ESPN College Football

Penn State will honor the late Joe Paterno in some way this fall. The school also doesn't want to be sued by Paterno's family because of the way it fired the legendary coach in November.

The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News reports Penn State officials offered to rename Beaver Stadium after Paterno in hopes of receiving a full release from the family, which would prevent them from suing the school or publicly criticizing the situation. Penn State's informal proposal following Paterno's death also included an apology for how Paterno was fired (over the phone) and the honoring of his contract with the school, which took place late last week.

But Paterno's family declined the stadium naming offer. Joe Paterno never wanted it when he was alive.

From the Patriot-News:

A source close to the Paterno family says renaming the field would still be "a tremendous and humbling honor," but it "has always been a fan-driven matter. It was never important to Joe."

Paterno was uncomfortable with the statue of him placed outside Beaver Stadium, which depicted him holding is index finger in a No. 1 salute. A source told The Patriot-News, "The idea he'd be out in front of that stadium with a No. 1 finger is crazy. He always showed a closed fist."

Tensions remain between Paterno's family and the university, as confirmed in a statement issued Friday by the family that took issue with claims that it had reached a settlement with the school.

The field/stadium renaming plan remains popular among many Penn State fans. A father and son circulated a petition during the Blue-White festivities this week that called for the field at Beaver Stadium to be named after Paterno. According to The Patriot-News, two of Paterno's sons, Jay and Scott, signed off on the petition, which received close to 60,000 signatures before the Blue-White Game. Paterno's family would agree to the naming if it was done for the fans.

It's clear the ongoing tension makes any tribute to Paterno an especially delicate issue.

What's your take? Send your responses here.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- They spoke at Joe Paterno's memorial Thursday the way that his teams played and represented Penn State for the last 46 seasons: simply, with little flash and great focus.

They emphasized academics every bit as much as football. They played fierce defense, as his teams always did, defending Paterno's reputation in the wake of the child abuse scandal that caused the university to fire him in November. They remembered Paterno as a teacher more than a coach, a philanthropist with straightforward values, and a man who prized the competitive instinct.

And at the close of the ceremony at the Bryce Jordan Center, right across the parking lot from Beaver Stadium, Jay Paterno, his son and former assistant coach, spoke for nearly half an hour with an emphasis on Paterno as a husband, father and grandfather.

The heavens provided a typical late-season Saturday of weather for the memorial: rain, leaden skies, temperatures in the mid-30s, pretty much a copy of Oct. 29, the day of Paterno's last game as a head coach.

For Ivan Maisel's full column, click here.

"Outside the Lines" has the latest reaction to Joe Paterno's death from State College, Pa., along with Tom Rinaldi's interview with Jay Paterno.

It’s like when they cancelled "Party of Five" for the second time. I mean when they cancelled … sports.

• Joe Paterno's son says his father was upbeat and at peace in his final days. Penn State coach Bill O'Brien says he's honored to follow JoePa, who, according to Jay Paterno, lived an "incomparable life." Paterno made Penn State the beast of the East. A look at some of Paterno's top games in the Big Ten.
• Don't count out Jim Tressel to be a successful NFL coach, Bob Hunter writes.
• Michigan's NFL hopefuls prepare for the draft with former U-M strength coach Mike Barwis. Kyle Meinke looks at five Wolverines freshmen most likely to see the field in 2012.
• Illinois' trustees put AD Mike Thomas in a tough spot by publicly voicing their concerns about diversity hiring, Loren Tate writes. One of the nation's top 2013 lineman recruits is considering Illinois.
• Wisconsin loses an offensive line recruit to Rutgers. Badgers receiver Jared Abbrederis is finally on scholarship, which is well deserved.
• Nebraska picks up an offensive line recruit for the 2012 class. The Huskers are also getting started on their 2013 class.
• Some interesting thoughts on Iowa's running back attrition and defensive coordinator search. The Daily Iowan makes the case both for and against Phil Parker as D-coordinator.
• Jerry Kill is capitalizing on his first full offseason at Minnesota.

Winter, we meet again.

• A look at Ohio State's six early enrollees. More legal troubles for Ohio State defensive back Dominic Clarke.
• Bill O'Brien and Joe Paterno spoke for the first time, David Jones reports. Charlie Weis talks about O'Brien's challenge of balancing two jobs at once. Here's Jay Paterno's first column since the sex-abuse scandal.
• Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema talks about his assistant coach search. In case it wasn't obvious RussellMania is sticking with football over baseball.
• There's no chance running back Marcus Coker will return to Iowa, his attorney says. Iowa still isn't saying much about the Coker situation.
• Cornerback Mohammed Seisay hopes to be Nebraska's next juco success story.
• Michigan State's Nick Hill has taken school pride to the next level. The Spartans need defensive tackles and are eying one from Ohio.
• Some good Minnesota football news and nuggets.
• Indiana picks up a running back recruit for its 2012 class.
• A future Northwestern Wildcat runs the Wildcat at the All-American Bowl.
• Purdue's kick return team finishes No. 1 in the nation.
• Michigan linebacker Kenny Demens earns an "A" grade from annarbor.com. The Wolverines are excited to take on defending national champ Alabama on Sept. 1.
• Illinois' Board of Trustees will survey coach Tim Beckman's contract later this month for approval.

Adam Rittenberg considers Jay Paterno's departure from Penn State more symbolic than surprising.

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno's son Jay speaks to Tom Rinaldi about his father's firing and Bill O'Brien's hiring at Penn State.

Penn State's coaching search has been fairly quiet to this point, but names of potential candidates are beginning to surface in published reports.

Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements is the latest to express interest, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Those who follow NFL coach searches probably know Clements' name, as he has been in the mix for several head-coaching positions. He also was mentioned as a candidate at Notre Dame, where he played quarterback.

Clements hails from McKees Rocks, Pa. He has tutored Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and certainly would bring credibility to a Penn State program that has struggled to develop NFL signal callers in recent years.

The Tribune-Review also reports that current Nittany Lions quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno interviewed for the head-coaching job last week, and that acting head coach Tom Bradley, the team's defensive coordinator since 2000, will interview with the search committee this week. No surprises there. While Penn State will be pressured to hire a candidate from the outside, the committee has said it won't exclude current assistants from the process.

Clements is the second Packers assistant coach to reportedly express interest in the Penn State job. The agent for Packers safeties coach Darren Perry, a former All-American at Penn State, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Perry would "take a hard look" at returning to his alma mater if approached.

The two names mentioned most throughout the process have been Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and Harvard coach Tim Murphy. ESPN reported last week that Mullen is one of Penn State's top targets, while there is mutual interest between Penn State and Murphy.

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy denied having interest in the Penn State job (no surprise), and Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak, a Penn State product, also isn't likely to leave his post.

The (Allentown) Morning Call is reporting that Boise State's Chris Petersen and Murphy are on Penn State's radar. Petersen's name is mentioned for almost every major-conference opening, and while Penn State offers him some advantages Boise State doesn't, it would be a surprise to see him make the move. Other than a one-year stint as Pitt's quarterbacks coach in 1992, he has spent his entire career on the West Coast and hails from Yuba City, Calif.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The tendency during a time of crisis is to go conservative, limit risks and simply try to survive.

Penn State is mired in a crisis, perhaps the biggest crisis in college sports history. A sex-abuse scandal has enveloped the institution. Beloved football coach Joe Paterno has been fired, and recently his son Scott said his father had been diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer. Assistant coach Mike McQueary has been placed on administrative leave. Coaches are shuffling responsibilities. The future is hazy.

And, by the way, Penn State finds itself in the thick of the Big Ten title race.

Given these circumstances, few would blame Penn State, already known as one of the nation's most conservative football programs, to play it even safer with its schemes and personnel. Crisis Management 101, right?

Think again.

Interim coach Tom Bradley and his staff decided this would be the perfect time to shake up the offense. The Wildcat formation, run by two former high school quarterbacks, Curtis Drake and Bill Belton, fueled a potent rushing attack in Penn State's 20-14 victory against Ohio State at Ohio Stadium.

The new wrinkle led to a new result in a place Penn State had won just once before (2008) as a member of the Big Ten.

"With all that we've been going through, we need a spark," said Drake, who had a 38-yard scamper and finished with 50 yards on three carries. "We need something new, we need to uplift ourselves. ... [The coaches] were looking at it just to say, 'We've got nothing else to lose. We've been kicked, we've been spit on by everybody. So now let's just go out and play.'"

Penn State set the tone Saturday on its opening drive when Drake, lined up in the Wildcat, took the snap and handed the ball to Stephfon Green, who raced 39 yards to the end zone. Penn State racked up 91 yards out of the Wildcat in the first half and finished the game with 239 rush yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries (6.1 ypc).

Belton had practiced at quarterback on the scout team heading into the Nebraska game. After seeing Belton "torch" his defense for 10 days, Bradley wanted to use Belton against the opposition. Drake always had been an option at Wildcat, but his recovery from a leg injury kept the plan on hold.

"We'd thought about it a while ago, but we never just got to the package," Bradley said. "We thought today coming in, it would just give us a little change of pace, which it did."

No team in America could use a change of pace more than Penn State. The program has been under siege the past two weeks. Paterno's firing last Wednesday triggered an outpouring of emotion, and the players weren't immune from it.

Then came Friday, when Bradley informed the players of Paterno's cancer diagnosis.

"When it rains, it pours," linebacker Glenn Carson said. "That was what was said amongst each other. It's been a tough week, it's been a tough couple days for us. But I can't be more proud of how this team [handled] the adversity."

Joe's son Jay, the team's quarterbacks coach, wanted to keep the news about his father private until the end of the season, but realized it wouldn't be possible with the intense media attention. While Jay Paterno learned of his father's diagnosis last week, he didn't even tell his children until Friday.

Bradley repeatedly checked in with Jay Paterno, telling him if he needed to miss a meeting to be with his family, don't hesitate to do go. Jay stayed.

"I would go to work and look at film of Ohio State and that was frightening enough," he said. "Working on the game plan, it really kept me distracted. ... It's one of those things that if I didn't do my job and didn't carry it like I'm supposed to, I think I'd be disappointed in myself. But it's not easy."

The other coaches have taken a similar approach.

"It's very emotional," said defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who coordinated the defense with linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden on Saturday. "I try to leave the house in the morning, try to leave all that behind, walk in the [football] building and try to turn myself back into a coach as quick as possible. You can't help but have emotion with the things that have happened. The Coach Paterno news, the victims, we pray for them every day and we make sure we honor them.

"And then we go to work."

Johnson said the players, despite their age, might have an easier time focusing because they didn't know former assistant Jerry Sandusky and weren't at the school when the alleged sexual abuse occurred. But the players know Paterno and they know McQueary, who wide receiver Derek Moye said played a huge role communicating offensive plays and personnel decisions.

Although Friday's news was yet another blow, game day brought players a refuge.

"Guys are anxious to get on the field," quarterback Matthew McGloin said, "just to forget about what's been going on for however long it is, three hours, and just have fun and play the game. That's what we were able to do today, and that's what we were able to do all week in practice.

"Your problems off the field aren't going to go away, but once you step on the field, you have to focus."

In the Big Ten title race, Penn State's game Saturday meant nothing. Wisconsin's victory at Illinois earlier in the day ensured the Leaders Division would come down to next week's game between Penn State and the Badgers in Madison.

But for the Lions' players and coaches, Saturday meant everything, and it showed. Midway through the third quarter, Penn State faced fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line, leading by six.

"Normally, I would have probably kicked it," Bradley said. "But I felt that would have been the wrong decision. ... I'm asking those guys to go to the wall, so I'm going to the wall."

Although Penn State couldn't punch it in, it prevailed in the end. Team Crisis now heads to Madison with a chance to reach the Big Ten championship game.

"We're still at the top of the division, it's still in our hands," McGloin said. "I don't think people are too worried about what's going on outside."

Jay Paterno, an assistant coach at Penn State, talks about his father, recently fired Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno, who has been diagnosed with a form of lung cancer, and the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

We'll begin with Penn State news and then try to get back to normal ...

• Penn State's next coach is unlikely to have ties to the school, Pete Thamel writes in The New York Times.
• Experts say speaking up in child-abuse cases isn't always easy. New laws on reporting abuse are likely to be passed in Pennsylvania.
• Jay Paterno wrote an emotional letter to his father. Interim head coach Tom Bradley, the former defensive coordinator, is trying to connect with the offense. President Obama weighs in on the scandal.
• The head of Jerry Sandusky's charity has stepped down.
• Ohio State is convinced that it won't receive a bowl ban, but even if it does, the NCAA's decision shouldn't come in time to affect this season. Bad tackling hurt the Buckeyes, and other observations from Saturday's loss.
• Looking back and ahead after Purdue's big win over Ohio State. Robert Marve's winding road took a turn in the right direction.
• Illinois just can't break out of its funk. More details on the Trulon Henry shooting.
• Looking at some of Iowa's possible bowl destinations -- the TicketCity Bowl would love to host the Hawkeyes.
• So, Denard Robinson's rushing numbers have gone down? No problem, because Michigan has Fitz Toussaint. The Wolverines' seniors are making some good memories this year after tough times.
• Wisconsin won't have center Peter Konz available for this week's important game at Illinois. The Big Ten title game has come back to the Badgers' clutches.
• Dan Persa and Jeremy Ebert were in sync all day against Rice.
• Nebraska is banged-up in a lot of spots, especially on both lines, but it is trying to stay strong down the stretch. The Huskers are adapting to the Big Ten style just fine.
• MarQueis Gray became a father of twins on 11/11/11 but couldn't deliver an upset of Wisconsin the next day.
• Kirk Cousins had his best road effort at Iowa but typically deflected credit. Michigan State did a better job of handling the "hunted" label.
• It's been a rough season in the Big Ten, Phil Miller writes.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Jay Paterno walked over to an acquaintance on the Beaver Stadium field after Penn State lost to Nebraska, 17-14, shook hands and said with a hint of his typical humor, “I’ve had better weeks.”

The quarterbacks coach, the only member of his family still coaching football at Penn State, dropped by his father’s house on his way to work Saturday morning. He had written his parents a letter.

He didn’t stay. He had to maintain his focus on the game.

“That was the extent of it,” Jay said. “I didn’t want to spend a lot of time over there. It was going to be tough for him. It was going to be tough for me. So I dropped the letter off. I said, ‘Don’t read it yet. Let me get the hell out of here before you read that.’ I had to get myself prepped to focus. I had to get ready for this game.”

With receivers coach Mike McQueary being put on administrative leave Friday, someone had to signal the plays into quarterback Matt McGloin. For the first time in his 17 seasons on PSU's staff, Jay Paterno spent the game on the sideline.

Jay had to focus, even as the world in which he had grown up had been turned upside down. Jay had to focus, even though he never slept Wednesday night, the night that Penn State fired his father.

Jay went over to Joe’s house shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday morning and talked to him about what to do. His father quashed any idea that Jay wouldn’t coach.

“He said, ‘You owe it to your kids (players), you owe it to Penn State, and that’s how I raised you,’” Jay said. Still, he added, just walking into the Lasch Football Building on Thursday morning “was tough. I’m not going to lie to you. It was tough.”

Jay Paterno declined to discuss his emotions concerning the firing. But he said his father is doing OK.

“I had my kids over there for dinner Thursday night, and he was actually OK with it,” Jay said. “I thought he’d be like, ‘Get them the heck out of here.’ ... We’ll see. I think he’ll find another challenge.”

Jay said that he and interim head coach Tom Bradley called McQueary from the locker room before the game, but the cell phone connection faltered, and they didn’t really get a chance to talk to him.

So the letter? The one he wrote to his parents? Jay Paterno declined to discuss some of its contents. But he shared one message.

“One of the things I told him,” Jay said, “was that you and I through my life haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. Generally, that’s because I had to grow up and catch up to make eye contact with you. There are a lot of lessons I’ve learned.”

Week 6 is just around the corner, so let's take a look at 10 items to track in the five Big Ten games taking place Saturday.

1. Buckeyes seeing red: Luke Fickell and his team can't catch a break these days. Saturday was supposed to mark the return of four players, including three multiyear offensive starters, from suspension. Turns out, Ohio State will only regain the services of left tackle Mike Adams and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas for the game at Nebraska. The Buckeyes rank 108th nationally in total offense and face a Nebraska defense coming off of an embarrassing performance at Wisconsin. Ohio State is a double-digit underdog in a conference game for the first time in recent memory. Is this the beginning of the end, or the start of a turnaround?

2. Carson, Lions hope to humble Hawkeyes: Penn State linebacker Glenn Carson added some spice to the Penn State-Iowa rivalry this week, jokingly calling Iowa "a wrestling school" and saying of Hawkeyes fans, "They think they have this stranglehold on us. We just have to humble them up a little bit." Simply beating Iowa would be a nice start, as Penn State has lost three straight and eight of its last nine to Kirk Ferentz's squad. Carson and his fellow Lions defenders will need another superb performance if Penn State's offense continues to spin its wheels.

3. Wolverines, Illini finally hit the road: Michigan and Illinois have been the two nicest surprises in the Big Ten so far, as both teams are 5-0 and ranked in the top 20. Both teams also haven't left the comforts of their home stadiums. That changes Saturday as Michigan visits Northwestern and Illinois visits Indiana. Although neither road opponent or road setting seems too daunting, Michigan's improved defense will be challenged against Northwestern senior QB Dan Persa, while Illinois faces an Indiana team that held Penn State to 16 points last week in Bloomington.

4. Mad Martinez anxious to rebound: Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez is fed up with the criticism, which increased after his three-interception game against Wisconsin. Martinez had a terse session with reporters this week in Lincoln, and offensive lineman Yoshi Hardwick said, "It finally hit him. He'd been holding in a lot. He said he couldn't take it anymore. ... He told me he's sick of it. These next seven games, he just wants the world to get off his back, so he had to do something about it." He can start the process against Ohio State, which boasts the nation's No. 13 defense.

5. QBs in spotlight at Ross-Ade: Minnesota coach Jerry Kill and Purdue counterpart Danny Hope both announced likely starters for Saturday's game -- Max Shortell for the Gophers, Caleb TerBush for the Boilers -- but said things could change by kickoff. MarQueis Gray practiced this week and could work his way back onto the field for Minnesota after missing the Michigan debacle. Robert Marve, whose critical tweet after the Notre Dame loss didn't upset Hope, should be in the mix alongside TerBush. "If he could stay within the system, he could be a difference maker for us," Hope said of Marve this week. "Caleb manages the offense very well and Robert doesn't manage it as well." This much is known: one of these four quarterbacks will guide their team to its first Big Ten win Saturday.

6. Denard vs. Dan: No two Big Ten players meant more to their teams in 2010 than Michigan QB Denard Robinson and Northwestern QB Dan Persa. The two signal callers meet Saturday night in Evanston in what could be an offensive shootout. Robinson still leads the Big Ten in rushing (120.6 ypg) and rebounded nicely as a passer last week against Minnesota, completing 15 of 19 attempts for 169 yards and two scores. Persa sizzled in his season debut at Illinois, firing a career-high four touchdown passes on only 14 pass attempts. Although Persa left the Illinois game with a right foot injury, he practiced this week and is expected to take the bulk of the snaps against Michigan.

7. Potent Hawkeyes pass attack put to test: Ferentz was joking last week when he said Iowa will "go 100 percent no-huddle" on offense the rest of the season, but the Hawkeyes have found something with their up-tempo passing attack. QB James Vandenberg has racked up 432 pass yards and six touchdowns in his past five quarters of play, and Iowa's receiving corps has been a pleasant surprise as Keenan Davis and Kevonte Martin-Manley are emerging alongside No. 1 wideout Marvin McNutt. How good is the Hawkeyes' pass attack? Find out Saturday afternoon at Penn State, which ranks sixth nationally in pass defense with only three passing touchdowns allowed this season.

8. Illini livin' on the edge: Illinois is racking up the wins, but not without plenty of drama. The Illini have recorded three consecutive victories by three points, rallying in the fourth quarter for two of those wins (Arizona State and Northwestern). Ron Zook would like to leave the Maalox at home this week and enjoy a complete performance from his 19th-ranked squad at Indiana. Illinois has to cut down on turnovers, limit penalties after committing eight last week and improve its red-zone touchdowns efficiency against an Indiana defense that forced two Penn State turnovers in the red zone last week.

9. JoePa's sideline swagger: Penn State coach Joe Paterno has disposed of his cane and hopes to spend an entire game on the sideline for the first time this season. The 84-year-old has coached the first half on the sideline in each of the last two contests before heading to the coaches' booth after halftime. "I'm going to be swaggering all over the place." Paterno told reporters Tuesday. "Don't get in my way." Although Paterno's prolonged sideline presence should help his team, he remains removed from much of the key decision-making, including offensive play calls, which are handled by assistants Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. "I don't do a lot of play-calling anymore," he said. "I'm a cheerleader."

10. The league's middle class: Monday, I wrote that the Big Ten needs its middle class to rise to improve its national perception and enhance its chances for the bowl season. Top dog Wisconsin is off this week, so Saturday provides a chance to evaluate the rest of the league (aside from Michigan State, which also has a bye). Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois all have opportunities to take steps forward on the field and likely in the polls. The Iowa-Penn State winner will be in good shape to make a push in their division. Northwestern and Ohio State try to avoid 0-2 conference starts and change the mood around their programs.

You know what? Screw it! Who says two bros can't rock a birthing class?

• Ohio State has another dark day in an overcast season, Bill Livington writes. The individual failures have gotten out of hand in Columbus, Bob Hunter writes. The new suspensions hurt a Buckeyes offense desperate for veterans.
• Coach Brady Hoke thinks Michigan is overrated at No. 12. Big Will Campbell is making strides for the Wolverines, Kyle Meinke writes.
• Taylor Martinez thinks he can read defenses well, and he doesn't care if you disagree. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini isn't panicking one bit. Pelini looked like a CEO in his Monday media session, Jon Nyatawa writes.
• Penn State and Iowa both share longevity in their coaching staffs, Randy Peterson writes. It's surprising Penn State is favored against the Hawkeyes, Bob Flounders writes. Donnie Collins doesn't hold back in his assessment of Joe and Jay Paterno.
• Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa is ready to play against Michigan.
• Former Minnesota players come to Jerry Kill's defense, Marcus Fuller writes.
• Undefeated Illinois is setting its sights on Indianapolis, Loren Tate writes.
• The New York Times' Pete Thamel calls Russell Wilson Wisconsin's most important player since Ron Dayne. While the BCS title talk heats up, Jeff Potrkyus writes that Wisconsin fans should enjoy the ride.
• The weekend wasn't a total loss for Purdue, which added two recruits.
• Michigan State's win against Ohio State could pay off in recruiting, Joe Rexrode writes.

There are very few parenting issues where I come out on top. I'm distant, I work too much, my French braiding is sloppy. Finally something that's not my fault!

• Can't get enough realignment talk? Neither can Tom Shatel. The Big Ten is better off at 12 teams, Michael Rosenberg writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Penn State assistant Jay Paterno drops a Latin phrase in his latest column about dealing with criticism. Lions linebacker Michael Mauti misses home but relishes continuing his family tradition in State College.
• Nebraska star defensive tackle Jared Crick misses another practice. A good piece on the Bob Devaney connection between Nebraska and Wyoming.
• Kyle Turley can't rattle Michigan coach Brady Hoke. The Wolverines will turn to Vincent Smith as their top running back on Saturday.
• Missed tackles have been a problem for Ohio State's defense, Doug Lesmerises writes in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. Buckeyes defensive lineman John Simon welcomes the adversity, Bill Rabinowitz writes in The Columbus Dispatch.
• Like numbers? Then you'll love Dave Revsine's latest entry in the Big Ten numbers blog.
• Illinois' defensive front seven has gone from potential weakness to pleasant surprise. The Illini won't overlook Western Michigan, ESPNChicago.com's Scott Powers writes.
• Phil Miller writes that Minnesota coach Jerry Kill has become a role model for others with his health issues. The Bison are coming.
• Indiana's D'Angelo Roberts isn't satisfied with his first 100-yard rushing performance, Terry Hutchens writes in the Indianapolis Star.
• Wisconsin gets good news on tackle Josh Oglesby. Badgers cornerback Devin Smith, meanwhile, won't be back this season but looks forward to 2012.
• Iowa defensive backs Shaun Prater and Micah Hyde compete for "swag" this season. In case you missed it, Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg joined Bennett and I on the Big Ten podcast.
• Michigan State aims for more pick-sixes from its secondary. The Spartans' special teams, meanwhile, need a serious upgrade.
• Purdue is still searching for its identity this season.
• The Big Ten isn't even the nation's No. 2 conference, according to the Sporting News.