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Adonis Smith's decision to transfer from Northwestern might not mean much come September.

But his exit adds to the questions surrounding a position that hasn't provided enough definitive answers in the past few seasons.

Smith appeared in 17 games the past two seasons, racking up 462 rush yards and three touchdowns. He might have evolved into the Wildcats' featured back, but he also might have been a career backup. It's tough to tell. Coach Pat Fitzgerald announced Smith's departure Wednesday.

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Jerry Lai/US PRESSWIRERunning back Adonis Smith has decided to transfer from Northwestern.

"We're disappointed to see Adonis leave Northwestern," Fitzgerald said in a statement. "He is an outstanding young man and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors."

Wildcats fans will forget about Smith if, say, Mike Trumpy returns from a torn ACL and surges as the starter. Or if true freshman Malin Jones emerges in preseason camp. Or if Treyvon Green builds on a freshman season in which he rushed for 362 yards and four touchdowns.

But if Northwestern can't identify a featured back and fails to generate a consistent rushing attack in 2012, Smith's name likely will be brought up.

While a struggling defense should be coach Pat Fitzgerald's top priority in the offseason, running back shouldn't be too far down his checklist. Northwestern's offense has made strides under Fitzgerald's watch, producing a steady stream of quarterbacks and wide receivers in recent years. But the running back position, once a program strong point, has declined.

Fitzgerald's predecessor at Northwestern, the late Randy Walker, left an indelible mark on the position he played in college. Walker had a 1,000-yard rusher in 25 of his 30 seasons in coaching, including each of his final four seasons as Northwestern's head coach (2002-05). Northwestern produced a 1,000-yard rusher in five of Walker's final six seasons.

But since Tyrell Sutton finished with exactly 1,000 yards in 2006, Fitzgerald's first season as Wildcats coach, Northwestern has failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher.

Here are the team's leading rushers the past five seasons:

• 2007: Sutton, 451 yards
• 2008: Sutton, 890 yards
• 2009: Arby Fields, 302 yards
• 2010: Trumpy, 530 yards
• 2011: Kain Colter, 654 yards

Colter, by the way, plays quarterback for the Wildcats. Fields transferred following a disappointing 2010 season when he struggled to hang onto the ball or a favorable spot on the depth chart.

Why can't Northwestern produce featured backs anymore? An offense rooted in high-percentage passes and accurate quarterbacks has something to do with it. But the Wildcats have run the spread since 2000, and it didn't stop them from producing standout backs under Walker.

Northwestern has run the ball better as a team the past two seasons, rising from 95th nationally in rushing in 2009 to 58th in 2010 and 45th in 2011. But the team had a league-low 3.8 yards-per-carry average last fall.

Jones, the team's first commit in the 2012 recruiting class, could be the answer, much like Sutton was in 2005, when he captured Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Perhaps Trumpy bounces back from injury or Green takes steps in his development. Maybe a committee system is the best approach.

If not, you might hear some grumbling about Adonis Smith in September.

One of the big misconceptions about Pat Fitzgerald is he took over a Northwestern program falling apart at the seams.

Yes, Fitzgerald became Northwestern's coach at a very difficult time after the sudden death of Randy Walker in June 2006. Yes, the 31-year-old wasn't ready for the job. But Northwestern had won six or more games in each of Walker's final three seasons, reaching two bowls and going 14-10 in Big Ten play. This wasn't the train wreck that Gary Barnett inherited and, thanks to players like Fitzgerald, brought out of the depths.

Fitzgerald deserves a ton of credit for stabilizing the program after an unexpected tragedy. He upgraded things in 2008 with a 9-4 campaign and followed with two more postseason appearances, making team history by making three consecutive bowl games.

But Northwestern's wins total has declined since 2008, going to eight in 2009 and seven in 2010. This season has been a major disappointment, and, barring a late turnaround, the Wildcats won't make a bowl game. It's a significant step back for the program -- and for a coach who had been universally labeled as on the rise.

For Fitzgerald to turn things around -- and get Northwestern back to and beyond the good-but-not-great seasons it had for most of the past decade -- he must shape the program in his image. The most successful programs reflect their head coaches.

It's hard to say Northwestern completely reflects Pat Fitzgerald.

While many of his core values have been transmitted to the players, the bottom line is this: Fitzgerald is a former two-time National Defensive Player of the Year and a College Football Hall of Fame linebacker who coaches a team that has been anywhere from mediocre to poor on defense.

It doesn't add up.

Northwestern's identity under Fitzgerald is still a lot like it was under Walker. That's not entirely a bad thing. Walker's teams never gave up and won a bunch of close games. Until recently, Fitzgerald's teams also had excelled in close games.

Under Walker, Northwestern played many close, chaotic contests and relied on its dynamic spread offense. Walker was an offensive-minded coach, a former running back who mass-produced 1,000-yard rushers in Evanston.

Under Fitzgerald, Northwestern has continued to find itself in wild, back-and-forth games. It still relies on its offense, and produces strong quarterbacks like C.J. Bacher, Mike Kafka and Dan Persa.

Under Walker, Northwestern's defense struggled mightily, ranking no higher than 68th nationally and 81st or worse in six of seven seasons.

Under Fitzgerald, Northwestern's defense hasn't been quite as porous, ranking in the top 50 nationally in both 2008 and 2009. But the Wildcats slipped to 97th last year and currently rank 92nd.

The defensive decline has been dramatic this season, as Northwestern already has surrendered 20 plays of 30 yards or longer, the most of any Big Ten team. Although the secondary has been a major weakness, Northwestern hasn't generated much of a pass rush (11 sacks). The linebacker position, a strength under Walker and during Fitzgerald's early years, has underperformed the last year and a half.

Fitzgerald has attributed the defense's struggles to a few very bad plays in each game. Cornerback Demetrius Dugar said after a Week 7 loss to Iowa that defensive backs weren't always sure whether they were in man or zone coverage.

"When those breakdowns in communication have happened this year, they have been disastrous," Fitzgerald said after the Iowa game. "It starts with us as coaches. Why are they confused?"

Fitzgerald has remained mostly optimistic publicly, but the defensive struggles have to be eating him up. It's not like he doesn't know what a good defense looks like. As a player, he led great defenses at Northwestern in 1995 and 1996.

Most FBS coaches take on a CEO role, and Fitzgerald is no exception. But the defense must be his primary focus the rest of this year and into a crucial offseason. From the scheme to the coaches to the players to recruiting, everything should be evaluated. While overall recruiting has been on the uptick at Northwestern, player development on defense has to be a concern after the past year and a half.

Fitzgerald has succeeded in continuing what Walker started. But to get Northwestern back on track and on a sustainable path to success, his teams need to be playing how he did.

After years as one of the nation's top assistants, Kevin Wilson will make his collegiate head-coaching debut Saturday night when Indiana faces Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium. But he's not getting wrapped up in the moment. Too much to do. Wilson has conducted his first preseason camp in Bloomington, evaluating positions and bringing his no-nonsense philosophy to a program that needs a jump-start.

Wilson took some time Tuesday to discuss camp and the outlook for IU in 2011.

How do you feel the players have adjusted to you and your staff so far?

Kevin Wilson: We're gaining on it every day. We've made a lot of strides, with not just our physical conditioning level but in our schemes, how to practice, how to be upbeat, how to have some energy. We've yet to play and go through a season, so can we maintain that in good times and bad times? But they've done better than I would have hoped or thought they could have done. I'm very proud of our guys.

Are there examples where you see them understanding what you want?

KW: Just on a consistent basis, our effort's greater, our physicalness in practice is greater, our enthusiasm, the tone of the guys when they're talking. Our total body language and team attitude, they're embracing the structure, the discipline, the toughness and the work ethic that we believe good teams have. Not that we didn't have it before, but I like the way they're relating to our staff.

What are your realistic expectations for Saturday?

KW: We want to take care of the ball. It's easy early in the season to be off your mark and allow an opponent to beat you because you're playing sloppy football, so ball security is something that's been strongly emphasized and encouraged. I'd like to make sure we're not sloppy with a bunch of penalties, getting us behind chains or helping the opponent. Really like to see if we can tackle well, whether it be in the kicking game or on defense, and let the scores be what the scores can be. Taking care of the ball, being smart, tackling well, being physical. I never put a score or a stat or a number or how many yards on either side of the ball. I'd like to see our play show the values we've been trying to preach to our team.

You said you're probably going to play multiple quarterbacks. How do you see that going? Will you play two? Three?

KW: I don't know if we have a guy who has clearly separated [himself]. There will be a guy that goes out first and we'll decide that. They've all done pretty well, they've all got different strengths. It's not going to be like after the second drive we're putting a [new] guy in or at the start of the second quarter. We'll see as the week finishes which one goes out first and that guy's going to go out and be the starter. And even if he has some glitches, we'll play through that.

We don't expect a guy to be perfect and hit every pass, but also you can tell when a guy can handle the arena, the environment, handle the emotions. So if a guy's doing well, we'll let it play out. If he looks to be struggling, out of whack, and we need a little jump-start, we'll go with someone else. We're not trying to be coy. They've all done well, but the quarterback needs to be the greatest extension of the coaching staff and a guy we feel needs to play smart and handle the ball properly so he's giving our team the best chance.

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Going campin' throughout Big Ten country.

• JoePa will bounce back from his latest on-field mishap, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. Former Nittany Lions DT Brandon Ware lands at Eastern Arizona.
• A great piece from FOXSports.com's Thayer Evans on Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa and his connection to the late Randy Walker. Persa's first preseason practice draws mixed reviews, depending on whom you ask.
• The Big Ten-SEC rivalry extends to the two commissioners, colleague Pat Forde writes.
• Luke Fickell showed good poise while directing Ohio State's first practice, Bob Hunter writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Some Buckeyes practice observations from The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises. Terrelle Pryor reportedly has a pro day workout on Friday.
• A tattoo of a Spartan stepping on a Wolverine has put Michigan State's Jerel Worthy in the spotlight. Spartans coach Mark Dantonio acknowledges the high expectations but guards against overconfidence, Matt Charboneau writes in The Detroit News. Some Michigan State media day nuggets.
• Nebraska freshman sensation Jamal Turner is splitting time between receiver and quarterback in practice. Huskers coach Bo Pelini reiterates he's on the same page with Bubba Starling and Starling's family.
• Michigan coach Brady Hoke wants stronger but leaner players, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News. Wolverines players discuss the differences between the current coaches and the former staff.
• Purdue quarterback Robert Marve speaks to the media for the first time in a while and addresses his injury woes, among other topics.
• Minnesota running back Duane Bennett tells the Pioneer Press' Bob Sansevere his expectations are high for 2011. The Gophers have a new feel about them entering 2011, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune.
• Iowa has been better than Penn State not only in head-to-head meetings but during the past decade, Mike Hlas writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette.
• Staying healthy is the top priority for Wisconsin wide receiver Nick Toon. Badgers tackle Josh Oglesby is making yet another comeback from knee surgery, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal.
• Illinois coach Ron Zook and his players feel for former Illini star Mikel Leshoure following Leshoure's season-ending injury. Illinois' losses on defense will force coordinator Vic Koenning to get creative, Loren Tate writes in The (Champaign) News-Gazette.
• Indiana beats rival Purdue for an defensive end recruit.

Mail time.

No mailblog Friday as I'll be off, but get those emails in for next week as we approach Big Ten media days.

Keygan from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Hey Adam. I feel like the only one who thinks this whole "pay-for-play" idea is utterly ridiculous, so it'd be nice to hear your thoughts on it. I'm a music education major AND in the marching band at Nebraska. I support the school. I spend roughly 15 hours a week in rehearsal for the upcoming games. I only get 1 credit hour. I'm just as much a student as the athletes so why shouldn't I be entitled to a stipend if they are? I understand why it's being discussed and I LOVE sports as much as the next guy, but come on, let's not cut the rest of us students short.

Adam Rittenberg: Keygan, while I respect what you do and know Huskers fans appreciate your work with the band, you don't bring in the same kind of money as football players do. Not even close. No students do. Does that entitle football players to more resources? A full-blown pay-for-play system for athletes seems very tough to regulate, but going to a cost of attendance model for scholarships makes sense. It would apply to all athletes on full scholarships. While not every FBS program could afford this, the division between the haves and the have-nots is already there in areas like facilities. I don't think certain schools going to a cost-of-attendance model changes things too much. If Big Ten schools can improve the lives of their student-athletes, especially those from low-income backgrounds, I'm for it.

What I'd ultimately like to see is more flexibility for student-athletes to get jobs and paid internships. I filled my three college summers with two paid internships -- one at ESPN.com, which helped me land my current gig -- and a job back home. I also was able to earn money during the school year. I wish student-athletes had more time to get this type of work and didn't have to be so tethered to the athletic building year-round. These types of jobs and internship opportunities also prepare student-athletes for life after sports.

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Eric from Waco, Texas, writes: Adam, in your post "Recapping Big Ten position rankings" you Nebraska and Penn State both got the same average score yet Nebraska is "in that top mix" while Penn State was grouped with the wild cards. Penn State also had one more player in your "Top10/Top5" list totals. I'll always be a die hard Penn State fan but I'm not going to forecast a national championship this season. I find it interesting to see that Penn State's "numbers" match up to may analysts preseason favorite, Nebraska, yet they're not getting as much hype. If the numbers are the same, what factors in your opinion would put Nebraska over a Penn State, Ohio State, or Wisconsin?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks for the note, Eric. You bring up a point I wanted to make about the position rankings. It's a little dangerous to look at the averages and say these two teams are definitely equal, or Team X is definitely superior or inferior to Team Y. When it comes to Nebraska and Penn State, the rankings suggest Nebraska's defense will be better than Penn State's offense or defense. Nebraska's defense very well could be the best single unit in the Big Ten this year. The Blackshirts are the biggest reason why Nebraska is considered a potential Big Ten favorite. Penn State, meanwhile, has no truly bad units, but questionable areas on both sides of the ball. I'm talking mainly about the lines. If Penn State's D-line addresses some questions, the overall defense could be very, very good. Same goes with the offensive line and the offense as a whole. But there are fewer certainties with PSU. When you put these teams next to one another entering the season, I'd give an edge to the squad (Nebraska) with a truly complete unit (the defense).

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Sam from Jump Town, Wis., writes: Adam, I've noticed that many of the preseason watch lists have included james white instead of montee ball. I feel like the general consensus around campus is that Montee Ball is the man for the starting job this fall. Ball fits the Wisconsin mold moreso than White and will arguably get the majority of the touchdowns as he is going to be the goal-line back. Is there a reason White is getting more love than Ball other than the fact that he was such a freshman phenom?

Adam Rittenberg: Sam, this is a really interesting question. Montee Ball honestly looked more like Wisconsin's featured back down the stretch of the 2010 than James White did. White, meanwhile, is getting more hype because he won Big Ten Freshman of the Year and played more meaningful snaps than Ball. I agree that Ball fits the Wisconsin mold as a bigger back, and he really came on strong down the stretch as injuries cropped up for John Clay. Still, I wouldn't dismiss White as a potential featured back. Sure, he doesn't fit the traditional Wisconsin mold, but that's not a bad thing. Former running backs coach John Settle told me several times how White provides a new element to the Badgers' rushing attack. The interesting thing is both backs worked on their bodies during the offseason, as Ball slimmed down and White strengthened his lower body. They both want to be complete backs and Wisconsin should benefit from having both in the fold.

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Tyler from Fort Dodge, Iowa, writes: First off love the blog. This is the only place that suffices during the off season. I have the utmost faith in James Vandenberg and believe he will have 2 great years wearing a Hawkeye uniform. But with Jack Rudock on his way to town is there any way he will compete for the starting job in 2012? Could the whole Christensen/Stanzi scenerio come into play if Vandenberg isn't up to snuff?

Adam Rittenberg: Tyler, it would take a pretty disappointing performance from Vandenberg and a lack of development from John Wienke and A.J. Derby for Jake Rudock to be in the mix for a starting job in 2012. Iowa coaches and players are extremely confident in Vandenberg, who showed a lot in 2009 after being placed in an extremely difficult situation. Their assessment would have to be pretty far off for a Stanzi/Christensen redux to occur. That said, Rudock very well could be Iowa's quarterback of the future. And by future, I'm thinking 2013 and beyond.

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Mike C. from St. Paul, Minn., writes: Love the blog, BUT someone has to go to bat for the gophers. As a self-loathing gopher fan with an eternal inferiority complex... I sat by as the gopher position rankings revealed themselves. I can sit idle no more! A collective 10.3?! Lower than Indiana?! (No offense Indiana). This ranking is less logical than Ben Bernanke Congressional testimony. This atrocity is highlighted by an 11th place WR/TE finish. You would think that Biletnikoff and Mackey award candidates (Mcknight, Lair) would allow us lowly gophers to crack the top 10! I would go into detailed arguments on how fallacious some of your other position rankings, but the truth is, there is a line of reasoning used in calculating these rankings that I, and all us gopher (and hoosier) fans must swallow: you tailor you ratings to where you think the teams will finish and NOT the other way around. An honest assessment of talent, and removing the circular reasoning (assuming what you're proving to be true) that comes with best teams (not that they don't deserve it) would leave the position rankings little different. Now, that does not mean I disagree with your team rankings, but come on Adam, a few good position rankings are all we gopher fans have these days. Are you going to take that from us?

Adam Rittenberg: Mike, love your passion, your humor and some of your points. But here's what concerns me about fans' assessments of our position rankings. Everyone thinks their team should be higher, which is fine. But very few folks look at the whole picture and explain to me why other teams should be below their team. Yes, some position rankings are based on track record, but I really try to look at all the personnel groupings from every team and evaluate them independently.

OK, let's look at receivers/tight ends. This is an unusual year where the Big Ten boasts terrific depth at these positions. Normally, a Minnesota crew boasting Da'Jon McKnight and Eric Lair would rank higher. But there's very little depth other than those two, and while in hindsight I should have ranked Lair higher individually, I see quite a few teams with more proven options than the Gophers, Indiana being one of them.

From a defensive standpoint, Minnesota has a ton of question marks. Most Gophers fans would admit this. The D-line was terrible in 2010. Could it be better this season? Sure, but we've got to see it on the field. Other than Troy Stoudermire and Kim Royston, who comes off a very serious injury, the secondary is a big mystery. The linebackers, meanwhile, could be very good. It wouldn't surprise me if they rise up the rankings.

Again, my point isn't to rip on Minnesota or its players, several of whom I really like. But tell me why other teams should be below your team, not always why your team should be higher.

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Happy Nebraska Day Eve:

• Defensive end Broderick Binns and tackle Markus Zusevics have mutual respect for each other after knocking heads so long at Iowa practice. The Hawkeyes' offensive line embraces the "nastiness" label.
• Mark Snyder catches up with a few incoming Michigan freshmen.
• An update on Michigan State recruiting.
• Minnesota landed a quarterback on the recruiting front.
• Some Nebraska recruiting notes, including a quarterback who sees an opportunity to play early for the Cornhuskers. A final look at Nebraska's biggest Big 12 moments on the eve of the school's official entry into the Big Ten.
• Five years after his death, Randy Walker's spirit lives on at Northwestern.
• Luke Fickell is living up to his new elevated status at Ohio State. Jim Heacock should maintain control over the Buckeyes' defense, and other burning Ohio State questions.
• Penn State picked up an offensive lineman from Colorado.
• Purdue got a verbal commitment from an Ohio quarterback. Athletic director Morgan Burke has high hopes for the Boilermakers football program.
• Adding Russell Wilson changes many perceptions for Wisconsin.

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.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald doesn't think Luke Fickell needs his advice.

"He's a great coach and was a great player, and he's obviously been under some great mentors, [Jim Tressel] especially," Fitzgerald said Monday night. "So he's in great shape."

But should Fickell choose to seek guidance during a crucial juncture in his coaching career, Fitzgerald could be a good resource. Fitzgerald knows what it's like to become a head coach unexpectedly. He knows what it's like to take over the football program at his alma mater at an awkward and difficult time with a season rapidly approaching. He knows the challenges Fickell will begin facing in the coming days and months.

The death of former Northwestern coach Randy Walker in June 2006 and Tressel's resignation from Ohio State on Monday are different situations and should be viewed as such. Another difference: Fitzgerald was elevated to a permanent head coach position a week after Walker's death, while Fickell will serve in an interim role through the 2011 season.

But it's impossible to deny the similarities of the coaches thrust into leading roles: thirtysomethings, rising stars in the coaching ranks, former defensive players with deep roots at their alma maters, standout recruiters. Fitzgerald and Fickell even coached the same position group (linebackers) before their respective appointments to head coach.

Walker made no secret about his desire to have Fitzgerald succeed him at Northwestern. And while Tressel looked extremely secure at Ohio State until recent months, Fickell's name had been mentioned by fans and media as a potential successor even before the program's troubles.

What neither Fitzgerald nor Fickell could see coming was a move into the head-coaching role so soon.

How should Fickell approach his new task?

"I would just tell him to be himself," Fitzgerald said. "He can't be Jim Tressel, he can't be John Cooper, he can't be Woody Hayes. He's got to just be himself, go out and do what he can to help the program through this. Things happen, and those are out of his control, but what's in his control is how he leads this group of young people through some adversity."

Fitzgerald thinks Fickell will benefit from knowing since March that he'd be taking on Tressel's duties for at least the first five games of the season. Fickell will have the next two months to prepare before fall camp kicks off in August.

But the overnight transition from position coach to full-time head coach can't be minimized.

"When I visited with coach [Gary] Barnett and with Randy and Tom Cable and Ron Vanderlinden on different things, they'd always say, 'You really don't get it until you sit in this chair, the head-coaching chair,'" Fitzgerald said. "You go from being an assistant coach, a guy who's on a need-to-know basis, worrying about your group of guys ... to now being the guy that needs to know everything. You're managing an entire program, not just the players but everything.

"It's a completely different level of responsibility," he continued. "Does being a position coach and being a coordinator prepare you for it? Absolutely. But what prepares you more are the experiences you've had as a person, developing and leading people.

"Luke is going to do a phenomenal job."

Fitzgerald also notes that the burden shouldn't be on Fickell's shoulders alone. Ohio State's players, especially the team leaders, need to answer the bell, especially during the critical summer months.

Fickell also should benefit from having some more experienced coaches on his staff, much like Fitzgerald did at Northwestern.

"You've got to look at the group and let everybody know, 'We're going to do this together,'" Fitzgerald said. "It's not going to be about Luke Fickell. It's going to be about the Ohio State Buckeyes and their program, and they're going to get through it together. Through adversity, a lot of times, people come together and become even tighter."

Fitzgerald also shared some thoughts on Tressel.

"It's a sad day, it's unfortunate," he said. "We lose a great football coach and someone who to me was always gracious in Jim Tressel. He was always humble, always very open with me and always tried to help other coaches in the profession. And for that, I'll forever be indebted.

"As a guy who has the utmost respect for Coach, it's a disappointing and sad day."

It took a while, but Northwestern has finalized a new contract for coach Pat Fitzgerald.

The school will make an official announcement Tuesday morning about the deal, which is designed to lock up Fitzgerald for the foreseeable future. Although salary figures won't be disclosed, the contract contains "a significant number of years" and also took into account assistant coach's salaries, which has been an issue for some time given the high cost of living in the Evanston area.

Fitzgerald, who is 34-29 in five seasons at Northwestern, received a seven-year contract extension in June 2009 that runs through the 2015 season. This deal will stretch a lot longer, I've been told.

Northwestern began working on Fitzgerald's contract in January after Michigan expressed interest in the coach for its vacancy. The 36-year-old Fitzgerald already has been mentioned for several openings and is believed to be on Penn State's radar when it looks for Joe Paterno's successor.

While Fitzgerald not only is extremely loyal to his alma mater but much less likely to bolt than most media folks believe, the new contract is another step toward keeping him in Evanston for the rest of his career. The effort to retain assistant coaches is important. I remember talking to current Indiana coach Kevin Wilson, who spent time as Northwestern's offensive coordinator before leaving for Oklahoma, about how Northwestern should honor late coach Randy Walker by increasing assistants' salaries so fewer of them would bolt.

There's also an ongoing facilities master plan that likely will result in upgrades for Ryan Field and Northwestern's football headquarters. Although Northwestern is enjoying a historic period of success on the field, it lags behind most of its Big Ten brethren in facilities.

Fitzgerald has guided Northwestern to three consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in team history. While he still must prove he can lead the Wildcats to championships, he adds tremendous value to the program and would be a major loss if he went elsewhere.

The wait is over for Kevin Wilson.

After climbing up the ranks to become one of the nation's top assistant coaches, Wilson finally landed a head-coaching position Tuesday at Indiana. He received a seven-year, $8.4 million contract to make Indiana relevant in an improving Big Ten Conference, and the work begins right away.

I caught up with Wilson on Wednesday.

Here's the first half of my interview with the new head Hoosier.

Why Indiana?

Kevin Wilson: Well, I get an opportunity to be a head coach. I've had some opportunities before, but when you're an assistant coach, how many times do you get an opportunity to be a head coach in the Big Ten? Great league to be a part of, a place I think has got a lot of untapped potential, has a lot of upside. A place where we can build on what's going on and maybe have a huge positive effect on our state, on our community, on our school.

I had 12 years at Northwestern, Miami of Ohio, my wife's from Cincinnati. I'm a Carolina guy, Miami of Ohio guy, Oklahoma guy. For 25 years, I've been in a college-town environment. I'm coming to one of the premier college towns in the country, Big Ten football, a chance to build a program, a chance to do something special.

I know you had other options in the past. Was coming back to the Big Ten something that was always on your radar?

KW: I don't know if anything was technically on the radar. When you're an assistant, it's very difficult to get those head-coaching opportunities, so I didn't really have anything on or off the radar. I really felt working for coach [Bob] Stoops, working at Oklahoma, it's a great place to be, great people to be with. It's a great program, it's difficult to leave. And in some ways, as a coordinator, especially economically the way they're doing things at upper-level programs now, those jobs maybe are even better than certain schools where you could have been the head coach. So there really weren't a lot of options that were better than the job that I had.

Again, a chance to have a Big Ten opportunity, a chance to be a coach at the state institution. When you go around the country and when you say, 'The University of,' there's not a lot of those. So it's a very unique opportunity. I'm very fortunate that Mr. [Fred] Glass and president [Michael] McRobbie have given me this opportunity, and I'm also very appreciative they've given us seven years in a contract so we've got a chance to have some continuity and build something strong and start putting together our process of how to win on a daily basis and build this into a strong program.

What's the most challenging part of this job?

KW: The initial challenge is to make sure that we have the right mind-set, enthusiasm and energy within our building. We can't control on the outside what other people may think or believe are our inherent problems. Our problems are we have a great opportunity to play Big Ten football, which is some of the best in the country, and we have a chance to compete with what looks to be a lot of good players returning. There was a lot of contact with good recruits, and it looks like we can put together a strong class.

But for this to work, the first thing that needs to happen is our mind-set, our energy, our enthusiasm that's generated from me, our staff, our building, through our players. With that energy and that strength of purpose, we can then maybe start generating a change of thought with other people's perceptions. Perception vs. reality: how are we perceived vs. the reality of what we are and how we can be.

You're not the first coach with an offensive background to come to Indiana. Why do you think you'll be different from the guys who didn't have the success Indiana wanted?

KW: I think my background with coach [Randy] Walker and Bob Stoops, those are the premier guys. Twelve years working under Randy, nine years with coach Stoops, and every other coach I've been a part of as a player, my high school background, college background, I've been fortunate to always be in great programs with great coaches. Guys that were winners.

What Randy was able to do at Northwestern was build some consistency. Coach [Pat] Fitzgerald's been able to keep that thing going. I don't know, going a long time back, where Iowa and Wisconsin were, but there were coaches that came through that changed internally the culture of the players, the culture of the staff, started building some consistency. And with that change in their school and the state, they became strong Big Ten football powers and teams. We're looking forward to doing that here.

I think we've got the resources, the league, the region. We'll put together a strong staff, we're going to take some time to do that. But I don't think there's any doubt that there's untapped potential here for this to be a great, strong program. What's happened in the past, I don't know because I wasn't a part of it and I was focused on where I was. We're concentrating on where we are today and moving forward and building this thing in a strong fashion.

Schedule: Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats hold their first practice at 5 p.m. ET today in Evanston. The team moves training camp to Kenosha, Wis., from Aug. 15-22, and holds a scrimmage there Aug. 21.

What's new: Fitzgerald made no staff changes, but Northwestern has another new starting quarterback, as Dan Persa takes over for All-Big Ten standout Mike Kafka. The Wildcats also have a new-look secondary after losing three starters, including star cornerback Sherrick McManis. Defensive line coach Marty Long is on the field after missing the Outback Bowl because of an illness.

Sidelined: All five players who missed spring practice, including superback Drake Dunsmore and guards Doug Bartels and Keenan Grant, are expected to be ready for camp. Star linebacker Quentin Davie missed most of the spring with a foot injury, but is 100 percent for practice.

Key battle: Northwestern needs a starting running back after its ground game was grounded in 2009, and the competition resumes today. Sophomore Arby Fields is the frontrunner to win the job, but he'll continue to be pushed by Stephen Simmons, Scott Concannon and others. Northwestern is pretty set at two secondary spots with safety Brian Peters and cornerback Jordan Mabin, but the other two positions need to be settled in camp.

New on the scene: The Wildcats lose two starting receivers and might look to freshmen Rashad Lawrence, Tony Jones and Jimmy Hall to step up. Adonis Smith could be a factor at running back if Fields can't lock down the top job. Several freshmen should see time right away on special teams, including return specialist Venric Mark.

Time to step up: All five starters return along the offensive line, and Northwestern should have its most depth in recent memory after some strong recruiting. There's simply no excuse for the team to struggle in the run game any longer. Northwestern annually produced 1,000-yard rushers under the late Randy Walker, who went out of his way to challenge the offensive line and its coach in practice. Fitzgerald needs to demand the same accountability from a group that should not only protect Persa, but create rushing lanes.

Quotable: "We have 17 wins over the last few years. And that foundation of success, I think, has provided us with motivation to take the next step. And what is that next step? First and foremost, it's going to be to go to a bowl game for three straight years, something that never happened in our program before. It all happens because we believe we've got great players." -- head coach Pat Fitzgerald

The big news in college football today is the surprising retirement of Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson. Johnson will step down at the end of the July and assistant Robbie Caldwell will serve as the Commodores' interim head coach.

There's a Big Ten hook to this, as Northwestern opens the 2010 season at Vanderbilt on Sept. 4. How will the Commodores respond to the surprise development when they take on the Wildcats?

Coaching change is never easy, especially when it comes out of the blue and so close to the season. While Vanderbilt players are familiar with Caldwell, they have to be stunned by Johnson's decision and especially the timing of it. Although Johnson did a great job in a challenging situation in Nashville, Vanderbilt comes off of a rough 2009 season, and this news certainly isn't good for the program.

Northwestern found itself in a similar position in the summer of 2006 following the sudden death of head coach Randy Walker. Assistant Pat Fitzgerald was promoted to the top job, and had about two months to get the team refocused for the season. Northwestern won an emotional opener against Miami (Ohio), Walker's alma mater, but struggled to a 4-8 finish.

Although Vanderbilt's situation isn't nearly as traumatic, the coaching change occurs closer to the start of the season.

Fitzgerald told me he was "very surprised" to hear about Johnson's retirement. I doubt this changes Northwestern's preparation too much, although the Wildcats' coaches need to study up more on Caldwell, a longtime offensive line coach.

No one is going to confuse a trip to Evanston with one to Columbus, Ann Arbor or State College. While Northwestern has transformed its tradition between the lines, going from national laughingstock to respectable program and regular bowl invitee, the school is still trying to improve its environment on fall Saturdays.

Attendance at Ryan Field remains a struggle, and NU fans are often outnumbered by visiting supporters at games, but as the wins come, the traditions should follow. Indiana rounds out the traditions series on Monday.

Here are some of the top Northwestern traditions, as suggested by you folks:

• Wildcat Alley: Two words to remember here: Free beer. Northwestern puts on a pregame party for fans two hours before games on the baseball field north of Welsh-Ryan Arena. The marching band performs and there are plenty of activities for everyone, which include drinking free beer.
• The Purple Clock: During the football season, the clock tower above the Rebecca Crown Center, which houses Northwestern's administrative offices, will turn purple or white depending on the outcome of games. Purple means a Wildcat victory; white means a Wildcat loss.
• Walker Way: The late Randy Walker played a major role in restoring respectability to Northwestern's program, and the school honored its former coach by naming the road northwest of Ryan Field after him. Fans assemble two and a half hours before kickoff to greet players and coaches as they arrive, a tradition known as "Walk with Us." Some fans watch games from Randy Walker Terrace, located in the north end of the field.
• Hannibal statue: Before the 1998 season, Northwestern installed a bronze wildcat statue in the southwest corner of the stadium. Illinois players crowned the statue with one of their helmets after a win that fall. Two years later, Northwestern exacted its revenge by pounding the Illini 61-23 to win a share of the Big Ten title. Wildcat players put a purple helmet on Hannibal and later talked about their motivation to reclaim the statue.
• March of the Steelmen: Since 1928, Northwestern's band has concluded each home football season with the march, adapted to match the Old Plus-Four drill. The NU monogram is featured in the display.
• SpiriTeam: Consisting of two leaders, the Spirit Leader and the Grynder, the tandem leads the band and the student section in cheers during games. Both figures are known for their headgear. The Spirit Leader wears a cloth helmet that reportedly belonged to a former NU player who served in World War II. The Grynder wears a black felt hat that gets passed down through the years until Northwestern makes its next Rose Bowl.
• Keys at kickoff: Not exactly a unique tradition, but Northwestern fans jingle their keys before every kickoff during games.
• Laking the Posts: This tradition no longer exists because the goal posts at Ryan Field are pretty much immovable now, but it's still worth mentioning. During Northwestern's dark days in football, fans would celebrate rare victories by tearing down the posts, passing them up through the east side of the stadium, and then carrying them down Central Street to Lake Michigan, where they'd toss them in.

TESTIMONIALS

Steve from Bloomington, Ill.: Hey Adam,Some input on Northwestern football traditions (although I'm sure you're familiar with many of them):1.) The purple clock tower. Glad to see it that color after a Northwestern football win. Of course it's now being used for other sports, particularly after women's lacrosse won its first championship.2.) The SpiriTeam. The marching band's cheering leaders are notorious for some obnoxious cheers and chants, followed by the Growl. An example used when trying to run time out: "Let's enunciate them! Enunciate them, enunciate them, 'CATS EAT CLOCK. *growl*"3.) Drum major back-bends. At the beginning of pregame, the drum majors show off their flexibility by performing a full back-bend while on their knees. Usually it's the first thing that gets the crowd going in the stadium.4.) Walker Way. The football players are greeted to the stadium by fans and the marching band each home game, walking along the entryway named after former coach Randy Walker.

Tim from Bolingbrook, Ill.: Adam, I'm sure you're waiting to do Northwestern last to give enough time for the traditions to trickle in because let's face it, we don't have many. Does free Goose Island beer before the game in Wildcat Alley count? How about the band's pregame performance in Wildcat Alley? I know one thing still gives me chills every time I see it: the pregame video montage of all the great moments from the past 15 years. Victory Right, the punt return against Illinois, the Anthony Thomas fumble... I'm getting chills right now just thinking about it.

Tim from State College, Pa.: Hi Adam,I'm a Northwestern alum who lives in State College, PA. The best game-day tradition for Northwestern is apparently for the fans to stay home and watch the game on TV! If I can make it to every home game, so can you NU alum who lives in Ohio! So can you NU alum who lives in Milwaukee! So can you NU alum who lives in St. Louis, or Detroit, or Cleveland, or Cincinnati, or ANYWHERE! Yeah, NU alum who lives in Dallas, I'm talking to YOU! We CAN fill that stadium, we've done it before! This team deserves your participation! Having a 2-year-old baby is NO excuse to miss games! GO CATS!

As promised, we'll begin the mailblog with a few takes on the Purdue Pete makeover and move on from there.

Craig from St. Paul, Minn., writes: In high school I worked as Bugs Bunny for the Warner Brothers Studio Store. Do you know how many children broke into tears when their parents brought them anywhere close to me? Hundreds, and I was dressed as Bugs Bunny. Doesn't get less scary than that.Purdue is overreacting to a bunch of overprotective parents that can't have their precious little snowflake unhappy for even a millisecond.

Daniel from Lakewood, Ohio, writes: Purdue Pete is there to scare the children away from going to Purdue so that they go somewhere more fun. He serves an important purpose. Sparty is still the king of mascots.

Adam Rittenberg: I don't see a pressing need for a change, but I'm not getting tons of phone calls like AD Morgan Burke. As long as Purdue Pete doesn't lose his sledgehammer -- which he reportedly will keep -- I'm willing to wait and pass judgment later on the new design.

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Peter from Stamford, Conn., writes: Adam - anyone who lives in the New York City area knows that NO one in Manhattan cares about Rutgers football except their alums. And even many of their alums don't care. NYC is a pro football town, they don't care about college. So why does the Big Ten keep insisting that Rutgers "brings" the NYC television market?

Adam Rittenberg: Rutgers is a strong academic fit for the Big Ten, and its location near the New York City market certainly appeals to some folks in the Big Ten. But I still look at the entire Rutgers athletic program, and even the school's limited positive history in football, and wonder if RU is the best single, realistic addition for the Big Ten, as both Notre Dame and Texas seem to be off the table. Greg Schiano has got a good thing going in football, and the women's basketball program has done well, but I'm not sure the entire department could cut it in the Big Ten. Rutgers has finished 92nd and 126 in the Directors' Cup in the last two seasons, well outside the Big Ten's range. Some will argue, "Who cares about the department if Rutgers football is a strong fit?" They might be right, but I tend to agree with Peter that Rutgers will have a hard time consistently capturing the New York market.

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Peter from Arlington, Va., writes: Why is Maryland never considered for Big10 expansion? Its a good school, borders PA, and draws the DC/Baltimore TV audience?

Adam Rittenberg: I've wondered the same thing at times, Peter, but Maryland has expressed no interest in leaving the ACC, where it has a lot of traditional ties. Plus, Maryland's football program hasn't been able to sustain success, and football drives the bus for most of the Big Ten expansion candidates being mentioned. There would be a natural tie with Penn State, and Big Ten coaches would love another reason to recruit the DC/Maryland area, one of the top regions for high school talent. I wouldn't totally write off Maryland, but I doubt the school is high on the Big Ten's list of candidates.

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Ron from Madison, Wis., writes: Please explain all the love for Iowa for next season. I understand that their defense will be good again, but their scoring offense ranked 10th in the conference last season and Stanzi threw as many INTs as TDs, so I can't imagine they'll improve with 4 new starters on the O-line. Considering that Iowa's last second wins against the Spartans and UNI could easily have been losses, I see them losing a couple more games next fall after their usual losses to Northwestern and Ohio State. How about you?

Adam Rittenberg: Iowa will have arguably the best defensive line in America next fall, and the Hawkeyes remain very strong at several skill positions, namely safety, running back and wide receiver. Ricky Stanzi's roller-coaster play is well documented, but the guy wins games and steps up in the fourth quarter. You do raise an excellent point about the offensive line, and if Iowa doesn't reload there, nothing much else will matter. But you also need to look at Iowa's history at offensive line under Kirk Ferentz. Aside from the miserable 2007 performance, the unit has performed good to great in recent years. Iowa has two players with significant experience in Riley Reiff and Julian Vandervelde. Building around them will go a long way toward determining success or failure in 2010. Also remember that the schedule flips, so Iowa gets to host both Ohio State and Wisconsin (and Penn State) this fall.

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Steve from Chicago writes: Hey Adam,How important is NU returning its entire offensive line to helping improve our terrible running game? Obviously we need one of our current players or new recruits to step up, but will the veterans on the OL be able to give them a boost?

Adam Rittenberg: It's very important that Northwestern has a lot of experience back, but those veterans need to start performing like it in 2010. Pat Fitzgerald really challenged the group in 2008, but the run game never really got going. Someone certainly needs to emerge from the running back pool, but NU's line needs to make rushing the football a point of pride. Former head coach Randy Walker was known for producing 1,000-yard rushers, but he did arguably his best working challenging the offensive linemen and their position coach, who would put extra pressure on them to step up. With so much uncertainty at QB, WR and RB, Northwestern's offensive line must carry the unit early in the season.

Let's take a look at three issues facing each Big Ten team heading into spring practice:

ILLINOIS

Spring practice starts: March 30

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• The quarterback competition. Four-year starter Juice Williams departs, and a host of young players (and one older one) are in the mix to replace him. New offensive coordinator Paul Petrino wants to shape his system around the starting signal-caller, so he'll be looking for some separation this spring. Jacob Charest got valuable playing time behind Williams in 2009, and Eddie McGee, a part-time wide receiver, has extensive playing experience at quarterback. They'll compete with redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase and true freshman Chandler Whitmer, an early enrollee.
• Fixing the defense. New defensive coordinator Vic Koenning brings an impressive résumé to Champaign, but he'll be challenged to fix a unit that hasn't been right since J Leman and Co. left following the Rose Bowl run in 2007. Koenning wants to identify leaders on defense this spring and will look to players like end Clay Nurse and linebackers Ian Thomas and Martez Wilson. Illinois' most pressing needs likely come in the secondary after the team finished 100th nationally against the pass in 2009.
• Line dance. Illinois needs to get tougher and better on both lines to turn things around in 2010. The Illini tied for eighth in the Big Ten in sacks allowed last fall, and while the run game got going late, top lineman Jon Asamoah departs. Perhaps a bigger priority is finding a pass rush on defense after finishing last in the league in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2009.

INDIANA

Spring practice starts: March 23

Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• Rebuilding the back seven on D. Indiana loses three starters in the secondary and two linebackers, including blog favorite Matt Mayberry. The Hoosiers brought in three junior college defenders, two of whom, linebacker Jeff Thomas and cornerback Lenyatta Kiles, will participate in spring practice. Needless to say, jobs are open everywhere, and coordinators Brian George and Joe Palcic will be looking for playmakers to step up. Several players are moving from offense to defense, including wideout Mitchell Evans to safety.
• End game. Indiana loses a lot of pass-rushing production as multiyear starters Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton depart. Both starting jobs at defensive end are open this spring, and IU will look to Darius Johnson, Terrance Thomas and others to step up and make plays.
• Willis watch. Indiana hopes 2010 is the year when running back Darius Willis becomes a superstar. Getting him through spring practice healthy will be a key first step. Willis has been impressive on the field, but he has struggled with injuries for much of his career. IU's passing attack should be very strong in 2010, and if Willis can elevate the run game, the Hoosiers should put up a ton of points.

IOWA

Spring practice starts: March 24

Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• The offensive line. Rebuilding the offensive line is far and away Iowa's top priority heading into the 2010 season. The Hawkeyes are stacked at running back and boast a strong passing attack, but they'll struggle if things aren't solidified up front. Tackle/guard Riley Reiff blossomed last season and guard Julian Vandervelde also returns, but Iowa will look to fill three starting spots this spring.
• Refilling at linebacker and cornerback. Iowa's defense has been one of the nation's most opportunistic units the last two seasons, and players like Pat Angerer, A.J. Edds and Amari Spievey were three big reasons why. All three depart, so Iowa needs to reload at linebacker and find a shut-down corner (Shaun Prater?). The spotlight will be on guys like Prater, Tyler Nielsen and Jeff Tarpinian this spring.
• Sorting out the running back spot. Iowa is absolutely loaded at running back, but there's only one ball to be carried on a given play. The Hawkeyes likely will use a rotation in 2010, but who will be the featured back? Jewel Hampton will try to reclaim the top spot, which he lost because of a knee injury last summer. Adam Robinson filled in extremely well for Hampton in the lead role, and Brandon Wegher was one of the heroes of the Orange Bowl win.

MICHIGAN

Spring practice starts: March 14

Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• Defense, defense, defense. Head coach Rich Rodriguez always will be known for his spread offense, but he won't be around much longer at Michigan if the defense doesn't significantly improve. A unit that ranked 82nd nationally last season loses its two best players (Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren) and must find contributors at linebacker, safety and cornerback. Help is on the way from the 2010 recruiting class, but Michigan can't afford a bad spring on defense.
• Devin Gardner. The heralded quarterback recruit enrolled early and will enter the mix this spring. Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are the front-runners at quarterback, but Gardner might be the ultimate answer for the Wolverines. His ability to pick up the system and push Forcier and Robinson this spring will determine whether he sees the field in the fall or takes a redshirt.
• Running back. Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor depart, but Michigan once again should be good at the running back spot. Vincent Smith will miss spring ball as he recovers from knee surgery, but several others, including Michael Shaw and Fitzgerald Toussaint, will be competing throughout the 15 workouts. Shaw, who scored two touchdowns on 42 carries in 2009, could create a bit of separation with a good spring.

MICHIGAN STATE

Spring practice starts: March 23

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• Team morale. The residence hall incident and the subsequent fallout really rocked the Michigan State program. Head coach Mark Dantonio has yet to address the status of several suspended players, and the final outcome could impact the depth chart, particularly at wide receiver. It's important for Michigan State's team leaders -- Greg Jones, Kirk Cousins and others -- to unite the locker room in the spring and do all they can to prevent further problems.
• Line dance. Michigan State needs to improve on both the offensive and defensive lines in 2010, and it all starts this spring. The Spartans must replace left tackle Rocco Cironi and center Joel Nitchman, and they also lose top pass-rusher Trevor Anderson at defensive end. As strong as the Spartans should be at the skill positions, they need to start building around linemen like Joel Foreman and Jerel Worthy.
• Keith Nichol. The versatile junior could be moved to wide receiver, but he'll get a chance to push Cousins at quarterback this spring. Nichol's skills are too valuable to waste on the sideline, particularly if Michigan State has a pressing need at receiver, but he still could be a factor at quarterback if his improves his accuracy. The speedy Nichol could run the Wildcat in addition to serving as a wide receiver, if MSU chooses to go that route.

MINNESOTA

Spring practice starts: March 23

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• The coordinator and the quarterbacks. Minnesota will welcome its third offensive coordinator in as many seasons, though Jeff Horton doesn't plan to overhaul the system like Jedd Fisch did a year ago. Horton's primary task will be developing quarterbacks Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray, who both struggled last fall in the pro-style system. Weber has the edge in experience, but he needs to regain the form his showed in his first two seasons as the starter. Gray brings tremendous athleticism to the table but must prove he can succeed in a pro-style offense.
• The offensive line. Head coach Tim Brewster has insisted that when Minnesota gets the offensive line on track, things really will get rolling. The Gophers need better players and arguably tougher players up front, and the line should benefit in Year 2 under assistant Tim Davis. The group should be motivated by finishing last in the Big Ten in rushing in each of the past two seasons.
• Young defenders. Minnesota loses most of its starting defense from 2009, but fans are more excited about the young talent returning on that side of the ball. Spring ball could be huge for players like Michael Carter, D.L. Wilhite and Keanon Cooper as they transition into leading roles. The Gophers' biggest losses come at linebacker, as all three starters depart.

NORTHWESTERN

Spring practice starts: March 29

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• Identify a running back. The Wildcats produced an impressive string of standout running backs under former coach Randy Walker and at the beginning of Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure, but they struggled in the backfield in 2009. Northwestern returns the Big Ten’s most experienced offensive line, so identifying a primary ball carrier or two this spring is vital. Arby Fields and Scott Concannon showed a few flashes last year but must get more consistent, while Mike Trumpy will be an interesting addition to the mix.
• Polishing Persa. Dan Persa steps in at quarterback for second-team All-Big Ten selection Mike Kafka, and he’ll try to walk a similar career path. Kafka transformed himself in the offseason a year ago to become an extremely consistent passer, and Persa will need to do the same. Persa could be the best running quarterback Northwestern has had since Zak Kustok, but his size and the nature of the offense suggests he’ll need to make strides with his arm. NU also needs to see progress from backup Evan Watkins, as it lacks overall depth at quarterback.
• Reload in the secondary. Northwestern loses three starters in the secondary, including all-conference selections Sherrick McManis and Brad Phillips. Fitzgerald will lean heavily on cornerback Jordan Mabin and safety Brian Peters to lead the group, but he needs a few more players to emerge this spring. Defensive backs like Justan Vaughn have experience and must transition into featured roles.

OHIO STATE

Spring practice starts: April 1

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• Running back competition resumes. Brandon Saine and Dan Herron finished strong in 2009, but they can’t get too comfortable. Several young running backs, including Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry, Jermil Martin and Carlos Hyde, will be competing for carries this spring. Saine likely has the best chance to lock down a featured role at running back, but if the hype about Berry pans out, it’ll be a dogfight.
• Pryor’s evolution. After Ohio State’s victory in the Rose Bowl, both Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel talked about the game being a key juncture in Pryor’s development. The junior quarterback must build on his performance this spring, especially from a passing standpoint. Ohio State can be a more balanced and more effective offense in 2010, but Pryor needs to keep making strides.
• Safety squeeze. The Buckeyes didn’t lose much from the 2009 team, but the safety spot took a hit as first-team All-Big Ten selection Kurt Coleman as well as key contributor Anderson Russell depart. Jermale Hines looks like the answer at one spot, and he’ll enter the spring with high expectations. Ohio State needs to build around Hines and identify playmakers for an increasingly opportunistic unit.

PENN STATE

Spring practice starts: March 26

Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. No surprise here, as Penn State’s quarterback competition will be one of the Big Ten’s top storylines until September. Two-year starter Daryll Clark departs, leaving a major void under center. Sophomore Kevin Newsome played a bit last fall and has been in the system for a full season. He’ll enter the spring with a slight edge, but Matt McGloin and early enrollee Paul Jones also will be in the mix before Robert Bolden arrives this summer.
• Getting better up front. All-America candidate Stefen Wisniewski leads an offensive line that will have more experience and needs to make strides this spring. The line struggled against elite defensive fronts last year (Iowa, Ohio State) but should have more cohesion after another offseason together. The tackle spots will be interesting to watch, as Dennis Landolt departs. Penn State’s defensive line needs to shore up the middle after losing Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Year Jared Odrick.
• Linebacker U. put to the test. Penn State has a proven track record of reloading in the defensive front seven, but it loses a lot of production, especially at linebacker. All three starting spots are open this spring, and the spotlight will turn to players like Nate Stupar, Bani Gbadyu, Chris Colasanti and others to fill the production and leadership gaps left by Sean Lee, Navorro Bowman and Josh Hull.

PURDUE

Spring practice starts: March 24

Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• Marve watch begins. The starting quarterback job is open, and all eyes will be on Miami transfer Robert Marve. One of the nation's most decorated recruits in 2007, Marve started for the Hurricanes in 2008 but ran into problems and transferred. Slowed by an ACL injury last summer and fall, Marve will have every chance to establish himself this spring as he competes with Caleb TerBush.
• Wide-open secondary. All four starters depart in the secondary, creating plenty of competition back there this spring. Players like safety Albert Evans and cornerback Charlton Williams will be in the spotlight as they try to nail down jobs. Purdue should be better in the front seven in 2010, but you can bet opposing quarterbacks will attack an unproven secondary.
• The run defense. It's a huge priority for Purdue to improve against the run after finishing last in the Big Ten in rush defense in each of the past two seasons. Linebacker Jason Werner's return for a sixth year is huge, and Purdue boasts one of the Big Ten's top D-linemen in Ryan Kerrigan. Those two must provide leadership and foster more cohesion from the younger players around them. New D-line coach Gary Emanuel will be instrumental in the process this spring.

WISCONSIN

Spring practice starts: March 13 (break from March 29-April 2)

Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• The secondary. Wisconsin looks pretty solid on the defensive line and at linebacker, so getting the secondary up to par will be key this spring. Safety Jay Valai is a vicious hitter, but can he become an All-Big Ten-caliber safety? Aaron Henry joins Valai at safety after struggling at cornerback in 2009. Wisconsin also will look for continued progress from corners Devin Smith and Niles Brinkley.
• Replacing Schofield. Bret Bielema told me earlier this week that the competition at defensive line is once again heating up this offseason. Wisconsin must replace first-team All-Big Ten end O'Brien Schofield, who ranked second nationally in tackles for loss (24.5) in 2009. J.J. Watt has superstar written all over him, but Wisconsin will look for more pass-rush ability from David Gilbert and Louis Nzegwu.
• The wide receivers/tight ends. Wisconsin showed at times last fall that its passing attack could be dynamic, and it will look for big things from several players this spring. Wideout Nick Toon certainly has what it takes to be a star in the Big Ten, and Lance Kendricks showed in the Champs Sports Bowl that he's a capable successor for Garrett Graham at tight end. The Badgers will look to David Gilreath, Isaac Anderson and Kyle Jefferson to fill the No. 2 wideout spot.