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Spring (practice) has sprung in the Big Ten. So let's look back and review the highlights:

Best debut by a player: Ohio State true freshman Michael Thomas introduced himself to Buckeyes fans with 12 catches for 131 yards in the spring game. No Buckeyes player had more than 14 catches all season in 2011. Don't expect Thomas to replicate that performance every week in the fall, and Ohio State was throwing the ball all over the place in its spring game. Still, for an offense that was desperately seeking playmakers to surround Braxton Miller, Thomas's performance was very encouraging.

Best debut by a coach: (Tie) Urban Meyer and Bill O'Brien. The new coaches at Ohio State and Penn State didn't take long to endear themselves to their constituents. Already wildly popular among Buckeyes fans, Meyer brought the team and the student body a little closer by inviting students to watch a practice, even allowing them on the field during a kicking drill. O'Brien made Penn State's practices more open to public scrutiny, and then went around the state and area to meet and greet fans on a caravan tour. No wonder that the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions ranked first and third nationally in spring game attendance.

Best debut by a mascot: Mark Dantonio livened up Michigan State's spring game by putting Sparty -- the school mascot -- in for a running play. Sparty hardly looked like a warrior, getting stuffed immediately on the play and then fumbling, but Dantonio bailed him out by ruling that the defense was offside. There was no more entertaining sequence in any spring game in the country than that one.

Best fill-in for a Heisman finalist: Wisconsin, like a lot of teams, saw no reason to put its star players at risk in the spring game. So 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball watched from the sidelines as redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon ran 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown. Gordon is stuck behind Ball and James White, but head coach Bret Bielema told ESPN.com that Gordon "might have the most talent of any kid ever I've signed at that position."

Best overhyped position move: A massive fan base and closed spring practices combined to have Michigan fans rampantly speculating about backup quarterback Devin Gardner moving to receiver. A Facebook update supposedly confirmed the move -- until it was later revealed as a fake. Bottom line: Gardner spent some time working at wideout, but is a long way from being an impact player there. And he's still the backup quarterback.



Best spring break: It's hard to question Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez's desire to get better. When the Huskers let their players loose for spring break in the middle of their practice session, Martinez eschewed the beach or the ski slopes. Instead, he went to California to work on his footwork with quarterback instructor Steve Calhoun. The word around Lincoln this spring was that Martinez's fundamentals and passing were much improved. If that's the case this fall, Nebraska's offense should be awfully dangerous.

Best big score: Thanks to a modified scoring system, Northwestern defensive tackle Chance Carter earned 17 points for his team when he returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown. "It should be a pick-17 every time -- especially for a defensive tackle," Carter later joked. The play by the defense and the front four in particular (four sacks, plus that pick) provided some optimism for a team that struggled to stop anybody last season.

Best Food Network Challenge: New Illinois coach Tim Beckman knows the way to his players' hearts is through their stomachs. Illini team members who missed team meetings were forced to eat porridge for breakfast this offseason, while those who met their requirements received steak and eggs. The same was true at the spring game, with the losing Orange squad getting a postgame meal of beans and weenies instead of the steaks for the victorious Blue squad. We'll see if this motivational technique makes Illinois hungry enough to contend for a Big Ten title this fall.

Best hair: Spring is a time for experimenting, and that includes hairdos. Purdue defensive end Ryan Russell dyed his hair bright red and cut it into a mohawk. He also tested out some other colors during the Boilermakers' spring practice. "It's just a spring thing," he said. "I might change it up and do something different for the season."

Best quote: Dantonio didn't mince words when ESPN.com asked him about the challenges Michigan might present in the future with the Wolverines' strong recruiting efforts. "We're laying in the weeds," he said. "We've beat Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?" Michigan State fans loved the quote, while Michigan fans despised it. But the Spartans have earned bragging rights. They'll try to keep them when they visit the Big House on Oct. 20

2011 record: 7-6
2011 conference record: 4-4 (third place, Leaders Division) Returning starters: Offense: 9; Defense: 9; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners
DT Kawann Short, CB Ricardo Allen, QB Caleb TerBush, QB Robert Marve, QB Rob Henry, RB Akeem Shavers, RB Ralph Bolden, DE Ryan Russell, WR Antavian Edison, DT Bruce Gaston, OT Trevor Foy

Key losses
LB Joe Holland, S Albert Evans, LT Dennis Kelly, OG Nick Mondek, WR Justin Siller, K Carson Wiggs

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Ralph Bolden* (674 yards)
Passing: Caleb TerBush (1,905 yards)
Receiving: Antavian Edison* (584 yards) Tackles: Joe Holland (94) Sacks: Kawann Short* (6.5) Interceptions: Ricardo Allen* (3)

Spring answers

1. Healthy QBs: After two years of dealing with injuries and inexperienced signalcallers, Danny Hope finally had enviable depth at the position this spring. With Robert Marve healthy, last season's starter Caleb TerBush a year wiser, and Rob Henry on the mend from a torn ACL, Purdue has three former starters at quarterback. Hope said the depth made for much improved offensive execution this spring, which should carry over into the fall. Now he just has to figure out whom to play and when, as it's likely more than one will see the field in the same game.

2. Defensive front and back set: The Boilermakers have a chance to be very good up front defensively, and it all starts with defensive tackle Kawann Short. He passed up the NFL draft, and could work his way into first-round status with a big senior season. Bruce Gaston returns along side him in the middle, and sophomore defensive end Ryan Russell looks like a future star after coming on strong at the end of last season. The secondary is also in great shape, with returning cornerbacks Ricardo Allen and Josh Johnson possibly forming the best tandem in the league, according to Hope. Nickel back Normondo Harris had a big spring game, and Max Charlot returns at safety. Purdue should have the ability to generate a pass-rush and defend the ball in the air.

3. More confidence: There's little doubt that there's more confidence in the air around West Lafayette. That comes from the team making -- and winning -- its first bowl game under Hope last season, and returning 18 offensive and defensive starters. This is Hope's deepest team, and it should be his best. Some are picking Purdue as a potential Big Ten sleeper, and the players believe that talk is justified.

Fall questions

1. Linebacker Who? While the defense looks stout up front and in the secondary, questions remain at linebacker. Joe Holland, the team's leading tackler a year ago, graduated. Dwayne Beckford missed the bowl game after a DUI arrest, and his status for the fall remains in flux. Will Lucas is the only returning starter guaranteed to suit up in September. There's talk of using some 3-4 looks under new defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar, who implemented his system in practices closed to the media this spring. Does Purdue have enough linebackers to make it work?

2. Offensive line chemistry: The Boilers' offensive line didn't get a lot of hype last season, but it produced two NFL draft picks in Dennis Kelly and Nick Mondek. Trevor Foy is moving from right to left tackle, and Kevin Pamphile and Rick Schmeig worked at multiple positions this spring. Purdue will mix in some new faces and some veterans in new places this fall, and how well that unit comes together will have a large say in how the offense flows.

3. X-factors on offense: Some things we simply don't yet know include the following: Can Ralph Bolden successfully return from knee surgery? If not, is Akeem Shavers a capable every-down back? What will happen to leading receiver Antavian Edison after his arrest on weapons charges this week? Will fellow wideout O.J. Ross make it back from academic suspension? Can kick returning dynamo Raheem Mostert make an impact at receiver? Purdue has a lot more options on offense than in the recent past, but there also remains a lot of question marks.

Purdue defensive end Ryan Russell talks about his development, the Boilermakers' new defense and his interesting hair choice.

Purdue is getting a little bit of a buzz as a sleeper team for 2012 after breaking through with a bowl game (and win) in 2011. The Boilermakers opened spring practice last week and went for a couple of days straight before taking off for spring break. I had a chance to catch up with Purdue head coach Danny Hope to talk about how things are going in his program and the areas of concentration this spring.

Did you sense any different attitude this offseason after getting to that bowl game last year?

Danny Hope: I think we ended the season on a high note and with some momentum, and I think it carried over into the offseason. I think we're really hitting on all cylinders with our new director of sports performance, whom we hired last year about this time. It's the first time since I've been the head coach at Purdue that we're going into spring with a quarterback that's healthy that's played any football. Caleb TerBush wasn't penciled in as the No. 1 [quarterback], but he became No. 1 about a week before the opener. He had to get his feet wet and learn throughout the course of the season, but by the end of the season he was playing pretty good. That momentum carried right over into the bowl preparation and the win carried right into the weight training offseason and that carried into spring practices. And having experienced quarterbacks is important. It's the first time since I've been here we've been able to do something as simple as getting signals in early in spring. It's a little different tempo out there right now as a result. We've got some good players back and we've got some confidence as a football team.

You have quite a few experienced quarterbacks now, in fact. How are you splitting up the reps for them this spring?

DH: Well, Sean Robinson is playing on defense right now. It's hard to get four quarterbacks ready in spring ball, and he wasn't going to get as many reps as he needed to. So we're going to try him some at the linebacker position. That leaves TerBush and Robert Marve, who's finally healthy. I think Robert did some good things last year, but I think he's in position to take some big steps in his development because this is the first time since he's been here that he's been able to get a lot of reps without concern about an injury or an eligibility situation. Then Rob Henry is back. He's a little bit limited right now because he's coming off knee surgery, but I'm really pleased with where his recovery is, and most of the time when he's out there right now you can't tell much of a difference. But you have to limit his reps a little just because you don't want to overdo it and create a swelling issue. So the numbers are kind of taking care of themselves in some ways. We went into the spring with TerBush as No. 1 and all those other guys are competing.

Your leading rusher, Ralph Bolden, tore his ACL again, but you have two pretty good running backs in Akeem Shavers and Akeem Hunt. How do you feel about the depth at running back this spring?

DH: We had a real strong running attack last year. We were fifth in the Big Ten in rushing. The past couple of years, we've been able to establish a strong running game. I like the progress that we've made and having good running backs is a big part of that, and any more, having a couple of running backs you can play is a big part of it. We had a lot of different guys rush for us last year, probably 10 different guys who were utilized as ball carriers. We really like Akeem Shavers. He's a fast, physical back who finishes runs. Akeem Hunt is an excellent sprinter who's a member of our track team and was a state champion track performer in Georgia. So he's a class sprinter in a lot of ways for a football player.

We've also got a kid we redshirted last year in Doug Gentry, and he's a skilled player. We have Gavin Roberts, who has good size but was injured last year. He's a big back we can utilize in the backfield. Then we've got a couple fullbacks in Derek Jackson, who weighs about 240 pounds, and Kurt Freytag. So we've got some guys still in the stable even though Ralph is out. And we've utilized Antavian Edison and Raheem Mostert some as ball carriers out of their slot position, and both those guys are really skilled players. So we've got some athletes who can tote the mail, and we spread the wealth out around here.

Were you upset about the new kickoff rules because you have such a weapon at kick returner in Raheem Mostert?

DH: Well, we all play by the same rules. You'll have to make decisions about bringing some out, so the return man is going to have to be a good decision-maker. From a kickoff standpoint it might change some things. You can kick them all deep and try to force the touchback if you want to, but you're going to be giving the opponent the ball at the 25. Or you can kick the ball high and deep and try to pin them down and do a great job covering. So there's going to be some game planning and schemes involved. I think it will all even out. ... I don't think it's going to shut down all kick returns, but I think there will be about 25 percent less, is my guess.

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We covered all the offensive position groups in our postseason rankings series here, here, here and here. Now it's time to turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive tackle was the strongest position in the league in 2011, so that makes this a competitive situation. There are some major changes from our preseason order as well. Remember this is about overall production, and depth matters along with star power. The top four on this list are really, really strong.

Here we go:

1. Michigan State: The Spartans finished with the top total defense in the Big Ten and one of the best in the nation, and it all started with a dominant front. All-American tackle Jerel Worthy commanded extra attention inside and was joined by Kevin Pickelman and Anthony Rashad White as forces inside. William Gholston was brilliant at times, never more so than in the Outback Bowl win over Georgia. And freshman Marcus Rush turned in an outstanding season at the other defensive end spot. The Spartans had no weaknesses at this position in 2011.

2. Michigan: We projected the Wolverines would make a significant leap in '11, but the amount of improvement still surprised us. The combination of head coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, both defensive line coaches at heart, and valuable seniors Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen made this the backbone of Michigan's Sugar Bowl run. The Wolverines were especially tough in short-yardage situations because their defensive front was so stout.

3. Penn State: Big Ten defensive player of the year Devon Still wrecked just about everybody's game plan with a huge senior campaign. Jordan Hill had a solid, underrated year next to him inside. Jack Crawford stayed healthy and contributed 6.5 sacks, while Eric Latimore and Sean Stanley combined for another 7.5 quarterback takedowns.

4. Illinois: Defensive end Whitney Mercilus was a consensus first-team All-American who led the nation in sacks and forced fumbles. Nobody saw that coming. He had good company along the line as well, with guys like Akeem Spence inside and Michael Buchanan at the other end spot. The Illini may have faltered down the stretch as a team, but the D-line stayed strong throughout the year.

5. Wisconsin: The Badgers didn't have many household names on the defensive line, and certainly no one stood out like J.J. Watt the year before. But Bret Bielema relied on a solid group of veterans that helped the team finish third in the league in total defense and fifth in sacks. Patrick Butrym, Louis Nzegwu, Brendan Kelly and Ethan Hemer were part of a group that played better than the sum of its parts.

6. Ohio State: The Buckeyes had one of the best defensive players in the league in John Simon, who had 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks in a breakout season. Tackle Johnathan Hankins emerged as a disrupter at 335 pounds. But Ohio State didn't get its usual production elsewhere on the line, got beat up as the season went along and lacked depth, which is one reason why Urban Meyer went out and signed so many pass rushers in his first recruiting class.

7. Nebraska: The biggest disappointment from the preseason, as the Huskers tumbled from their No. 1 ranking last summer. Jared Crick's season-ending injury hurt the production, but he was not putting up huge numbers before he tore his pectoral muscle. Cameron Meredith, Baker Steinkuhler and Eric Martin had some nice moments, but Nebraska wasn't nearly as fierce up front as we thought it might be.

8. Purdue: Kawann Short turned in his best season, with 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks from his interior spot, while Bruce Gaston and Gerald Gooden provided solid support. But the Boilermakers' pass rush off the edge lacked explosiveness until freshman Ryan Russell started to come on late in the season. Everyone except Gooden returns, and with a new position coach Purdue hopes this unit can go from decent to great in 2012.

9. Iowa: Another disappointing crew, as the Hawkeyes proved it's not easy to replace three draft picks off the defensive line and simply reload. Mike Daniels and Broderick Binns were the senior anchors, but Iowa's pass rush was sluggish until late in the season. And there wasn't a whole lot of depth behind them. This group loses three starters and will be extremely young in 2012.

10. Northwestern: We ranked the Wildcats 10th in the preseason as well, but we still expected better things out of this group. Northwestern generated very little pressure on opposing quarterbacks and ranked last in the Big Ten in sacks. Vince Browne, a projected all-conference pick in the summer, had a subpar season with only 3.5 tackles for loss after putting up 15.5 in 2010. It's clear this group needs to get better for Northwestern to take the next step.

11. Minnesota: The Gophers weren't as terrible on the defensive front as they were in 2010, when they finished last in the nation with only nine sacks. In fact, they more than doubled that total with 19 last season. Still, it was a mostly anonymous crew that gave quarterbacks too much time to carve up the secondary in the passing game. Jerry Kill still needs to find more playmakers at this position.

12. Indiana: The Hoosiers had problems all over the defense, and the line was no exception. Adam Replogle and Larry Black gave the unit some veteran leadership in the middle, but Indiana resorted to playing a lot of kids at the defensive end spots. The results were about what you'd expect.

Purdue has hired veteran assistant Kevin Wolthausen as its new defensive line coach, the school announced Wednesday. That completes Danny Hope's staff for the 2012 season.

Wolthausen comes to the Boilermakers the Las Vegas Locomotives in the United Football League, where he served as the defensive line coach. Before going to the UFL, he served as associate head coach and linebackers coach at Eastern Michigan.

Wolthausen spent four seasons at Louisville, where he coached future NFL star Elvis Dumervil. He then followed Bobby Petrino to the Atlanta Falcons for the 2007 season. Other stops in his career include Arizona, USC, Oklahoma and Arizona State.

At Purdue, Wolthausen will try to get the most out of star defensive tackle Kawann Short and improve the team's pass rush off the edge with players like rising sophomore Ryan Russell.

It's easy to tell from Purdue players tweets today that something is afoot on the defensive coaching staff.

Cornerback Ricardo Allen tweeted: "Man our defensive coordinator and our linebacker coaches left! Hopefully we can find better. NO DISRESPECT!"

The Lafayette Journal Courier is reporting that defensive coordinator Gary Emanuel and inside linebackers coach Phil Elmassian will not return to the Boilermakers next season. Elmassian is expected to take a job at UMass, while Emanuel reportedly won't have his contract renewed.

Purdue ranked ninth in the Big Ten in total defense, allowing 395 yards and 26.8 points per game. The team allowed 485 yards and 32 points in the Little Caesars Bowl win over Western Michigan and gave up at least 35 points in three different games this year. But Emanuel also worked with the defensive line, which was one of the team's strengths this, led by tackle Kawann Short.

Defensive lineman Ryan Russell expressed frustration about the staff changes on Twitter before later posting, "[Danny] Hope promised me a lot of things. I still believe till this day those things can be accomplished. He sat on my coach and gave me his word."

Purdue has not officially announced any coaching moves yet, so stay tuned.

The Little Caesars Bowl delivered plenty of twists and turns, including two successful onside kicks, a flea flicker for a touchdown, a two-point conversion on a fake extra point and a kickoff return for a touchdown. And then they played the second half.

Purdue won in its first bowl appearance since 2007, when it also beat a MAC team (Central Michigan) in Detroit in what was then called the Motor City Bowl.

How the game was won: If all you knew about this game was that Purdue forced six turnovers, returned a kick for a touchdown, recovered a pair of onside kicks and got three fourth-down stops, you'd probably assume the Boilermakers blew out Western Michigan. But Purdue made plenty of mistakes of its own and had to hold on late to secure the victory. The game was decided by A) the kicking game, which the Boilers used to great effect with a 99-yard touchdown return by Raheem Mostert and two first-half onside kick gambles by Danny Hope that led to points; and B) the running game, as Purdue piled up over 260 yards on the ground to dominate the time of possession.

Turning point: Western Michigan got the ball back with 2:16 left and had a chance to win the game with its potent offense. But Purdue freshman defensive lineman Ryan Russell stripped the ball from quarterback Alex Carder, and teammate Bruce Gaston recovered to bring on the Boilers' victory formation unit. Carder threw for 413 yards but also tossed four interceptions and fumbled twice.

Player of the game: Though he came out on the losing end, Western Michigan receiver Jordan White showed why he led the country in catches and receiving yards this season. He finished with 13 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown despite the extra attention Purdue paid to him.

Player of the game II: Missing leading rusher Ralph Bolden, who tore his ACL in the season finale, Purdue needed someone to step forward in the running game. That someone turned out to be Akeem Shavers, who ran 22 times for 148 yards, nearly doubling his previous career high.

Unsung hero: Purdue suspended third-leading receiver O.J. Ross for the bowl game. No problem, as Gary Bush picked up the slack. The sophomore chipped in with six catches for a career-high 90 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown.

Spirit of giving: On two separate occasions, Purdue handed a turnover right back to Western Michigan. Both involved Gerald Gooden and Josh Schaffer. Schaffer, a receiver, stripped and recovered the ball from Gooden after one of the Boilers defensive end's two interceptions. Late in the fourth quarter, Gooden forced a Carder fumble that Russell picked up, but Schaffer hustled down the field again to knock the ball away and put the Broncos back in business.

What it means: Purdue, which beat Indiana in the regular-season finale, won back-to-back games for the first time all year. The Boilermakers had to win this game in order to build some momentum under Hope, who was rewarded with a two-year contract extension last week but still needs to convince fans and alumni he's the man to move the program forward. A loss would have opened up new questions about Hope, but instead Purdue showed creativity and daring -- if not always great attention to detail -- in its game plan. With Ohio State ineligible for the Big Ten title game, Illinois and Penn State both in transition and Wisconsin needing to replace important players and coaches on the offensive side, the Boilermakers just might be a sleeper in the Leaders Division in 2012. Western Michigan's mantra leading up to this game was "Make history." But the Broncos fell to 0-5 all time in bowl games and must regroup to try again without the top receiver in school history.

Record performance: With his big game Tuesday night, White broke MAC records for both single-season and career receiving yards.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve:

• Bo Pelini has shown a lot of faith in new Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis. Huskers receiver Kenny Bell has proved at least one major coach wrong.
• Two Purdue defenders who were arrested earlier this week will play in the Little Caesars Bowl game next week. Boilers freshman defensive end Ryan Russell developed his game through film study.
• Bret Bielema faces maybe his toughest challenge in replacing Paul Chryst as offensive coordinator. Chryst said it was an easy decision to stay on for the Rose Bowl.
• Ohio State fans have been slow to buy tickets and packages to the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl. Gene Smith should be out of a job for the way he handled the NCAA case, Bud Shaw writes.
• Fifteen questions on the Penn State coaching search, 45 days after Joe Paterno was fired. Nittany Lions players say they're now OK with the TicketCity Bowl game. Forbes ranks PSU as the third most valuable college football program but says that could face a precipitous drop.
• A decommitted and then recommitted linebacker was part of five junior-college players who signed with Indiana.
• Iowa arrived in Phoenix, and Kirk Ferentz talked a little about the running back situation.
• Michigan will hold one last practice at home Friday before breaking for the holidays and reconvening in New Orleans.

Earlier today, we revealed a handful of our top freshmen from 2011. Now it's time to unveil the entire Big Ten All-Freshman team from the season.

Some positions were easier to find players than others, but this crew should be worth watching in years to come. Both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen were considered for the team.

Without further ado ...

OFFENSE

QB: Braxton Miller, Ohio State
RB: Donovonn Young, Illinois
RB: Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
WR: Kenny Bell, Nebraska
WR: Kevonte Martin-Manley, Iowa
TE: Jon Davis, Illinois
OL: Travis Jackson, Michigan State
OL: Bernard Taylor, Indiana
OL: Michael Heitz, Illinois
OL: Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
OL: Tyler Moore, Nebraska

DEFENSE

DL: Marcus Rush, Michigan State
DL: Ryan Russell, Purdue
DL: Michael Bennett, Ohio State
DL: Ben Perry, Minnesota
LB: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State
LB: Jake Ryan, Michigan
LB: Desmond Morgan, Michigan
CB: Bradley Roby, Ohio State
CB: Blake Countess, Michigan
S: Mark Murphy, Indiana
S: Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Matt Wile, Michigan
P: Mike Sadler, Michigan State
KR: Raheem Mostert, Purdue
PR: Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska

There were some tough choices, and several positions had more candidates than others. Cornerback, for example, featured several promising freshmen contributors. Michigan State's Tony Lippett and Penn State's Adrian Amos were close to making the cut. Indiana quarterback Tre Roberson is another player meriting mention, although Miller deserved the nod at quarterback.

Not surprisingly, it was a struggle to fill out the offensive line as most freshmen linemen don't see the field. Like we did with the general All-Big Ten team, we didn't assign positions for the O-line and simply picked the best five players. It also was a bit unusual not to have a full-time freshman place-kicker. Michigan's Wile handled kickoffs and some punting, but Brendan Gibbons kicked field goals for the Wolverines.

Jerry Kill has talked repeatedly about building a foundation at Minnesota on concrete, not sand.

The first-year coach better hope rock bottom is made out of concrete. Because that's where the Gophers are living after the first half at Purdue, which leads 31-3.

We thought the Gophers had hit rock bottom last week in Ann Arbor, when Michigan whipped them 58-0 in the Jug game. But no. This is rock bottom. Has to be.

No disrespect to Purdue, which is making plays on both sides of the ball and capitalizing on most of Minnesota's many errors. Purdue's defense has smothered Minnesota, getting terrific line play from Kawann Short, Ryan Russell and others, as well as a pick-six from star CB Ricardo Allen.

That said, the Gophers are the worst major-conference team in America. It's amazing to think they opened the season with a near upset at USC. Feels like years ago. Time will tell where Minnesota ranks among the worst teams in Big Ten history. The Gophers aren't there yet -- not close -- but they have to get this turned around.

Freshman Max Shortell started his second consecutive game at quarterback but quickly exited. Junior MarQueis Gray, who missed the Michigan debacle with a toe injury, entered the game and had his first pass attempt picked by Allen and returned to the end zone.

Minnesota's first-half offensive numbers: three turnovers, three points, six first downs, 6-of-13 passing, 35 rush yards on 16 carries. Ugh.

Purdue's offense has looked decent, and coordinator Gary Nord made a great call against a Minnesota blitz as Robert Marve hit O.J. Ross on a bubble screen for an easy 12-yard touchdown. Marve stepped in for Caleb TerBush, who completed 9 of 14 passes. The Boilers' rushing attack hasn't been great, although Akeem Shavers is providing a bit of a spark.

One area Purdue must cut down is penalties. The Big Ten's most penalized team already has been flagged five times. It will cost Purdue later in the season.

By the end of the day, all 12 Big Ten preseason camps will be under way. The weekend featured practices, players reporting and several media days around the league, so we wanted to get caught up.

We already hit on some of the bigger items, such as Nebraska quarterback Bubba Starling being held out of practice as his baseball-football decision looms and Michigan redshirting wide receiver Darryl Stonum and suspending two others.

Here are other notable nuggets from around the league:

IOWA

• Strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle met with reporters Friday during media day and for the first time addressed the outbreak of rhabdomyolosis in January that put 13 players in the hospital. You can check out video of Doyle's comments here. He didn't go into too many details, calling the situation a "problem" and saying the program has moved forward. Doyle said the well-being of players remains his top priority and that while the intense workout that led to the rhabdo has been eliminated, Iowa will continue to "train with volume."
• Iowa expects freshman defensive tackle Darian Cooper to report in the middle of the week after a "complication" prevented him from reporting with his classmates.
• Offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan isn't practicing because of a sports hernia suffered during spring ball.

ILLINOIS

• Freshmen Donovonn Young and Josh Ferguson are making things interesting in the running back competition. Jason Ford remains the front-runner, but offensive coordinator Paul Petrino continues to challenge the senior, as he did in the spring after Ford was limited by injuries. "I need to see Jason run downhill, violent, and get up and do it again," Petrino told the Chicago Sun-Times. Both Young and Ferguson have looked impressive early in practice and could push for carries. Competition is good at every position, but specifically at running back, so I definitely see this as a positive development for the Illini.
• Offensive tackle Corey Lewis won't be ready for the start of the season as he continues to work his way back from knee surgery. Illinois will look to unproven players Michael Heitz and Simon Cvijanovic to emerge during camp.

PURDUE

• The Boilers got some bad news at a thin position as defensive end Rashad Frazier didn't show up for the team's first practice Saturday. Frazier was expected to compete with Robert Maci and Ryan Russell for playing time. "We'll move on without him," coach Danny Hope said. Purdue has moved defensive tackle Ryan Isaac to the end spot to help with the low numbers there. The good news is veteran end Gerald Gooden has impressed the coaches so far.

WISCONSIN

• Keep an eye on the competition at right tackle as Josh Oglesby and Rob Havenstein will vie for the starting job. Oglesby, a heralded recruit, has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, undergoing six knee surgeries, according to coach Bret Bielema. Oglesby will be limited in camp, so Havenstein, who practiced with the first-team offense this spring, has a good opportunity.
• Bielema listed seven starting spots that are up for grabs in camp: quarterback, running back, right tackle, strong safety, one defensive end spot, one defensive tackle spot and strongside linebacker.

MICHIGAN STATE

• Heralded incoming freshman Lawrence Thomas could play linebacker or defensive end, coach Mark Dantonio said Sunday after the team's first practice. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Thomas will begin practicing at linebacker but could make a move, much like another top recruit, William Gholston, did last year.
• Wide receiver Keshawn Martin and running back Nick Hill entered camp as Michigan State's top two kick returners. Martin, the league's top punt return man in 2010, will be a busy man on special teams, which is a good thing given how dangerous he can be in that area.

PENN STATE

• The Lions lost another player as reserve offensive lineman Alex Mateas has decided to transfer. Mateas is the third player to leave the team in the past week, joining quarterback Kevin Newsome and offensive lineman Tom Ricketts.

OHIO STATE

• Buckeyes players reported during the weekend and will practice for the first time today. All 105 players expected to be part of the preseason camp roster reported, but the group didn't include linebackers Dorian Bell and Jonathan Newsome, and receiver James Louis. Newsome has announced he'll transfer to Ball State and both Bell and Louis could be heading elsewhere as well.

NEBRASKA

• Two Huskers offensive linemen, senior Marcel Jones and freshman Givens Price, are sitting out with injuries. Jones should be back this month, while Price will miss all of camp. Incoming freshman cornerback Charles Jackson also isn't practicing because he hasn't been cleared academically.

Our look at three fresh faces to watch for each Big Ten team this season continues with the Purdue Boilermakers. These players are freshmen, redshirt freshmen, transfers or upperclassmen ready to move into much bigger roles this season.

OFFENSE: Akeem Shavers, RB, junior, 5-11, 203

Shavers comes to Purdue from junior college, where he averaged an impressive nine yards per carry in limited work last season. The Boilers get Ralph Bolden back from a torn ACL but need some insurance in the offensive backfield. Shavers is an explosive, physical runner who did some impressive things in spring practice. Along with Reggie Pegram, he adds depth at running back for a team looking for a spark on offense.

DEFENSE: Ryan Russell, DE, redshirt freshman, 6-5, 241

Purdue must replace Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kerrigan and Russell is among several defensive ends hoping to fill the massive production void. Russell competed with Robert Maci for the starting job this spring, and while Maci is listed No. 1 on the preseason depth chart, Russell will be part of the rotation. Although both Maci and Gerald Gooden boast game experience, there's plenty of opportunity for younger players like Russell and Rashad Frazier.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Cody Webster, P, sophomore, 6-1, 205

Webster isn't necessarily "fresh," as he handled most of the punting duties for Purdue's final 10 games last season, averaging 43.3 yards per punt with 17 attempts of 50 yards or longer. But most of Purdue's key special-teams contributors are holdovers from 2010, which bodes well. Webster and senior Carson Wiggs form arguably the Big Ten's strongest punter-kicker tandem this fall, and Webster will expand his special-teams role by serving as the holder for Wiggs. If Webster builds on his success late last fall, he could be in the mix for All-Big Ten honors.

More Fresh Faces

• Michigan State
• Northwestern
• Iowa

It's time to revive the Hope and Concern series. This is pretty straightforward: I'll list the biggest reason for hope and the biggest reason for concern for each Big Ten team heading into the 2011 season.

Let's get things started with Purdue.

Biggest reason for hope: Upgraded team speed

Speed has been Danny Hope's biggest priority in recruiting, and he has scoured the state of Florida for as much of it as he can find during his tenure in West Lafayette. Hope thinks Purdue's speed will be upgraded on both sides of the ball this coming season. "A couple years ago, we only had five or six guys who could run 4.5s or better [in the 40-yard dash]," Hope told ESPN.com. "We've tripled or maybe quadrupled that number. It makes a big difference. We have some guys who can make some plays in space on both sides of the football." Players like cornerback Ricardo Allen, linebacker Will Lucas and wide receivers Antavian Edison and O.J. Ross provide the speed and athleticism Purdue hopes will translate into more victories this season.

Biggest reason for concern: Unproven pass rush

Purdue led the Big Ten in both sacks (33) and tackles for loss (91) last season, finishing 14th and fourth nationally in the respective categories. But the departure of 2010 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kerrigan leaves a significant void Purdue could struggle to fill. Kerrigan not only made a ton of plays himself, but created opportunities for other defensive linemen like tackle Kawann Short (six sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss in 2010). The Boilers need Gerald Gooden to produce this fall, but the senior has struggled to stay healthy and sat out this spring. Junior Robert Maci and redshirt freshman Ryan Russell took most of the reps this spring, but both men need to prove a lot in games. If Purdue doesn't get much from the end spot, it'll need huge seasons from Short and fellow tackle Bruce Gaston Jr.

Purdue

2010 overall record: 4-8

2010 conference record: 2-6 (T-9th)

Returning starters

Offense: 8; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

QB Rob Henry, RB Ralph Bolden, WR Antavian Edison, WR Justin Siller, LT Dennis Kelly, DT Kawann Short, CB Ricardo Allen, LB Dwayne Beckford, S Logan Link, K Carson Wiggs

Key losses

DE Ryan Kerrigan, LB Jason Werner, TE Kyle Adams, RB Dan Dierking, WR Cortez Smith

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Rob Henry* (547 yards)

Passing: Rob Henry* (996 yards)

Receiving: Cortez Smith (434 yards)

Tackles: Logan Link* (91)

Sacks: Ryan Kerrigan (12.5)

Interceptions: Ricardo Allen* (3)

Spring answers

1. Henry makes strides: Rob Henry began the spring as Purdue's No. 1 quarterback, and he only helped himself throughout the session. Coach Danny Hope called Henry the team's most improved player during the offseason, and the team agreed by voting the sophomore as a co-captain for the 2011 season. The subplot is the impending return of Robert Marve, the Miami transfer who began last season as the starter before a torn ACL. There's a lot invested in Marve, but Henry seems like the team's choice.

2. Edison lights it up: Purdue got a bad break when the NCAA inexplicably denied receiver Keith Smith a sixth year of eligibility. The team needed other wideouts to emerge this spring, and Antavian Edison answered the bell. The junior speedster stood out in several scrimmages, and Purdue would be wise to get the ball in his hands as much as possible this fall. Edison and Justin Siller give Purdue a nice 1-2 punch in the passing game.

3. Shavers steps forward: Ralph Bolden will return from a torn ACL this season, but Purdue should have more options in the backfield. Junior college transfer Akeem Shavers turned in a solid spring, earning the team's top newcomer award on the offensive side. The 5-11, 200-pound Shavers runs with power and should be able to spell Bolden or potentially take on a larger role. Purdue's coaches want to use multiple backs in the offense, and Shavers certainly will be in the mix.

Fall questions

1. Marve, Bolden return from injuries: Torn ACL's wiped out Purdue's projected starting offensive backfield in 2011, but Marve and Bolden both will be back in the mix this summer. Both players have had multiple ACL tears, so it will be interesting to see how they respond on the field. Marve needs a strong preseason to leapfrog Henry at quarterback. Bolden, meanwhile, is viewed as the team's top option at running back and could have practiced full-go this spring but was limited as a precaution.

2. Replacing Superman: Purdue loses only two defensive starters, but when one is Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kerrigan, it's a concern. The team lacks depth at defensive end and really needs veteran Gerald Gooden to get healthy and produce consistently this fall. Robert Maci and Ryan Russell took the first-team reps this spring and had their moments, as Russell earned the defense's top newcomer award. Still, this certainly will be a position to watch going forward.

3. Tight end: Other than defensive end, this is the other spot where Purdue loses a lot because of graduation. Kyle Adams and Jeff Lindsay both depart, and the coaches are looking for others to step in. Gabe Holmes exits the spring as a potential No. 1 option, although junior college transfer Sterling Carter also is in the mix. If Purdue can solidify this spot, it could have a pretty potent offense this fall.