions at a hearing in August.

You can read the NCAA's report here, as well as a letter sent to head football coach Rich Rodriguez, who appeared alongside incoming athletics director David Brandon and university president Mary Sue Coleman at today's news conference.

Here's a summary of the five allegations:

1. Five Michigan quality control staffers regularly engaged in both on-field and off-field coaching activities that are prohibited by NCAA rules. By engaging in these activities, Michigan exceeded the limit on number of coaches who can engage in these activities. Quality control personnel are alleged to have coached players two days a week in offseason workouts, warm-up activities during the season and film study, and they also attended meetings that involved coaching activities.

2. Michigan violated NCAA rules by having football staff members "monitor and conduct voluntary summer workouts, conduct impermissible activities outside the playing season, require football student-athletes to participate in summer conditioning activities for disciplinary purposes [missing class], and exceed time limits for countable athletically related activities during and outside the playing season." This seems to be the most serious charge and the one that sparked the Detroit Free Press report and the investigation. Here are some of the specifics:

• In two separate offseason periods in both 2008 and 2009, football players were sometimes required to participate in up to 10 hours of athletic activities or weight training/conditioning, which exceeds the limit of eight hours.
• During the 2008 season, players were sometimes required to participate for up to five hours a day in "countable athletically related activities," exceeding the maximum of four hours. The staff exceeded the 20-hour-a-week limit by 20 minutes during the week of Oct. 19, 2008.
• During September 2009, football players were required to participate in four and a half hours of activities per day, exceeding the NCAA limit by 30 minutes. The report identifies four dates in question: Sept. 7, Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28.

3. Graduate assistant Alex Herron is accused "providing false and misleading information" to both Michigan and the NCAA enforcement staff when asked about the allegations. He denied being present for 7-on-7 passing drills in the summers of 2008 and 2009 when he allegedly conducted the sessions.

4. Because of the first two allegations (detailed above), Rodriguez is alleged to have "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program and failed to adequately monitor the duties and activities of the quality control staff members, a graduate assistant coach and a student assistant coach, and the time limits for athletically related activities."

5. Because of the first two allegations, Michigan's athletics department is alleged to have "failed to adequately monitor its football program to assure compliance." Compliance staff members became concerned about the duties of the quality control coaches in the winter of 2008 but didn't gather enough information to determine potential problems. The strength and conditioning staff didn't calculate time limits for offseason workouts or effectively communicate information to the compliance office. This resulted in the compliance office approving miscalculated activities and failing to follow its own policies for monitoring these activities. Athletics staff also failed to provide the forms showing countable activities to the compliance office.

So how serious are these allegations?

In the letter to Rodriguez, the NCAA writes that "all of the allegations charged in the notice of allegations are considered to be potential major violations of NCAA legislation, unless designated as secondary violations." In its response to the NCAA, Michigan has the right to point out why alleged violations should be considered secondary. You can bet Michigan will do so.

Brandon told reporters today that while Michigan takes any allegations seriously, "there was no charge of loss of institutional control, none whatsoever." We don't know yet whether these violations will be labeled as major, which has historical significance because Michigan has never been hit with major violations before. But "major violations" can sound worse than they actually are, and these allegations certainly don't fit into the same category of recruiting improprieties, paying players, etc.

Brandon reiterated that Rodriguez will be Michigan's head coach in 2010 and that he has seen nothing to indicate a change at the top is necessary.

Michigan could be termed a repeat violator of NCAA rules because these allegations occur within the five years since the school was sanctioned for much more serious violations involving its men's basketball program. It's unlikely Michigan gets nailed for this, but it's within the realm of possibility.

A few takeaways from the news conference:

• Brandon and Rodriguez repeatedly stated they take the allegations seriously, which was the right move. But when the seriousness of the allegations keeps getting questioned, it probably means the repercussions won't be too bad for Michigan.
• The investigations were all sparked by allegations from current and former players that Michigan had grossly exceeded NCAA time limits for practices, offseason workouts and other team activities. Going 20 minutes beyond the weekly limit or 30 minutes beyond the daily limit is hardly extreme. It happens everywhere. If anything, the NCAA report helps Rodriguez and Michigan on this issue.
• Michigan's decision to put its CARA forms online -- logs sent from teams to the compliance office to monitor countable activities -- is much needed. Brandon acknowledged Michigan wasn't being diligent enough with these forms in the past.
• Brandon declined to discuss personnel decisions, so it will be interesting to see if any heads roll. It's noteworthy that Adam Braithwaite, a quality control assistant named in the NCAA's report, recently was elevated to a full-time assistant coach position. The allegations against Herron certainly suggest some disciplinary action will be taken.
• The size of coaching "staffs" is getting out of hand. Michigan's case should alert others to the potential problems of having so many quality control staffers.

Prediction: Michigan will be hit with some penalties, and "major violations" are possible. But these allegations don't seem to be overly extreme, despite some harsh language in the report. Michigan could be hit with probation or scholarship losses, and it will need to be more careful on these issues going forward. I'll repeat what I've said all along: Rich Rodriguez's fate ultimately comes down to whether or not he wins games, not what the NCAA decides in August.

Man, I love curling.

• Wisconsin is conducting an internal investigation into an alleged incident that resulted in the suspensions of three football players, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Ohio State's NFL hopefuls gear up for the unique challenges of the scouting combine, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Former Buckeyes defensive end Thaddeus Gibson hopes the Vernon Gholston comparisons don't work against him, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Ron Zook has some interesting quotes about what has gone wrong at Illinois, Herb Gould writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.

"The negative recruiting was the worst I've ever seen it this year," Zook said. "But a lot of that is our own people. There's not enough people that believe this program can be where it can be."

• New Michigan athletics director David Brandon talks about his transition out of the corporate world, Kevin McCoy writes in USA Today. The Michigan alum suing the school's Board of Regents for holding a closed-door meeting about the NCAA's ongoing investigation into the football program wants accountability, Kyle Swanson writes in The Michigan Daily.
• Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald aspires to be like Joe Paterno, Al Hamnik writes in The Times of Northwest Indiana.
• An Iowa state representative thinks Adrian Clayborn shouldn't have been allowed to play in the Orange Bowl, Mike Hlas writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette.
• A good breakdown of Minnesota's 2010 schedule by The Daily Gopher blog results in a 7-5 prediction.

Michigan has announced that it will address the NCAA's report about the investigation into the football program at a media briefing scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in Ann Arbor.

Head football coach Rich Rodriguez, university president Mary Sue Coleman and incoming athletics director David Brandon will be present to answer questions. The university isn't releasing any more information at this time.

Both Michigan and the NCAA have launched investigations into alleged time-limit violations by the football program that first surfaced in a Detroit Free Press report in August. Former and current players said the coaches far exceeded NCAA time limits for practices and training sessions.

The NCAA sent Michigan a notice of inquiry in late October and hoped to conclude its investigation by Dec. 31.

Michigan's Board of Regents held a closed-door meeting Feb. 3 that included an update on the NCAA's investigation. A Michigan alum has since sued the board for holding the closed meeting.

I'm sure Michigan fans are holding their breath, and I'll have much more later today following the media briefing.

The best case-worst case rewind series finally wraps up with ... Michigan.

In case you missed it: Michigan's best case-worst case.

Best-case synopsis: Rich Rodriguez continues his tradition of Year 2 turnarounds, as his freshmen quarterbacks blossom and the defense improves under new coordinator Greg Robinson. Senior Brandon Minor leads a talented group of running backs, and the receiving corps helps the young signal-callers with their transition. Michigan starts the season 5-0 and rides the defense to a strong finish. The Wolverines snap their losing streak against Ohio State to finish 10-2 before beating Mississippi in the Capital One Bowl.

Worst-case synopsis: The quarterback position falls apart again and a beleaguered defense regresses as Michigan once again misses a bowl game. None of the quarterbacks truly establishes himself as the starter, and opposing defenses load up to stop the run. Michigan's pass rush suffers as Brandon Graham constantly faces double- and triple-teams, while punter Zoltan Mesko is the team's only true star. The Wolverines lose the opener to Western Michigan and finish 4-8. Rodriguez is retained for a third year but enters 2010 on the hot seat.

You can't handle the truth: (quotes from the original post) "Rodriguez's spread offense starts to take shape around the freshmen quarterbacks, who are suited to the system." ... "Michigan begins by doing something it last accomplished in 2006 -- win the season opener. The defense holds off Tim Hiller and Western Michigan." ... "Loaded with confidence, the Wolverines complete a 4-0 start." ... After a loss at Iowa, Michigan handles Delaware State easily." ... "More mistakes crop up on defense." ... "Michigan misses a bowl for the second straight year." ... "Golden Tate and Michael Floyd make Michigan's secondary look silly." ... "The Wolverines see their home win streak against Penn State end at five games." ... "Rodriguez's future seems very much in doubt."

Lies, lies, lies: "The defense rebounds under Greg Robinson." ... "Senior Brandon Minor headlines a strong stable of running backs and earns first-team All-Big Ten honors by rushing for 1,400 yards." ... "The team hits the road for the first time and regains in-state bragging rights by rallying to beat Michigan State in the fourth quarter. Michigan vaults into the top 20." ... "Fans finally embrace Rodriguez and his style, forgetting 2008 and all the player departures during the transition." ... "Despite more experience elsewhere on offense, the quarterback position dooms the Wolverines again." ... "The Wolverines get booed as they head to halftime down 28-7 and never get within 14 points of the Irish." ... "Michigan fails to get on the scoreboard against the talented Hawkeyes defense."

Reality check: Michigan finished one game ahead (5-7) of the worst-case scenario, but after a 4-0 start, the Wolverines looked like a lock to make a bowl game. Rodriguez's offense certainly made strides in Year 2, and quarterback Tate Forcier showed a lot of promise before struggling with injuries and inconsistent play down the stretch. The big problem was Robinson's defense, which regressed despite boasting the league's most dominant lineman in Graham. Michigan didn't beat an FBS team after Sept. 26 and wasted opportunities against both Illinois and Purdue. Rodriguez will enter the 2010 season with a new boss (David Brandon) and a mandate to make a bowl game, at the very least.