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Northwestern linebacker Collin Ellis emerged from relative obscurity to help save the Wildcats in their opener at California last week. Ellis returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns in his team's 44-30 win, earning Bronko Nagurski national defensive player of the week honors.

The best thing about the night, Ellis said, was that his mother and stepfather were in the stands watching.

"My mom was crying a little bit," he said this week. "I teared up a little bit, too."

It was an emotional breakout performance for Ellis, who almost didn't make it to Northwestern because of a family tragedy.

Ellis grew up in Baton Rouge, La., just minutes from LSU's Tiger Stadium, but decided early on in high school career that he wanted to use football as his way into an elite academic university. He committed to Northwestern the summer before his senior year and told every college that was interested in him that he'd made up his mind.

But his father, Greg, died unexpectedly on March 21, 2010 -- Collin's senior year of high school. In the aftermath, Collin -- who has two brothers and a sister -- initially thought he would stay closer to home for college to help his mother, Becky, with the family.

"It's easy after something like that to say, 'Hey, look, you've got to move on and deal with it,'" said Joey Thibodeaux, his prep coach at The Dunham School. "But he was making a very major decision in moving thousands of miles from home and away from his family. That was tough. Collin did feel a tug to stay home."

Ellis' family told him that going to Northwestern was the right thing to do and that it was what his father wanted. Ellis knew he had found the right school when Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald and assistant Randy Bates came to Louisiana for Greg Ellis' funeral.

"My dad wanted me to come to Northwestern more than any other school in the nation," Ellis said. "I feel like I'm making him proud by doing that. It's obviously a very hard deal, but football was my outlet and way to get away from it."

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior had shown promise earlier in his Northwestern career but had trouble staying healthy. He suffered broken bones in both hands that held him out of action, and he entered this year locked in a battle with Drew Smith for the starting job at outside linebacker. He impressed the coaching staff with his work during preseason practice.

"This is probably as healthy as he's been in two years," Fitzgerald said. "He's a very talented athlete, and for the first time in probably two years we got a glimpse of him at close to 100 percent healthy."

Wildcats fans liked what they saw from Ellis in Week 1. He grabbed both his interceptions on tipped balls before sprinting to the end zone. The first one covered 54 yards, while the second went 40 yards and gave his team a 10-point fourth-quarter lead. When he grabbed the second pick and saw daylight, Ellis remembers thinking, "I can't believe this is actually happening."

That he possessed such good ball skills came as no surprise to Thibodeaux. At The Dunham School, Ellis played fullback in a Wing-T offense and rushed for about 1,200 yards as a senior, earning district offensive MVP honors. Ellis would occasionally line up at receiver and Wildcat quarterback as well. Playing for a small school, though, Ellis received only mild interest from Southern schools including LSU, where his family still has season tickets. Bates found out about Ellis and invited him to a Northwestern camp, where the connection was born.

"He was a great athlete who could do a lot of things, but schools didn't know what to recruit him as," Thibodeaux said. "He was 205, 210 pounds, and they didn't know if he would grow. I don't even think Northwestern knew where to play him at first."

Ellis has spent time at all three linebacker spots for the Wildcats and started 10 games in 2012, though he finished with only nine tackles. His production had yet to match his potential until last weekend.

"I got to the point where I was tired of not performing," he said. "That motivated me every morning to get up and make myself better in any possible way, and it all started in the weight room.

"Then it really came down to this summer, when I started excelling at what I was doing. It all clicked. I finally know where all the help is, when I can be aggressive and when not to be aggressive. Coaches always say 'Do your job,' but it never really resonated with me that if you actually do your job, you'll make more plays."

Ellis doesn't want to be a one-hit wonder with those two pick-sixes. He says he missed out on making several other plays in that Cal game, including another possible interception. He wants to make a season-long impact.

His toughest adjustment at Northwestern was leaving the South and all the outdoor activities he loves in Louisiana. Ellis is an avid fisher and hunter whose favorite pastime is bowhunting deer. Thibodeaux remembers Ellis showing up to practice in his hunting gear.

Ellis saves most of his hunting these days for school breaks when he goes home, though he has found some good spots for salmon fishing in Lake Michigan. Evanston might not be much like Baton Rouge, but Ellis knows he's in the right place. The place where his father wanted him to be.

"He lived vicariously through me because he never got to play football," he said. "It feels so good to get to honor him and his memory this way."

Be honest. You did a double take when watching Illinois ball-carriers sprinting into the open field last Saturday against Southern Illinois.

Were those guys in the orange helmets the same ones who seemed to play in a studio apartment last season?

The most mind-blowing stat that came out of Illinois' season-opening win wasn't quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase's career-high 416 pass yards or the two 100-yard receiving performances (Ryan Lankford and Josh Ferguson) or team record 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by V'Angelo Bentley.

Illinois recorded six plays of 30 yards or longer in its 42-34 win, equaling its total from all of last season. Digest that for a minute. The Illini offense, which finished 119th out of 120 teams in both yards and scoring last fall, had only six true explosion plays in 12 games.

Only high-powered Oregon had more plays of 30 yards or longer in Week 1. Was it a starting point for the Illini offense? You bet.

"That was the one thing we got Saturday," offensive coordinator Bill Cubit told ESPN.com. "We had 10 big plays of over 20 yards throwing the ball and over 12 running the ball. If you don't have those big plays, it's just more difficult."

The Illini far exceeded their big-play goals in the opener, loosening the reins and getting results.

"Our players bought into the things that we felt were necessary to take some deep chances," head coach Tim Beckman said. "As we progress we hope to be able to gain those big chunk yardage plays.”

Saturday's home test against Cincinnati will provide a much better gauge of the Illinois offense and its big-play potential. Cincinnati thumped Purdue 42-7 in last week's opener, limiting the Boilers to just 57 plays and 226 yards.

But this much seems clear: Ilinois has a better idea of what it is after one game under Cubit than it did all of last season, as a rudderless ship never made it out of port.

"We have an idea of our identity," Scheelhaase said. "We're game-planning week to week, and at times will look different and will want to look different because of the players we have. ... It's nice to be able to put guys in different positions and throw different formations out there and make things more difficult on the defense. It's our job to be as comfortable as possible out there on Saturday."

Scheelhaase, who struggled with the rest of the offense in 2012, looked much more at ease last week. He completed 28 of 36 passes. Two of his incompletions were throwaways because of pressure. Two others were dropped.

Cubit liked how quickly Scheelhaase delivered the ball, a major emphasis point for a system where Cubit wants the ball out within 2.2 seconds. Although Scheelhaase threw an interception and was responsible for one of the five sacks Illinois allowed, he performed well for his first time in Cubit's offense.

"I was encouraged," Cubit said. "He's smart and he understands college football. There's really not too many defenses he doesn't know, so it was easy for me to communicate with him and not have to explain what a coverage is. He understands it right away and what the weaknesses are."

Illinois hopes Scheelhaase is surrounded by more weapons to exploit those weaknesses. Lankford posted a career high in receiving yards (115) against Southern Illinois, and Ferguson eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Ferguson accounted for three explosion plays, including a perfectly executed 53-yards touchdown on a screen pass, and finished with 152 all-purpose yards on only 13 touches.

"He's one of the game-breakers who can make a big difference," Cubit said. "If you don’t have one of those guys, it's hard to drive 90 yards."

Tight end Jon Davis, who had a 15-yard touchdown catch and an 11-yard run, also brings explosiveness to an offense that completely lacked it last season. The 6-3, 240-pound Davis saw time at tight end, wide receiver and running back last season and could boost Illinois in the red zone.

"Another guy who's so versatile," Scheelhaase said. "He ran the ball, caught the ball, split out, played in tight. He's one of the best players in the conference. Obviously, he dealt with some injury stuff last year, but he's a player who makes everyone around him better."

With more weapons and a clearer vision, Illinois' offense will improve after bottoming out in 2012. Cubit has raised the standard. According to Scheelhaase, only three or four players graded out against SIU.

"He wants it to be difficult for us to grade out," Scheelhaase said. "It raises our intensity each week."

That's a good thing. Cincinnati is coming to town.

ESPN 100 senior point guard Tyler Ulis has eliminated USC from his recruiting list and is down to Iowa, Kentucky and Michigan State, according to his father.

Ulis, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights, Ill., is ranked No. 38 in the Class of 2014 and the No. 8 point guard by ESPN. He trimmed his list to four schools in early August.

"Yes, we did [eliminate USC;] we never said it in the media or anything, but did speak to USC about it a couple weeks ago," James Ulis, Ulis' father, wrote in a text message on Monday. "Didn't want to just take a visit if Tyler had cooled on possibly going there. We thanked [them] for their time and we wanted to allow them to have an opportunity to recruit another PG."

Ulis made an official visit to Iowa this past weekend and will make official visits to Michigan State on Sept. 6-7 and Kentucky on Sept. 8-9. Kentucky recently offered Ulis a scholarship on an unofficial visit, and Iowa and Michigan State previously offered him.

James believes his son's commitment could come as early as the weekend of Sept. 14.

Northwestern starting cornerback Daniel Jones will miss the rest of the season after suffering a left knee injury in Saturday's season-opening win against California.

Jones suffered the injury in the final minute of the first half while committing a pass-interference penalty in the end zone. He had to be carted off the field.

Read the entire story.

Four-star Class of 2014 power forward Leron Black (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) committed to Illinois Sunday while on his official visit in Champaign, picking the Illini over Baylor, Indiana, Memphis and Tennessee.

"Leron has a great relationship with coach John Groce and assistant Jamal Walker, plus the opportunity to play as a freshman and develop into a combination forward was too much to pass up," said Black's AAU coach, Norton Hurd.

Read the entire story.

Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) senior power forward Tai Odiase and Bloomington North (Ind.) combo guard Grant Sims committed to UIC on Sunday.

Odiase, a 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward, chose the Flames over Ball State, Kent State, IPFW, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso. Odiase, who is ranked the No. 53 power forward in the country by ESPN, committed to UIC while on an official visit this weekend.

Sims, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard, also committed to UIC while on an official visit this weekend. He had offers from Air Force, Miami (Ohio) and UNC-Asheville, among others.

“I was just really comfortable with the coaching staff,” Odiase said in a phone interview on Sunday. “From Day 1, they’ve been recruiting me the hardest. They were the first to recruit me. They really believe in my skill set and feel they can develop me in the next four years. I think they can get me where I need to be in the future.”

UIC assistant coach Donnie Kirksey was the lead recruiter on Odiase. UIC assistant coach Stew Robinson was the lead recruiter on Sims.

Odiase and Sims are UIC’s first and second Class of 2014 commitments. The Flames also recently received a commitment from Class of 2015 combo guard Drew Hackett, who is from Munster, Ind.

Northwestern lost quarterback Kain Colter minutes into Saturday's game and never had full use of star running back Venric Mark.

One of the nation's most dynamic offensive backfields wouldn't be a factor in a tricky road opener against Cal and its potent "Bear Raid" offense.

So what did Northwestern do? It found another way to win. Linebacker Collin Ellis recorded two interceptions for touchdowns, tight end Dan Vitale sparked the passing game and third-string running back Treyvon Green stepped up for Mark on the ground.

Aaaand ... there might have been a few injury flops involved.

It added up to an exhausting 44-30 Northwestern victory against a plucky Cal team that gave the 22nd-ranked Wildcats all they could handle. Bears true freshman quarterback Jared Goff passed for 445 yards and two touchdowns, but he showed his age with three second-half interceptions, including the game-changer, which Ellis returned 56 yards to the end zone late in the third quarter.

Ellis, who beat out Drew Smith for Northwestern's third starting linebacker spot, was all over the field in an effort that at least will earn him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Northwestern also generated a decent pass rush, and safety Ibraheim Campbell picked off Goff in the closing minutes.

Cal made plenty of plays, attacking through the air with talented receivers Chris Harper (11 catches, 151 yards, 2 TDs) and Bryce Treggs (13 receptions, 145 yards). Despite a limited playbook, the Bears showed how dangerous they could be.

Northwestern was limited, too, but not by design. Colter left the game early after taking a shot to his head and his left shoulder. He was re-evaluated at halftime but ruled out, left to stew on the sideline, unable to run the nearly unstoppable zone-read with Mark.

As for Mark, the All-America returner wasn't used on returns and only played for stretches. He wasn't listed on the team's injury report and practiced throughout the preseason. It'll be interesting to see what Coach Pat Fitzgerald says about Mark's status going forward.

Northwestern surged on special teams in 2012, but Cal held a decided edge in the kicking game, scoring its first touchdown on a fake field goal and recovering a Wildcats fumble on a kickoff return. At least All-Big Ten kicker Jeff Budzien came through three field goals.

The little-used Green also stepped up late with a 55-yard burst to take Northwestern out of its own territory. He finished off the drive with a 6-yard plunge. Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian had a big first half in relief of Colter but struggled a bit down the stretch.

Injuries were a big story for Northwestern throughout the game, both real and (possibly) imagined. Wildcats players were down after many plays in the second half. Cal coach Sonny Dykes clearly thought something was up (the Bears, ironically, were the team accused of faking injuries against Oregon). Northwestern also caught a break when Cal standout linebacker Chris McCain was ejected for targeting.

A wild game for the Wildcats, but it usually is just that. They survived and advanced in a Pac-12 stadium, not an easy place for Big Ten teams to win.

It's a good bet Northwestern enters its Oct. 5 home showdown against Ohio State at 4-0. The Wildcats still have never lost an opener under Fitzgerald.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's preparations for its first football game of the season have been part high school and part preschool.

First, the preschool part. As they condition their bodies for Saturday's late kickoff at California (9:30 p.m. Central time), Northwestern players have nap time built into their game-week itineraries. Yes, the 'Cat naps are back.

"This nap we're getting in midday helps a lot," senior quarterback Kain Colter said. "I've actually liked it."

Coach Pat Fitzgerald started the mandatory naps last season before a mid-afternoon kickoff against Nebraska, grumbling at the time, "This is what I get paid to do? Great, nap time. Seriously? It's pathetic."

But the naps, which take place in the early to mid afternoon after meetings and a light lifting session, are an important part of getting players' body clocks right for a late kickoff on the West Coast. It sounds funny, but the Big Ten's road struggles against the Pac-12 are no joke. Pac-12 stadiums recently have been graveyards for Big Ten teams, which have dropped 20 of the past 25 true road games against Pac-12 opponents.

Northwestern is one of three Big Ten teams traveling to Pac-12 country this season. In Week 3, Wisconsin visits Arizona State and Ohio State visits Cal. The Wisconsin-Arizona State game also kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Madison time. Badgers coach Gary Andersen is taking his players to the desert two days before the game to help with the adjustment.

After practicing at 4 p.m. during most of preseason camp, Northwestern started practices at 9 p.m. this week. Players weren't required to come to the facility until late morning, and they had most of the afternoon to relax before dinner and pre-practice meetings.

"Some people don't like the midday naps," Colter said. "Maybe they're up watching TV. It's really about just getting off your feet and getting some time away from football. They don't want us to be burned out.

"For me, I'm definitely getting my nap in."

The late practices have a "Friday Night Lights" feel to them, according to wide receiver Rashad Lawrence. Fitzgerald moved game-week workouts to the school's lacrosse/soccer field on campus along Lake Michigan, partly because of the superior lighting there but also to create another adjustment for players.

Wednesday night, a bus scheduled to take players from the football complex to the on-campus field didn't show, sending assistant coaches and support staffers scrambling for their cars. Minutes later, a caravan of cars and trucks carrying players and honking their horns -- "Varsity Blues" style -- streamed into the parking lot.

"It's high school, Hank!" Fitzgerald said to defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.

Linebacker Collin Ellis assured Fitzgerald that he had his teammates wear their helmets in his pickup.

"Who's giving me money for gas?" one player jokingly asked the coaches.

The team's first night practice, on Monday, featured some hiccups, mainly because of the sweltering heat sweeping through the Midwest. Tuesday night's workout was much crisper.

To create a California feel, a speaker next to the field blared the sound of lapping waves (Cal's stadium, for the record, is nowhere near the ocean). The weather cooperated Wednesday night, as Northwestern practiced in Bay Area-like temperatures with fog rolling in off the lake.

"I feel real comfortable," Lawrence said. "I feel like I'm on West Coast time right now. I don’t have a sense of what the time is during the day. I just know my body is ready to go at a certain time. That’s optimal game time for us."

The toughest adjustment for Northwestern players this week might be the easiest for most college students: stay up late. Fitzgerald asked players to stay up until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. to prepare for the late kickoff.

Northwestern normally practices in the morning, and players arrive at the complex before 7 a.m. After Tuesday's practice, Lawrence went to bed at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Normally, he'll be zonked out by 9 p.m.

" To make that switch and force the body to stay up for a little longer so you get a longer night's rest, it's kind of different," he said. "We tried to find ways to stay up later."

Lawrence did so by playing cards with housemates Ibraheim Campbell, Jimmy Hall and Mike Eshun. Colter, who interned at Goldman Sachs this summer, read a book about consulting.

Fitzgerald said the adjustments for players would have been more dramatic if they went straight from morning practices to evening ones. Northwestern also benefits from having no classes until Sept. 24.

"If we were in school, this would be a major problem," Fitzgerald said. "We might have to go out [to California] a day earlier. With us not being in school, it gives us the opportunity to have flexibility in our routine."

Fitzgerald and other Northwestern officials weren't pleased when the Cal kickoff time was announced, noting the late return to campus and the impact on Week 2 prep. It would be worse, Fitzgerald said, if Northwestern practiced on Sunday.

The team will conduct an injury check as soon as it returns early Sunday. Players then will be excused the rest of the day. Coaches will work until 3 p.m.

"I'm excited for the night game, I’m excited that it's a late game," Colter said. "The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the flight back, but hopefully we'll get a little bit of sleep."

And a win.

Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin may be biased, but he believes senior forward Josh Cunningham is going to do big things in the future.

"Josh is going to be a NBA player," Irvin said on Friday. "There's three guys that stick out -- Jahlil Okafor, Cliff Alexander and Josh. He's a sponge. He's getting better and better each year. He's tough. He understands basketball. He plays hard. He's young. He's only going to get better."

Cunningham isn't considered by most to be an NBA prospect at this point, but his profile is growing. He's ranked No. 27 among power forwards by ESPN and is starting to get even more recruiting interest. He already has offers from Creighton, DePaul, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma and St. John's, but now Michigan State has also reached out to him. Illinois has also touched base. According to a source, he's a priority for Northwestern.

"Michigan State is coming in hard," Irvin said. "They've been on him, but haven't offered. They have high interest in him. He's got two visits set up in Iowa State and Oklahoma."

Irvin said he expected Cunningham wait until the spring to decide.

Here are some other local recruiting notes:

• Whitney Young senior center Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1 player in the country, is making an official visit to Baylor this weekend. He will be joined on the trip by Tyus Jones, who is ranked No. 3. Okafor is considering Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State.

• Illinois is getting an official visit this weekend from White Station (Memphis) senior forward Leron Black, who is ranked No. 36. Black recently cut his list to Baylor, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee.

• UIC received a commitment from Munster (Ind.) combo guard Drew Hackett on Thursday.

• According to a source, DePaul is working on setting up official visits with Whitney Young senior forward Paul White, who is ranked No. 57, and Christian Brothers (St. Louis) senior shooting guard Pat McCaw, who is ranked No. 87. White recently cut his list to Arizona, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown and Minnesota.

• Benet senior center Sean O'Mara, the No. 20 center in the country, will make an official visit to Loyola next weekend. O'Mara is considering Loyola, Massachusetts, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Wichita State and Xavier.

• Illinois will receive an unofficial visit from Ballard (Ky.) senior point guard Quentin Snider on Sept. 29. Snider, a former Louisville recruit, is considering Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Oklahoma State, UCLA and USC.

• Northwestern offered Fenwick senior shooting guard Scott Lindsey on Monday. Lindsey is expected to make official visits to Iowa, Nevada and Northwestern. He is making an unofficial visit to Vanderbilt this week.

• Simeon junior forward D.J. Williams, who is ranked No. 32, will make an unofficial visit to Illinois this weekend and attend the Illini's football game.

• Hinsdale Center sophomore center Barret Benson, Whitney Young sophomore guard Skyler Nash and Sandburg senior forward Malek Harris, all of whom play for the Illinois Wolves, will attend Marquette's Midnight Madness on Oct. 11. Harris is committed to Marquette. Benson was recently offered by Penn State.

• North Chicago senior JayQuan McCloud will visit Murray State on Sept. 13 and Rhode Island on Sept. 20.

• Chicago State received a commitment from Richards senior power forward Josh Meier on Thursday.

The Big Ten will allow its member schools to show unlimited replays on stadium video boards beginning this season as part of an effort to upgrade the game-day experience.

Big Ten schools previously had limited in-stadium replay opportunities and typically didn't show controversial calls by officials.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Bob Diaco wants to know if you are addicted to his culture. The reigning Broyles Award winner asks this after leading a mad-dash to the middle of Notre Dame's three practice fields once the team breaks for its first preseason session on campus. Over there, he will instruct a defense that returns a majority of its key pieces from a 2012 season that saw it finish second nationally in scoring.

He does all of this, mind you, while wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants in the second week of August.
"I like to get a sweat on out there," he says with a laugh, "and then when you're running around, if you slam into somebody or they slam into you, you've got a little extra cushion."

The 2013 season is now four days away, and Diaco and his players have been peppered with questions about turnover, expectations and encores.
Can Notre Dame function as well without Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te'o in the middle? Will another strong recruiting haul allow for more flexibility? And what, really, is the personality of this defense as it enters year No. 4 under this regime?

"I think it's going to be just a collective group of guys that enjoy each other, enjoy playing hard, enjoy doing and playing defense the way it should be and not necessarily that person that's going to be out in front, you know?" Diaco said. "I think it's just a group of guys that really love each other and love what they're preparing to do and collectively just want to be the best they can be."

The Irish were almost the best last year, running the table and leading the nation in scoring defense until Alabama ran and threw all over them en route to a six-touchdown display that most around here figured to forget rather quickly.

Diaco instead used that as a teaching moment this past spring. Diaco taught his players about Dan Gable, the Iowa State wrestling great whose only prep or collegiate loss came in the finals of his senior year. Gable, Diaco told his players, was able to turn his worst moment into his greatest, as the lone defeat propelled him to gold at the 1972 Olympics.

"Going back to the Alabama game, it wasn't how anyone wanted it to be and you've just got to remember those types of things," noseguard Louis Nix said. "You've got to remember, like, you don't want that to happen again; you want to be competitive, you want to go out and do great things -- 12-0 was all great, but we lost when it counted, and you think about that every day.

"Me? I watch the national championship at least three times a week, honestly, to remind myself I don't want that to happen again. Alabama's a great team, great O-line, great coaches, great quarterback -- you have to emulate a team like that. They work hard, they go out and compete very game. They leave no doubt that they should've been national champs; that's what we've got to do and I feel like if you compete and you go out and practice hard and you do all the things that are right -- because life is a circle, when you do good things you get good things out of it, when you do bad things it comes back to haunt you — so we've just got to keep working and hopefully maybe we'll make it back to the game and probably win."

Notre Dame seems to have the necessary pieces. Nix and fellow defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt could be high first-round draft picks with another year of output similar to that of 2012. The duo, along with sophomore Sheldon Day, form what figures to be among the best defensive lines in the country.

Eight starters were slated to return to the defense until dog linebacker Danny Spond announced his retirement during camp following a series of hemiplegic migraines. But there seems to be enough bodies from a 2013 recruiting haul that ranked No. 4 nationally to create more desirable alternatives than Notre Dame had in the past. (One of the newcomers, five-star linebacker Jaylon Smith, has joined the ever-improving Ben Councell in place of Spond.)

"So I think you have to look at it that we have some other pieces that might be a little bit stronger than they were last year, so I think you have to look at all 11,” head coach Brian Kelly said. “We lose a great player in Manti Te'o but we gain some other pieces that I think are stronger this year across the board."

Diaco avoids big-picture talk, instead focusing on individual aspects that can be improved upon.

Where most look back to last year and see a defense that exceeded expectations, he harps on "the myriad, bucketful, bushel basket-full of things we did wrong."

"We're not a flavor-of-the-month, flavor-of-the-year group in terms of tweaking, changing, creating energy propaganda to get the unit going," Diaco said. "We believe in our culture, we believe in our unit culture, we believe in our unit identity and those are based on core principles that we believe create a great defense. And what we're interested in is improving and raising the level -- even if it's .0001 percent, we're interested in raising that level, every player and every coach in that unit."
The man in the middle of it all last year recognizes that culture, and he sees no sign of it slowing down just because he is no longer there among it again.

"They have the potential to be good," Te'o, now with the Chargers, said. "Any year that they line up, they have the potential to be good, and they have a lot of weapons on defense. I'm confident that they'll carry on what they did last year and everything will be good."

It always begins with the cold. New alumni trickling off the Purple Line "L," young parents carrying toddlers, white-haired die-hards docking old Cadillac boats in reserved parking: No matter who you are or how you get there, the first sensation of attending a Northwestern men's basketball game at Welsh-Ryan Arena is that bone-shattering North Shore Chicago cold.

This is true of most places during basketball season; they play the game inside for a reason. But nowhere in major college basketball does the futility and depression of winter seep so thoroughly into the gym itself.

That's the next part of the Welsh-Ryan experience, and it hits just as hard. Thing is, Wildcats fans know -- not gut-feeling know, but know know, because after all it is a provable historical fact -- that not only will the Wildcats lose, but they'll do so in a gym half-full with gleeful opposing fans.

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Illinois DL Tim Kynard talks about being a leader on the defensive line and other important players on the defense.

Can Tim Beckman turn around Illinois in his second year? That's one of the many questions surrounding the Illini heading into 2013:

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Coach: Tim Beckman (23-26, 2-10)

2012 Record: 2-10 (0-8 Big Ten)

Key losses: WR Darius Millines, G/T Hugh Thornton, C Graham Pocic, DE Michael Buchanan, DT Akeem Spence, DT Glenn Foster, LB Ashante Williams, CB Terry Hawthorne, CB Justin Green, S Supo Sanni.

Key returnees: QB Nathan Scheelhaase, RB Donovonn Young, RB Josh Ferguson, WR Ryan Lankford, WR Spencer Harris, LG Michael Heitz, RG Ted Karras, RT Simon Cvijanovic, DE Tim Kynard, LB Mike Svetina, MLB Mason Monheim.

Newcomer to watch: Defensive lineman Paul James III was the only ESPN 300 recruit the Illini picked up last season, coming in at No. 200 out of Miami. Considering the heavy losses for Illinois on its defensive line, especially Buchanan, James could have the chance to play early. On a roster in need of a lot of retooling, getting him some early playing time could be key.

Biggest games in 2013: For a team still trying to figure out its way out of the depths of the Big Ten, this season’s schedule will not help. Nonconference games against Cincinnati and Washington will be tough -- even if both are in the state of Illinois (Cincinnati in Champaign and Washington in Chicago). The Big Ten schedule isn’t too favorable for Illinois, either, with a tough opening stretch at Nebraska and then home against Wisconsin and Michigan State. By the middle of October, Illinois might know if it still has anything other than pride to play for.

Biggest question mark heading into 2013: There are a lot of them, but the overriding one is if the second season under Beckman will be better than the first. Theoretically it should be, considering Illinois returns a chunk of its offense, led by QB Scheelhaase. But its defense will have major retooling to do as only four starters return. Considering the potential strength at the top of the Leaders Division, it could be a rough season no matter what.

Forecast: Not good. With a tough schedule, a rebuilding roster and already some pressure to win and win now, Year 2 of the Beckman experience might look eerily like the first season.

If not for Scheelhaase, its offense would lack a lot of experience. And the defense is already filling a lot of holes left in the secondary and on the defensive line.

Beckman is attempting to change that. Hiring Bill Cubit, an experienced offensive mind with head coaching experience at Western Michigan, is a start. He should be able to help Scheelhaase improve, and the Illini have a good running back to work with in Young, a junior who started 10 games last season, averaging 4.4 yards a carry.

The other reasons for optimism in Champaign come from two junior college players who could make pushes to start: receiver Martize Barr and linebacker Eric Finney. Safety Zane Petty, another juco transfer, played Division I football before at Colorado State and could fill a need if he can move up the depth chart.

Illinois could also be strong at linebacker, led by Monheim, who led the Illini in tackles in 2012 with 86. Just a sophomore, he’ll be looked at to focus a young defensive group.

All of that said, for Illinois to have a successful season, it will need every possible thing to go right. If it doesn’t, the Illini will be watching bowl season from home again this winter.

We're counting down our rankings of the Top 25 players in the Big Ten for the 2013 season. This list is based on past performance and potential for the upcoming season only. We do not consider NFL potential for purposes of these rankings.

Kicking off our Top 5 is a guy who wears No. 5 and is coming off an All-America season ...

No. 5: Venric Mark, RB, Northwestern, senior, 5-foot-8, 175 pounds

2012 postseason ranking: No. 9

2012 numbers: Rushed 226 times for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 20 catches for 104 yards and a score. Also averaged 19.8 yards on 21 kickoff returns and 18.7 yards on 15 punt returns, with two touchdowns.

Why he's here: Was there a bigger breakout star in the Big Ten last year than Mark? Well, maybe we shouldn't use the word bigger, because size questions have always lingered about the 5-foot-8 dynamo. But here was a guy who had rushed for 167 total yards his first two seasons suddenly emerging as Northwestern's go-to offensive weapon, finishing third among Big Ten running backs with 1,366 rushing yards and averaging more than six yards per carry.

That alone would have made Mark one of the league's top players. Then you throw in his status as an All-American returner. He exploded right out of the gate, returning a punt 82 yards for a score at Syracuse in the opener and finishing that game with 281 all-purpose yards. He also had a 75-yard punt return touchdown versus Penn State.

Mark worked hard this offseason at adding strength to his body, hoping to avoid getting knocked out of games early as he was at times last year. Despite his size limitations, he took an average of 17 carries per game last year, in addition to his other duties. He'd like to do even more this season after finishing 29 yards shy of the school record for single-season total yardage. The only difference is, this year we'll know what to expect from him.

The countdown

No. 25: Jonathan Brown, LB, Illinois
No. 24: Mark Weisman, RB, Iowa
No. 23: James White, RB, Wisconsin
No. 22: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
No. 21: John Urschel, G, Penn State
No. 20: Tyler Scott, DE, Northwestern
No. 19: Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State
No. 18: Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
No. 17: Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
No. 16: Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin
No. 15: Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
No. 14: Kain Colter, QB, Northwestern
No. 13: Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
No. 12: Spencer Long, G, Nebraska
No. 11: Devin Gardner, QB, Michigan
No. 10: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
No. 9: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
No. 8: Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State
No. 7: Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
No. 6: Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin