ESPN College Football

During the course of spring practice, Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett visited 11 of the 12 league schools, getting an up-close look at the players and coaches who will shape the 2012 season.

Now it's time for them to share their thoughts on what they saw and learned this spring, and you can follow along as they exchange emails. First, they'll discuss the teams in the Leaders Division. A Legends Division email exchange will arrive in the near future.

Brian Bennett: Adam, I guess the biggest story in the Big Ten this spring was the culture change at both Penn State and Ohio State. You went to both places. What was your sense of how different things are there now, compared to your previous visits to State College and Columbus?

Adam Rittenberg: There's definitely a new energy in both football complexes, Brian. Change can be tough on fans, especially at a place like Penn State where they've only known their program under Joe Paterno's watch, but the players seem to be excited about the new ways things are operating. At Penn State, they're excited to play for a coach (Bill O'Brien) who comes straight from the NFL and has made some much-needed modernizations to certain areas of the program (strength program, offensive philosophy). The enthusiasm about strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald and his philosophy really stood out to me at Penn State. I was also impressed by some of the younger players like freshman tight end Jesse James and redshirt freshman defensive end Deion Barnes.

The changes aren't as dramatic at Ohio State because Urban Meyer retained so many assistants from the previous staff. On the other hand, the thought of Ohio State running a true no-huddle, spread offense amazes players as much as it does the rest of us after so many years of TresselBall. One welcome change with both programs is greater accessibility for the media (and, through us, the fans). I had to pinch myself a few times while watching a Penn State practice.

You made your first visit to Madison, where, judging by the pictures you posted on Twitter, you likely gained 15 pounds and lost that Kentucky twang. What stood out about your time in Mad-city?

Brian Bennett: I'm just now shedding the last of those cheese curds from my system. Change was not really a buzzword with the Badgers, even with a slew of new assistant coaches and some turnover at key positions. This program has a system it believes in and will continue to do the same things year in, year out with new faces.

Wisconsin is still all about running the ball, and Montee Ball looked terrific during the practice he participated in while I was there. If possible, he's even a step faster, and backup Melvin Gordon is going to be a star someday as well. The quarterbacks and receivers weren't nearly as impressive or consistent, but Danny O'Brien wasn't there and Jared Abbrederis was out with his foot injury. I am intrigued by the size of some of the Badgers wideouts, like Marquis Mason (6-foot-4) and Chase Hammond (6-5). The Badgers could be effective throwing some jump balls to those guys, and with their tight ends and offensive line, their offense is going to be just fine.

There are more questions on the defense, but I liked what I saw from the defensive tackles and the secondary, which looks a little more athletic. We know the linebackers will be good with Chris Borland and Mike Taylor. If David Gilbert or someone else can come back and give them a pass rusher from the defensive end spot, this team should be loaded for a run at repeating in the Leaders Division.

I see Illinois as a bit of a mystery team in the division, with a new coach and a new system. How much progress did the Illini make in learning the spread under Tim Beckman, and do they have enough offensive playmakers to run it?

Adam Rittenberg: I don't think they do, although running back Josh Ferguson's performance in the spring game raises hope. Illinois also has some versatile players in cornerback Terry Hawthorne and quarterback Miles Osei who can fill in at receiver and/or running back if need be. But Beckman has been candid about the lack of depth at running back, and we both saw how that offense fared after opposing teams limited A.J. Jenkins' effectiveness. I do think quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase could end up being a good fit for the spread. He obviously has the mobility you need at that position, and while his arm strength is a question mark, he should be able to spread the ball around if enough weapons emerge. I think it's critical for receiver Darius Millines to stay healthy. He really had stood out in practices, but he just can't stay on the field.

I liked what co-offensive coordinator Chris Beatty said about the offense needing to regain its swagger. It's still hard to pinpoint exactly what happened to the unit last year, but I know when a spread offense establishes a nice tempo, it's awfully hard to stop. But here's the thing with Illinois: it might only need to score 20-24 points a game. The defense should be really, really good, and potentially better than last year's crew. The coaches are really excited about Michael Buchanan at end, and the front seven could be the best in the Big Ten.

You also spent some time in the Hoosier State this spring. Purdue coach Danny Hope feels this is his best team. Things couldn't get much worse for Kevin Wilson at Indiana after a 1-11 clunker in 2011. What sense did you get from being in West Lafayette and Bloomington?

Brian Bennett: I sensed quite a bit of confidence coming out of Purdue's camp. That will happen when you have 18 starters back, three healthy quarterbacks and are coming off a bowl win (granted, only against Western Michigan, but it beats the alternative).

The Boilermakers didn't let reporters watch any meaningful parts of spring practice because they're installing Tim Tibesar's new defensive system, so I didn't learn as much about them as I'd like. Still, it's clear this team has experience and some major talent with guys like Kawann Short and Ricardo Allen on defense. I think Purdue is very much a sleeper in the division, though we're going to need to see this team cut down some of its mental mistakes and play with far greater consistency than it has in the Danny Hope era.

The best thing I saw from Indiana was competency on defense. Wilson played so many freshmen last year, and the benefit is that those guys are now a year older and know the system. They were able to execute it much better this spring, and the juco kids will help a lot. The Hoosiers have some nice players on offense, like young quarterback Tre Roberson, running backs Stephen Houston and Isaiah Roundtree and tight end Ted Bolser, and I think Seth Littrell's system will play well to their strengths. Yet you look at the roster and compare it to the upper echelon of the Big Ten, and it's clear that Indiana has a long way to go to catch up and be any sort of factor in the league race.

I came away from the spring still thinking Wisconsin will win this division, but I also believe it will be a tight race and that Penn State could very well take it. Ohio State might end up being the best team in the Leaders but can't play for the league title. Did your spring visits make you feel any differently about the division?

Adam Rittenberg: I agree that Wisconsin remains the team to beat, but I came away thinking the division could have greater depth. The Legends still looks stronger with Michigan State, Michigan and Nebraska up top, and every Leaders Division team has some flaws. But Wisconsin knows how to win, returns a nice core and added a key piece in O'Brien. Ohio State will be a better defensive football team -- end John Simon is poised for an enormous senior season, and hopes are high for tackle Johnathan Hankins, too -- and while there will be some growing pains on offense, it's not as if the Buckeyes set an impressive benchmark in 2011. They were mostly awful.

Penn State and Illinois are very similar teams to me. Both have new coaches whose hiring elicited some skepticism. Both look extremely strong in the defensive front seven. Both retained excellent D-line coaches from the previous staff (Larry Johnson, Keith Gilmore). Both have standout linebackers (Gerald Hodges, Jonathan Brown) and stout defensive tackles (Jordan Hill, Akeem Spence). And both have major question marks on offense: Penn State more so at quarterback, Illinois more so at running back/receiver. Still, if the defenses perform to their capability, Penn State and/or Illinois could really make some noise in a wide-open division.

2011 record: 7-6
2011 conference record: 2-6 (fifth, Leaders Division)
Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

QB Nathan Scheelhaase, C Graham Pocic, WR Darius Millines, LB Jonathan Brown, DE Michael Buchanan, DT Akeem Spence, CB Terry Hawthorne, DT Glenn Foster

Key losses

WR A.J. Jenkins, LT Jeff Allen, G Jack Cornell, DE Whitney Mercilus, LB Ian Thomas, CB Tavon Wilson, K Derek Dimke

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Nathan Scheelhaase* (624 yards)
Passing: Nathan Scheelhaase (2,110 yards)
Receiving: A.J. Jenkins (1,276 yards)
Tackles: Jonathan Brown* (108)
Sacks: Whitney Mercilus (16)
Interceptions: Terry Hawthorne* (3)

Spring answers

1. Front loaded: How good is Illinois' defensive line? The Illini lose a first-round draft pick for the second consecutive year and should be just fine for the next season. Although All-America end Whitney Mercilus leaves a big production void, Illinois is loaded up front with Michael Buchanan, Akeem Spence, Glenn Foster, Justin Staples and others. Buchanan and Spence both have NFL potential and should be the mix for All-Big Ten honors. While Illinois has a new coordinator in Tim Banks, the scheme changes aren't dramatic and new head coach Tim Beckman wisely retained line coach Keith Gilmore.

2. Ferguson emerges: The Illini are short on proven offensive weapons (more on that later), but they came out of the spring game feeling a bit better after watching freshman Josh Ferguson run for 130 yards and record a game-high six receptions. Ferguson, who redshirted last season after being slowed by a hamstring injury, brings top-end speed to the offensive backfield. He could form a nice tandem with Donovonn Young this fall.

3. Versatility abounds: Beckman is open to using versatile players in multiple roles, and two options emerged this spring. Starting cornerback Terry Hawthorne, who has seen time on returns, played some receiver during the spring game and hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass. Hawthorne played both corner and receiver in high school and could be a "slash" player for the Illini. Reserve quarterback Miles Osei also showed he can be effective at multiple positions (running back, receiver).

Fall questions

1. Offensive weapons: The offense's struggles in the second half of 2011 stemmed in large part from the fact Illinois developed no consistent weapons other than wideout A.J. Jenkins, a surprise first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Depth is a major concern at both running back and receiver. Darius Millines has shown promising flashes, but he struggles to stay healthy. Although the coaches aren't afraid to audition players from other positions, Illinois would really benefit if wide receiver Ryan Lankford and tight ends Evan Wilson and Jon Davis stepped up. The Illini also need a third option at running back behind Young and Ferguson.

2. Special teams: Beckman didn't mince words when evaluating Illinois' special teams from 2011, calling them "terrible." He's being kind. The Illini couldn't catch punts, and they finished last in the FBS in kick return average (15.7 ypr). Standout kicker Derek Dimke departs, and Illinois must find a replacement. Illinois has too much talent to be so lousy in the kicking game, and Beckman stressed the basics this spring. He must continue to see progress this summer as Illinois tries to become a more complete team.

3. Quarterback efficiency: Illinois wants to regain its swagger on offense after flat-lining down the stretch of last season, and it starts with the quarterback spot. Nathan Scheelhaase has started two seasons under center, but he's transitioning to a new system and looked a bit shaky throwing the ball in the spring game. Arm strength is a question mark for Scheelhaase, who will need to spread the ball around in the new system. Reilly O'Toole also is in the mix after playing a decent amount as a backup in 2011. O'Toole will continue to compete for time.

Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett will occasionally give their takes on a burning question facing the league. We'll both have strong opinions, but not necessarily the same view. We'll let you decide which blogger is right.

In our most recent Take Two, we debated which position group was the strongest throughout the league. So on the flip side, today's Take Two topic is this: What position group in the league looks most in need of improvement after spring practice?

Take 1: Brian Bennett

The Big Ten had nine receivers drafted into the NFL over the weekend, and overall the league lost its top seven pass-catchers from the 2011 season. So there's no wonder that position looked a little weak across several campuses this spring. Only two players who caught at least 50 passes last year -- Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis and Iowa's Keenan Davis -- return in 2012. Michigan State lost its top two wideouts in B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin and is relying on wildly inexperienced players to step up there. Ohio State didn't have a player catch more than 14 passes last year, and new coach Urban Meyer criticized the receivers all spring, though Michael Thomas did have a strong spring game. Wisconsin missed Abbrederis (foot injury) this spring and is trying to find someone else to play with consistency at that spot. A.J. Jenkins basically was the passing game for Illinois last year, and now the Illini need more options in their new spread system after losing the first-rounder. Michigan needs to replace Junior Hemingway and is hoping Roy Roundtree bounces back after a subpar junior year stats-wise.

I could go on and on. Very few schools appear settled at receiver right now, and I'd be hard pressed to select a pair of preseason first-team all-conference performers there at this point. While receiver is one position where young players can often have a quick impact, it's also true that the league is lacking proven stars at that spot heading into the season.

Take 2: Adam Rittenberg

The league undoubtedly loses a lot at receiver, but I'm going with the guys throwing the passes, not catching them. Great quarterbacks can make adequate receivers good and good receivers great. It rarely works the other way around. The Big Ten doesn't lose as many standout quarterbacks as it does receivers, but the league says goodbye to three of its best in Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins and Northwestern's Dan Persa. Wilson energized Wisconsin's offense with his strong arm and athleticism, and while his accomplishments were overshadowed by those of teammate Montee Ball, he'll be sorely missed. While Danny O'Brien is a nice addition, he's not Russell Wilson. Cousins and Persa also leave significant voids in East Lansing and Evanston, respectively. While Kain Colter is a great athlete and Andrew Maxwell has been groomed for the spotlight, both men have a lot to prove.

The overall quality of quarterback play in the league needs a boost in 2012. Remember that the Big Ten failed to have a team ranked in the top 35 nationally in pass offense in 2011. Nebraska's Taylor Martinez, Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase and Minnesota's MarQueis Gray must become a lot more consistent. Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Indiana's Tre Roberson must grow up. Michigan's Denard Robinson needs to cut down on his interceptions and add reliability to his repertoire. Iowa's James Vandenberg has to get a lot better on the road. Purdue and Penn State need a quarterback to separate himself from the pack. There are many more familiar names at quarterback, but if they don't make strides, the Big Ten once again will be grounded on offense.

We're recapping all of the Big Ten spring games that took place Saturday. Let's check out how the Orange and Blue Game went down in Champaign.

You can read coverage of Illinois' spring game here and here and here. Here's the full stat sheet.

Star of the game: Redshirt freshman running back Josh Ferguson rushed for 130 yards -- including scampers of 20, 18 and 68 yards -- on 20 carries, and added a game-high six receptions for the victorious Blue squad. Defensive end Michael Buchanan earns a mention after racking up 12 tackles, including 4.5 "sacks."

How it went down: The run game and defense lifted the Blue squad to a 13-12 victory against the Orange team. Nick Immekus kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:22 left in the game, and Justin Staples sealed the win with a sack of Nathan Scheelhaase.

"Come Monday, they'll be having steaks and we'll be having beans and weenies," Scheelhaase, who suffered his first spring game loss, told reporters. "Which means Chipotle can probably expect a lot of business from the Orange squad."

Mmmm, Chipotle.

Not surprisingly, there was a mix of good and bad as the Illini wrapped up their first spring session under new head coach Tim Beckman. Buchanan had a huge day and looks like the clear successor to All-America defensive end Whitney Mercilus, who led the nation in sacks in 2011 (16). Staples also had a nice performance, and the defense made plenty of big plays. Ferguson's performance also bodes well as Illinois lacks depth at running back and wants multiple options.

On the flip side, the offensive line struggled to keep pass-rushers out of the backfield. Quarterback play also was spotty -- Scheelhaase completed just 11 of 26 passes; Reilly O'Toole completed 19 of 31 attempts, but took four sacks -- although lousy weather made it a tough day to throw.

The Illini could get some contributions from players they're auditioning in multiple roles. Starting cornerback Terry Hawthorne caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from O'Toole, and cornerback Justin Green had a 15-yard run. Reserve quarterback Miles Osei caught four passes, although he fared well as a signal caller, completing 8 of 12 pass attempts.

Illinois' defense looks strong coming out of the spring, and its front seven should be one of the Big Ten's best. Offense clearly is the priority entering the summer months as players continue to learn a new system.

"We got to get better, but not just at quarterback," Beckman said. "That's the one that's always looked at. That's the one that’s always critiqued. [But it's] every position. If we want to be a champion, and we have the capabilities of doing that, we need to step our game up this summer and in two-a-days."

She feels great. Her spirits are high, the whole family's high. There's your headline.

• Bret Bielema says greed is good when it comes to winning Big Ten titles at Wisconsin.
• Illinois is spicing up its spring game this year, including having a student call a play in the first quarter. Nathan Scheelhaase remains the team's No. 1 quarterback.
• ESPN's Jon Gruden projects Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins as a second-round pick. The Spartans add an offensive line recruit for 2013.
• Iowa is running plenty of no-huddle offense this spring. A look at Iowa's revised spring depth chart.
• Colleague Mel Kiper includes two Big Ten players in his underrated/overrated chart . Here's Kiper's latest Big Board .
• Ohio State turned in its best practice of the spring Wednesday. True freshman Bri'onte Dunn is in the mix at running back for the Buckeyes.
• Bill O'Brien sees no separation in Penn State's quarterback race. A look at five Penn State players who could have breakout seasons in 2012. A New York man will be tried for allegedly stealing the "Paternoville" sign.
• Despite a Sugar Bowl championship, Brady Hoke told Michigan it failed in 2011. Kyle Meinke lists five names to watch in Michigan's spring game.
• Nebraska's young running backs will be interesting to watch in Saturday's spring game. Huskers safety Daimion Stafford wants to improve his coverage skills.
• The late Gary Tinsley was not only popular with his Minnesota teammates, but his professors, too. Tinsley's funeral will take place Saturday.
• Tom Dienhart wonders if we'll ever see Ohio State versus Michigan in a spring scrimmage.
• Northwestern finds the right attitude heading into its spring game.
• Kawann Short has some unfinished business at Purdue. The Boilers' Normondo Harris is a fashion freak.
• Indiana wants to involve its running backs more in the pass game (subscription required).

After an offseason jam-packed with change, most players and coaches in the Leaders Division haven't had time to examine anyone but themselves.

"I have no idea," first-year Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said. "I'm only concerned about one program, and that's Penn State."

The Big Ten had three head-coaching changes in the offseason, all of them in the Leaders Division (Penn State, Ohio State and Illinois). Wisconsin, the two-time defending Big Ten champion, had to replace six assistant coaches, including premier playcaller Paul Chryst and offensive line guru Bob Bostad. Purdue replaced its defensive coordinator, while Indiana brought in a new offensive coordinator.

All six teams have some new flavor and the uncertainty that comes with it. All six teams also sense opportunity in what could be a wide-open division race.

"Everybody has new people," Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill told ESPN.com. "Even Wisconsin, they've got six new assistants, and in most cases, the assistants are who deal with the players the most. So I feel it's wide open. Not that I don't feel that every year, but it's more than usual."

Wisconsin has reached the past two Rose Bowls and won 32 games during the past three seasons. The Badgers return Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball, the Big Ten's offensive player of the year in 2011, and recently added another quarterback transfer in Danny O'Brien, the former Maryland signal-caller.

Although the staff turnover is significant, Bret Bielema has replaced key assistants before, like defensive coordinator Dave Doeren after the 2010 season. There's still a strong case to be made that the Leaders Division title still goes through Mad-city.

"We are the targeted team in the Big Ten because of what we've done the past two years," Ball said. "Everyone is shooting and gunning for us."

Added Bielema: "Everyone thinks it's complacency that's going to affect us, but here at Wisconsin we've become greedy."

Ball lists Ohio State as the team Wisconsin is gunning for, and the Badgers and Buckeyes have a spicy rivalry brewing. Some think Ohio State will end up as the division's top team, but the Buckeyes are banned from postseason play and the Big Ten title game, adding a subplot to the division race.

"We have a great opportunity right now," Purdue defensive tackle Kawann Short said. "We've got a lot of starters coming back. ... Ohio State can't get back in conference championship, so it just gives us a little edge.

"We've got to take advantage of it."

Purdue likely will be a popular pick as a sleeper team in the division. The Boilers return nine starters on both sides of the ball and three quarterbacks -- Caleb TerBush, Robert Marve and Rob Henry -- who have started multiple games. They also have recorded two wins against Ohio State during coach Danny Hope's three-year tenure.

Indiana has a bigger hill to climb after a 1-11 season in 2011. But the Hoosiers are a year older and more familiar with the demands of coach Kevin Wilson and his staff.

"Last year we struggled in my first year, didn't play up to our capabilities," Wilson said. "Hopefully that'll lead to giving ourselves an opportunity to compete with some of those teams as they go through some transition."

While Ohio State can't make it to Indianapolis in Urban Meyer's first year, the other two division teams with new coaches could surprise people. Both Penn State and Illinois have similar profiles, boasting strong defensive front sevens but question marks on offense.

"At this time, everybody is saying the same thing, whether it's Illinois, Ohio State, Wisconsin," Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase said. "... It really comes down to who’s going to go out there every day and get better, who's going to put in the extra work to be the best football team.

"Everybody wants to be, but ultimately one team is going to do it more so than anybody else."

Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase is the only quarterback in the Leaders division to have started every game the past two seasons.

He has helped the Illini to consecutive bowl wins for the first time in team history. He served as a team captain as a redshirt sophomore. He has passed for nearly 4,000 yards (3,935) and 30 touchdowns in his first two seasons as the starter.

But when Illinois opened spring practice, there were questions, at least from the outside, about Scheelhaase's status as the starter. During Illinois' offensive downturn in the second half of 2011, the coaches weren't shy about using Reilly O'Toole under center. O'Toole appeared in 10 games and saw increased action late in the regular season, attempting 33 passes in the final two games.

As a new coaching staff arrived with a new offense, the quarterback race looked like an intriguing subplot of the spring. But head coach Tim Beckman wasn't about to write off what Scheelhaase had done.

"Coach Beckman told me at the start of spring that it would be, in a sense, my job to lose," Scheelhaase said Wednesday. "I just want to go out there and show them what I can do. These coaches haven't seen me before. The best mind-set you can have is to do something [so] the coaches want to put you on the field because of the talent you have."

Scheelhaase said he has taken the majority of reps with the first-team offense but added that both he and O'Toole are pretty talented quarterbacks who can get the job done."

"Nathan's the one who's going to get the first reps, but Reilly's also getting involved in the 1s," Beckman said Wednesday. "We want to make sure they get the same opportunities."

Beckman has enough confidence in both Scheelhaase and O'Toole to use Miles Osei, the team's No. 3 quarterback, in an expanded role. The 6-foot, 200-pound Osei has been used at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and will see time at the latter two positions in Saturday's spring game.

Illinois is looking to build depth at both running back and receiver, particularly after losing All-Big Ten wideout A.J. Jenkins, and has auditioned both Osei and starting cornerback Terry Hawthorne as pass-catchers.

The speed and complexity of the team's new spread offense has stood out to Scheelhaase, who enjoys the learning process. According to Chris Beatty, the team's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Scheelhaase has grasped the system faster than he hoped.

"He's just played a lot of ball," Beatty said. "I remember watching him when it was [67-65], whatever that Michigan game was, a couple years ago. You sit back and realize then he was a freshman playing. You've been out there, you've been in the wars, you've had a good foundation. He's been able to pick things up really quickly.

"Nathan's probably a little bit ahead because he's played the most, but we want to have competition."

You're still here! You didn't go to the store for milk and heroin and then never come back.

• Thanks to Bobby Petrino's troubles, former Ohio State assistant Taver Johnson is now serving as Arkansas' head coach.
• Penn State's Silas Redd has looked impressive at spring practice. Lions center Matt Stankiewitch discusses the new strength program and other topics in this Q&A.
• Michigan is experimenting with Devin Gardner at receiver, but Gardner remains primarily the team's backup quarterback. Former Michigan star LaMarr Woodley thinks Denard Robinson will be a good NFL wide receiver.
• Minnesota's walking wounded are excited to get back on the field for spring ball. Gophers quarterback MarQueis Gray, part of the search committee for a new athletic director, wants the new AD to be accessible to athletes.
• Ohio State receiver Chris Fields denies rumors he quit the team. After being suspended for the Gator Bowl, Buckeyes receiver T.Y. Williams has looked good in spring practice.
• The NCAA should do the right thing and grant Michigan State's DeAnthony Arnett his waiver. Spartans running back Le'Veon Bell needed some extra motivation this spring.
• The middle Watt brother (Derek) is making his own impression at Wisconsin.
• Nebraska's Rex Burkhead is fine-tuning his game. Eric Martin could give the Huskers' defensive line a big boost.
• Northwestern's secondary goes by a new nickname: the Sky Team.
• Purdue quarterback Rob Henry stays busy off of the field.
• Indiana's strength coach has started the rebuilding process (subscription required).
• New Illinois coach Tim Beckman is on the lookout for playmakers. Illini quarterbacks Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole are splitting reps with the top offense.
• Iowa picks up its first recruit for the 2013 class. Despite recent attrition, Iowa's RBs aren't shying away from contact this spring.

Final Four weekend. If you see a stumbling Bennett on the streets of Louisville on Saturday night, just get out of his way.

Allan Evridge from Seasons Past writes: Hey Adam, love the blog. I just wanted to stop in to remind the Badger faithful and the crestfallen Nittany Lions fans about ME! Russel Wilson gave Bielema arguably his best season, but I gave him his worst. Perhaps Bielema should reconsider his "One QB Recruit" per year rule because talented transfer quarterbacks don't always work out. I would know.

Adam Rittenberg: Wow, didn't expect to hear from you, Allan. Yes, it's good to remind everyone that quarterback transfers don't always work out. There were other reasons the 2008 season went south in Madison, but the Badgers didn't have great QB play by any means. To expect Danny O'Brien to be another Russell Wilson is unrealistic. But O'Brien gives Wisconsin another option -- an option with a lot of FBS game experience -- at a position filled with question marks right now. He fills a need. As I wrote Wednesday, Wisconsin doesn't need O'Brien to be first-team All-Big Ten to win the Leaders division. But the Badgers can't have the quarterback position be a liability.

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Freddy Fact Machine from Denver writes: "AIRBHG" is the invention of www.blackheartgoldpants.com. I suggest giving them credit or else the Angry Adam Rittenberg Hating God (AARHG) will give you tennis elbow.

Adam Rittenberg: That was my mistake, Freddy, as we had to rush to get the reaction post out the door. Black Heart Gold Pants is the mastermind behind AIRBHG and many other brilliant tidbits on all things Hawkeyes. It's definitely a must-read blog.

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Joe from Mount Prospect, Ill., writes: Miles Osei is making a case to run the illini offense. If not get on the field and run the offense along with Nate. Sure would be nice to see somebody focus on that. The kid is having a more than solid spring and his offseason was fabulous. Coaches constantly comment about his leadership and what a great football player he is. I pray he is given opportunity to compete and it looks like he is.. What have you heard and seen? Kid is making plays all over the place. He is a combination of both quarterbacks. The kid is a football player and time will only tell if he emerges. He should have been the number two last year but was brushed aside. Kid is a fighter and that is what Illini needs. Winners

Adam Rittenberg: Joe, thanks for the information about Osei. Coach Tim Beckman and co-offensive coordinator/QBs coach Chris Beatty mentioned Osei a bit when we visited Tuesday, but they didn't elaborate like you have here. All three quarterbacks are in the mix right now for the Illini, and it sounds like Nathan is definitely in the lead. But last season showed that Illinois needs more weapons to emerge on offense at every position. It'll be interesting to see what role Osei has in the fall.

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Jeremiah from Kearney, Neb., writes: Befor spring practice started i was worried about mostly our linebackers and also a little about our corners but after reading more about how players are coming along and the addition of Mohammed Seisay i feel better about that position what is your take on the linebacker position and how you feel it could play out?

Adam Rittenberg: Jeremiah, I shared those same concerns, and I'm excited to visit Lincoln next week to see how the Huskers defense looks. It does sound like the secondary will be OK as Seisay and others join the mix. Bo Pelini and his staff know how to produce top-level defensive backs, and they've added some talent there. Linebacker is a bit more of a question mark as I don't see another Lavonte David on the roster. It'll take more of a collective effort and several players stepping up at that position.

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Evan from Arusha, Tanzania, writes: Hello Adam, I saw the chat transcript and I had some thoughts on the question regarding the QB situation at Purdue. I was reading a report saying that even when Marve was playing he was nowhere near 100% and he would have to take the next few days off from practice due to swelling in his knee. However, now he appears to be at or very near 100%. I think with that being said and if he stays healthy he should be able to progress enough to win the starting nod back. I also think it will be interesting to see whether or not Rob Henry fully recovers, because I think he could be used just like Justin Siller last year. I would really enjoy watching both Henry and Marve play at the same time, which has not happened since the Toledo game two years ago.

Adam Rittenberg: Evan, you could be right about Marve, who has dealt with injuries throughout his entire career at Purdue. Coach Danny Hope has repeatedly said he wants to have at least two quarterbacks ready, and he'll have at least three with legitimate experience entering 2012 in Marve, Henry and Caleb TerBush. Henry certainly can help Purdue at other spots than quarterback, but keep in mind he would have been the starter last season if not for the ACL. He had had a terrific offseason and had the support of his teammates as a co-captain. This is one of the more intriguing QB competitions you'll find because of the injury history. It will be interesting to see how it plays out this fall.

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Jon from Colorado writes: So during the chat you said you would give credit to one of the best beat writers in the Big Ten if the O'Brien to Wisconsin report was true, then you wrote two articles and failed to give any credit and only linked to ESPN stories? Kinda dropped the ball there didn't you? Guess the chatter was right and it is only news if ESPN reports it huh? Where's the love for the local media that really breaks the stories?

Adam Rittenberg: Reading really is a skill, John. I suggest you brush up a bit.

• From the "Badgers' recent rise lures Danny O'Brien" post: O'Brien's decision to pick Wisconsin, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, confirms that the program remains an appealing destination despite the recent transition.
• From the news story on O'Brien's arrival: "The team on Tuesday announced the signing of O'Brien after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported his arrival.

Yeah, but we never credit anyone for the work they do. It's not like we have a post every day around lunchtime that includes the best stories from around the league.

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Rob from Morristown, N.J., writes: Adam, in your B1G chat today you answered a question that Wisconsin needed O'Brien more than PSU, but PSU fans would disagree. I am a PSU alum and huge fan and I would disagree that "PSU fans would disagree" (as a blanket statement). While having another seasoned QB added to the mix may have helped a puzzled mess that is the PSU QB situation, I do not understand why NO ONE thinks that Matt McGloin can manage the offense, while PSU's running game and defense can win like they did last year. McGloin gets no credit because he is a "former" walk-on. From what we have seen out of Bolden, he just does not cut it in D-I football, but McGloin has shown he is capable. And now that PSU has a REAL QB coach and a head coach that knows how to tutor QBs, (not a QB coach who is the head coaches son and former back-up college QB), I honestly see good things possible from a well coached Matt McGloin, he has the arm, isn't afraid to stay in the pocket, can sense a pass rush and commands the huddle with confidence, and he has two years of quality experience (same as O'Brien).

Adam Rittenberg: Rob, you could be correct about McGloin. We'll just have to see. He certainly has experience and has turned in some impressive performances, particularly in his two starts against Northwestern. I have little doubt Bill O'Brien will upgrade the quarterback position in 2012, no matter who walks out there first -- and I think it'll be McGloin. That said, Danny O'Brien would have been a nice addition, just to give Penn State one more option under center. Bolden has to make significant strides in my view, and Penn State doesn't really know what it has in Paul Jones.

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Michael from Los Feliz, Calif., writes: Adam, I'm a big fan of the blog, and a longtime resident of Minneapolis who recently moved to the left coast. I have been writing to you for the last 3 years asking you to check out the Gophers in spring ball. This year I cannot go as I'm no longer in that part of the world. Please watch the Gophers in spring ball. Minnesota has some interesting storylines, practices have been reported to be crisp and intriguing, and the Gophers could easily be the feel good team of the Big Ten this year (led by magnetic senior leader MarQueis Gray at QB).Barney Stinson would jump at the opportunity to rock out in Dinkytown, and so should you.

Adam Rittenberg: Michael, I definitely remember your notes. Unfortunately, I won't be in Minneapolis this spring but hope to make it this fall for a game. Where we go in spring is somewhat out of our hands and depends on a lot of factors. If we had an unlimited budget, we'd be going everywhere. But both Brian and I will keep tabs on Minnesota from afar and will talk to players and coaches throughout the spring. I'm really interested in running back James Gillum, the juco transfer, who has drawn some good marks so far. It'll also be interesting to see who steps up on defense, particularly up front and in the secondary. This could be a big year for Troy Stoudermire at cornerback.

Another great hoops weekend on tap, and then Big Ten spring ball gets in full swing next week.

Mail time.

Max from Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., writes: I enjoyed your take on MSU as they enter spring ball. With all of their returning talent, how can the "so called" experts continue to dismiss them? Every team losses their quarterback from time to time. Why is the loss of Cousins taken as a sign that MSU will some how fall back to the John L days. With our defense Andrew Maxwell will be a more than adequate replacement. After all both Alabama and LSU had quarterback play that was average at best last

Adam Rittenberg: You make some good points, Max. While Michigan State has had tremendous success in recent years, the Spartans haven't quite put themselves in the category of squads that outsiders expect to reload every year. Those who really study what MSU returns on defense will see the potential for the 2012 squad to be as good or even better than its predecessor. We shouldn't underrate the loss of Kirk Cousins, a three-year starter and a three-time captain. But it's not as if Maxwell is some true freshman being thrown into the fire. He has been prepared for this. That said, he'll likely have some growing pains. But as a mostly unproven quarterback, he'll inspire some skepticism about Michigan State's chances. Alabama and LSU have won national titles in recent years and have recruited consistently among the nation’s elite. Michigan State, fairly or unfairly, is viewed as a notch below those programs. The Spartans can do a lot to change that perception this fall with a third consecutive 10-win season

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The Roaming Badger from The Burrow writes: Hey Adam,I haven't heard much talk about Illinois as a contender for a division title. They have been recruiting some top shelf talent for years under Ron Zook, what are the chances someone comes in and takes that talent to a title? Last time he left a team a coach took his recruits to a NC within two years. In fact, that coach could probably have taken over the Illinois HC position this last offseason if he wanted to. Now that would make for some fun speculation!

Adam Rittenberg: Always good to hear from The Burrow. While I wouldn't dismiss Illinois in a wide-open Leaders division, you might be overrating the talent level just a bit. Zook’s top recruiting classes were 2007, 2008 and 2009, and most of those players are no longer in the program. Illinois certainly has its share of talent, particularly in the defensive front seven with players such as Akeem Spence, Michael Buchanan and Jonathan Brown. But the overall depth of the past three recruiting classes doesn’t seem as strong.

Illinois has to find several playmakers on offense to help quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. The Illini also need to build depth in areas like offensive line and the secondary. The defense should be good enough to make some noise in the division, but after watching the offense flounder so much in the second half of the 2012, the jury is out and Tim Beckman's staff has plenty of work ahead.

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Brian from Whiteman Air Force Base writes: Hey guys, i need you to explain somethin to me regarding the future annual series of B1G vs Pac12. I understand it will generate more revenue and beef up the non-conference schedules of both conferences, BUT with the entire nation trying to play catchup to the SEC, wouldn't it be kindof detrimental for the best teams from the B1G and Pac12 to hand eachother losses so early in the year? I feel like we should be scheduling against more SEC teams to try to give them losses so we avoid more situations like last year's national championship game!

Adam Rittenberg: Brian, I see your point about the Big Ten and Pac-12 cannibalizing one another in the race to catch the SEC. But in terms of scheduling more games against the SEC, it’s easier said than done. How many SEC teams venture away from the southeast to play nonconference games? Still waiting … Anyone? Bueller? Yeah, it doesn't happen very often. SEC athletic directors would rather sacrifice their first born than give up home games, particularly in exchange for a trip to Big Ten territory. And Big Ten teams aren't going to visit Dixie without getting a home game in return. It's why we could see more neutral-site matchups like Michigan-Alabama. While I hope the Big Ten-Pac-12 partnership doesn’t totally stop Big Ten ADs from trying to schedule SEC foes, don't hold your breath. Nonconference scheduling goes both ways, and the SEC schools have to change their approach for anything to work. And right now, there's really no incentive for SEC schools to do anything differently.

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Jim from Winchester, Va., writes: Nebraska played a few true freshmen at a few key positions (RB, WR, LT) and some young new corners on defense. What are the chances the Huskers creep up on folks and surprise some teams who might think they will be mediocre on defense and Martinez in his second year of a new offense shines.

Adam Rittenberg: There's a good chance, Jim. While Michigan State and Michigan likely will enter the season as the Big Ten favorites, Nebraska shouldn’t be overlooked. As you point out, the Huskers return most of their core on offense, and those young players, including quarterback Taylor Martinez, just a junior, will have another year of experience under their belt. Although Nebraska loses a few starting offensive linemen, I actually think the overall depth up front will be better as a lot of young players got their feet wet in 2012. The Huskers are strong at running back with Rex Burkhead leading the charge, and the wide receiver and tight end positions should get a boost.

The key on defense will be replacing star power -- Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard -- with better overall depth. You hear baseball managers talk about up-the-middle defense, and the same holds true for football. Nebraska needs to be better at defensive tackle and safety, and it needs to find someone to step in for David, the league’s top linebacker. Too many teams attacked the deep middle against the Huskers. I think the offense will need to win a few tough games, but Nebraska should be right in the mix in a competitive Legends division.

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Kevin from Mt. Prospect, Ill., writes: Pat Fitzgerald has said in the offseason that he wants to keep his current staff around. The offense is certainly working for the Cats but the defense hasn't been doing their jobs in years. Is keeping Mike Hankwitz as defensive coordinator a liabity for the Wildcats after the poor defense the past couple years. How many more poor defensive seasons will it take for Pat to get rid of him and do you see the Cats improving to being an average defensive team in the big ten this year?

Adam Rittenberg: I thought there was a chance Fitz would make some staff changes after the season, especially with some of the admitted communication problems the defense had. Then again, he preaches the importance of continuity and has been extremely loyal to his assistants, firing only one -- defensive coordinator Greg Colby -- in six years on the job. Hankwitz played a big role in Fitzgerald’s best season, 2008, as he turned around one of the nation's worst units and made them respectable. But the past year and a half has been pretty awful on the defensive side. The challenge for Hankwitz is that the 2012 defense will be younger than its predecessor, and Northwestern loses its top two defensive backs in a secondary that struggled mightily last season. The coaches feel they've recruited well, but they need to have some players take significant steps this fall.

While Northwestern has struggled on defense since Fitzgerald played, the program produced a number of NFL defenders in the first part of the last decade. Other than Corey Wootton, there haven’t been many during Fitzgerald's tenure as head coach. So is it a talent issue or a lack of development? I think Northwestern has some intriguing players such as end Tyler Scott and safety Ibraheim Campbell, but they need to become difference-makers in 2012. Hankwitz is a seasoned coordinator, but his scheme relies on generating pressure strictly from the line and Northwestern generated virtually none last year. Will he mix it up more with blitzes? He might have to.

If Northwestern’s defense has another season like 2011, I don’t know how Fitzgerald retains the entire defensive staff again.

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Kelley from Los Angeles writes: Hey Adam, I hope you had a great vacation! Let's just assume (and hope against hope) for the moment, that Danny O'Brien comes to State College for next season. With that vastly improved QB situation, do we have a legitimate shot at a B1G title? Or at least the Leaders division? I like how our schedule looks this season, but unless we get a good QB it could all be four naught. So does O'Brien squared get us the title?

Adam Rittenberg: Kelley, always great to hear from you. I think Danny O'Brien puts Penn State in position to challenge for the Leaders division title. It's not to say PSU can't win the division without him, but if O'Brien provides the upgrade the Nittany Lions desperately need under center, they could really make a run in a wide-open division. I think the Big Ten champion comes out of the Legends -- Michigan, Michigan State or Nebraska -- but we could see a mini-upset in Indy as well. I agree that Penn State's schedule sets up well, particularly within the division as both Ohio State and Wisconsin visit Happy Valley. You can also argue Penn State brings back the division’s top defense, although there are some question marks in the secondary and at the second defensive tackle spot. But everyone knows that with Penn State, it comes down to the quarterback spot and getting much better play than we've seen the past two years.

Nathan Scheelhaase used to watch teams run the spread offense and wonder why they were so effective. In high school, one of the players he admired was West Virginia quarterback Pat White.

"You see them running it and doing a good job with it and you hope you can do the same one day," he said.

The Illinois quarterback is getting his chance now. The Illini are switching to a spread offense under new head coach Tim Beckman, and that transformation is in full bloom this spring. As with any spread attack, much depends on the triggerman, so Scheelhaase's adaptation and grasp of the new system is paramount.

The team held its first six practices of the spring before taking this week off for spring break. Scheelhaase said the players are catching on quickly.

"We've made a whole lot of progress and there have been a whole lot of positives," he said. "The coaches have even told us on various occasions how pleased and surprised they are at how we've been picking up and moving through with things."

How different is this offense from the one the Illini ran under Paul Petrino the last two years? There's all new terminology, of course. Scheelhaase said the passing concepts aren't that dissimilar from the past. The biggest change, he said, is in the running game.

"This offense likes to get people in space," he said. "Get fast guys the ball with space and a chance to make guys miss one on one. We're stretching the field a whole lot more."

There's also the no-huddle aspect. Scheelhaase said Illinois ran its high-tempo offense full bore for the first time in practice No. 5.

"It was really eye-opening, for both sides," he said. "You could feel the defense getting tired even in practice. We got seven plays deep in that drive, and then the pass rush wasn't as strong. They revealed their coverages a lot quicker than usual. Picking up the pace helped a lot, based on one series and one practice. I think it will be a big help to us to keep that going."

This isn't the first time Scheelhaase has been exposed to this kind of offense. He was a redshirt freshman under former offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, who engineered a spread just like Mike Locksley had done before him.

But Scheelhaase started the past two years under Petrino, who favored a more multiple attack based around a power run game. Beckman's teams at Toledo used the spread offense, though Scheelhaase said the Illini won't merely be mirror images of those Rockets. Co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and Chris Beatty have added their own wrinkles.

"We're doing stuff that coach Beatty did at West Virginia and stuff that coach Gonzales did when he was at Florida with Tim Tebow," Scheelhaase said. "That's what makes this offense so cool, because it's not just one person's offense. It seems like it's almost three or four minds working together to kind of make this offense go, which makes it pretty tough for a defense to get a hold on what we like to do."

Scheelhaase will have to hold off a charge from Reilly O'Toole this spring to keep his starting job. He no longer has his favorite target from last season, wideout A.J. Jenkins, and the Illini are perilously thin at receiver and running back for this kind of offense.

So there are some reasons for concern as Illinois makes the switch. But so far, Scheelhaase is enjoying the process.

"I like learning new things all the time," he said. "It's cool because when I was growing up I watched Pat White and things like that. You see things working and you don't really know how it works until you get into the thick of it. It's neat getting that perspective."

By now, it's pretty obvious who the last men standing are in our countdown of the Big Ten's top 25 players of 2011.

It's always a difficult exercise because there are many deserving players, and limiting ourselves to only 25 nominees means some excellent candidates got left out. So let's take a look at some of the toughest omissions.

First, here are the players who were on our preseason list who didn't survive the cut for the postseason honors and the reasons why:

Preseason No. 25: Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin: One of the hardest players to leave off the list, as Borland had an excellent season with 143 tackles and was one of the top linebackers in the league. We chose to go with his position mate, Mike Taylor, though Borland was probably No. 26 on our list.

Preseason No. 24: Michael Mauti, LB, Penn State: Mauti was well on his way to a strong season before he suffered another knee injury that forced him to miss most of the year.

Preseason No. 22: Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa: Prater's tackle and interception numbers dipped from his junior year, and Iowa's pass defense as a whole was disappointing.

Preseason No. 21: Nathan Scheelhaase, QB, Illinois: Scheelhaase got off to a good start in 2011, but he and the rest of the Illini offense were MIA for the second half of the season.

Preseason No. 19: Ricardo Allen, CB, Purdue: Allen had a good season, with 79 tackles and three interceptions, and just missed our list.

Preseason No. 16: Derek Moye, WR, Penn State: Moye dealt with an injury midseason, but what really hurt him was poor quarterback play.

Preseason No. 9: Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State: Baker didn't build off his breakout 2010 campaign and became the second option behind Le'Veon Bell late in the season.

Preseason No. 3: Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern: Persa was still really good when he was in the lineup; he just wasn't in the lineup enough because of injury issues.

Preseason No. 1: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska: Crick was a little quiet early in the season, and then he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in October.

Here are a few other guys who just missed the cut:

Michigan State CB Johnny Adams: I really liked the year Adams had, and he was on my initial top 25 list. Very difficult to leave him off.

Michigan State G Joel Foreman and Wisconsin OT Josh Oglesby: Two of the best offensive linemen in the league, but we already had a bunch of linemen on the list in a strong year for the big uglies in the Big Ten.

Nebraska P/K Brett Maher: Unfortunately, kickers and punters don't get a lot of love on lists like these.

Wisconsin S Aaron Henry: If we could have considered interview skills as part of the criteria, Henry would have been in the top 10.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Many of the underclassmen who finished just outside the top 25 will likely appear on our 2012 preseason list this summer. If you have players you feel strongly about who we didn't include in our top 25 -- and I'm betting you do -- drop me a line and tell me who and why. We'll discuss it in a future post.

The Tim Beckman era reaches a new phase Wednesday as Illinois players go through their first spring practice under their new coach. Beckman is a high-energy leader who wants to foster competition in every element of his program. Although two-year starter Nathan Scheelhaase returns at quarterback, he'll have to fend off three contenders and make an impression on the team's new coordinators, Billy Gonzales and Chris Beatty. The Illini are short on running backs and wide receivers, while the defense looks to continue the momentum it generated in 2011. Beckman takes over a team that has recorded back-to-back bowl victories but struggled to show it can take a step toward the top half of the Big Ten.

ESPN recently caught up with Beckman. Here are his thoughts.

What are your expectations for spring practice?

Tim Beckman: I want our players competing. I want them playing with outstanding effort in everything they do in spring ball. That competitive nature will be in every drill we do. These players will be evaluated in everything that they do. They're going to get feedback from the coaches on what we feel is championship-caliber and what we feel is not championship-caliber.

How much have you looked at tape from last season?

TB: Definitely. I've watched and evaluated tape, and been involved with what they did last year. But that's in the past. As I told the players when I met individually with each one of them, this is the future, this is a new era and we're building this thing forward, not building from the back.

How would you describe your quarterback situation entering the spring? Will it be a full competition?

TB: Oh, it's great. That's what life's all about. We've got the capabilities of being good at that position with four guys. Competition just makes you better. We've got one that has played [Scheelhaase] and played quite a bit and proven that he can win football games, won seven this year and won a bowl game. But we also have some backups with Reilly [O'Toole] and Miles [Osei] and [Chase] Haslett, there's three backups and a starter that are capable of winning football games.

How does Nathan fit into your vision for the offense?

TB: Your vision for the offense is scoring points and securing the football. I'm not going to bang my fist on the table, saying, 'We've got to do it this way.' We've got personnel that's already involved here. Nobody here is anybody we've been able to go out and recruit, so we're going to fit our schemes to what we have here talent-wise. Yeah, I want to be able to say we're a spread football team, but if we don't have the personnel to be a spread football team right now, we've got to fit an offensive scheme to the player personnel we have. I know this, though. We're going to be fundamentally sound in what we do. We can secure the football on offense, and on defense, we can take the football away.

You brought in two coordinators on the offensive side, both younger guys [Gonzales and Beatty]. Are you going to be evaluating them this spring in their new roles?

TB: Everybody gets evaluated. Heck, they're going to be evaluating me. This is a new coaching staff, so that's the life of a coach, that's the life of a Division I college football player. You are being evaluated in everything that you do. If it's at a speaking engagement or if it's lifting weights or running or whatever it might be, you're going to get evaluated. So we're going to evaluate ourselves and try to make ourselves the best we can be.

Really impressive year on the defensive side in 2011. Is it a matter of keeping it going, or do you want to do something dramatically different with coach [Tim] Banks and your vision for that group?

TB: They did an outstanding job last year, no question about it. But there's other categories they've got to get better at. They didn't have enough takeaways [22], and the game of football is simple: you've got to have the football to score. So you've got to take it away on defense, and you need to secure it on offense. That is an avenue that this defense must get better at because it just wasn't quite as productive [at takeaways] as it was in all the other categories. That is the one thing we have to strive to do better at.

And how do you plan to emphasize that?

TB: If you look at where we've been the past three years, we've always been very, very strong at takeaways and ball security. We practice it in everything that we do, from Period 1 to Period 24 or Period 1 to Period 18, whatever the practice entails, we'll have a ball-security and a takeaway drill. We'll have constant talk about ball awareness, so that our players understand that's the key to any football game, securing it or taking it away on defense.

You lose an outstanding player to the NFL in Whitney [Mercilus]. Who do you see emerging at the defensive end spot and filling that production?

TB: The great thing you've seen is we were able to keep Michael Buchanan. Michael Buchanan's a heck of a football player. He was one of our top recruits, keeping Michael here, keeping Terry Hawthorne here, keeping Akeem Spence here on defense. That was very, very crucial for us. Graham Pocic also. They were all capable of being able to go out in the NFL draft and they didn't. And at this time last year, Whitney's name wasn't named very much throughout college football, so you can make tremendous strides, as Whitney did. There's a possibility of a Justin Staples or a Timmy Kynard or a Brandon Denmark. All of our defensive ends have had outstanding winter workouts, and now they've got to prove it on the field during spring.

At running back and wide receiver, what are you looking for from those groups? You lose a top receiver in A.J. Jenkins.

TB: Oh my goodness. That is a major concern, the depth at both of those positions. They're going to have to grow up fast. We've only got really three running backs on scholarships. I've never been at a place where there hasn't been more than four or five on scholarship at one time. So depth is a major concern. And wide receiver, it's the same. You've got a couple names of guys that have done decent, but they need to elevate their game and then the depth of our young players to make ourselves better at those positions.

Is depth also an issue up front on the offensive line?

TB: There are some freshmen that have done some good things and have been able to step up and play, so I think there's a little more depth on the offensive line than there is at wide receiver and running back.

How much are you looking for leadership to emerge during spring ball?

TB: It's huge. You talk about it every day to the players. It's our leadership that can push this football team past a 7-win season. That's the challenge for the senior group and the challenge all the way down to the freshman group. Everybody's got a role on a football team and everybody's role is different. You can be a leader based on any one of your roles. I've pushed this football team to be better leaders and to be better guides for our football team to be successful. So if we do have a young man that's late for maybe a 6 o'clock weight workout, I don't blame just that man. I blame his roommate, I blame the position group and I blame the whole unit itself. That's how leaders are built.

Even with the competition that we've been doing throughout the winter workouts, by drafting teams and having an offensive lineman with a kicker or a DB with a wide receiver, all on the same team, to try and enhance the leadership roles of each one of the football players as we compete.

Spring football kicks off in the Big Ten on Saturday as two teams (Northwestern and Indiana) take the field Saturday. Among the many subplots in spring ball is quarterback play.

Although only three teams lose starting quarterbacks from 2011 -- Michigan State, Wisconsin and Northwestern -- there's no shortage of uncertainty under center in the league. There are some full-blown quarterback competitions at places like Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue. There are new coaches and new systems in place at Penn State, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. At Michigan State, a longtime backup (Andrew Maxwell) steps into the spotlight. At Purdue, Rob Henry returns from injury.

There are players who have started plenty of games but must reprove themselves, like Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase, Penn State's Matthew McGloin and, to a lesser extent, Northwestern's Kain Colter. There are others who need to take steps in their development, like Nebraska's Taylor Martinez, Minnesota's MarQueis Gray, Michigan's Denard Robinson and Ohio State's Braxton Miller.

Needless to say, it's a big spring for Big Ten signal callers. Which quarterback needs to have the best spring practice performance? While we'd love to list all of them, we've whittled down the list to five players.

Here's your chance to weigh in.

Billy Gonzales knows what a championship-caliber team looks like.

He was a part of two national title teams at Florida as the receivers coach under Urban Meyer, and he served as passing game coordinator this past season for LSU. Now Gonzales is taking over the Illinois offense as coordinator under head coach Tim Beckman and hopes to lead the Illini to a championship before he's through.

I caught up with Gonzales this week. Here are some of his thoughts on his new gig:

You had a pretty good gig before this. Was it just your previous relationship with Tim Beckman and the chance to call plays that made this job attractive?


Billy Gonzales: Definitely. I've known Coach Beckman for 12,13, 14 years now. He does a great job. He's very detailed and organized, very cool, clear, concise and direct in his teaching. When you have the opportunity to [call plays] and get a chance to step back and see who you'll be working for and with, that's the biggest thing. Coach Beckman has done a great job of hiring guys that are like him, with the same drive, the same direction. It's a good thing right now.

How do you feel about the chance to coach in the Big Ten after being in the SEC for a while?


BG: I'm pumped. I got my coaching start here in Illinois at a small Division III school, MacMurray College, as soon as I got out of college. I've been at Kent State and Bowling Green, so I've spent a fair amount of time in the Midwest, and I always admired this conference even when I was down in other conferences like the SEC. There's great football here. It's a tough conference and the teams all compete at a high level. So I'm excited to have the opportunity to work here and get going.

How would you describe your offensive philosophy?




BG: The biggest thing is, Coach Beckman had a fantastic offense at Toledo. Some of the things they did there, as far as upbeat tempo, spread, will be the things you hear us talk about. We'll have an offense that will be multiple, obviously, and will be able to get lined up quickly with the speed and tempo. The philosophy is, if you get 100 shots at a target, your chances of hitting it go up if you can get 30-to-40 more chances. So if we can get a bunch of plays called and score a bunch of points, that's ultimately our goal.

You spent a lot of time working under Urban Meyer. How much of his philosophy will you use in your offense?


BG: Urban is a fantastic coach who does a great job. I respect him a great deal and picked up a lot of things and learned a lot of things from Coach Meyer. Obviously, I come from the same tree as he does, along with coach Beckman. We're all from the same group, guys who have been around the style we're going to try to portray here at Illinois. There will be some things that will be similar, but at the same time we want to have our own direction here and continue to go with it. We have some great minds here on staff with coach [Chris] Beatty and Coach [Tim] Salem who's our running backs coach, Coach [Alex] Golesh who's worked with a great tempo and spread offense before and Coach [Luke] Butkus, who had a chance at Oregon to experience some of this. So we'll put our heads together and get on this thing and start knocking it out.

Switching to a different type of offense, how important will this next month or so be for the players to get in the film room and study the playbook?




BG: I think the conditioning part is going to be key. Any time you're going with an uptempo offense, you've got to do a great job of getting your guys lined up, and you've got to be in great shape. Coach Beckman ran a tempo offense at Toledo, so he understands what needs to be done. The biggest thing is making sure our players are fundamentally sound and that we do a great job making them better. It is going to be critical.

You had a busy January. Was it difficult to get over the BCS title game loss and jump right into a new job?


BG: It was hard. It's extremely hard. You know, when you have a great season like we did at LSU, that shouldn't be something that's forgotten. Did it sting? It stings bad. Nobody wants to lose at all, especially not that game. To get all the way to the top and not finish the way you want to, of course it stings and it hurts. But at the same time, you've got to look back and say, what did we do and not do? You cant change it, and you've got to move on, but it's a learning experience for us. You try to grow from it. Now our thought process turns to trying to win a Big Ten championship here.

How difficult was it for you to jump into recruiting at Illinois in mid-January, with only a couple of weeks to get to know prospects?




BG: It's hard no matter what for a staff to come in. Three or four of us didn't come until after our bowl games in January. You want to try to get players committed and continue to build relationships with in-state players. At the same time, all coaches have had relationships and were looking at players all year at other schools. Is it difficult? It is, but at the same time there's a lot of excitement about the university and about Coach Beckman.

The biggest thing as a new staff is to do your due diligence. You've got to get your players, but at the same time, don't rush. We were doing some research here the other day, looking at classes where coaches who had just come in signed players just to fill out a class, and seeing how many of them had really made it in the last four or five years. So don't rush is probably the biggest thing when you come into a new program and try to fill out your numbers.

What kind of reception did you get from recruits?

BG: I think they're pretty fired up. Everyone I talked to was very, very receptive and excited about our offense and how we plan on utilizing them. It's been overwhelmingly good. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here, and any time coaches are excited it starts to flow into recruiting and players start to get excited as well.

You're still going to work with receivers?


BG: That's what I am, where I feel my strong suit is. Each coach has an expertise level, and I feel very, very, very strong about what I do. I have a passion level and a love for coaching wide receivers, and now I will encompass the entire offense. I am excited to get going with this crew. We've got no seniors, a couple of juniors and some underclassmen, so you get a chance to mold them and make them yours, make them understand we're all in this thing together.

You've got a couple of good young quarterbacks in Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole. What kind of attributes are you looking for out of a quarterback in this offense?


BG: First and foremost, they've got to be able to manage at that position. You better have a guy who understands. He's got to be able to communicate well, and he's got to be a leader. I've been a part of some really good programs, and when we had a great leader at that position, I think that's the No. 1 prerequisite. Because players rely on them. You've got quarterbacks on some teams that are asked to be the playmaker. You've got quarterbacks on some teams that have got a great group of guys around them so they're asked to manage. I think the biggest key for the quarterback is, he's got to be able to communicate effectively, he's got to be a leader because he is the voice that everybody will follow.

Do you prefer a mobile quarterback for this system?


BG: Obviously, you want to have a quarterback that can throw the ball the best he can possibly throw it. Obviously, you want to have a quarterback who can run as fast as he can. Those are all attributes that you want. But again, the biggest thing is to be a great leader, and you've got to be smart. Those are the things that are going to get you over the top. I've been very fortunate to be around some great quarterbacks over the years. Alex Smith at Utah, he was unbelievably smart and very mobile to run the offense we ran there. Obviously, Chris Leak and Tim Tebow at Florida. And I was around some quarterbacks at LSU that could sling the ball and were very athletic as well. But I always go back to, I want to have a guy who's an effective leader, a guy the team can follow, a guy that is the voice.