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Penn State opens spring practice without Joe Paterno for the first time in decades Monday. New coach Bill O'Brien, who's won some supporters by the way he has recruited and carried himself of late, will conduct his first official practices. I recently caught up with O'Brien for a brief preview of the Nittany Lions' spring:

Are you settled in now as the Penn State coach?


Bill O'Brien: I'm settled in. We had a good winter, and we're ready to go for spring. We've got a bunch of really good kids want to be coached and want to play well and win. So I'm settled in.

We'll get to spring practice in a second, but first I wanted to ask you about how well you've recruited the past couple of months. I know you can't talk about specific recruits, but how have you been able to sell the program through some difficult times?


O'Brien: We just talk about Penn State. We talk about our vision for the football program here. We talk about the university. There are 160 majors to choose from here. It's just a great college town, we have a 108,000-seat stadium, a tremendous football facility, a great, brand-new weight room, and a great indoor facility. We just sell Penn State, and there's a bunch of things about Penn State to sell. The student body, the coaching staff here, the players on our football team here. So all we do is talk about Penn State.

How has the reception to that pitch gone?


O'Brien: We feel good about the reception. Again, this is a special place that obviously people recognize and have great respect for, so we've gotten a good reception.

What are your main objectives this spring?


O'Brien: We want the kids to understand how fast we want to play, the tempo we want to play at. We want to get in our base systems on offense, defense and special teams, and we want these guys to understand how we want them to play football. We want them to play fast, play hard, play tough, be situationally smart. So those our are goals.

The players have been doing things this offseason to learn the offense, so how far along do you expect them to be when you get started?


O'Brien: It will be baby steps. We'll put it in one day at a time. We're not in a rush to get a bunch of things in. We're just in a rush to find out who our best football players are, so that's what we'll begin to do on Monday.

How much do you really know these players?


BO'B: I really know them from winter workouts and just speaking to them in my office. I've been very impressed with this group. We have about 124 guys on the team and we have a bunch of hard-working guys. I've been very impressed and proud to be associated with them.

Let's talk about the quarterback situation. Is it a true open competition this spring?


O'Brien: Yeah, its definitely an open competition. Every position on the team is an open competition. Now, obviously guys who have experience have the upper hand because they've played, but nobody has a starting position right now. Guys are going to get a bunch of reps, we're going to play fast and we'll evaluate the roster as we go along.

What are you looking for in a quarterback?


O'Brien: He's got to be a good decision-maker. He's got to be accurate when he throws it. He's got to take care of the football. He's got to have really good knowledge of defensive alignments, the coverages and fronts and pressures. He's got to be a good leader. He's got to mentally tough and physically tough. That's basically what I'm looking for.

Two spots that were hit hard by graduation were the secondary and the offensive line. What's the outlook like for those positions this spring?


O'Brien: I feel good about both those positions. I made a couple of position moves to move some guys over to the secondary, and you guys will get that when we start spring practice. So we've got better numbers over there. And I feel good about the offensive line. We've got four guys on that offensive line that are dean's-list students. We've got smart guys guys that play hard and love Penn State, and so I feel good about both positions.

How about the receiver position, where Derek Moye was the No. 1 guy last year?


O'Brien: It's tough to replace a guy like Derek Moye, and I wish he had more eligibility. But we feel very good about our receiving corps. We've got Justin Brown, Shawney Kersey, Devon Smith, Brandon Moseby-Felder and Christian Kuntz. We've got a number of guys with good size that can run. And they've got two jobs: get open and catch the ball. So we'll see how that goes as we go through spring.

You're going to be very involved on offense, so how will you split your time this spring in practice?


O'Brien: We've got a great staff on offense and on defense, so I'll be able to be involved with every facet of the football team, absolutely no problem.

Have leaders emerged yet from this offseason?


O'Brien: There's a lot of leaders. There really are. We have a lot of good kids. Once you come back and ask me that after spring, I'll have a better feel. But I think we've got the potential to have a lot of strong leaders on this team.

How do you replace Devon Still on defense? Can you do it with just one guy?


O'Brien: It's hard to replace a guy like Devon Still. He's a potential first round draft pick. But we feel really good about our defensive line that exists right now with Jordan Hill, DaQuan Jones, Pete Massaro, Sean Stanley, James Terry, C.J. Olaniyin. I could go on and on. We're deep up front.

How much will we be seeing you use the tight ends in your offense, even in spring practice?


O'Brien: Yeah, we'll definitely be using the tight ends quite a bit.

Lastly, how do you think the team has responded this offseason during winter workouts and other activities?


O'Brien: I've been very impressed with this football team, just with their work ethic. I'm proud to be their coach. Now we've got to put it out on the field and see how it translates to playing football. But to this point, I've been very impressed with them.

As we count down the days before spring practice, we're taking a look at how each Big Ten team will replace key players on their depth charts. We're picking two departed players who left big shoes to fill and identifying who might be ready to do that filling.

Up next, Penn State.

BIG SHOES TO FILL: Devon Still, DT

Why: It's never easy to replace the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. Still was the epicenter for Penn State's defense, a disruptive force who regularly required double teams. He recorded 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, but his value went far beyond the numbers. As Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald noted before his team faced Penn State, Still causes "complete and total chaos in the backfield." Although Penn State has shown it can reload up front, it will miss No. 71.

Replacement candidates: Jordan Hill (6-1, 297, Sr.); DaQuan Jones (6-3, 312, Jr.); James Terry (6-3, 317, Sr.); Evan Hailes (6-1, 303, So.)

The skinny: Hill will start at one defensive tackle spot, but I include him here because he'll need to increase his production to help account for Still's departure. Jones and Terry served as the backup defensive tackles in 2011 and combined for 18 tackles and a quarterback hurry. Jones has played both inside and outside but is clearly suited to the defensive tackle spot. Hailes came in as a decorated recruit but battled a blood clot issue last spring and appeared in only two games last fall. Penn State's best bet is to have an All-Big Ten type season from Hill and generate depth at the other tackle spot.

BIG SHOES TO FILL: Derek Moye, WR

Why: While Moye didn't have the year some had hoped, Penn State's problems at quarterback had a lot to do with it. He's a big body (6-5) who could stretch the field and outjump defensive backs for the ball. Moye led the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (654) and receiving touchdowns (3) in 2011, and was the team's top receiver in 2010 and 2009 as well. He's a three-year starter at a position that doesn't have much proven depth entering the 2012 campaign.

Replacement candidates: Justin Brown (6-3, 213, Sr.); Devon Smith (5-7, 155, Sr.); Shawney Kersey (6-1, 198, Jr.); Brandon Moseby-Felder (6-2, 191, Jr.)

The skinny: Penn State really needs Brown to move into the No. 1 receiver role Moye occupied for the past three seasons. Brown showed some flashes in 2011, recording 35 receptions for 517 yards, but he also had some key drops. Smith contributed 25 receptions, but Penn State had no other receiver record more than five catches. It'll be a huge spring for players like Kersey, Moseby-Felder, Bill Belton and Curtis Drake to take their games to the next level and give Penn State some additional options at receiver.

Some day soon, I promise, there is going to be good news about Penn State in this space.

But for now, we've got some more tough news for the Nittany Lions as it pertains to their TicketCity Bowl game against Houston. Four players, including receivers Curtis Drake and Shawney Kersey and backup quarterback Paul Jones, didn't make the trip and won't be available to play on Jan. 2.

Drake is primarily known for two things this season: running the Wildcat quarterback in a big win at Ohio State, and for getting in a fight with Matt McGloin after a Dec. 17 bowl practice. Interim head coach Tom Bradley would only cite "personal reasons" for Drake missing the bowl trip. Getting into a scuffle with your team's starting quarterback could be considered a personal reason, I suppose.

The reverberations from that fight continue. McGloin suffered a concussion when he fell during the scuffle, and he did not take part in practice Tuesday. Bradley said McGloin will be evaluated each day by the medical staff. McGloin has a week to get back, but concussions must be treated with caution and he missed a lot of reps. Rob Bolden would start if McGloin can't go, and Bolden would have to play a lot better than he showed this season for Penn State's offense to do much. And he'll be missing two potential offensive contributors in Drake and Kersey.

The Nittany Lions had hoped to get Jones back from his academic problems to provide some quarterback depth and had even talked about getting him some snaps in the game. But Jones still isn't academically eligible, making one wonder if he'll ever get his grades in order. So if McGloin can't go, Bolden will finally have the quarterback position to himself, for better or worse.

The news will eventually get better for Penn State at some point. We swear.

Depth chart indecision day marches on with the Penn State Nittany Lions, who -- surprise, surprise -- didn't name a starting quarterback on their depth chart for Saturday's season opener against Indiana State.

Sophomore Rob Bolden and junior Matt McGloin are listed as co-starters for the opener. It's not a major shock, but I'm not sure what else the Penn State coaches need to evaluate at this point. Bolden and McGloin competed throughout spring ball and into fall camp. Both have started games. Is there still no clear separation? Hard to believe. Don't be surprised to see Penn State play both men against Indiana State before the Week 2 showdown with Alabama.

Other depth chart nuggets:

• Sophomore John Urschel and senior Johnnie Troutman are listed as co-starters at right guard. Veteran DeOn'tae Pannell has emerged at left guard -- at least for now -- ahead of Mark Arcidiacono. There are no surprises on the rest of the first-team line.
• Silas Redd is listed as Penn State's starting running back ahead of Brandon Beachum. Curtis Dukes is the third-stringer, while Stephfon Green, who rejoined the team last week, doesn't appear on the depth chart.
• Sophomore Shawney Kersey and junior Justin Brown are listed as starting wide receiver alongside All-Big Ten candidate Derek Moye. Devon Smith is the backup to Brown.
• Sophomore Glenn Carson translated a strong preseason camp into the starting middle linebacker spot ahead of classmate Khairi Fortt. Michael Mauti has shifted to outside linebacker, where both he and Gerald Hodges will start. Former starter Nate Stupar is listed as Mauti's backup. In case it isn't obvious, Penn State is loaded at linebacker.
• Senior Eric Latimore, who missed most of the 2010 season with a wrist injury, is listed as a starting defensive end opposite Jack Crawford. Promising redshirt freshman Kyle Baublitz will back up Latimore.
• Senior Chaz Powell has edged junior Stephon Morris for the starting right cornerback spot.
• Anthony Fera is listed as a backup at punter, kicker and holder, most likely the result of his citation for purchase/possession of alcohol by a minor last month. Junior Evan Lewis is Penn State's top kicker for the opener, while Alex Butterworth will handle the punting duties.
• Only two redshirt freshmen appear as backups on Penn State's depth chart: Baublitz and outside linebacker Mike Hull.

Guess what? You're going to be eating some humble pie stuffed with a bit of crow and a big side of sorry. In your face, girl with a negative tattoo.

• The Big Ten Network's Dave Revsine goes inside the numbers for Week 4 in the league.
• Still no official word on the future of Penn State freshman receiver Shawney Kersey, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. News. The Nittany Lions' 2011 recruiting continues to lag, Mike White writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A decade after the injury, a look back at Adam Taliaferro from The Altoona Mirror's Cory Giger and Neil Rudel.
• Wisconsin's Big Ten title hopes are in jeopardy after the loss of its best player, Andy Baggot writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Receivers Nick Toon and David Gilreath are out again this week but should be back for the Big Ten opener, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Michigan State's staff visited with Mark Dantonio on Wednesday, except they couldn't talk football, Shannon Shelton writes in the Detroit Free Press. Despite the euphoria after Michigan State's fake field goal, it's definitely not the biggest play in program history, Joe Rexrode and Barry Kiel write in the Lansing State Journal. Spartans tight end Dion Sims is officially charged in the alleged computer theft ring.
• Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi continues to be his own worst critic, Andy Hamilton writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell works to become the smartest guy on the field, Andy Graham writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez will play his reserves no matter what against Bowling Green, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Ohio State's Devon Torrence is growing as a cornerback this season, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Former Buckeyes star linebacker Marcus Freeman is learning the business side of athletics, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
• Receiver Troy Stoudermire remains part of the Minnesota football program, at least for now, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune. Here's a look at what Minnesota will miss if Stoudermire moves on, Marcus Fuller writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• Mediocrity has been the norm at Illinois over the years, Mark Tupper writes in the (Decatur) Herald & Review.
• The Stanley Cup will be in Evanston on Saturday for the Northwestern-Central Michigan game.

Getting picky today.

• Check out Big Ten picks from yours truly, College Football News and a few more from colleague Bruce Feldman .
• Penn State is gaining a playmaker at receiver in Justin Brown, but likely losing another in Shawney Kersey, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News. A good piece on Temple's program from The Patriot-News' David Jones.
• It's always cool to see a punter (Michigan State's Aaron Bates) become big man on campus, Matt Charboneau writes in The Detroit News.
• Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt really might be the perfect person, as Tom Mulhern details in the Wisconsin State Journal. A closer look at Badgers running back John Clay and the numbers after three games from Dave Heller in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Indiana could be without standout linebacker Tyler Replogle for Saturday's game, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• An improved passing attack has finally created balance in Ohio State's offense, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Some Buckeyes personnel notes from The Columbus Dispatch's Ken Gordon.
• Northwestern has sold out its allotment for the Wrigley Field game against Illinois, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• MarQueis Gray is becoming an impact receiver for Minnesota, but his best days could still be ahead at the quarterback spot, Marcus Fuller writes in the Star Tribune.
• Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez tells colleague Colin Cowherd that quarterback Tate Forcier remains a "team guy" despite not playing, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press. Quarterbacks Denard Robinson, Ryan Mallett and Steven Threet all have ties to the Maize and Blue, the Associated Press' Ralph Russo writes.
• Iowa has a quality player and person in freshman running back Marcus Coker, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• Purdue's early season ball security has significantly improved from 2009, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• Illinois' Nate Bussey has settled in nicely at linebacker, ESPNChicago.com's Scott Powers writes.

2009 overall record: 11-2

2009 conference record: 6-2 (T-2nd)

Returning starters

Offense: 7, defense: 5, kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

RB Evan Royster, WR Derek Moye, WR Graham Zug, G Stefen Wisniewski, DE Jack Crawford, DT Ollie Ogbu, S Nick Sukay

Key losses

QB Daryll Clark, TE Andrew Quarless, LT Dennis Landolt, DT Jared Odrick, LB Navorro Bowman, LB Sean Lee, LB Josh Hull, P Jeremy Boone

2009 statistical leaders (*-returners)

Rushing: Evan Royster* (1,169 yards)

Passing: Daryll Clark (3,003 yards)

Receiving: Derek Moye* (785 yards)

Tackles: Josh Hull (116)

Sacks: Jared Odrick (7)

Interceptions: A.J. Wallace (3)

Spring answers

1. Linebacker depth should be OK: It's never easy to replace three starters at one spot, but Penn State is called Linebacker U. for a reason. Nate Stupar, Mike Yancich and Gerald Hodges all did some nice things in the Blue-White Game, and fan favorite Michael Mauti returns from an ACL injury this summer. Penn State can't expect the same production it received in 2009, but linebacker shouldn't be the team's chief concern this fall.

2. Defensive line looks fine: The D-line has been Penn State's most consistent unit in recent years, as coach Larry Johnson mass-produces elite players. First-round draft pick Jared Odrick leaves a major void inside, but Ollie Ogbu and Devon Still both boast some good experience there. The coaches had to like what they saw from defensive ends Eric Latimore and Kevion Latham in the spring game, and don't forget about Jack Crawford, who could have a monster 2010 season.

3. Jones is a factor at quarterback: Joe Paterno might want you to believe that freshmen don't exist, but you can bet he noticed Paul Jones in the Blue-White Game. Jones, an early enrollee, was the Nittany Lions' top quarterback in the game, tossing two touchdown passes to Shawney Kersey. If Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin don't separate themselves early in fall camp, Jones deserves a longer look.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback questions: Newsome and McGloin didn't do much to ease the anxiety of Penn State fans in the spring game. McGloin had two interceptions and nearly had a third, and Newsome completed only 5 of 12 pass attempts. There's a long way to go before the season, but Penn State needs to see more progress from these two or the prospect of starting a true freshman quarterback will become a likelihood.

2. Finding an O-line combo: Penn State did some shuffling along the offensive line this spring, and it showed in the Blue-White Game. The line struggled to protect the quarterbacks or open holes for the running backs. All-Big Ten selection Stefen Wisniewski should be fine at right guard after switching back from center, but the coaches need to settle on the other four spots so the group can build some chemistry before September.

3. Punting situation: You know there's a potential problem when a wide receiver (Graham Zug) is working as the second-team punter. Penn State's punting situation could be resolved when Anthony Fera gets out of the doghouse and back on the practice field, but the Nittany Lions can't afford a major dropoff following the departure of standout Jeremy Boone. A good punter can be a young quarterback's best friend, and Penn State needs one in 2010.

Six Big Ten spring games took place Saturday, and our review begins with the Blue-White Game at Penn State.

As expected, the quarterback competition took center stage at Beaver Stadium, and the early returns weren't too promising. Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin both struggled, while true freshman Paul Jones, seemingly an afterthought in the race before Saturday, had the best performance. Jones twice found classmate Shawney Kersey for 18-yard touchdown passes and finished 5-of-8 passing for 67 yards.

McGloin got the most work as a passer but completed just 10 of 23 attempts for 110 yards with two interceptions and nearly threw a third, which cornerback Chaz Powell dropped with a clear path in front of him. Newsome, who entered the spring as a slight favorite for the starting job, completed 5 of 12 passes with no interceptions and added 12 yards on the ground.

Although the quarterbacks didn't get much help from the offensive line (concerning) or the wide receivers (less concerning), Penn State's offense remains a major question mark entering the summer. To be fair, star running back Evan Royster didn't play Saturday.

"I would rate my performance as we've got a lot of work to do," Newsome said afterward. "We've got a lot of work to do. We've got a lot of work to do. We're just going to keep working."

"A lot of eyes were on us today," McGloin said. "We didn't perform maybe up to par, maybe up to what people expected to see."

Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said after the game that it's wrong to eliminate Jones from the race, and then added, "I checked my e-mail afterwards, and people are telling me Paul should be the starter. So it doesn't take long for people to make the decisions."

Paterno and the other coaches have more time to make the ultimate decision, and they'll look for improvement from all three signal callers by the time preseason camp rolls around.

Other nuggets from the Blue-White Game:

• The offensive line's struggles can be attributed in part to the shuffling that went on this spring. It takes time to build chemistry, and Penn State has moved around several linemen, including first-team All-Big Ten selection Stefen Wisniewski. "Obviously, there's that chemistry we need to have,'' right tackle Lou Eliades said. "I think we're only going to get better in time. Chemistry will develop. I think, by September, we'll be ready to go.''

• Nate Stupar sometimes gets overlooked when folks size up Penn State's linebacking corps for 2010, but he had a very nice performance Saturday. Stupar recorded seven tackles (six solo) and an interception.

• Defensive ends Eric Latimore and Kevion Latham both found their way into the offensive backfield, and Latimore recorded two sacks in the game. Penn State's defensive line once again should be the team's strength, as end Jack Crawford and tackle Devon Still should have big seasons.

• While backup running back Stephfon Green (4 carries, 10 rush yards) didn't do much, I liked what I saw from freshman Silas Redd, who recorded a 16-yard run and a 10-yard reception. Redd brings a nice combination of size and shiftiness.

• Penn State brings back several proven veteran receivers, but Kersey and sophomore Justin Brown, who recorded a game-high four receptions for 35 yards, could work their way into the mix. Freshman Brandon Moseby-Felder led the White team with three receptions for 31 yards.

• Wide receiver Brett Brackett, linebacker Bani Gbadyu and offensive tackle Quinn Barham received awards from the coaching staff for their performances this spring.

Saturday was scrimmage day around the Big Ten, as teams from State College to Minneapolis engaged in several forms of game-like simulations. Though no Big Ten team has officially held a spring game -- five are on tap Saturday -- these scrimmages are often just as important, if not more so.

Nine of the 11 Big Ten teams provided media access and/or statistics from Saturday's scrimmages. Michigan's official Web site has some video and tidbits from Saturday's 115-play closed scrimmage, and Mgoblog has a few reports as well. Iowa's official site also has some video and interviews from Saturday's scrimmage.

Here are some tidbits from the other nine scrimmages, from reports around the league:

ILLINOIS

Illinois let its quarterbacks get hit Saturday, but the offense delivered most of the damage. Nathan Scheelhaase continued to make a strong case for the starting job with a 40-yard run, a 30-yard touchdown pass to Zach Becker and a 22-yard pass to A.J. Jenkins. Jacob Charest also remains very much alive in the QB race and connected on several long passes, including a 50-yarder to Jenkins. The running game also looked good as Mikel Leshoure had a 65-yard run. Cornerback Tavon Wilson provided a defensive highlight by picking off a Scheelhaase pass. It's encouraging to see this type of progress from Illinois' offense, which lost several key pieces from 2009 and returns virtually no experience at quarterback.

INDIANA

Defense is the primary focus for IU this spring, and the unit stepped up in Saturday's scrimmage, holding the offense to only one touchdown. Defensive tackle Adam Replogle recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss, and linebacker Jeff Thomas, a junior college transfer, forced a fumble. Safety Kyle Dietrick recorded the lone interception of the scrimmage. The Hoosiers continue to see good things from freshman running back Antonio Banks, who had 42 rushing yards and a touchdown Saturday. The backup quarterback competition continued as Dusty Kiel recorded a touchdown pass and a 35-yard completion, while Edward Wright-Baker completed 8 of 10 pass attempts. Nick Zachery, who moved from safety to wide receiver just last week, had four catches for 46 yards.

MICHIGAN STATE

The Spartans' defense rallied to win the jersey scrimmage as a secondary that struggled mightily last fall saw two players, Marcus Hyde and Mitchell White, return interceptions for touchdowns. Hyde picked off starter Kirk Cousins, while White intercepted an Andrew Maxwell pass and raced 40 yards for a touchdown. Cornerback Chris L. Rucker also had a big day with an interception, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss. Michigan State's defense got a big lift from end Denzel Drone, who stuffed Edwin Baker on fourth-and-1 from the 1-yard line to seal the win. Cousins completed 19 of 30 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns, including a 30-yarder to Keith Nichol, and two interceptions. Maxwell, who played some with the first-team offense, threw for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Wide receivers Keshawn Martin (12 catches, 109 yards), Bennie Fowler (nine catches, 84 yards, 48-yard rush) and Nichol (four catches, 70 yards) stood out.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Some questions and answers for you on this Good Friday/Passover.

C.J. from Philly writes: Adam, help em out here. Being a fan/alum of a Big 10 Football School is akin to being in love with a great girl who comes with the baggage of having a family you cannot stand. This conference does everything in its power to keep traditions from 70 years ago in tact at the expense of progress and what its fans want: 1. Still probably the biggest roadblock to a playoff is due to the Big 10 and its insistence of holding onto the Rose Bowl. 2. Wants all of the games to end before Thanksgiving although most other D1 teams play until December. May also be the reason that Big 10 teams struggle in the BCS since they have alonger break than most teams. 3. Now, they want to stop having night games in November even though the atmosphere at these games is electrifying. Probably due to old rich alumni who do not want to be in the cold more than anything. The Progress Train for College Football wants to leave the station yet the Big 10 keeps wanting to delay it. No wonder we get such a bad rap.

Adam Rittenberg: Ha, love the analogy, C.J., and you make some excellent points. The Big Ten tends to chain itself to tradition too often, especially when it comes to scheduling flexibility. Things do get a little better starting in 2010 with the permanent bye week, but we won't see a championship game until a 12th team is added, which is highly unlikely at this point. Though the Big Ten's marketing model shouldn't be questioned by any league, it needs to be willing to give a little, especially as its national reputation continues to struggle.

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John from Washington D.C. writes: Adam, I am so sick and tired of the Big11Ten administrators who whine about national prominence while tying their own hands behind their backs. First there's the no-conference-games-after-Thanksgiving rule, which is dumber than dumb. Now there is the no-night-games-in-November rule. Really? You're saying the best conference games of the year in the best and biggest stadiums in the country won't be allowed primetime exposure? That's a great way to overcome negative press and stereotypes! The worst part is that it's us, the fans, who suffer the most. We're the ones on the frontline arguing with our friends, defending our schools and our conference against the negative national perceptions, and frankly, against our teams' poor showings recently. We all know the Big11Ten is an upper-echelon conference with elite talent playing for some of the most storied and successful programs in history, but until the administrators realize that college football of the 21st century is not college football of the 1960s we're all going to pay the price of their arrogance and failures. I don't really have a question, I guess, except how can we, as fans, get our frustrations across to the Jim Delaneys that continually make decisions that only hurt the quality and integrity of the conference?

Adam Rittenberg: Again, you make some good points here, John, and the way to air your frustrations is to write this blog (shameless self promotion). The one thing I'd point out is that the Big Ten's November prime time policy isn't exactly new, and most of the league's top games that month have kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET or even noon on some occasions. But I agree that the no-night-games policy does take away some of the drama, especially as the Big Ten adopts a permanent bye week and more teams (Penn State, Michigan State) enter the spotlight on a regular basis. If the Big Ten continues to struggle nationally and sees leagues like the Big 12 and SEC continue to get top billing with their prime-time Saturday games, the policy could be revisited. What could hurt the Big Ten -- and we saw it last year -- is when Michigan-Ohio State isn't the premier game on the last Saturday of the conference season. Does Michigan-Ohio State always move to noon if Michigan State-Penn State takes top billing? What about if Iowa-Minnesota affects the league title race? There could be some tough decisions.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Adel from Iowa writes: I enjoy your unbiased opinions in all of your blogs. 1 question. Does Iowa have a chance to win the big ten and return to the glory years(02-04) which all of us fans who bleed black and gold are hoping for?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Adel. Iowa certainly will be in the mix for the league title this fall, but the road schedule isn't easy with trips to Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State. Shonn Greene obviously is a big loss at running back, but I like Jewel Hampton and love what the Hawkeyes bring back on defense. This should be Kirk Ferentz's deepest team since the 2004 squad, and if quarterback Ricky Stanzi continues to develop, the Hawks will win a lot of games.

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Erik from Pasadena, Calif., writes: With Greg Robinson the new Defensive Coordinator at Michigan, how will this effect recruiting? Will the new coach attract some top tier defensive talent to Ann Arbor?

Adam Rittenberg: He won't have much of an effect on the 2009 class, which is practically finished, but Robinson already has started recruiting for the Wolverines and should have an impact on future classes. His poor recruiting at Syracuse certainly is a concern, but there are enough solid recruiters on Rich Rodriguez's staff. Robinson's system and success this coming fall ultimately will have the biggest impact on how he fares on the recruiting trail.

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Shawn G. from Parts Unknown writes: Adam, now that Penn State has lost its top 3 receivers, who do you think will start for Penn State in that position? They have a multitude of receivers who are there already and some good recruits coming in. Thanks!

Adam Rittenberg: I'd expect both Brett Brackett and Graham Zug to challenge for starting spots in 2009, but both seem like possession-type receivers. Penn State needs to identify a speedy receiver or two who can stretch the field like Deon Butler and Derrick Williams. The recent addition of former Rutgers commit Shawney Kersey could boost the Lions' receiving corps, but wideout certainly will be a question mark heading into spring ball. I also would like to see Penn State use Stephfon Green more out of the backfield. Green averaged 17.9 yards on 15 receptions in 2008 and could take on a greater pass-catching role this fall.

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