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We're taking a page from our friends at the ACC blog and starting a series that examines whether certain Big Ten teams will be contenders or pretenders in the 2013 season. The series won't include Ohio State, Michigan or Nebraska, three teams that, in our view, have earned the "contender" label entering the fall. For each team, we'll make a case for why they're contenders and pretenders and provide our final verdict (a final verdict in late April, mind you). We invite you to vote on whether a team is a contender or a pretender or send us your thoughts for mailbags here and here.

First up, the Northwestern Wildcats.

Why they're contenders: Not only did Northwestern win 10 games last season, including its first bowl in 64 years, but the Wildcats return the core pieces from the 2012 squad on both sides of the ball. Fifteen starters return, including the dynamic offensive backfield of quarterback Kain Colter and Venric Mark, an All-Big Ten running back and an All-America all-purpose player. Quarterback Trevor Siemian, who shared time with Colter and improved as the season progressed, also comes back. The key receivers are back and could see enhanced roles in a more balanced offense, and tight end Dan Vitale, a weapon down the stretch last season, is just a true sophomore. Northwestern's speed-based recruiting efforts on defense are starting to pay off, especially in the secondary, where the team returns standouts Ibraheim Campbell and Nick VanHoose and boasts good depth at both cornerback and safety. Defensive end Tyler Scott, the Big Ten's leading returning sacks leader, is back, along with several exciting young edge rushers. Special teams once again should be a strength with Mark and Jeff Budzien, the 2012 Big Ten co-kicker of the year, back in the fold.

Why they're pretenders: It all starts up front, and Northwestern has question marks on both of its lines entering the fall. The Wildcats must replace three starting offensive linemen, including All-Big Ten guard Brian Mulroe. Several potential starters sat out spring practice, and while that gave young players increased reps, the first-team line will have limited time to bond before the season kicks off. Northwestern also is a little thin at defensive tackle after losing Brian Arnfelt. The biggest potential drawback is a schedule that definitely gets tougher and could be significantly more challenging than the 2012 slate. Northwestern faces Ohio State for the first time since 2008, and Wisconsin returns to the slate as well after a two-year break. The Wildcats open Big Ten play with the Buckeyes (home) and the Badgers (road). And while Northwestern has established itself as a solid Big Ten program under Pat Fitzgerald, it hasn't handled high expectations well, like in 2001 (preseason Big Ten favorites) and 2011.

Final verdict: The schedule is definitely a factor, but if Northwestern can split its first two Big Ten contests, it should be right in the mix for the Legends Division title. The Wildcats host the Michigan schools, and although they visit Nebraska, they won in Lincoln with an inferior team in 2011. Some still don't take Northwestern seriously because they can't shed the perception created in the program's dark days. Those days are over, the talent is much better and most of it returns. Northwestern is a contender.

Northwestern returns most of its core from 2012 but must replace key linemen like Brian Mulroe, Quentin Williams and Brian Arnfelt.

The Big Ten as a whole may be off to a disappointing start in 2012. But don't try selling that storyline at Northwestern or Minnesota, where disappointment is in short supply these days.

The Wildcats and Gophers are two of the only three undefeated Big Ten teams left (Ohio State is the other). That they are a combined 6-0 is notable since they won just nine games between them last year. Yet these two teams bear little resemblance to last season's clubs.

The 2011 Northwestern narrative was a simple one: great offense, crummy defense, inability to finish games. A 42-41 opening win over Syracuse reinforced some of the notions about the defense. In the two games, since, however, the Wildcats have held their opponents (Vanderbilt and Boston College) to just 13 points each, while Syracuse has shown itself to have one of the nation's top passing attacks.

One of the biggest differences for Northwestern this year is its play up front. The defense is allowing just 80 rushing yards per game and only 2.9 yards per carry, while the offense is averaging over 200 rushing yards per game.

"I think we're a tougher team from top to bottom," senior wide receiver Demetrius Fields said. "The proof is in the pudding, in the running game. We've committed to a mentality, a want-to."

The Wildcats' defense still has holes but is making more things happen. Linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo and defensive lineman Brian Arnfelt rank in the top five of the Big Ten in tackles for loss. The team didn't have a single player in the top 20 of that stat last season.

"In the offseason, we tried to make it a point to come together, so when we're on the field communication wasn't going to be a problem," junior defensive end Tyler Scott said. "I think this team is super close, and we really enjoy being around each other. We have fun together, and we have trust in each other so we can go play fast."

Jerry Kill never promised a fast turnaround at Minnesota but rather a gradual building of the program when he took over before last year. So Kill is trying not to overplay the fact that his team has already matched its 2011 win total. The schedule -- UNLV, New Hampshire and Western Michigan -- isn't exactly the NFC East.

Still, this looks like a much different team than the one that lost to New Mexico State and North Dakota State at home early last season. After years of struggling to generate a pass rush, the Gophers have playmakers on the defensive line in Ra'Shede Hageman and D.L. Wilhite. The team has eight sacks already after getting only 19 a year ago.

While the overall physicality is not yet to Kill's liking, Minnesota is averaging 210 rushing yards per game, 50 yards more than last year's team.

"I think it's more familiarity with the offense," tight end John Rabe said. "We're a lot more comfortable with the whole offensive scheme and knowing where we all fit in. We've had a pretty good start in the running game, and I don't think we're even close to where we can be."

The Gophers started to build confidence toward the end of last season, when they beat Iowa, hung tough at Michigan State and dominated Illinois. That has shown early this year, as they survived an overtime win at UNLV and outlasted Western Michigan despite losing starting quarterback MarQueis Gray to injury.

"Last year, we might have been like, 'OK, here it goes again,'" Rabe said. "But this year, we have a ton of confidence that we can pull these games out. Our whole attitude is that we are supposed to win and we are going to win these games, not that we're trying not to lose."

Rabe said there's a buzz building on campus about this team, with students and teachers talking football more than in the past. That has yet to spread nationally, as Minnesota's schedule and lack of recent success hasn't created much attention for the 3-0 start, though a win this week over Syracuse could help.

Northwestern is similarly unbeaten and unloved. The Wildcats aren't in the Top 25 this week despite beating three BCS AQ teams to start the year, and this week's game against South Dakota is unlikely to move the needle.

But that's OK with Pat Fitzgerald, who has been highly critical of his team even in triumph. Fields said he and the other veterans remember the 2010 season when Northwestern started out 5-0, only to fall apart and finish 7-6. They want to make sure this team stays focused on what's in front of them, and not get caught looking too much at the big picture.

So let the Gophers and Wildcats fly under the radar for now. They're not disappointed at all.

"People can't really deny you when you keep winning," Fields said.

Spring football is under way at Northwestern, which returned to the practice field Saturday. The Wildcats say goodbye to a decorated senior class, which included quarterback Dan Persa, and must fill several key spots on both sides of the ball. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has an emphasis on learning and fostering new chemistry on the team, as the Wildcats' leadership features several new faces. The 2012 season will be crucial for Northwestern, which has reached four consecutive bowl games but also seen its wins total drop every year since 2008.

ESPN.com recently caught up with Fitzgerald. Here are his thoughts:

What have been some of your emphasis points from the end of the bowl game and your objectives in spring ball?

Pat Fitzgerald: Every year you look for ways you can improve and build upon your past, but it's always a new team. Obviously, we've got a lot of young men that graduated who were very dynamic for us over the last four years, multiyear starters who laid a tremendous foundation of success for our program. Now you have to come together with this team and number one, we want to build better chemistry with this team. Eight of our 12 leadership council members, it's their first year, so it's kind of indicative of trying to forge the chemistry, player to player.

Is it a better chemistry or a new chemistry?

PF: Every time you get to the offseason, you fall into that trap, is it better or worse? More importantly, it's always new. It's new guys jelling, guys assuming new roles and the natural progression. The guys have done a tremendous job. I look forward to watching to see how we do when somebody punches you back in football.

Were you surprised at how last season turned out? Some guys were talking about contending for a Big Ten title and you end up at 6-7.

PF: Well, we had a tough five-game stretch. That overshadows anything else that we did. What we look at it is we stayed the course and fought through it. You can point back to multiple plays and calls on our end and what we did schematically as coaches, you vet through all that stuff and you look at how close we were. It's easy to point blame and point fingers. It's more important to create some solutions and through that, you always start with the way you're teaching and coaching, and what you're asking guys to do schematically. Are we playing to their strengths? Because of maybe a little youth and inexperience, are we asking them to try to do too much? And I thought we adjusted. Obviously, you don't want to go through what we went through, and it was our fault. You look back and say, we adjusted, but did we adjust fast enough? Hindsight's always 20-20, but you learn from it, you grow and then you educate the guys on why it happened and how we're going to be stronger moving forward. What did we win, four of our last six games? So we finished strong. Obviously, you'd love to have back the last one here at home. And in the bowl game, we played two really good quarters and two quarters that beat ourselves, so we've got a lot to learn from. I wouldn't say I was surprised. No matter what you predict, you never know how it's going to go.

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Here are five areas to watch when Northwestern’s spring football practice begins on Saturday:

1. Quarterback competition: Junior-to-be Kain Colter, sophomore Trevor Siemian and redshirt freshman Zack Oliver will all get a shot at the starting job with the graduation of Dan Persa.

Colter is the leading candidate after filling in for Persa when he was injured last season. Colter was 55-of-82 passing for 673 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Siemian also saw time and was 16 of 26 for 256 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Northwestern could use multiple quarterbacks with Colter being a threat at wide receiver. He caught 43 passes for 466 yards and three touchdowns last season.

“As I told him a year ago at this point, ‘You’re going to be on the field,’” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said recently of Colter. “‘I don’t anticipate you standing next to me a whole lot.’ I fully anticipate that this year, and I fully expect it to be at quarterback. But I think Trevor has something to say about that. I think Zach has something to say about that. That’s what’s so fun about spring ball is the competition. We’ll see where we’re at after 15 practices.”

Fitzgerald said he’d prefer to have a starter anointed by the end of the spring practices, but he was also fine with continuing the competition in the early fall practices.

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