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Fourteen former Big Ten players will soon be the proud owners of new Super Bowl championship rings.

The league had 23 players on the two Super Bowl squads, and several played key roles in the New York Giants' victory against New England. Michigan product Mario Manningham had five catches for 73 yards, including the spectacular 38-yard reception that sparked the game-winning drive. Illinois' Steve Weatherford averaged 40.8 yards on four punts and placed three inside the Patriots' 10-yard line. It was a tough night for Big Ten tight ends, as Ohio State's Jake Ballard and Wisconsin's Travis Beckum each suffered knee injuries during the game. But both won rings.

The entire list of the 14 former Big Ten players who were on the Giants' championship team is as follows:

• DB Prince Amukamara (Nebraska)
• C David Baas (Michigan)
• Ballard
• Beckum
• OT James Brewer (Indiana)
• C Jim Cordle (Ohio State)
• OT David Diehl (Illinois)
• LB Greg Jones (Michigan State)
• DT Jimmy Kennedy (Penn State)
• Manningham
• OT Kareem McKenzie (Penn State)
• S Tyler Sash (Iowa)
• WR Devin Thomas (Michigan State)
• Weatherford

Several Giants coaches also have Big Ties, including offensive line coach Pat Flaherty (a former assistant at Iowa and Penn State), secondary and cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta (ex-assistant at Penn State), linebackers coach Jim Herrmann (former player and assistant at Michigan), and running backs coach Jerald Ingram (ex-player and graduate assistant at Michigan).

The Patriots had eight former Big Ten players on the roster, led by Tom Brady. While Brady failed to win his fourth title, he did set a Super Bowl record with 16 consecutive completions during the game.

And, of course, Bill O'Brien finished his duties as New England offensive coordinator and can now concentrate on being Penn State's new head coach.

Making sure you get served every day.

• Coverage of an emotional week in State College here and here and here.
• Bowl eligibility might be getting tougher, resulting in better games, Brett McMurphy writes.
• Urban Meyer reportedly completes his Ohio State staff with a former Michigan assistant. Former Buckeyes tight end Jake Ballard talks about heading to the Super Bowl with the G-men.
• Wisconsin's new linebackers coach compares Bret Bielema to Jim Harbaugh. Tom Oates writes that Wisconsin didn't go far enough in its investigation of John Chadima.
• Nebraska and Illinois remain in the running for coveted D-line recruit Vincent Valentine. A hip issue has ended Huskers CB Alfonzo Dennard's time at the Senior Bowl.
• Iowa AD Gary Barta discusses potential BCS changes and the team's interminable defensive coordinator search. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz will attend the JoePa memorial today.
• Indiana co-defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler calls the team's 1-11 season "the most humbling experience I've ever had."
• Michigan coach Brady Hoke recruited the Cincinnati area earlier this week.
• The Armani Reeves sweepstakes is entering the closing stretch as three Big Ten schools are in the mix.
• Some good Purdue football thoughts from earlier this week.
• Recruit David Fennell is traveling quite a distance to play ball at Michigan State. Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins puts in the work at the Senior Bowl.
• A foot injury has slowed down draft prep for Michigan center David Molk.

As you'd expect, Twitter is buzzing with reaction to the resignation of Jim Tressel as Ohio State's coach earlier Monday.

Ohio State held a team meeting Monday morning to announce the change, but several current and former players have tweeted about Tressel's departure. Most of the reaction is very positive.

Here's a look at some of the comments:

• Center Mike Brewster: Coach Tressel was one of the most honorable men I ever had the chance of being around..he taught me endless life lessons
• Tight end Jake Stoneburner: Tress taught me life lessons and how to become a man. I will forever be grateful that I played for such a great man. He is irreplaceable.
• Left tackle Mike Adams: #coachtress is what young people everywhere should strive to be! What don't break us will make us!
• Linebacker Andrew Sweat: You have done a tremendous amount for us as football players but more importantly developing us as men. Thanks
• Linebacker Etienne Sabino: I have a tremendous amount of respect for. Coach Tressel ..Hate to see this happen
• Running back Jordan Hall: So much love for coach tress. Promise no team wanna play us .#onamission
• Running back Jaamal Berry: Still love you coach Tress were going to win it all for you and #BuckeyeNation
• Wide receiver Chris Fields: This is definitely somethin I did not wanna wake up too!
• Cornerback Travis Howard: This will make us stronger as a team aNd tougher as individuals we gone pull this together and make it happen #beastmode
• Former cornerback Donald Washington: #CoachTress deserves a statue ... I would love to be suiting up for the #bucks with all the bs going on! I gotta feeling the Buckeyes are gon be untamed this fall!
• Former defensive end Cameron Heyward: Sad day to be a buckeye. #coach tressel you will be missed. No one understands what that man has taught me and done for me
• Former tight end Jake Ballard: Jim Tressel is one of the best human beings I have ever met. All he ever did was care and help people. #BuckeyeNation lost a great coach!!
• Former punter Jon Thoma: TRY to find a team who is gonna play harder than the Bucks this year. No mercy. Everybody dies.
• Former running back Chris Wells: say it aint sooo!

There are also these notable tweets:

• Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin: The head of the scarlet and grey Demon has been cut off!
• Michigan cornerback Troy Woolfolk: Tressel resigned, well I guess it got too hot in the kitchen. Lol
• Former Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga: @OfficialAJHawk are you going to help select the new coach at OSU. I am sure they will be askig for your professional opinion.
• Former Michigan running back Mike Hart: Great day for America! Sad day 4 Big 10, Hate OSU but tressel was a great coach! Would rather beat them when he's the coach than some1 else
• Former Ohio State receiver Ray Small: Lol what y'all gone do 2 me that man resigned his self if u don't like me [bleep] u!!

Again, much more to come on Tressel's resignation.

Who will be Ohio State's No. 3 wide receiver this season?

The question has been asked for months, even before Duron Carter's departure from the school in mid June. Ohio State boasts two proven receivers in DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher, but the team has no other returning wideouts who caught a pass in 2009.

Interested parties wondered if senior Taurian Washington would take charge. Others watched redshirt freshman Chris Fields, who drew strong reviews from the coaching staff after spring ball. And don't forget about guys like Grant Schwartz, James Jackson or even true freshmen like James Louis or Verlon Reed.

My take: forget all those names for a second. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor's third option in the passing game this fall doesn't even play wide receiver but ... wait for it ... tight end.

"Oh, yeah," Jake Stoneburner said when asked about filling the No. 3 role. "During camp, they've had some instances where they'll split me out and they’ll have a two-back set with three receivers, and I'm the third receiver out there with Dane and DeVier."

Some people out there must be thinking I can't be serious. An Ohio State tight end being an integral part of the passing game? Jim Tressel would go for fourth-and-8 in his own red zone before featuring a tight end as a pass catcher.

Stoneburner had a grand total of two receptions in 2009, while starting tight end Jake Ballard had only 13. In 2008, Ballard and Rory Nicol combined for 11 receptions all year.

Nicol used to joke about how rarely the ball came his way. Ohio State tight ends used their hands for blocking and not much else.

It's why Stoneburner initially wasn't thrilled about switching from receiver to tight end before last season.

"I knew they didn't get the ball," he said.

What might change in 2010? For starters, Stoneburner is admittedly a pass-first tight end who has made blocking his top offseason priority.

He's a big target at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, and he boasts good speed in the middle of the field. Perhaps most important, Pryor likes to throw him the ball.

"The spring is when I really saw it," Stoneburner said. "We would have plays we normally hadn't run with the tight end running routes, and he's looking at me, like, 'Hey, get open on this. I'll try and get you the ball.' With Terrelle knowing the offense more and being more comfortable out there, he's looking for more targets. With me being able to run good routes and get open, he's looking at me to be one of his primary targets."

A year ago, we heard similar talk about Stoneburner being a bigger part of the passing game, and it never happened. But Pryor spread the ball around a bit better in the Rose Bowl and has continued to do so in practice.

Plus, Stoneburner has developed his game.

"I want to be an every-down tight end, and you've got to be able to block and catch the ball," he said. "I felt like with my speed and athleticism, I'll always be able to get open and catch the ball, but I really had to work on my strength, knowing the defense, knowing who to block when and footwork and that kind of stuff."

Stoneburner agrees that Ohio State needs more than two reliable receivers this fall. But Pryor should have more options, regardless of the position they play.

"We've got a lot more weapons," Stoneburner said. "The running backs can catch the ball just as good as the receivers and tight ends, so having all that come together at once, it's going to lead us to being able to do more things with our offense."

The Rose Bowl shed new light on Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State offense -- a glow that Buckeyes fans hope doesn't go anywhere.

Ohio State's offense was mediocre at best during the regular season, and Pryor hadn't shown enough consistency in the passing game to complement his unique athletic talent. But in Pasadena, Pryor and his teammates put forth the balanced, efficient and effective product everyone had been waiting for.

The game marked a potential turning point for Pryor and the offense, a place where the Buckeyes could build. Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman certainly hopes so.

But Bollman also knows it's not that easy.

"You're not going to walk on the field [Thursday] and all of a sudden, be at that point," Bollman said. "How hard we all have to work, how focused we have to be to get back to that point, that's what's in front of us. That's the challenge, that's how you try to improve.

"You're not working toward an unseen performance level. We've been to that point. But everybody's got to understand what it takes."

Getting back to that point -- and beyond it -- is the challenge for Ohio State's offense, which begins spring practice Thursday afternoon. Bollman said Pryor won't be limited after offseason knee surgery, and the hope is that the third-year quarterback takes another step after his giant leap between the 2009 regular-season finale and the Rose Bowl.

So can Ohio State open up the playbook, particularly with the pass, for Pryor?

"If we show [progress] along those lines, certainly that would be a logical way for us to head in," Bollman said. "Plus, having the weapon of him being able to run, should we choose to do those kinds of things. But for him in the realm of the passing game, that's got to be a full team deal. Our protection has got to improve. His own performance has to be more consistent. We've got to get more of those outs going to the tight ends and the running backs.

"All of that has got to come together, and that's going to be a fun part of this spring."

Ohio State returns nine starters on offense, including four of five linemen and two capable receivers in DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher. But to truly spark the passing attack, the Buckeyes must identify more options this spring.

They need a No. 3 wideout, as Ray Small departs and no returning players besides Posey and Sanzenbacher recorded more than 20 receptions last fall. Running back Brandon Saine, who had 17 catches for 224 yards last year, should help a bit, but Ohio State wants more depth at receiver.

Bollman said Taurian Washington has the best chance to step in, but the senior had no catches last year and boasts only three in his college career. Duron Carter also returns, and Bollman thinks Chris Fields and James Jackson, as well as some incoming recruits, could factor into the mix.

"Washington's probably the leading candidate," Bollman said. "He really finished up the year strong, did a good job coming through in the bowl game. He'd be a guy that we're counting on to give us a hand in there."

A bigger boost could come from the tight end position, which Ohio State typically uses for run blocking. Former Buckeyes tight end Rory Nicol used to joke about how little the tight ends were used in the passing attack, and while Jake Ballard made a memorable catch in the Rose Bowl, he finished the season with only 14 receptions.

Things could change with Jake Stoneburner stepping into a featured role. The 6-5, 245-pound Stoneburner had only two receptions as a freshman last year, but his production should increase.

"His speed certainly can have more of an effect on the game than some other guys we've had in the past," Bollman said. "That's going to cause openings for someone, if not him. That can have a different effect on things, for sure."

After a successful Big Ten bowl season, let's take a look back:

Team of the postseason: Ohio State. The team everyone loves to hate silenced its critics with a terrific performance on both sides of the ball against a favored Oregon team in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi. Ohio State snapped the Big Ten's six-game slide in BCS games and the league's six-game slide in the Rose Bowl.

Best game: The Outback Bowl. It didn't result in a Big Ten win, but arguably no bowl game had more plot twists as Northwestern made a furious comeback against Auburn. Wildcats quarterback Mike Kafka set an NCAA record for most plays by one player (98 -- 78 pass, 20 rush), and Auburn had to win the game three times in overtime before finally prevailing 38-35 after Northwestern's trick play on fourth down didn't reach the end zone.

Biggest play: Terrelle Pryor's 24-yard pass to a leaping Jake Ballard on third-and-13 in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl. Ohio State led by only two points at the time, and Ballard's catch kept the drive alive, as Ohio State eventually went in for a touchdown.

Best drive: Two really stand out to me. Ohio State marched 81 yards in 13 plays and burned 6:01 off of the clock in the fourth quarter against Oregon Pryor hit DeVier Posey for a 17-yard score to cap it all off. Penn State trailed 17-16 in the fourth quarter when Daryll Clark led a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with the game-winning field goal and burned 5:57 off of the clock.

Offensive Player of the Postseason: Ohio State's Pryor. He finally turned in the complete performance we've all been waiting for, and he did it on a huge stage. Pryor set career highs in both completions (23) and passing yards (266) as he fired two touchdowns against Oregon. He also had a game-high 72 rushing yards. Pryor earned Offensive Player of the Game honors.

Defensive Player of the Postseason: Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn. As we mentioned countless times during Virtual Pressbox, Clayborn was a beast against Georgia Tech. Clayborn recorded nine tackles and two sacks in Iowa's FedEx Orange Bowl victory and helped derail Georgia Tech's triple option offense. He was named Orange Bowl MVP.

Special Teams Player of the Postseason: Penn State kicker Collin Wagner. The horrible field conditions at the Capital One Bowl were a major story, but they didn't bother Wagner, who went 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts in Penn State's victory.

Coach of the postseason: Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker. The veteran defensive guru rendered the triple option offense totally ineffective for most of the game. Parker had his players prepared for Georgia Tech, and it showed in a dominant defensive performance. Honorable mentions go to Ohio State defensive coordinators Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren and Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley.

Surprise performance: Everybody knew about Garrett Graham, but it was another Wisconsin tight end, Lance Kendricks, who stole the show in the Champs Sports Bowl. Kendricks became Scott Tolzien's go-to receiver, recording a career-high 128 receiving yards on seven receptions. He had the second most receptions by a Wisconsin player in a bowl game, behind only Pat Richter's 11 in the 1963 Rose Bowl.

Bowled over: Fortunately, Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray and Northwestern kicker Stefan Demos will have other opportunities to step up for their teams. But the postseason will sting both men for a while. Gray fumbled deep in Iowa State territory as Minnesota was driving for the potential game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter of the Insight Bowl. Speaking of field goals, Demos missed three, including the potential game-winner, plus an extra-point attempt in the Outback Bowl.

Best calls: They didn't result in victories, but I loved Michigan State's fake field goal and Minnesota's fake punt call. Michigan State's fake to Charlie Gantt went for 18 yards and set up the go-ahead touchdown on the next play. Minnesota punter Blake Haudan passed to safety Kyle Theret, who had a monster performance in the Insight Bowl. The play went for 40 yards and Minnesota scored its first touchdown moments later.

Second guessing: I'm still somewhat in shock about Iowa's decision to run a fake field goal midway through the fourth quarter when it led Georgia Tech by only three points. The decision didn't end up hurting the Hawkeyes, who forced a turnover on the ensuing possession, but it could have been disastrous. Also, Michigan State seemed to lose the momentum in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech when it ran the ball on third-and-long to set up a field-goal try. Yes, quarterback Kirk Cousins had struggled and left tackle Rocco Cironi was out, but field goals weren't going to beat the Red Raiders.

Craziest stat line: Northwestern's Kafka completed 47 of 78 passes for 532 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 30 rush yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He had thrown 117 consecutive passes without an interception until his first pick in the opening quarter.

Memorable post-game quote: After an odd question about Iowa representing the heartland, quarterback Ricky Stanzi, standing on the victory podium, replied, "Of course. There's nothing better than being American. So, this is the greatest feeling. If you don't love it, leave it! USA, No. 1!"

Fresh faces: Two freshmen running backs stood out in their postseason debuts. Iowa's Brandon Wegher had 113 rush yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the Orange Bowl, while Michigan State's Edwin Baker went for 97 rush yards and a score on just 12 carries in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

PASADENA, Calif. -- They form one of the most decorated classes in Ohio State history, but their accomplishments always seemed to come with an asterisk.

A 43-8 record. Four Big Ten championships (three outright, one shared). Four wins against archrival Michigan. Four trips to BCS bowl games, including two national title games.

But without a bowl victory, Ohio State's seniors had an incomplete legacy.

Problem solved.

Ohio State's 19 seniors went out as winners following Friday's 26-17 win against No. 7 Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi. They helped to end the Buckeyes' three-game losing streak in BCS bowls and the Big Ten's six-game losing streak at the Rose.

The Buckeyes' seniors end their careers with 44 wins, one more than the previous high for a class set by three groups (1995-98, 2002-05, 2005-08).

"It makes up for a lot of misfortune and shortcomings," tight end Jake Ballard said.

"We needed to come out and win for these seniors," sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor said.

Ballard made the biggest catch of his career in his final game, a leaping 24-yarder on third-and-13 that set up Ohio State's decisive touchdown.

The Buckeyes also received contributions from seniors like kicker Aaron Pettrey (45-yard field goal), defensive tackle Doug Worthington (tackle for loss, tipped pass that led to interception), punter Jon Thoma (43.7-yard average), left tackle Jim Cordle and safeties Anderson Russell (six tackles) and Kurt Coleman (four tackles).

"Every loss that we've had at the end of every bowl has been a learning experience," said Coleman, who turned down the NFL draft after his junior season in large part to win a bowl game. "Last year [against Texas], we were so close to winning, and that was one of our biggest motivation factors going into the offseason.

"We put in the hard work, and it paid off."

PASADENA, Calif. -- The play was weeks in the making.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his close friend, sophomore wide receiver DeVier Posey, hadn't yet hooked up on a deep out into the end zone against single coverage. But they knew their time was coming.

"We've been practicing this throw for a while," Pryor said. "We knew if [the defenders] stayed off a little bit, the back-shoulder throw [would be there]. I finally got it. I was watching tapes of Peyton Manning and stuff like that, trying to get the footwork down."

Posey did the catching part, leaping to snare a 17-yard touchdown to put Ohio State up 26-17 with 7:02 left in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi. The connection capped the game's decisive drive, a 13-play, 81-yard march that gave Ohio State a two-score cushion.

"DeVier made a great catch," Pryor said

As good as Pryor performed Friday against No. 7 Oregon, he got plenty of help from an often overlooked group of wide receivers and tight ends. Wideouts Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher combined for 17 receptions, eclipsing their previous combined total by six catches.

Tight end Jake Ballard had arguably the game's biggest reception, leaping to haul in a 24-yard pass on third-and-13 that set up Posey's touchdown.

"This game, we felt like we needed to come in really flinging it around," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said.

Sure, but 37 pass attempts? Ohio State had no more than 32 in any game this season and attempted just 17 throws in each of its final three games.

"We knew that as a passing offense, we could do something like this," Sanzenbacher said. "We just weren't able to put it together in a game yet. ... I didn't expect it to that extent, but when you get the passing game started early and you get that chemistry going, you're going to go with it."

Ballard entered the game with just 13 receptions all season, none for more than 19 yards. Ohio State's tight ends often joke about how rarely a pass comes their way, but when it did Friday, Ballard was ready.

"I was improvising a little bit," Ballard said. "My guy didn't come off the edge, so I went to the flat and saw TP moving around back there. I went upfield, he saw me, threw it up, and I went up and got it.

"I'll remember that forever."

PASADENA, Calif. -- Terrelle Pryor just led the drive of his life.

And it could be the drive that ends Ohio State's BCS bowl losing streak and the Big Ten's losing streak in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi.

Pryor was extremely sharp on a 13-play, 81-yard scoring drive that ended with a diving touchdown reception by DeVier Posey, one of Pryor's best friends. Ohio State now leads 26-17, and it's up to the defense to hold the advantage.

Pryor was 4-for-5 passing on the drive, including a 24-yard rainbow to a leaping Jake Ballard on third-and-13. He also had two first-down runs on the drive.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As Ohio State's defense continues its superb play this season, Buckeyes fans have turned their attention toward Terrelle Pryor and the offense.

	Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
	Jim Tressel's offense remains a work in progress.

Despite the loss to USC, the Buckeyes are playing like a BCS bowl champion in two of the three phases. But the third phase has been inconsistent for much of the season, as Ohio State ranks last in the Big Ten in passing and 10th in total offense.

What must the offense improve on during the second half of the season? I asked this of head coach Jim Tressel on Tuesday, and he cited two areas.

The first was no surprise, given Tressel's pillars for success. He wants Ohio State to cut down its turnovers. Though the Buckeyes have committed a league-low nine giveaways this year, they're already approaching their total for all of last season (13).

Tressel's second area for improvement was much more intriguing.

"We've got to do a little bit better job of adjusting to whatever it is our opponent's going to [use] that perhaps isn't exactly the way they played it on the film," he said. "Sometimes when you have a younger group and you're trying to train them off the film and then people don't come out and do exactly that, we have to learn on the run a little bit better so that we can have a little bit more consistency."

In other words, adjustments have been a challenge for an offense led by a sophomore quarterback and featuring only one senior starter (tight end Jake Ballard) and only two seniors (Ballard and wideout Ray Small) in the regular rotation.

It's not that Pryor and the offense aren't prepared for what an opponent has done in previous games. But when opponents shake things up, the Buckeyes haven't caught on fast enough.

"One of the sciences of learning how to use your film study is to not get set in your mind that, 'Hey, they're going to play it just this way and the things we've designed are going to be just like they were drawn on the chalk board. In fact, they can come out and play us this way or that way,'" Tressel said. "We've got to do a good job on the sideline in between series, saying, 'OK, here's what they've done so far. That doesn't mean they're going to keep doing it. ... They're allowed to have the next step and the next step as well.'

"It's not simply a quarterback issue. It's an issue for everyone involved."

Tressel's response speaks to the fact that the offense remains a work in progress, and getting the feel for the game isn't always there. But better adjustments from Pryor and the offense need to come quickly.

With this defense, Ohio State could have a special second half. But most teams don't win BCS bowl games without more consistency from the offensive side.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Ohio State isn't one of the three Big Ten teams to issue official injury reports each week, but head coach Jim Tressel's always provides health updates at his weekly Thursday media briefing. Today's session was no exception, as Tressel addressed the status of several players heading into Saturday's game against Wisconsin (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).

• Offensive tackle Andrew Miller will miss his second consecutive game because of the flu. Sophomore Mike Adams will get the start at left tackle against the Badgers. There was some talk earlier in the week that Adams also had been affected by the flu, but Tressel on Thursday called it a false alarm. The hope is Miller will return to practice by Tuesday.
• Other players who missed Wednesday's practice with the flu included starting left guard Justin Boren, starting tight end Jake Ballard and reserve safety Nate Oliver.
• Running back Dan Herron is close to 100 percent after missing last week's game with an ankle injury. Expect Brandon Saine to make his second straight, but Herron should see time as well.
• Guard Jim Cordle is making good progress with his ankle injury and participated in part of Wednesday's practice, which surprised Tressel. "I don't think we would put him in the game," Tressel said, "but he may be back a week earlier than we thought, which would be tremendous for us."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The competition at left tackle has been one of the top preseason storylines at Ohio State, which loses Alex Boone from an offensive front that needs better results this season.

Ohio State's Week 1 depth chart (page 7) is out, and it looks like junior Andrew Miller, not heralded sophomores J.B. Shugarts or Mike Adams, will protect Terrelle Pryor's blind side when the team opens the season Saturday against Navy. Miller is listed as the starter opposite senior Jim Cordle at right tackle. Guards Justin Boren and Bryant Browning and center Mike Brewster round out the starting five.

Other notable items from the Buckeyes' two deep:

• Ray Small might be the team's No. 2 returning receiver with 18 catches last year, but the senior comes in third on the depth chart at wideout behind starter DeVier Posey and backup Duron Carter, a true freshman. Small still could be in the dog house after academic issues delayed his arrival to camp, but it's hard not to believe he'll play more than your average third-stringer.
• The offense features only two seniors in starting roles (Cordle and tight end Jake Ballard), while five freshmen or sophomores are projected to start. Three true freshmen are listed as backups on offense -- Carter, center Jack Mewhort and left guard Corey Linsley.
• Senior Andre Amos gets the starting nod over junior Devon Torrence at the hotly contested cornerback spot opposite Chimdi Chekwa.
• The defensive line is simply stacked with experience, as players like Lawrence Wilson and Todd Denlinger aren't even listed as starters.
• Small and Posey are listed as the primary punt return men, while the team's top two running backs, Dan Herron and Brandon Saine, will handle kickoff returns along with sophomore wideout Lamaar Thomas.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The preseason position rankings march on with the wide receivers and tight ends.

The Big Ten wasn't known for its air show last year, as only Illinois ranked among the top 25 nationally in pass offense. But most would agree the league boasts two of the nation's elite wide receivers in Illinois' Arrelious Benn and Minnesota's Eric Decker, as well as a good crop of tight ends led by Wisconsin's Garrett Graham. The overall landscape at wideout/tight end should improve this fall.

1. Illinois -- An easy choice for the top spot as Illinois boasts by far the league's best crop of wide receivers. Benn aims for a second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season and hopes to increase his touchdowns total. Florida transfer Jarred Fayson enters the mix and should make a major impact along with Jeff Cumberland. Senior tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is one of the league's more underrated players.

2. Minnesota -- Decker certainly headlines the group and will finish his career as arguably the most decorated wide receiver in team history. But he's not alone. Junior college stud Hayo Carpenter arrives and will play alongside Brandon Green, Ben Kuznia, Da'Jon McKnight and Troy Stoudermire, who should play a much bigger role in the passing game after working more at receiver this spring.

3. Michigan State -- The Spartans return virtually everyone from a receiving corps that had some decent moments last fall. Blair White and Mark Dell both have All-Big Ten potential, and the team will look for more production from Keshawn Martin and B.J. Cunningham. The real story here is the depth at tight end. No Big Ten team boasts more as Charlie Gantt and Clemson transfer Brian Linthicum lead the way.

4. Wisconsin -- Much like Michigan State, Wisconsin brings back the core from a group that endured ups and downs in 2008. Graham enters the fall as the Big Ten's premier tight end and has Lance Kendricks and Mickey Turner behind him. The improvement at wide receiver should be the biggest difference for Wisconsin. Nick Toon could be a star this fall, and Kyle Jefferson, Isaac Anderson and David Gilreath all return. 

5.  Ohio State -- The Brians (Robiskie and Hartline) are gone, but Ohio State could be more explosive at wide receiver this season. Though Ray Small's academic situation creates some uneasiness, DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher form a nice 1-2 punch. Ohio State should be better at the tight end position with the Jakes (Ballard and Stoneburner).

6. Michigan -- This group didn't have much of a chance to shine last fall, but things should be different in 2009. The big-play potential is there with Martavious Odoms, Greg Mathews and Darryl Stonum, and redshirt freshman Roy Roundtree had a solid spring. Tight end Kevin Koger could be a very effective weapon if Michigan throws to him more. 

7. Iowa -- There are some question marks here, namely Tony Moeaki's health and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' practice performance, but it wouldn't surprise me if Iowa climbed the list. Moeaki could bring a huge spark at tight end after the loss of Brandon Myers. Johnson-Koulianos will be motivated after his depth-chart demotion, and converted quarterback Marvin McNutt has impressed the coaches.  

8. Penn State -- I'm sure I'll hear it from Nittany Nation (as I usually do), but the loss of three multiyear starters takes a pretty big toll. It wouldn't shock me one bit if Derek Moye, Graham Zug, Brett Brackett and Chaz Powell don't miss a beat, but I need to see them excel in more featured roles. Tight end Andrew Quarless has tons of talent but needs to put it all together this fall.

9. Purdue -- The Boilers usually find a way to succeed at wide receiver, but they lose a lot in Greg Orton, Desmond Tardy and running back Kory Sheets, an excellent pass-catcher. Keith Smith steps into the No. 1 spot after recording 49 receptions last fall, but he'll need help from Aaron Valentin, converted cornerback Royce Adams and junior college import Keith Carlos. Purdue should be much better at tight end as Kyle Adams returns. 

10. Northwestern -- The program needs to prove it can reload after losing three multiyear starters (Eric Peterman, Ross Lane, Rasheed Ward). Northwestern has had high hopes for converted quarterback Andrew Brewer, but he's struggled to stay healthy. The Wildcats will lean on Brewer, junior Sidney Stewart and sophomore Jeremy Ebert, who performed well last fall. The superback position might finally be featured as Drake Dunsmore returns from a knee injury.

11. Indiana -- Last year's leading receiver (Ray Fisher) likely will start at cornerback, while the man expected to be the No. 1 (Kellen Lewis) was dismissed after spring ball. There are some major questions here, but you've got to like Indiana's young wideouts Damarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss. Sophomore tight end Max Dedmond could be a player to watch this fall.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

CHICAGO -- Ohio State senior tight end Jake Ballard didn't have to search for the subtle signs showing Terrelle Pryor's growth as a leader this summer.

Pryor made it plainly obvious during 7-on-7 workouts.

If a Buckeyes receiver dropped a pass, Pryor let him have it.

"If you drop one or two balls, he's going to try and get you out of there and put somebody else in," Ballard said. "If it hit your hands, he's going to take you out. He demands a lot from us and we demand a lot from him, and all of us know we can handle it."

The trust between the quarterback and his teammates wasn't as strong in 2008, when Pryor replaced senior co-captain Todd Boeckman just four games into the fall. Though Pryor had his share of highlights and won Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, he struggled to find a consistent rhythm with his receivers.

Ohio State finished a woeful 105th nationally in pass offense, and Pryor took time to grow into the leadership role thrust upon him prematurely.

"All of us feel a greater sense of comfort, including Terrelle," Ballard said. "He's not the freshman that hasn't played before going into the huddle with all seniors and juniors, who are like, 'Where's Todd?' When it first happened, everybody's like, 'Wow, Todd's really not playing and we have to trust this kid, Terrelle.'

"Now Terrelle's more of a leader type. He commands our attention, and we give it to him."

Ballard avoided Pryor's wrath during the summer workouts, hanging onto the passes that came his way. It helped that Pryor looked more often to the tight ends, who have been used sparingly as pass receivers in the past.

Ballard expects to see more action this fall. Ohio State loses two standout receivers in Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, and head coach Jim Tressel has greater trust in Pryor to run a more wide-ranging offense.

"TP's not just looking for receivers to get the ball," Ballard said. "He's looking to tight ends, running backs, fullbacks. If you're open, he's going to hit you. I really think we're going to have a bigger role in the offense. Coach Tress has talked about it."

Pryor's evolution this summer was also visible to those on the other side of the line.

"He has to take command and he has to be the leader," safety Kurt Coleman said. "And if you're not doing it right, he's going to tell you what you're doing wrong until you correct yourself. Honestly, he's improved his game so much."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

CHICAGO -- Many like to blame Ohio State for all of the Big Ten's recent shortcomings, which is pretty unfair. 

Granted, the Buckeyes have lost three consecutive BCS bowls, including two national championship games, and were blown out last September at USC. Ohio State has been the Big Ten's most dominant and visible team, and the league's most noticeable failure on the big stage. 

But other teams haven't helped the league, either. Penn State, Illinois and Michigan have lost the last three Rose Bowls by a combined score of 119-59. Wisconsin hasn't been able to match its success from the 1990s. Iowa fell off after an impressive run from 2002-04. Purdue never got over the hump in big games. 

The question of how to fix the Big Ten likely will linger until January, and the league's players and coaches seem more united in trying to turn things around. Several theories have been presented, but things always seem to trickle back to Ohio State. 

Whether or not the Buckeyes got the Big Ten in this mess, it's up to them to get the league back on track. 

"A lot of people look to us as the flag bearer," Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman said. "There's a great expectations for Ohio State to succeed. Whenever we go to the bowl games, if every [Big Ten] team would have won except us, the perception would have been a lot better than what it is now.

"There is a little more weight carried our way, and we expect that."

Other Big Ten teams can help out the league in September.

Wins by Illinois against Missouri, Minnesota against Cal, Purdue against Oregon and three Big Ten teams against Notre Dame could slightly enhance the league's rep. But Penn State's soft schedule prevents the Nittany Lions from making their mark nationally until November and, most likely, January.

Ohio State, meanwhile, can provide a major boost by beating USC on Sept. 12. 

"We have a great deal on our shoulders," Buckeyes tight end Jake Ballard said. "You look at Ohio State and Penn State, two of the top teams the last couple of years, we've been falling short in bowl games. Us, personally, we've lost the last three, and there's not one day we don't think about that.

"It has to start with us."