ESPN College Football

Coming at you a little early during this holiday week, here are 10 items to track in the Big Ten this weekend.

1. Leaders of the pack: Before getting to the main course next week in Indianapolis, we're treated to a delicious championship appetizer Saturday afternoon in Madison. The Leaders Division title and a trip to Naptown are on the line as No. 19 Penn State visits No. 15 Wisconsin. The winner improves to 10-2 and moves one step closer to Pasadena. Wisconsin has been unshakable on its home field the past two and a half seasons, and the Badgers are averaging 52.3 points at Camp Randall Stadium this year. Penn State is 4-0 on the road this season and has allowed more than 14 points away from State College just once.

2. Michigan's mission: Michigan has exceeded outside expectations in its first season under coach Brady Hoke. But it won't matter much unless the Wolverines get over the hump against their archrival Ohio State -- or "Ohio," as Hoke and his players now call the Buckeyes. After dropping seven consecutive games in the series, Michigan has a golden opportunity to beat Ohio State. In fact, if the favored Wolverines can't beat Ohio State this year, when the 6-5 Buckeyes are sputtering, will they ever? It'll be interesting to see how a Michigan senior class that has been through a lot performs in its final home game. By the way, a Wolverines win puts the team in a great spot for a BCS at-large berth.

3.The Bucket Bowl: After a mistake-filled loss to Iowa, Purdue has backed itself into a corner for postseason play. The Boilers must beat rival Indiana on Saturday in the Bucket game to reach six wins and become bowl-eligible. A loss would ensure Purdue stays home for the holidays for the fourth consecutive season -- a troubling stretch for a program that reached bowls in 10 of Joe Tiller's first 11 seasons as coach. Another bowl-less winter and a second consecutive loss to IU, especially a 1-10 Hoosiers team, would turn up the heat on Purdue's third-year coach Danny Hope.

4. Different incentives for Wildcats, Spartans: Northwestern likely has locked up a bowl spot, but Pat Fitzgerald and his players are taking nothing for granted entering their final regular-season game. A victory gives Northwestern seven wins, a five-game win streak and most likely a decent bowl destination in the Big Ten's lineup. The Wildcats should have no problem gearing up for Senior Day. Michigan State, meanwhile, already has clinched the Legends Division and will head to Indianapolis next week. Spartans coach Mark Dantonio plans to keep the pedal down and play his starters, but it will be interesting how his players respond in a game they really don't need to win. With one exception, Michigan State has brought the right emotion to every game this season.

5. Zook's last stand: Illinois hasn't won a game since Oct. 8, and the clock is ticking for embattled seventh-year coach Ron Zook. The Illini have dropped five straight games heading into their regular-season finale at Minnesota. Some believe that, win or lose, Illinois will dump Zook -- but the Illini will be playing for their coach as they head to Minneapolis. A win moves Illinois to 7-5 and ensures the Illini of a second consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since 1991-92. It also could make the decision on Zook a bit more difficult for first-year athletic director Mike Thomas. Minnesota is the worst team Illinois has faced since its last Big Ten win against Indiana.

6. Devon Still vs. Wisconsin's offensive line: Penn State's defense must play its best game of the season to slow down Wisconsin at Camp Randall, and for the Lions, it all begins with Devon Still. The senior DT is a finalist for both the Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy, and he's the frontrunner for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Still dealt with the flu last week and his play suffered at Ohio State, but he's healthy now and faces a Wisconsin offensive line playing without star center Peter Konz. The Badgers struggled to rush the ball between the tackles for chunks of the Illinois game before Montee Ball broke through. It will be interesting to see how Travis Fredrick or Ryan Groy handles Still and an improved Penn State front four.

7. A rivalry reborn: Nebraska and Iowa last played in 2000, but all the ingredients are in place for a terrific new Big Ten rivalry. The teams kick off rivalry weekend in the Big Ten on Black Friday, as the Hawkeyes visit Lincoln for the inaugural Heroes Game. While the game has no bearing on the Legends Division title race, both teams are fighting for bragging rights and a better bowl destination. It's a big game for Iowa CB Shaun Prater, an Omaha native, while the game's top individual matchup features Iowa WR Marvin McNutt going up against Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard. McNutt needs 12 receptions to become Iowa's all-time leader.

8. Swan song for Ohio State's seniors, possibly coaches: Ohio State's senior class has a complicated legacy, but one thing that can't be disputed is their ability to dominate Michigan. The Buckeyes have thumped Michigan by a combined score of 100-24 in the past three years. Although this has been no ordinary year for Ohio State, which sits at 6-5, the seniors still can produce the standard result against Michigan and salvage a bit of their final season. Maintaining The Streak in The Game also resonates for the coaches, whose futures at Ohio State are very much in doubt as the Urban Meyer talk heats up. Head coach Luke Fickell can earn a lot of points with Buckeye Nation by beating a favored Michigan squad in Ann Arbor.

9. WildLion and MoneyBall: Penn State added an effective new wrinkle to its offense for the Ohio State game, as the coaches emphasized the Wildcat, or WildLion formation, with former high school quarterbacks Curtis Drake and Bill Belton calling signals. It will be interesting to see how much Penn State uses the WildLion against the high-powered Badgers, or whether a suddenly intrepid coaching staff has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Wisconsin will have no such mystery in how it attacks Penn State. The Badgers will rely on Montee "MoneyBall" Ball, arguably the nation's most productive running back in the past year and a half. Ball has scored 30 touchdowns this season -- at least two in every game -- and needs nine more to tie Barry Sanders' record.

10. Looking for positives: Minnesota and Indiana are the only Big Ten teams guaranteed to end their seasons Saturday afternoon. There haven't been many positives for either squad, but the Gophers and Hoosiers can end on a good note, spoil some bowl plans for others and enter a critical offseason on a good note. First-year Minnesota coach Jerry Kill has seen "a different group of kids" since halftime of the Nebraska game on Oct. 22. "We're taking baby steps," he said. Beating Illinois for the second straight year would represent another step. Indiana, meanwhile, can ensure Purdue doesn't go to a bowl with a win Saturday; it would be Indiana's first victory this season against an FBS opponent. "With the way our season has went," Hoosiers first-year coach Kevin Wilson said, "we're using this week to try and find some positive motivation for our seniors to try and end it on a high note."

Mail time. Send your questions here.

Chris from State College, Pa., writes: Adam, we saw Ohio State's success this past weekend running the ball vs. Illinois and completing 1/4 passes. Should Penn State adopt this strategy in two weeks when the Illini come to town?

Adam Rittenberg: Chris, I think Penn State has to be a bit more balanced. Ohio State's offensive line is pretty darn good with Mike Adams back at left tackle, so the Buckeyes can control the line of scrimmage a bit better than the Nittany Lions can. The Buckeyes also have a more mobile quarterback in Braxton Miller. Both teams have multiple options at running back, although Ohio State has a bit more depth. Penn State, meanwhile, has by far the best receiver between the two teams in Derek Moye, who should be back for the Illinois game, although he might be limited. The Lions shouldn't let Moye go to waste. Bottom line: I don't think a game plan that includes only four passes will work for Penn State, as Illinois has some playmakers on defense and should perform better on offense than it did against Ohio State.

---

Brendan from Berkeley, Calif., writes: Adam:Parity exists across the college football landscape. The Big 10's biggest issue is marketing. Just 2 bowl seasaons ago the Big 10 went 4-3 beating Oregon in Rose Bowl, Ga Tech in the Orange Bowl, LSU in the Capitol One, and Miami in the Champs Sports. The Big 10 team was the underdog in each game. Yet the media focused on the field conditions between Penn State and LSU, the return of LaGarrette Blount as a distraction for Oregon, etc.Yet when they peform poorly, as they did last year, it's only due to one reason according to the media - a weak conference. The Big 10 needs to get out in front of this and proactively schedule SEC teams. Good luck in getting them to come north though. (see Florida) Beating SEC teams in non-conference games will be the quickest way to turn around broad perception about the conference

Adam Rittenberg: Brendan, always good to hear from my hometown, and you make some very interesting points. There did seem to be a reluctance to credit the Big Ten after the 2009 season when it had a very successful bowl performance. A 4-3 mark with the Big Ten's bowl lineup -- with two wins in BCS games -- is like the SEC, ACC or Big 12 going 7-1 in the bowls. Although the league got credit on the blog and in other places, the national bump didn't seem to be there. I agree that scheduling more non-league games against SEC teams will help the Big Ten, but there's a reluctance on both sides and few SEC teams seem willing to travel up north. The Penn State-Alabama series was a lot of fun, despite two fairly lopsided games. I'd love to see more of these matchups. We should get a few more in the coming years, beginning with Michigan-Alabama next year.

---

HuskerFan6 from Omaha, Neb., writes: Looking towards the end of Nebraska's schedule, what do you predict the out come of both road games the Huskers have at the Big House and at Penn State?

Adam Rittenberg: Both games will be tough, Husker, and for different reasons. Michigan has a dynamic offense, and Denard Robinson will test a Nebraska defense that has struggled a bit in the first half of the season. Penn State, meanwhile, boasts an excellent defense, and the game could mark Joe Paterno's last at Beaver Stadium, so there will be a lot of excitement. I don't see Nebraska losing both of these games. A 1-1 split seems likely, and if Nebraska can get its defense on track, it could win both. If the Huskers do, they'll have an excellent chance to end up in Indianapolis.

---

Bret from Las Vegas writes: Adam, I have read elsewhere that there is a gentleman's agreement among B1G coaches that once a player commits to a school, no other B1G coaches will continue to recruit him. For example, I recall RichRod getting into a dust-up at the beginning of his tenure with Purdue over such an "infraction". What exactly is this so-called agreement? How strict is it applied? And finally, are there truths to what's flying about the internet that Michigan is violating this agreement with OSU players?

Adam Rittenberg: Bret, there's no gentleman's agreement. Joe Tiller was upset after Michigan swiped Roy Roundtree away from Purdue, but this happens all the time in just about every league. There's no hard-and-fast rule. Heralded offensive tackle prospect J.J. Denman recently switched his verbal commitment from Penn State to Wisconsin. While Michigan has added some former Ohio State commits -- Kyle Kalis the most notable -- I've seen this happen with a lot of schools in a lot of leagues.

---

Dave from D-town writes: Adam,You're a blue wall hack. Why don't you mention lewan throwing gholston to the dirt by his face mask before condeming "his conduct in both cases" Twisting d-robs face mask was really dumb on multiple levels, but if gholston deserves a suspension, so does lewan, so do the officials who made so many questionable calls against the spartans. so do you for being such a blue wall hack. This is coming from the same clown that says "the michigan schools can play a little D" as a means of downplaying MSU's domination of the super talented buckeyes. This is coming from the dude that calls our ref induced loss to ND a blow out, while never calling nebraska's emberassment against the badgers a blowout.You're a hack and a clown. You don't know crap about football. You're just a stat studying nerd who has probably never been able to throw a spiral. You're biased and half witted. You represent everything wrong with the American media.Go crawl under a rock and let a real reporter (brian) cover this conference. You belong in the SEC with the rest of the scum.You're why no one trust's ESECPN

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks for reading, Dave! Oh, wait, I doubt you actually read entire posts (probably too much work). Otherwise, you would have seen that I repeatedly pointed out the Michigan State-Notre Dame score was misleading and that the Spartans only allowed 275 yards in that game. And the "Michigan schools can play a little D" item was meant to credit Michigan State's defense, nothing more. And I repeatedly called Nebraska's loss embarrassing (as did Huskers coach Bo Pelini, who apologized to the entire state). But it's a lot easier to jump to conclusions, isn't it? Inferiority complex? Check. I'll go serve my suspension now.

---

TJ from Lake Geneva, Wis., writes: Adam, isn't the 2011 Northwestern team identical to the 2001 Northwestern team? Both had Heisman darkhorses (Persa and Damien Anderson) return after great seasons. Both saw the return of a large number of starters. Both were coming off of a bowl loss. And both took the big expectations placed on them, and stumbled. I know we have a different coach now (and doubt that we will do better than Fitzgerald any time in the next 100 or so years), but is there a mindset that prevents them from performing as a favorite?

Adam Rittenberg: TJ, this is a interesting comparison, and one that other Wildcats fans have pointed out. It was a bit different in 2001, as Northwestern was the Big Ten preseason favorite and endured a preseason tragedy (Rashidi Wheeler's death). But both teams had dynamic offensive players and bad defenses, and both have/are falling well short of expectations. Northwestern has built some consistency, but it remains a program that struggles in the spotlight. The Wildcats typically don't perform well when ranked or favored. They perform better in the 11 a.m./noon games than they do under the lights. Like other programs, they seem more comfortable outside the spotlight. It's hard to pinpoint why, but this season has shown that Northwestern and Fitzgerald haven't truly arrived.

---

Nic from East Lansing, Mich., writes: Hey Adam, as a spartan fan, I am becoming really concerned that we could end the season 10-3, losing twice to Wisconsin and be the 4th team picked out of the big ten behind Wisconsin, Penn State/Illinois, and Nebraska/Michigan. What are the chances of this happening?

Adam Rittenberg: Nic, it's hard to predict what the bowl committees will do. Michigan State travels extremely well, but there would be some tough competition if Nebraska and Michigan are also in that Capital One/Outback/Insight/Gator mix. I definitely can see Michigan State picked ahead of Illinois and possibly ahead of Nebraska and Michigan, depending on the bowl. But it could go the other way, too. The bigger objective for Michigan State is winning a bowl game for the first time under Mark Dantonio.

---

Brent from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Can you tell me how the teams that will represent each of the divisions of the BIG TEN will be chosen?By Division Record or by Conference Record?Thanks for any info.

Adam Rittenberg: No problem, Brent. The teams with the best overall conference record in each division go to the title game. If there's a two-way tie in overall conference record atop a division, the winner of the head-to-head matchup goes to Indy. If there's a three-way tie, the team with the best record within the division will go to Indy. There are more tiebreakers, and you can find the full breakdown here.

Some Purdue fans have seen enough of coach Danny Hope.

They don't believe he'll make the Boilers a consistent bowl team again. They scratch their heads about his recruiting strategy and his in-game decisions. They don't think he can win consistently at this level. They're worried about the momentum Purdue has lost since the first half of the Joe Tiller era.

These are all legitimate concerns. Purdue needs a spark -- soon.

But Hope's boss, athletic director Morgan Burke, is willing to wait a little longer. Two seasons under Hope, including an injury-plagued 2010 campaign, aren't enough to fully assess the coach, who is under contract through 2014.

"You've got to take that year [2010] and kind of just wipe it out," Burke told The Associated Press on Monday. "... I really believe last year, had we been relatively healthy, they would have had a much more productive season."

Burke's comments might frustrate some Purdue fans, but I don't know how else you can view a season that featured so many major injuries at key positions. Would Purdue have made a bowl with Robert Marve, Ralph Bolden, Keith Smith and others healthy for the whole season? We'll never know. But the team's chances would have been much improved.

Hope has made speed a priority in recruiting and scoured the state of Florida for talent. Some Florida products, like cornerback Ricardo Allen, are working out well, while others aren't. He thinks the 2011 team will have substantially more speed and athleticism than his previous versions.

"I think the recruiting is much better than people think, but they can't see it yet," Burke said. "I can see it on the practice field. The fans can't see it yet, but it's coming."

Whether it comes or not, Hope deserves a little more time -- and a fully healthy team -- before a full evaluation can be made.

Colleague Bruce Feldman recently took a look at which coaches in the past 25 years have done the best job of elevating their programs to new heights.

We're not talking about going from five wins to seven wins once or twice. Most of the 10 coaches on Feldman's list orchestrated true transformations. They took so-so programs and made them BCS bowl contenders. They took historical failures and made them respectable.

Two former Big Ten coaches made Feldman's list:

3. Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin: The former Nebraska linebacker, who had spent years on the Iowa and Notre Dame staffs, inherited a listless Badgers program. They went 1-10 in his debut season in 1990, but he sparked them to a Rose Bowl and a top-five finish in his fourth season. He would take the Badgers to two more Rose Bowls and step down after a 10-win season in 2005. Now, with Alvarez as the AD, his protégé Bret Bielema has gone 49-16 and been in the top 25 in four of his five seasons.

9. Gary Barnett, Northwestern: The former Missouri Tigers wide receiver's first college head coaching job was taking over a dismal NU program that hadn't been to a bowl game in almost 50 years, and had long been at the bottom of the Big Ten. The Wildcats won eight games in his first three seasons before Barnett produced a shocking 10-2 season (8-0 in Big Ten play), leading the Cats on a storybook ride to Pasadena. Barnett followed that up with a tie for the league title and another top-15 finish. After two mediocre seasons, Barnett left for Colorado, and since then NU has gone on to have better success than the coach did in Big 12 country. Under Randy Walker, Northwestern won a share of the Big Ten title in 2000, and in recent years, former Wildcats star Pat Fitzgerald has taken his team to bowl games in three straight seasons.

Two excellent choices here.

Alvarez is the reason Wisconsin football can be called nationally relevant. He elevated the program to historic heights in the 1990s, and while Wisconsin went 11 years without a Big Ten title until winning one last season, the Badgers still were one of the more consistent teams in college football between 2000-09. I really think Wisconsin has an opportunity to become a true national powerhouse, especially if Ohio State backslides after its scandal. While Bielema deserves a lot of credit for Wisconsin's surge the past two seasons, he inherited a program on very solid footing from Alvarez.

Barnett's breakthrough at Northwestern in 1995 was one of the biggest and most surprising stories in recent college football history. He took the worst of the worst and elevated it all the way to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance. After decades of futility, Northwestern won back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1995 and 1996. Although the program dipped late in Barnett's tenure, Walker stabilized things and Fitzgerald has taken the team up a notch during his five years as coach.

Another good choice for Feldman's list would be former Purdue coach Joe Tiller. Purdue had just one winning season and no bowl appearances from 1984-96, before Tiller led the Boilers to bowls in 10 of his first 11 seasons as coach. He guided Purdue to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance in 2000, and his teams qualified for 10 of the 15 bowl games in team history. Tiller also helped make Purdue a destination for NFL-caliber quarterbacks.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A series of bowl banners hang from the rafters at the Mollenkopf Center, serving as reminders of the steady success Purdue enjoyed for most of Joe Tiller's tenure.

Tiller took the Boilers bowling in seven of his first eight seasons as coach. After going 5-6 in 2007, Purdue went back to bowls the next two seasons. Although the run only included one Rose Bowl (2001) and three January games (2001 Rose, 2000 Outback, 2004 Capital One), Purdue could pretty much count on going somewhere warm for the holidays.

The bowl banners inside Mollenkopf form a nearly perfect arc above the field, but there's a gap next to the 2007 Motor City Bowl. There's a missing piece, and after three winters at home, Purdue intends to find it.

"We've got to get back, got to get back," quarterback Rob Henry repeated after a recent practice. "We've got to get back on track. I hate losing more than I love winning, and it's time to turn it around and get back to a bowl."

Henry has taken the challenge to heart this spring. After being thrust into a starting job last fall because of attrition at quarterback, Henry looks like he belongs now.

The 6-foot-2, 198-pound sophomore has recovered from a nasty laceration on his throwing hand that made it tough to even grip the ball at times last season. He toughed it out as a run-first quarterback, but the injury limited him. Henry,who still has his right index finger taped in practice, only felt 100 percent a month ago but can throw pain free.

Though Purdue's No. 1 quarterback remains in limbo, Henry wants to lead the team back to the postseason.

"I think he's the most improved player on our football team," third-year coach Danny Hope said. "He's a great athlete, a tremendous competitor, a very, very special and player. He has all the intangibles and redeeming qualities to lead this football team to a winning season and compete every Saturday with a chance to win."

Hope acknowledges Henry is "ahead of the rest" at this point but notes that things could change before the opener Sept. 3 against Middle Tennessee. Robert Marve, recovering from his second consecutive torn ACL, will be back in the mix this summer after limited participation in spring ball. Caleb TerBush, named the team's most improved offensive player last spring before being ruled academically ineligible for the season, also will be back.

The competition will spill into fall camp, and Marve's return will create an interesting dynamic. But after a season when injuries to Marve and others crippled Purdue, the team is moving forward with who's available, and Henry is distinguishing himself in spring practice.

"If you maximize your potential as a quarterback," Henry said, "you can't ask any more."

Henry seems to be getting closer to that point, but Purdue needs other players and position groups to do the same. Few teams could have survived the number of major injuries to key players as Purdue endured in 2010, but the Boilers know there will be no excuses this fall.

They must fill the void left by Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kerrigan, who earned unanimous All-America honors last fall. Kerrigan's departure leaves Purdue thin at defensive end, but nine starters return on defense, including promising young players like cornerback Ricardo Allen, defensive tackle Kawann Short and linebacker Will Lucas.

Hope has made speed a chief priority in his first few recruiting classes, and he expects a payoff this season.

"Looking back at our team a couple years ago, we only had five or six guys who could run 4.5s or better," Hope said. "I think we've tripled or maybe quadrupled that number. It already is a big difference. You can't tackle if you can't get there. We tackle so much better now because can accelerate to the football. We have some guys who can make plays in space on both sides of the football because of athleticism.

"We're a much faster football team than we were my first year here. Much faster."

It has been tough to get a full read on Purdue during Hope's tenure. The team overcame a rough start in 2009 to finish 4-4 in Big Ten play but ultimately made too many mistakes to go bowling. The high expectations last season vanished after the wave of injuries.

One way or the other, the picture should clear up this fall. And the Boilers hope it shows them in a bowl game.

"Every spring we have the alumni come back and you see guys telling stories about going to bowls," senior offensive tackle Dennis Kelly said. "It's one of those things that looking five, 10 years down the road, you want to do that and say, 'My senior year, we went to such and such bowl and had a great season.'"

Let's get to it.

Glenn from Fletcher, Ohio, writes: Adam, what kind of precedent will Delaney and league officials set if they bow to media and fan pressure to change division names? Wouldn't that leave the door open for public criticism of any name changes? As Bob Dylan and Abe Lincoln said, "You can't please all the people all of the time". What makes you or any of us more qualified to make those kinds of decisions? It's good that Delaney is open minded and does consider outside opinion, but if he reacts each time people don't agree with him, then he should be replaced by someone who is strong enough to do the job he's being paid to do. Incidentally, as the Big Ten reporter, I read how you will sometimes acknowledge that other opinions make good points. However, I've not ever seen you change your position. Hmmm.

Adam Rittenberg: Glenn, I don't think changes are imminent for the Big Ten division names, and I'd be surprised if any action is taken for at least several months. There's a strong possibility that these names remain in place for the foreseeable future. But it's still refreshing to see Jim Delany and the Big Ten acknowledge that yes, these choices aren't resonating with fans and it might be worth reconsidering them at some point. They aren't going to be hasty and they will let these names "breathe" for a while, but they aren't being totally stubborn, either. And c'mon, we're talking about Big Ten division names, not a media rights agreement for the conference or a choice for expansion. In the grand scheme of things, the division names don't matter all that much, and Delany shouldn't be judged too heavily on them.

---

David from Chicago writes: Hey Adam-Everyone is caught up with the new division names, but I have a question about the makeup of the divisions themselves. Do you think the divisions really are competitively balanced? Although they might be evenly matched top-to-bottom, it seems that the Legends division is a lot more competitive within the division, while in the Leaders division there is a gulf between the top teams and the bottom teams. I see every team in the Legends division winning three to six conference games in a typical year (even Minnesota when they get their act together), but the Leaders division will probably always have the same teams at the top and bottom. Do you see that too?

Adam Rittenberg: David, I think the league did a nice job with competitive balance within the divisions. Obviously, some team in the Leaders division needs to start challenging Ohio State on a regular basis. Wisconsin did so this season, and Penn State did so in 2008. I would agree that after Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State, there's a gap before you get to Illinois, Purdue and Indiana. It's very important for a program like Purdue to get back to the level it was at for most of Joe Tiller's tenure (6-8 wins, bowl games). Right now, the Legends division looks more compelling, but things can and will change from year to year.

---

Steve from Cherokee, Iowa, writes: Adam, I have been reading your blog for a couple years now but this is the first time writing you. I see on your blog that Delaney is considering changing the names already for the divisions in the Big Ten. I believe that would be a mistake and I think the 90% disapproval rate is just a vocal majority. I like the names and I am sure there are others that don't feel the need to rant about it. So, please put me in the 10% side and maybe I can push it up to 11% because I like the names and I think years from now people will be happy that the Big Ten used such unique names. Everyone keeps saying "what's wrong with East and West?". East and West are BORING. Legends and Leaders rolls off the tongue and is unique and original.

Adam Rittenberg: Steve, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'd agree that it's often easier to hear criticism than praise when you make a major announcement like the Big Ten did. I also like to think I have a pretty good sense of how Big Ten fans feel on a certain topic. Flipping through pages and pages of e-mails the past few days, I've only found a handful like yours who support and even like the division names. All the polls on this topic show that a strong percentage of fans disapprove. My feeling is that the names should be simple and easy to remember, and Legends and Leaders doesn't really do it for me.

---

Brandon from Oskaloosa, Iowa, writes: Adam, I'm a little worried about Coach Kill's recruiting questions up in Minnesota. I've noticed two 3-star recruits leave their verbal commitments and head to Illinois and U Conn. Am I getting worried over nothing or is this just a natural process with new coaches? It almost seems some of the recruits may have been hoping for a bigger name to take over than Kill. I believe Coach Kill will eventually have success in the Gopher state...but it looks like he will have to prove it first before he can land the type of recruits needed to compete in the Big Ten. The one positive note is the talent returning for the Gophers could give him that proof sooner than later. Or am I just too optimistic as a Gopher fan?

Adam Rittenberg: Brandon, I think a lot of this can be expected with a coaching change. It's very hard for a new staff to keep an entire recruiting class together. But you bring up a really good point about Kill and the returning talent for 2011. I think Minnesota has enough talent to field a good offense, especially with MarQueis Gray leading the way at the quarterback spot. The big question is whether the defense benefits from this season and makes strides as several players move into their second year as starters. It's certainly not a make-or-break type season for Kill, but there are some legit concerns about his ability to recruit at the highest level, and he certainly would be helped in that effort with a strong performance on the field.

---

Max from Detroit writes: Hey Adam, so as if being snubbed by the BCS wasn't enough 11-1 MSU is also double digit underdogs against Alabama. And from listening to all the "expert" talk it seems that the only way for MSU to win is for Alabama to not show up for the game. Granted Alabama is the defending national champs and a very good team, but if MSU goes out and beats bama will they finally get some national respect or will everyone just use the excuse that bama didn't care about the game?

Adam Rittenberg: Max, be prepared for the talk of Alabama apathy if the Spartans win the bowl game. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of this plays in the media. You can bet I'll give MSU plenty of credit if it wins the Cap One. Where Michigan State will really benefit, however, is next summer. The Spartans will be highly ranked in the preseason polls and will have an easier time maintaining elite status than they did this season. Rather than having to prove themselves every week like they did this year, the Spartans can actually enter the season with some hype and attention.

---

Darren from Chicago writes: "The lineup is brutal, especially compared to what other leagues (ahem, Big 12) are facing." Yeah you're right the Big 12's lineup is pretty weak, especially since 3 out of the 8 teams they're playing are from the Big Ten. Yeah UConn and Syracuse aren't great teams, and Washington is so-so but LSU and Arizona are good teams. So since you're saying the Big 12 bowl schedule is pretty easy I guess you're saying the big ten is as weak as everybody in the country thinks it is. Your comments are a joke. Next time write something worth reading. I'm tired of this Big Ten arrogance; from the commissioner, coaches, and fans. Guess what the big ten didn't win a sigle national title in the 70's or 80's, then they win 1 in the 90's and 1 in the 2000's and they think cause they get to play in the Rose Bowl they are still the best conference. Gimme a break.

Adam Rittenberg: Darren, I agree I took a shot at the Big Ten with my comment, but the Big 12 has two teams playing in its home state (Baylor and Texas Tech) and another (Missouri) facing a team with three fewer losses (Iowa). I'll give you LSU as a good team and a tough matchup, but if the Big 12 can't go .500 or better, it would be a pretty big disappointment. Arizona finished the season much like Iowa, and Washington backed into a bowl game at 6-6. Look at the Big Ten's bowl lineup and look at the Big 12's. No comparison on level of difficulty, especially when you factor in the sites.

As always, you can contact me here and follow me on Twitter.

Adam from Detroit writes: With the new divisions in the Big Ten, how do you foresee the breakout affecting recruiting success in the coming up years for teams like Michigan State?

Adam Rittenberg: It was interesting to see how much Michigan State AD Mark Hollis valued having Northwestern in the same division, which puts the Spartans in the Chicago market as much as possible. Michigan State, like many Big Ten schools, has a ton of alumni in the Chicago area, and there also are recruiting benefits by having your team visit a major market every other year. On the flip side, you could say Michigan State is hurt by not being with Ohio State and Penn State, given the talent in those states. But I don't think it helps or hurts Michigan State's recruiting too much.

---

Tony from Minneapolis writes: Hey Adam, being a Gopher fan (yeah it's difficult) they didn't look all that bad against MTSU... Adam Weber needs to come around more, but their O-line gave him some time, and the run game didn't look too bad against legit competition. What record does T-Brew have to have to keep his job, and what are you thoughts about us upsetting Iowa or Wisconsin this year?

Adam Rittenberg: Minnesota fans should be encouraged by the offensive line, a major weakness the last two seasons, and the play of junior running back Duane Bennett, who looked great against Middle Tennessee. Most important, this is the identity the Gophers have wanted on offense. They want to be like Wisconsin and Iowa. Heck, they want to be like Minnesota of the early 2000s. As for Tim Brewster, it's hard to put a number on it because the schedule is so hard. His team needs to improve rather than regress as the season goes on. I'd say he needs to win at least one of the following games: Iowa, Wisconsin, USC, Penn State, Ohio State. Getting a trophy would be huge, but he needs a signature victory.

---

Travis from St. Louis writes: Adam- you're dead on about Ferentz and his salary/contract through 2020. I've heard some of your ESPN contemporaries compare Ferentz's salary to Urban Meyer, Nick Saban etc and compare the lack of championships to the Tier 1 programs. When in actuality, if a school like Iowa wants to have remote shot of success, it has to pay more to lure or retain better coaching talent.

Adam Rittenberg: Travis, you're spot on here. Will Kirk Ferentz win a national championship at Iowa? Could happen, but it's not as likely as schools like Ohio State and Florida winning the crown. Iowa might never be a true big-time program, but it pays Ferentz like he's a big-time coach. That's a great commitment from the school's donors, who actually pay his salary. When programs like Iowa don't pay great coaches, they lose them to bigger college programs or to the NFL, and they run the risk of becoming irrelevant. Again, a smart move by Iowa, even with the high salary.

---

Steve from St. Louis writes: Not sure if this was by design, but I think there's more to the Iowa/Purdue protected crossover than just being the leftovers. If (when) Notre Dame makes the jump, they'd fit in well in the North (Michigan, Mich. St) with Purdue as a crossover (though they might still be too scared of my Wildcats to make the move). Where to turn for team 14? How about Missouri? Illinois is in the South and Iowa would be a protected crossover. Sure, it's not the NY market, but it would work.

Adam Rittenberg: Interesting take, Steve. The Big Ten obviously wants Notre Dame, but I really think it's more likely the league looks East with any further expansion. Missouri doesn't do much for growing the Big Ten Network, while schools located in big East Coast markets have the potential to help more. Certainly a Purdue-Notre Dame crossover makes more sense because of the rivalry there. Iowa-Missouri would be great, too, but I don't see Mizzou being added any time soon.

---

Steve from Madison, Wis., writes: How did Wisconsin manage to get so royally screwed in the division alignments? The only way the Big Ten could have taken more from us is if they had completely gotten rid of the MN/WI game. I understand there's some give and take here, but this seems like an awful lot of giving for not a lot in return.P.S. If OSU/Mich can be on the final weekend of the regular season, why can't MN/WI?

Adam Rittenberg: As I wrote Thursday night, Wisconsin ended up becoming a victim of its own success. The Big Ten wasn't going to go strictly by geography, and it had to split the top four (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska). After doing that, the league saw Iowa and Wisconsin in the next tier and had to split 'em. The good news for the Badgers is they can enhance their national reputation by beating Ohio State and Penn State every year. I also wish the Wisconsin-Minnesota game could be played on the final regular-season Saturday, as it was for years and years. It's one of my favorite Big Ten rivalries, and it would be a great way for both programs to finish the year.

---

Drew from New York writes: Adam, I usually agree with almost everything you say, but to say that division 1 is better then division 2 is not correct. If you match up 1 and 2 every year(Think ACC/Big Ten challenge) then how on earth do you see 1 as being better? Division 2 wins half of the games every year and 4, maybe 5 games every other year. Also, we need to get some names for these divisions, too many numbers.Thanks

Adam Rittenberg: Top to bottom, Division 1 (Mich/Iowa/Neb/MSU/Northwestern/Min) is better. At the top, you certainly can argue Division 2 has the edge. But to think Michigan won't get back to elite status in the next few years is silly. Division 1 also has Nebraska and Iowa, two programs near the upper crust of college football. It also has two programs in Michigan State and Northwestern that are becoming consistent bowl teams, and Minnesota goes to its share of bowls, too. Division 2 is great up top with Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, but Indiana and Illinois have been pretty awful for the last 10 years. The key to that division is Purdue. If the Boilers get back to where they were in the first half of Joe Tiller's tenure, I might change my mind on which division is stronger.

---

Erik from Waco, Texas, writes: Adam, as a Penn State fan reading up on all the division rumors before the actual announcement I was really excited, but now after the dust settles I think Penn State really got the short end of the stick. I do like that we keep our annual game vs. Ohio State and will have a cross over rivalry with Nebraksa, but we lose Iowa, a team that we've had some really good games with lately. I also can't believe that Wisconsin is our rivalry week match-up. As Nebraska is going to be the newest member, I was hoping that Penn State - Nebraska could be our new rivalry week match-up and I certainly think it should take precedent over Iowa - Nebraska. On the scheduling side of things, Penn State fans were supposed to be able to enjoy a home schedule with games vs. Alabama, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Iowa after this years tough away schedule. Now we lose our Ohio State at home match-up and Wisconsin is on the road as well.

Adam Rittenberg: Erik, you're not the only Penn State fan who feels this way, but I don't think Penn State got a raw deal. Could be worse; look at Wisconsin. Penn State gets the Nebraska game protected, which will be an outstanding series. It also gets to keep Ohio State every year, and it doesn't get "sent out West," as many fans feared. I personally think the Penn State-Iowa series is great for the league, but I've heard from a ton of Penn State fans who don't consider it a real rivalry. The other thing is I wouldn't get too caught up with the final-regular season game against Wisconsin, although there's potential for it to be great. Other than Michigan-Ohio State, I think the games on the final Saturday are flexible and will be evaluated during the coming years. So it's not permanent by any means.

After months of anticipation, the Big Ten divisions are official for 2011 and beyond. As colleague Andy Katz reported earlier on ESPN.com, the breakdown goes like this:

Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota

Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois

Each team will have one protected crossover rival in the opposite division, which it will play every year. The Big Ten will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule through at least the 2014 season.

Protected crossovers: Michigan-Ohio State, Penn State-Nebraska, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Northwestern-Illinois, Purdue-Iowa, Michigan State-Indiana.

(Moment of silence for the impending interruption of the Land Grant Trophy series ... thank you.)

The Big Ten likely will go to nine conference games beginning in 2015, at which time it could add a second protected crossover game and preserve more rivalries. But league commissioner Jim Delany gave no indication on the Big Ten Network that a second protected crossover is coming.

The other big news tonight is that the Ohio State-Michigan game will continue to be played on the final Saturday of the regular season. There had been major outcry on both sides of the rivalry about the possibility of The Game being played earlier in the season, but it's not going anywhere. You spoke, and the Big Ten listened.

Other games on the final regular-season Saturday in 2011 include: Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Nebraska, Michigan State-Northwestern, Penn State-Wisconsin and Minnesota-Illinois. So Minnesota-Illinois is the only other cross-division game on the final Saturday of the regular season.

Thoughts? I have plenty.

OHIO STATE-MICHIGAN

Delany might have had to enter the Witness Protection Program had The Game been moved from its spot on the final regular-season Saturday. Athletic directors Gene Smith (Ohio State) and Dave Brandon (Michigan) might have had to join him, too.

The Ohio State-Michigan game belongs in late November, period. There's too much tradition there, and both programs consider The Game to be a portion of their schedule, much like the nonconference and the Big Ten slate. Delany talked to me last week about a schedule needing "build," or momentum. Taking Ohio State-Michigan off of the last weekend would have removed the momentum from the schedule. So it's good to see The Game staying put.

That said, there are some potential problems of having a cross-division game on the final regular-season Saturday. What if both Ohio State and Michigan have the division titles wrapped up before The Game? Will The Game lose significance if a rematch in the league championship is possible the very next week? And what about the division races as a whole? Ideally, these two races could be decided within the division on the final Saturday of November.

I wouldn't have split Ohio State and Michigan, but I understand why the Big Ten did it. This league is in the championship-game business now, competing on the same day with the SEC, Big 12, ACC and Pac-10. You put Ohio State and Michigan on the championship stage together, and you gain a large part of the national spotlight, regardless of what's happening elsewhere. It's a pretty attractive possibility, although as the ACC has shown, dream championship matchups are often just that, pipe dreams.

Will there be outcry? Sure. But not as much as there would have been had The Game moved.

DIVISION BALANCE

Top to bottom, Division 1 looks a bit stronger, but for the most part, the league achieved its primary objective of competitive balance. The Big Ten evaluated its current 11 members plus Nebraska based on their performances since 1993. Looking at the records, it's pretty easy to see that six teams separated themselves: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa.

A 3-3 split seemed very likely, and that's what we see here. The Big Ten could have done things geographically and put Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin in one division opposite Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. But as I've been telling you for months, consolidating the three most popular programs into one division is a major mistake. If Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all reached the top 10 in the same season, no one would care about the other division. Tough tacos, that's just the way it is.

I would have put Penn State with Nebraska and Iowa, but this setup preserves at least one regional rivalry for the Lions in Ohio State.

My main concern with this setup is what happens when Michigan gets back to being Michigan. You've got three potential powers in Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa, alongside two programs in Northwestern and Michigan State that are finding consistency under relatively new coaches. Minnesota needs to step up its game in a hurry. At least the Little Brown Jug rivalry is an annual event again.

Division 2 would benefit from Purdue getting back to the level it was for most of Joe Tiller's tenure. If not, there could be a sizable gap between the top three teams (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin) and the bottom three.

IOWA-WISCONSIN-MINNESOTA

Remember my post about this conundrum back in June. I didn't think the Big Ten would be able to preserve all the annual rivalries between these teams and bring Nebraska into the mix.

All three teams want to play each other every year. All three also want to build rivalries with Nebraska. The problem for the Big Ten is none of those games really move the needle nationally like, say, Penn State-Nebraska or Michigan-Nebraska.

If any team has a legitimate gripe about the divisions, it's Wisconsin. The Badgers lose their annual rivalry against Iowa, and despite coach Bret Bielema's Twitter efforts, Wisconsin won't face Nebraska every year, either. Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez, a Nebraska alum, is out of town today and unavailable for comment, but I'm interested to see what he thinks of the setup.

If anything, Wisconsin is a victim of its own recent success. The Badgers earned the right to be placed with heavyweights Ohio State and Penn State, and they can elevate their national profile by beating those teams on a consistent basis. But I'm sure this is a blow to fans who love the Iowa rivalry and had high hopes for a Nebraska rivalry. Things will get better when the league goes to nine conference games.

OTHER THOUGHTS

• Nebraska has to be pleased with its position. The Huskers get a border rivalry against Iowa that will be huge (Farmageddon, baby), and they renew a regional rivalry with Minnesota. They also face Penn State every year, renewing a great series. Plus, Michigan will be on the schedule each season. The only downside is that Nebraska could go several years without facing Ohio State. Nebraska closes the 2011 season with games at Penn State, at Michigan and against Iowa in Lincoln. Welcome to the Big Ten, Big Red.
• I doubt Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana are thrilled with their protected crossover games, but not everyone comes out of this satisfied. For Iowa fans, you get Nebraska every year and the Floyd of Rosedale game. Michigan State still gets to play archrival Michigan every year, plus a marquee game against Nebraska. Purdue and Indiana have the Bucket game protected through the division. Purdue maintains a trophy game with Illinois, and Indiana still faces the Illini every year in a good regional matchup.
• I'm a little surprised that the Big Ten didn't go with Penn State-Nebraska ahead of Iowa-Nebraska on the final regular-season Saturday. It speaks to how big the league thinks the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry will be.
• Given the fervor among the two fan bases on this blog, I wanted to see Iowa and Penn State continue to play every year. But the series lacked an extensive history, so I can see why it was expendable.
• Here are the trophy games that no longer will be played every year: Iowa-Wisconsin, Minnesota-Penn State and Penn State-Michigan State. You can't save 'em all.

If you can't tell, our theme today is hot matchups for the 2010 season, the games that are already stoking the fires on college campuses around the country.

The Michigan-Michigan State game in Ann Arbor fits the description, and I'd rather be nowhere but the Big House on Oct 9. But there are other grudge matches in the league this fall, and colleague Mark Schlabach mentions three of them in his top 10 national rundown.

The Michigan-Purdue game on Nov. 13 at Ross-Ade Stadium comes in at No. 5.

The Big Ten matchup might seem like the most unlikely of rivalries, but there's plenty of bad blood boiling between the Boilermakers and Wolverines. Former Purdue coach Joe Tiller referred to Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as a "guy in a wizard hat selling snake oil," and then new Boilermakers coach Danny Hope handed Rich Rod a 38-36 loss in the Big House in '09. The head coaches exchanged words at midfield after Purdue's first victory in Ann Arbor since 1966.

My take: The Tiller-Rodriguez and Hope-Rodriguez spats are totally unrelated, but it's interesting how this particular matchup has created some controversy between the coaches. After Purdue's historic win last year at Michigan, Hope met Rodriguez at midfield and motioned for offensive lineman Zach Reckman to join them. According to Rodriguez, Hope said, "Thanks, coach. Really appreciate what you did," referring to Rodriguez calling for the Big Ten to assess all potential unsportsmanlike incidents equally. Michigan had seen its starting linebacker Jonas Mouton suspended for throwing a punch against Notre Dame, and Rodriguez identified Reckman's late hit against Northern Illinois as another potential violation for the Big Ten to review. The league concurred and suspended Reckman for a game, a decision that didn't sit well with Hope. No one is going to place Purdue among Michigan's top rivals, but last year's incident might add some fuel to a mid-November matchup that could have huge implications for both teams and especially Rodriguez, whose job might be on the line.

Schlabach ranks the Miami-Ohio State game at No. 8.

The teams haven't played since the unforgettable 2003 Fiesta Bowl, which ended with the Buckeyes' winning their first national championship since 1968. Since Ohio State's 31-24 victory in double overtime, fans of both schools have tried to forget about former Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett, who produced a game-changing strip of the ball and an embarrassing string of off-field incidents.

My take: I tend to think enough time has passed to turn down the heat on any potential Canes-Bucks rivalry, but maybe not. I still get plenty of e-mails about the pass interference call that helped Ohio State win the title. Ohio State seems to have more bad blood with the SEC in general, but it should get a little rowdy in The Shoe on Sept. 11. I look at this as a great matchup, but not really a heated one.

Schlabach lists the Iowa-Northwestern game at No. 9.

The Wildcats handed the Hawkeyes their first loss of the '09 season with a 17-10 upset in Iowa City. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi missed most of the game with an ankle injury, and the Hawkeyes' 13-game winning streak -- and BCS national championship hopes -- came to a screeching halt.

My take: The more I think about it, Iowa-Northwestern easily could have been my pick for the Big Ten's hottest game in 2010. Iowa fans will never publicly list Northwestern among their top rivals, but they can't stand losing to the Wildcats. Injuries and turnovers certainly have played major roles in the recent matchups, but that's football. Both teams have developed strong reputations for player development in the last decade, taking average or overlooked recruits and transforming them into All-Big Ten players. There's a lot of bad blood between the fan bases, and I know from covering Northwestern that the players always felt Iowa was a rival. Iowa gets a chance to exact revenge this fall in Evanston, while Northwestern can continue to torture the Hawkeyes with a win.

Football strength training is the flavor this week on ESPN.com, as we attempt to pump ... you up! Sorry, couldn't resist.

Head coaches get most of the credit -- and, to be fair, most of the blame -- but strength coaches spend more time with players than anyone else on campus. They play major roles in developing personnel for the season.

So who are these guys? Here's a quick look at the Big Ten strength coaches.

ILLINOIS
Name: Lou Hernandez
At Illinois since: 2005
The skinny: Hernandez made the transition from Florida to Illinois with Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, for whom he has worked since 2003. A native Texan, Hernandez received both his bachelor's and master's from the University of Houston, where he worked from 1992-2001 as both an assistant strength coach and the head man. Hernandez spent 2002 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. Despite being just 5-foot-8, Hernandez was a competitive power lifter who could bench 507 pounds and squat 720 in his heyday. He also consults Illinois players on nutrition and helped defensive end Will Davis add to his frame in 2008.

INDIANA
Name: Mark Wateska
At Indiana since: 2002
The skinny: Wateska has spent nearly a quarter century as a strength and conditioning coach, including the last eight seasons with the Hoosiers football program. He played football at Penn State and was part of the 1986 national championship team. Wateska received both his bachelor's degree and his master's degree in exercise and sports science from Penn State and started his career there. He eventually left for Boston College, where he served as an assistant strength coach for four years before he took his first head job at Maine. Before Indiana, Wateska spent seven years as Stanford's head strength and conditioning coach. After his first year at The Farm, Wateksa was named Pac-10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).

IOWA
Name: Chris Doyle
At Iowa since: 1999
The skinny: Doyle has been in Iowa City for every step of the program's resurgence under Kirk Ferentz. He made his mark right away, earning Big Ten Strength Coach of the Year honors from the NCSA in 1999. Doyle has helped 149 players who have reached the professional ranks in the NFL, NHL and NBA, including 24 Iowa players selected in the last six NFL drafts. A native of Quincy, Mass., who earned two degrees at Boston University, Doyle came to Iowa after a year at Utah but was no stranger to the Big Ten. He served as Wisconsin's assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1996-98. Doyle worked both the football and hockey teams in Madison.

MICHIGAN
Name: Mike Barwis
At Michigan since: 2008
The skinny: Barwis followed Rich Rodriguez to Michigan after spending 14 years at West Virginia, where he worked with the school's Olympic sports programs before taking over strength and conditioning for football in 2003. Rodriguez is extremely loyal to Barwis and gives Barwis a lot of credit for the Mountaineers' rise to national prominence from 2005-07. Barwis has coached 24 NCSA All-Americans since 1999 and received the Bronze Award from the NCSA certification commission in 2004. A former mixed-martial arts fighter, Barwis' workout regimes at West Virginia became legendary, and the Philadelphia native has developed quite a reputation among Michigan players and fans.

MICHIGAN STATE
Name: Ken Mannie
At Michigan State since: 1994
The skinny: Mannie made the transition with Nick Saban from Toledo to Michigan State in 1994, but while Saban moved on, Mannie remained a fixture in East Lansing. He has received numerous awards and honors during his Michigan State tenure, including being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA in 2002 and being inducted into the Varsity S Club as an honorary member in 2007. Mannie, who oversees the strength and conditioning programs for all of Michigan State's sports, is a regular contributor to the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director publication. He first met Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio at Ohio State, where they both served as graduate assistants in 1984.

MINNESOTA
Name: Mark Hill
At Minnesota since: 2007
The skinny: A 1999 graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Hill already has worked as a high-level strength coach in the Big 12, Pac-10 and Big Ten. He joined Minnesota's staff in head coach Tim Brewster's first season after spending three years as associate director of performance enhancement at Arizona. Hill worked closely with Antoine Cason at Arizona, helping the defensive back win the Thorpe Award. He has mentored six All-Big Ten players at Minnesota and helped coach 13 All-Americans and 28 NFL draft picks as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma from 2000-03. Hill was an All-Southern Conference wide receiver at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

NORTHWESTERN
Name: Larry Lilja
At Northwestern since: 1981
The skinny: Lilja is the dean of Big Ten strength coaches and counts current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald among the many Wildcats players he tutored during his lengthy run in Evanston. He was a three-year starter at Northwestern from 1973-75, serving as a captain in 1974, before returning in 1981 to run the school's strength and conditioning center. Lilja played a major role in helping Northwestern transform its football program by winning Big Ten championships in 1995 and 1996. He earned Big Ten Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year honors in 1996. The Lilja family has deep roots in the Big Ten, as Larry and his brothers George (Michigan) and Dave (Indiana) are the only siblings in league history to serve as captains for three different teams.

OHIO STATE
Name: Eric Lichter
At Ohio State since: 2006
The skinny: Lichter built his reputation in the private sector by opening the Speed Strength Athlete Training Center in Euclid, Ohio, where he trained athletes in many sports, including Ohio State NFL draft prospects like Donte Whitner and Bobby Carpenter. He served as a consultant to Ohio State's 2002 national championship team and brought Power Plate technology to the program. Head coach Jim Tressel hired him in 2006 to oversee the strength and conditioning program. Lichter has trained six Top 10 NFL draft picks and has worked with LeBron James, Ron Dayne and others. His mother, Linda Lichter Witter, is Ohio State’s synchronized swimming coach, and Eric served as a consultant for the synchronized swimming team before joining Tressel's staff.

PENN STATE
Name: John Thomas
At Penn State since: 1992
The skinny: Like pretty much every member of Joe Paterno's staff, Thomas has been in State College for quite some time, making his mark on the Penn State program. In 2002, Thomas was named a Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA, one of only 27 people to carry the title at the time. He also was named National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1997. Thomas is a staunch supporter of the High Intensity Strength Training System (HIT), which early last decade created some discontent that has since subsided. Thomas came to Penn State from Army, where he served as head strength and conditioning coach in 1990-91. He played both offensive and defensive line at Muskingum College.

PURDUE
Name: Jim Lathrop
At Purdue since: 1998 (sixth year as director of strength and conditioning)
The skinny: Lathrop made the trek with Joe Tiller and Danny Hope from Wyoming to Purdue after being named the WAC's strength and conditioning coordinator professional of the year in 1996. He spent seven years as strength and conditioning coordinator before being promoted to oversee strength and conditioning for Purdue's entire athletic program. Lathrop designs specific training programs for football, wrestling, and men's and women's track. A former offensive guard for Northwest Missouri State, Lathrop served as both an assistant and a director of strength and conditioning at Georgia Tech from 1988-92. Georgia Tech won the 1990 national championship during his first year as director.

WISCONSIN
Name: Ben Herbert
At Wisconsin since: 2002 (named head strength and conditioning coach in January 2009)
The skinny: Herbert cut his teeth under longtime Wisconsin strength coach John Dettman before working his way into the top football job last winter. A two-year starter on the defensive line for the Badgers, Herbert helped Wisconsin reach back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He joined Wisconsin's strength and conditioning staff as an intern in 2002 before being promoted to an assistant the next year. Herbert shook things up after becoming the head strength coach, introducing position group workouts, innovative competitions and some unique motivational props, including a WWE replica belt and two potted plants.

Will we officially welcome Big Red today?

• The (Lincoln) Journal Star's Steven M. Sipple breaks down how Nebraska has reached the Big Ten's doorstep, a push that started with Tom Osborne being named athletic director and then hiring Bo Pelini.
• Former Purdue coach Joe Tiller thinks the Big Ten will cash in big time from expansion, Jeff Rabjohns writes in The Indianapolis Star.
• If and when Nebraska enters the league, the Big Ten will add another football-crazed state, Bill Rabinowitz writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Nebraska and the Big Ten form a strange partnership, Mitch Albom writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Minnesota's former coach Glen Mason doesn't like the Gophers' title chances in a bigger Big Ten, Marcus Fuller writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• Missouri sounds worried if the Big Ten doesn't come calling. A Big Ten source tells Dave Matter that Missouri isn't high on the Big Ten's wish list.
• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus wonders what's next for the Big Ten in expansion after Nebraska.
• Penn State players are excited about Big Ten expansion, Cory Giger writes in The Altoona Mirror. Former Iowa players are big fans of Big Red in the Big Ten, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Wisconsin and Nebraska don't have much on-field history, but the two programs are linked in several ways, Mike Lucas writes in The Capital Times.
• Are there any lessons Michigan can take away from the NCAA's handling of the USC case?
• Indiana's newest recruit will see a familiar face in Bloomington in co-defensive coordinator Brian George, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• Nebraska is nice and all, but the Big Ten still really wants Notre Dame, Herb Gould writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Purdue reaffirmed its commitment to head coach Danny Hope on Wednesday, awarding him a one-year contract extension through the 2014 season.

Hope went 5-7 in his first season as head coach, as the Boilers missed the postseason for the second consecutive year, but his bosses are encouraged by the team's solid performance in Big Ten play (4-4). Although injuries have dominated Purdue's spring drills, Hope and his players are raising the bar for 2010.

"Beginning with the day he returned to Purdue, Danny has followed a master plan for our football program that focuses on our core values of success on the field, in the classroom and in the community," athletic director Morgan Burke said in a statement. "The results in his first year as head coach were encouraging, and we are confident that great days are ahead."

The extension provides a little more security for Hope, who will be paid $900,000 in 2010 with the potential for $500,000 more in bonuses tied to academic performance, athletic performance and attendance. He signed a six-year contract at Purdue in January 2008, spending a year as associate head coach before taking over the top job from Joe Tiller in 2009.

"I feel good about the foundation that has been laid since I came back to Purdue in 2008, but we have a lot of work to do to get where we want to be as a football program," Hope said. "The support of president [France] Córdova, Morgan Burke and entire campus has been tremendous, and I appreciate the confidence shown in me and my staff by extending my contract."

Hope still has more to prove as a Big Ten coach, but his team never quit last year and posted several solid victories. He has a defined plan for recruiting, targeting the state of Florida, and seems to be a strong fit for what Purdue wants.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Several photos line the wall outside Danny Hope's office at the Mollenkopf Center, commemorating Purdue's string of bowl appearances under former head coach Joe Tiller.

Hope's first season at the helm of the Boilermakers' program won't make it to the wall. There's no bowl championship trophy, no pictures of players and coaches wearing T-shirts and shades in the dead of winter. Hope's players don't tote any bowl swag, because they didn't get any.

A 5-7 season doesn't produce any tangible rewards. But it left Hope feeling very optimistic about the future.

After a 1-5 start filled with turnovers and near misses, Purdue rallied to go .500 in Big Ten play. The Boilers stunned then-No. 7 Ohio State, snapping a 19-game slide against ranked opponents. They also notched their first win at Michigan Stadium since 1966.

So, what exactly did Purdue accomplish in 2009?

"We made some noise," Hope said. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we haven't arrived yet, but we made some noise on the field the second half of the season. We weren't that far off, and everybody could see that. We kept swinging away, and we kept getting better as a team.

"When it was all over, we had some special moments in 2009."

The next steps are obvious for Purdue. Find ways to win close games, avoid the 10-minute disaster stretches that cropped up throughout last season, improve ball security, run defense and special teams, and, most importantly, get back to the postseason.

Simply making a lower-tier bowl isn't enough for first-team All-Big Ten wide receiver Keith Smith.

"We want to go to a January bowl game," he said. "That's our goal."

Purdue might have the personnel to get there. Despite losing 20 seniors, including quarterback Joey Elliott, safety Torri Williams and defensive tackle Mike Neal, the Boilers should be a deeper team in 2010.

Wide receiver was a major question mark for Purdue entering last season, but Smith emerged as the team's latest top option with a league-leading 1,100 receiving yards on 91 catches. He'll lead a group of wideouts and tight ends that also features Kyle Adams, Keith Carlos, Antavian Edison, Cortez Smith and others.

Ralph Bolden came out of nowhere to finish third in the Big Ten in rushing (77.9 ypg) and second in scoring (5.5 ppg), and the speedy junior expects big things this fall, especially if Purdue can reload along an offensive line that loses three starters. Al-Terek McBurse is a promising No. 2 option, and fullback Dan Dierking also returns.

"From a skill standpoint, we could have as much skill as Purdue has had on offense in many, many years," Hope said. "We're very promising at running back, we have all our tight ends back, we have Keith Smith back.

"There's some firepower there. We have to develop it."

Many eyes will be on the quarterback competition this spring, specifically Miami transfer Robert Marve. Marve, who will compete with Caleb TerBush for the top job, gets a fresh start after a tumultuous two years at Miami that got ugly at the end.

Purdue coaches and players say Marve has matured a lot in the last 10 months, and Marve's ability as a former blue-chip recruit has never been in doubt.

"In [offseason workouts], he's taking control," Bolden said. "He pretty much knows our offense. I don't know how, but he just jumped in and knew it, telling people to run this, changing routes and everything. He pretty much knows what he's doing, so I'm just following his lead."

Big Ten sacks leader Ryan Kerrigan leads a defense that must get tougher against the run after finishing last in the Big Ten in each of the last two seasons. The Boilers are helped by greater depth up front and the return of standout linebacker Jason Werner, who received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA last month.

Hope and his assistants will spend much of the spring evaluating the secondary, which must replace all four starters.

"Obviously, the bar has been raised," Hope said. "The record that we had last year, even though we had some signature wins, was not good enough. We didn't make postseason play.

"The standard is set, and the expectation level is always high at Purdue."

Danny Hope acted quickly to fill his vacancy for a defensive line coach and brought Gary Emanuel back to Purdue.

Emanuel, a Boilermakers assistant from 1997-2004 who worked alongside Hope on Joe Tiller's staff, has been hired as D-line coach and co-defensive coordinator. This is significant because Emanuel will share play-calling responsibilities with Donn Landholm and oversee Purdue's run defense, which has ranked last in the Big Ten in each of the last two seasons.

Emanuel returns to Purdue from Rutgers, where he coached the defensive line the last two seasons. He replaces Terrell Williams, who took the same post on Texas A&M's staff earlier this week.

"We could have hired any of a number of defensive line coaches to replace Terrell," Hope said in a statement. "But I told the team we were going to use the vacancy to bring in a difference-maker to our football program, and that's what we are getting with coach Emanuel. He is the complete package as a coach -- from teaching and mentoring to recruiting -- and obviously is familiar with Purdue. It's great to have him back. He makes us better."

Purdue ranked 10th and 14th nationally in rush defense in Emanuel's last two years as defensive ends coach/assistant head coach (2003-04). Rutgers ranked 15th nationally against the run last fall (103.2 ypg) and 47th in 2008. Emanuel also had a successful stint as Washington State's defensive line coach from 1994-96.

I like Hope's proactive approach to this hire. Though Purdue must rebuild its secondary this fall, stopping the run comes first in the Big Ten, and the Boilers have struggled recently in that area. Emanuel inherits a young but talented group of linemen led by end Ryan Kerrigan.

I've identified Purdue as my sleeper team in the Big Ten for 2010, and the reasons are pretty clear.

The Boilers will be very good at the offensive skill positions, as All-Big Ten selections Keith Smith and Ralph Bolden headline a unit that ranked third in the Big Ten in passing (255.2 ypg) and boasted the league's No. 3 rusher in Bolden (77.9 ypg). Quarterback Joey Elliott is a big loss, but if Miami transfer Robert Marve or Caleb TerBush can step in, Purdue will be very dangerous on the offensive side.

That said, Big Ten games are usually won with defense, and Purdue really could use a boost on that side of the ball.

Translation: Purdue could use Jason Werner back on the field for another year.

The Boilers lose all four starters in the secondary as well as defensive tackle Mike Neal, a two-year starter who could be playing on Sundays this coming fall. Superstar defensive end Ryan Kerrigan returns, but he'll need some help against the run, a category where Purdue has ranked last in the Big Ten in each of the last two seasons.

Werner can provide that help, but whether he gets another chance to play remains to be seen. Werner, who missed the 2006 and 2008 seasons because of back problems, could receive sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA and should get an answer soon.

Boilers safety Torri Williams, who missed the entire 2005 season and all but three quarters of a game in 2006, received a sixth year on Feb. 12, 2009. Williams went on to record a team-high 84 tackles as well as two interceptions, eight passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Purdue can expect similar production from Werner if he's back in 2010. Former coach Joe Tiller called Werner the team's top linebacker, making that claim when Anthony Heygood was still around. Werner, who has excellent speed to complement his size, recorded 77 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles in 2009.

Without him, the linebacker position could be a weakness for Purdue in 2010. With him, it should be a strength as he'll help young players like Dwayne Beckford.

Werner has shown what he can do when healthy. Here's hoping the NCAA sees it that way and gives him one more shot.