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Northwestern has announced its complete schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, which includes one change to the 2015 nonconference slate.

The Wildcats will play home-and-home series with Stanford and Duke in both seasons. A scheduled 2015 game against Army has been replaced with a home date against Eastern Illinois. Northwestern will also play Ball State in 2015 and Western Michigan and Illinois State as part of the 2016 nonconference schedule.

While Army likely would have been a more interesting game than Eastern Illinois, the Wildcats appear to have a sound strategy in their nonconference scheduling. They're playing one really good BCS opponent (even though there might not be such a thing as BCS in 2015) in Stanford, another major-conference foe but a winnable game in Duke and then two games against lower-level competition.

This year's schedule, which opens with Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Boston College in successive weeks, is probably a bit too ambitious. Sure, none of those teams is an elite-caliber opponent, but all are major-conference teams that will provide difficult games. Since Northwestern has been hovering around the 6-6 or 7-5 mark the past two years, it makes little sense to build so many obstacles in the pre-conference portion of the schedule. And by 2015, seven wins may be the requirement to reach a bowl game.

Here are the complete 2015 and 2016 schedules for the Wildcats:

2015

Sept. 5 vs. Stanford
Sept. 12 vs. Eastern Illinois
Sept. 19 at Duke
Sept. 26 vs. Ball State
Oct. 3 at Iowa
Oct. 10 vs. Minnesota
Oct. 17 at Nebraska
Oct. 24 Open Date
Oct. 31 vs. Purdue
Nov. 7 at Indiana
Nov. 14 vs. Michigan
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan State
Nov. 28 at Illinois

2016
Sept. 3 vs. Western Michigan
Sept. 10 vs. Illinois State
Sept. 17 vs. Duke
Sept. 24 at Stanford
Oct. 1 vs. Nebraska
Oct. 8 at Purdue
Oct. 15 at Michigan
Oct. 22 vs. Iowa
Oct. 29 at Minnesota
Nov. 5 Open Date
Nov. 12 vs. Indiana
Nov. 19 at Michigan State
Nov. 26 vs. Illinois

The Big Ten released its conference football schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons on Monday. Here’s a look at the Northwestern Wildcats' and Illinois Fighting Illini's schedules for both seasons.

Northwestern

2015
Oct. 3: at Iowa
Oct. 10: Minnesota
Oct. 17: at Nebraska
Oct. 31: Purdue
Nov. 7: at Indiana
Nov. 14: Michigan
Nov. 21: Michigan State
Nov. 28: at Illinois

2016
Oct. 1: Nebraska
Oct. 8: at Purdue
Oct. 15: at Michigan
Oct. 22: Iowa
Oct. 29: at Minnesota
Nov. 12: Indiana
Nov. 19:at Michigan State
Nov. 26: Illinois

Illinois

2015
Oct. 3: at Penn State
Oct. 10: at Indiana
Oct. 17: Wisconsin
Oct. 24: Michigan
Oct. 31: at Iowa
Nov. 14: Ohio State
Nov. 21: at Purdue
Nov. 28: Northwestern

2016
Oct. 1: Penn State
Oct. 8: Indiana
Oct. 15: at Wisconsin
Oct. 22: at Ohio State
Oct. 29: Iowa
Nov. 5: at Michigan
Nov. 19: Purdue
Nov. 26: at Northwestern

So goes the start of another round of conference realignment chatter, the Big 12 and SEC starting their own bowl game and creating a bigger divide between the haves and have-nots in college football.

And, as this exercise goes, here come the questions about the status of Notre Dame's football independence.

Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick quickly shut those down to The New York Times' Pete Thamel, saying: "We don't think it has significant near-term consequences for Notre Dame."

And, at the moment, I think he's right.

Yes, there looks to be a dividing line in college football more and more now. And, yes, it's not exactly clear which side Notre Dame falls on. But assuming the game's four-team playoff future keeps the door ajar for schools that haven't won their conferences, it's not like Notre Dame's path to playing for a national title becomes much harder with the creation of the Champions Bowl. And, as SI.com's Stewart Mandel notes, there will only be fewer obstacles for Notre Dame -- still a huge brand name -- to sign its own deal with another marquee bowl.

The only thing I can say with any real comfort is that should the day come when Notre Dame does need to relinquish its football independence, the ACC probably won't be first on speed dial anymore. (Colleague Mark Schlabach suggests that ACC commish John Swofford should now call Swarbrick immediately.)

The Big East doesn't look better today than it did last week, and the Irish-to-Big 12 possibility will gain some steam. But it's hard to envision Friday's news forcing the school's brass to say that jumping aboard a conference based 1,000 miles away is in the best interest of its 21-sport athletic department. And as Swarbrick told Thamel, this wasn't exactly out of nowhere.

The landscape of college sports has and will continue to change. How Notre Dame fits in is part of the narrative, but the end is probably still several chapters away.

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Five Big Ten head coaches have official Twitter accounts, but none other uses it as consistently as new Illinois boss Tim Beckman.

If there aren't a few tweets sent out from Beckman's account (@coachbeckman) every morning between 6-8 a.m. -- with several exclamation points included -- someone should probably call for a wellness check. Twitter is just one of several tech tools Beckman and his staff use to connect with fans and recruits.

Beckman attributes part of Illinois' early recruiting success for 2013 -- the Illini have nine verbal commits, the third most in the Big Ten behind national leader Michigan (18) and Ohio State (11) -- to the benefits of technology.

"It's been unbelievable, the change because of technology," Beckman told ESPN.com on Thursday before an appearance on the Illinois Coaches Caravan in the Chicago suburbs. "With the iPad and Vudu or Tango or Skype, what used to be a phone call is now a visual. What we can do when we're talking to them, with the backgrounds [at Illinois' facilities] and different things. Players want to see themselves."

Beckman credits his assistants for the fast start to 2013 recruiting, which included a verbal from heralded quarterback prospect Aaron Bailey. The Illini have had just one verbal commit by this date in each of the past two years.

Both the 2011 and 2012 classes received so-so marks.

"In today's age, the way recruiting's going and how fast it's going, there's no question [a fast start is important]," Beckman said. "Getting players on your campus, meeting your staff, meeting your staff's families, meeting everybody that's going to be involved in your student-athlete's life is very important."

Beckman is known as a strong recruiter, and he succeeds another at Illinois in former coach Ron Zook. But like all FBS head coaches, Beckman can't recruit off campus during the spring evaluation period (April 15-May 31).

That's where technology comes in.

"I love recruiting," he said. "As a head football coach, when you can't go out in April and May, [technology] is the only way you're able to touch base with those players. So I think it's great."

Illinois coach Tim Beckman talks to Adam Rittenberg about his tour through the state, his first spring in Champaign and the team's early recruiting success.

Who made names for themselves this spring? Glad you asked.

RB/WR Theo Riddick: Riddick seemed more comfortable this spring, as the learning curve from playing two different positions is all but gone and he is ready to make plays. The senior stood out during several intrasquad scrimmages. If Riddick can be an effective punt returner this fall, he can be the complete package for the Irish.

WR John Goodman: It's not often you see a fifth-year senior on lists like these, but Goodman, as coach Brian Kelly said, was the Irish's go-to guy this spring, and he served as an offensive captain in the Blue-Gold game as a result of being the unit's most improved player. No longer in the shadow of Michael Floyd and with one last chance to succeed after being invited back for another year, Goodman is primed for a breakout season this fall.

NG Kona Schwenke: Like Goodman, Schwenke was a captain in the Blue-Gold game, winning most improved defensive player honors while temporarily supplanting Louis Nix from the starting spot in the middle. He added some weight and improved his handwork, and he figures to see plenty of snaps next season, regardless of whether or not he starts.

LB Ishaq Williams: Kelly revealed that Williams went home to Brooklyn, N.Y., for a few days in the winter to think about his future. He has apparently come back with a new focus, as the rising sophomore had a strong spring, filling in for the injured Prince Shembo at the cat position and coming up with a pick and a fumble recovery in the spring game.

LB Jarrett Grace: Playing time may be hard to come by -- he is, after all, backing up a likely first-round draft pick in Manti Te'o -- but Grace has made the most of his opportunities. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco loved him this spring, and, after redshirting his freshman season, Grace figures to spell Te'o every now and then this fall while also seeing duties on special teams.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from an incident in which police used pepper spray to subdue him after an off-campus party.

Rees, who turns 20 next week, is charged with one count of battery, two counts of resisting law enforcement and one count of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. South Bend police say Rees kneed a police officer in the chest after he ran from the party early May 3 after officers arrived.

The court appearance was brief, lasting less than a minute. Rees arrived shortly after 8:20 a.m. local time, sat in the front row for several minutes before his attorney, George Horn, summoned him to appear before Magistrate Brian Steinke without his name being called. Rees didn't speak during his appearance. He met briefly with Horn afterward in a room next to the court, and they left together without speaking to reporters.

Rees, who remains free on $250 bond, is due back in court July 17.

Read the entire story.

Minooka junior offensive lineman Blake King committed to Northwestern on Tuesday.

King, who is 6-5 and 270 pounds, received an offer from Northwestern earlier in the week. He also had offers from Toledo and Western Michigan.

“Blake King is a great character kid that is truly driven to get better in everything he does in the classroom, weight room and on the football field,” said Bert Kooi, who retired as Minooka’s coach after last season. “The sky is the limit with this kid. I guarantee you we will hear a lot more about Blake King.”

Northwestern now has two Class of 2013 commitments. King joins Maine South quarterback Matt Alviti in the recruiting class.

Junior defensive end Jarrod Clements and junior defensive tackle Merrick Jackson have committed to Illinois, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Clements, who is 6-2 and 270 pounds, attends Trotwood-Madison High School in Trotwood, Ohio. He also had offers from Louisville and North Carolina State.

Jackson, who is 6-2 and 320 pounds, attends Althoff Catholic in Belleville, Ill. Jackson also has offers from Indiana and Missouri.

Illinois now has seven commitments, including four in state, in its Class of 2013.

Illinois set a school record by having four players selected in the first two rounds of this year’s NFL draft.

Illinois senior offensive lineman Jeff Allen and senior safety Tavon Wilson became the third and fourth Illini players taken in the draft on Friday. Allen was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round as the No. 44 overall pick. Wilson was taken by the New England Patriots in the second round as the No. 48 pick.

In the first round on Thursday, defensive end Whitney Mercilus went to the Houston Texas as the No. 26 pick and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 30th pick.

Illinois hadn’t previously had more than two players selected in the first two rounds.

“It means a lot,” Allen said of the four draft picks. “We’ve always had talent. We’ve had great players taken in the draft. To have four players in the first two rounds is unbelievable. It’s something you can’t describe. I’m just so happy for all my teammates right now.”

Allen, who attended King High School in Chicago, will join former Illinois teammate Jon Asamoah on the Chiefs’ offensive line. Asamoah was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round in 2010 and started 16 games for them last season.

Wilson had 81 tackles, including 51 solo, and one interception last season for Illinois.

The Illini had four players taken in the draft last year. Three of those picks came in the first three rounds.

Chicago’s King High School has always been touted for its basketball history.

From Marcus Liberty to Rashard Griffith to Leon Smith to Thomas Hamilton to Jamie Brandon to Imari Sawyer, the list of basketball stars to come through the Chicago South Side school has been plentiful.

King’s football program is a different story. It isn’t nearly as known, but Jeff Allen plans to change that.
Allen, who graduated from King in 2008 and started four years on the offensive line at Illinois, is expected to be selected somewhere in the opening rounds of the NFL draft next week.

“We have had some decent players from our high school program go onto college,” Allen said of King. “We just haven’t had any great players. That would be an honor for me. We’ve had some great players throughout time, but they obviously played basketball. To be included in the same sentence with them would be an honor.”

Always one of the bigger kids growing up, Allen gravitated toward football at an early age. His dreams of the NFL started not too long after he began playing when he was 9 years old.

(Read full post)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Pat Fitzgerald doesn't deny the hard evidence, but he also feels there's more to Northwestern's case.

Yes, the Wildcats have seen their wins total drop in each of the past three seasons, from nine in 2008 to eight in 2009 to seven in 2010 to six last fall. After back-to-back 5-3 marks in Big Ten play in 2008 and 2009, Northwestern has seen its league record flip in each of the past two seasons.

It doesn't take a mathematics major at Northwestern to see where things are going and ask the question: Has the program lost momentum?

"You can nitpick everything you want, but there has never been more positive momentum in the history of our program," Fitzgerald told ESPN.com. "If you're going to choose one thing to make it be whether or not you have momentum, that's unrealistic. But we've got to win football games and we've got to finish games better than we did a year ago.

"The program's definitely getting better. You can analyze that one area of wins and losses, which obviously I understand is critically important, but the difference between one or two games is not very much. We could have easily had six wins when we won nine. There's such a fine line."

It's Fitzgerald's job to look at the entire picture, and he notes some of Northwestern's recent accomplishments: four consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in program history; the winningest departing senior class in the program's history; a team GPA of 3.14; a 2012 recruiting class rated by many as the best in Fitzgerald's tenure. The school is also working on a facilities plan that could be a game-changer for the football program, which lags behind most of its Big Ten brethren.

Still, college football is a bottom-line business, and if Northwestern can't reverse the won-loss trend, its bowl appearances streak will end this season.

"Have we achieved our goals? Absolutely not," Fitzgerald said. "Are we hungry to do that? Absolutely. Are we working diligently to tweak the areas we need to improve? Absolutely."

Northwestern will try to make upgrades with a younger roster -- only 11 total starters return on offense and defense -- but quite possibly a more talented one. The team must fill several gaps, none more significant than Dan Persa's at quarterback, and hopes to do so by having what it believes to be stronger recruiting classes begin to pay dividends.

It's no secret the defense needs help after backsliding sharply in the past year and a half. Since a 6-2 start in 2010, Northwestern has surrendered 30 points or more 11 times. Last fall, the defense couldn't get off of the field (114th nationally in third-down defense at 50 percent conversions), fell victim to explosion plays and generated barely any pressure (106th in sacks, 104th in tackles for loss).

"You've got to make 'em earn everything," defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said. "If they make great throws and great catches, you can live with those things. But we had some situations last year where we busted a coverage because of communication or we didn't have anybody back there. They didn't have to make the perfect throw or the perfect catch.

"We can execute better, no question."

The challenge is to improve communication and execution with a group heavy on youth. Although Northwestern returns all three starting linebackers, it will use young players in all three sections of the defense, including redshirt freshman cornerback Nick VanHoose, sophomore linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo and redshirt freshman defensive end Deonte Gibson.

Consider that Ibraheim Campbell, a redshirt sophomore safety who led the team with 100 tackles in 2011, is viewed as the clear leader of the secondary.

Communication has been a focal point this spring, as players are taking extra measures to ensure they're on the same page.

"When I yell out a call to the D-line, the only way I know they got it is if they tap their hip," linebacker David Nwabuisi said. "We started forgetting about little stuff like that [in 2011]. Now when I make a call, if the D-lineman doesn't tap his hip, I keep on yelling at him until he does. Same thing with DBs to linebackers."

Communication shouldn't be an issue for Kain Colter, who started three games at quarterback in place of the injured Persa last season and evolved into arguably the Big Ten's most versatile offensive weapon (654 rush yards, 673 pass yards, 466 receiving yards, 18 total touchdowns). Colter is the best athlete to call signals at Northwestern since the team implemented the spread offense in 2000, but to maintain the program's recent run of top-shelf quarterbacks, he needs to become a more polished passer.

The junior emphasized velocity and arm strength during the winter -- he tore the labrum and the biceps in his throwing arm as a high school senior -- and expects to execute the high-percentage passes that drive the Wildcats' offense this fall. He'll have plenty of weapons as Northwestern boasts most likely its deepest receiving corps ever, even if USC transfer Kyle Prater can't play right away.

"My timing's getting a lot better, my arm strength's a lot better," Colter said. "I feel like I can make all the throws on the field. That hasn't been a problem this spring."

Northwestern loses four-year starters on both sides of the ball, an NCAA record holder in Persa, two-time All-Big Ten honoree Jeremy Ebert and Drake Dunsmore, the inaugural winner of the Kwalick-Clark Award as the Big Ten's top tight end. Fitzgerald likened the personnel turnover to a shift change at a factory and acknowledges the team dynamic is different.

Given the declining wins total, though, some new blood might not be a bad thing, and the coaches feel the team's overall talent level is on the uptick.

"There's better talent than people think," offensive coordinator Mick McCall said. "The cupboard's not bare. We've got guys who can play football. They just haven't had the experience yet.

"It's just their time. Let's go play."

ESPN Sport Science takes a closer look at why Notre Dame's Michael Floyd is one of the top wide receivers in the 2012 draft class.

Adam Rittenberg talks with the versatile Wildcat about playing quarterback full-time in the spring, and the outlook for the offense.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Ever since Northwestern captured a share of the 2000 Big Ten title thanks to several dramatic come-from-behind victories, the program has been known as the "Cardiac Cats."

Close and chaotic games became the norm for Northwestern, and the program built its rep on winning many of them. In fact, Northwestern is 30-11 in its past 41 games decided by seven points or fewer, and 20-10 in coach Pat Fitzgerald's tenure as coach. Players and coaches welcome the "Cardiac Cats" label and seem to expect white-knuckle games every time they take the field.

Perhaps until now.

"Our fans love 'Cardiac Cats,' but I'm good with not being the 'Cardiac Cats' any more," senior linebacker David Nwabuisi told ESPN.com.

The alternative? "Just step on teams' throats every game," Nwabuisi said.

As good as the Wildcats have been at winning close games, they've repeatedly struggled to put away opponents, even in their best seasons. While they've been on the wrong end of lopsided contests, they've rarely delivered beat-downs, despite being in position to do so. Of Northwestern's 19 Big Ten wins between 2007-11, just four came by more than seven points.

Clutch play might be a hallmark of Northwestern's program. Killer instinct certainly is not. That's what Nwabuisi wants to see change.

"To a point, it's OK to be comfortable being the 'Cardiac Cats.' That means we're composed in those situations," Nwabuisi said. "We're used to being here. But that's something that was happening when we were improving as a program. We were working on being in the game at that point. But our standards are rising every year. We know we're talented now. When we're better than a team, we've got to show everyone else we're better.

"It's not good enough to just be in the game. We should be killing this team right now. It's not good enough to be down one touchdown against this team. We should be ahead two touchdowns."

Like other Northwestern players in the past 12 years, Nwabuisi acknowledges that the team is most comfortable in tightly contested games and those that require dramatic comebacks. But holding leads and playing complete games has been a problem as of late.

Northwestern blew double-digit leads in losses to Michigan State and Penn State in 2010. Last season, the Wildcats blew halftime leads against Illinois, Michigan and Penn State, dropping all three contests. And this is the program that ended up on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in FBS history, squandering a 38-3 lead against Michigan State in 2006 and going on to lose 41-38.

While Northwestern is usually good for one significant upset per season -- last year's win at Nebraska, for example -- the team also has a letdown against a seemingly inferior team, like last year's 21-14 setback at Army, which finished the season 3-9.

"A lot of those games, we let slip away," Nwabuisi said. "We're disappointed in the last couple years."

During Northwestern's five-game losing streak in 2011, Fitzgerald discussed how the "law of averages" might be catching up to his team. Some considered Northwestern extremely fortunate in 2009, when it won eight games, six by seven points or fewer.

Last year, the script flipped, as Northwestern was just 2-4 in games decided by 10 points or fewer.

"We're definitely playing with fire," Nwabuisi said.

Asked about Nwabuisi's comments, Fitzgerald smiled and said, "I just want to win."

"Trust me, I'd much rather be eating hotdogs and hanging out in the fourth quarter," he continued. "It just doesn't seem to go that way at times."

Fitzgerald said the nature of college football, particularly within the Big Ten, calls for a lot of close games. He'd rather have a team comfortable with being under pressure, but he also knows why Northwestern couldn't hold leads or close out games in 2011.

"Offensively, turning the ball over," he said. "Defensively, giving up explosive plays. And then the kicking game not being consistent enough when it mattered. Other years, we had been. Those things fell the right way. A ball that got tipped and picked last year, we caught it for a touchdown maybe the year before."

Like his coach, Nwabuisi wants to win any way possible. But he feels the program can win in more convincing fashion.

"We've got to get that mentality," he said, "to put teams out of their misery."