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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.

And away we go ...

Greg from Eldora, Iowa, writes: Hello Adam, on your BIG footprint article, the other states BIG teams needs to recruit are states that play high school spring ball, which I think is a much bigger reason than people think for SEC, Big 12, and PAC 12 having improving success. Ohio applied to their high school association to add spring ball and it was turned down. BIG states need to add spring ball for high school for better development of players at least in the higher classes. If I was coaching I would push my state to develop football players in my state, kids that want to play for a home state school. It would be easier developing these kids than every program in the country hovering over the South and California.

Adam Rittenberg: Greg, you make a really good point about spring football. It's a huge advantage for recruits in certain states and also for programs located in or closer to those states. Former Purdue coach Joe Tiller talked to me extensively in September about the playing-time advantage for recruits who live in southern states. Here's some of what he said: "Four years ago, Florida with their spring practices and Georgia with their spring practices and Texas with their spring practices, those kids, I know when we recruited them to Purdue, they were just advanced players over the guys we were getting out of the Midwest. They weren't necessarily more gifted naturally, but they were just advanced in the sense that they played so much more football." Tiller also said former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees played more high school ball his final two seasons in Texas (32 games) than many recruits from Indiana did in their final three seasons (30). I know each state high school sports association has to consider the pluses and minuses of spring football, but it definitely provides recruits from other regions an advantage as they prepare to play in college.

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Kevin from the Northwest Suburbs writes: Hey Adam a big Northwestern observation here. I believe this season is Pat's Fitzgerald year to actually put Northwestern's name on the national map like Harbaugh did with Stanford. This is arguably Pat's best team and most well rounded team on all three phases of the game since he took over at Northwestern. They play most of the Big 10 best teams. They play their road schedule against Cal (Pac-12), Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska. All those teams are tough at home. They then play Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State at home. For those who have never been to Ryan Field there is usually a 60-40 crowd favoring northwestern against the bigger schools and sometimes even 50-50 when playing schools like Michigan. If Northwestern can put up a 10-11 season, its time to put them on the national stage and start to see them as a top team in the Big Ten and to start smelling roses in 2013 as well as the close future. If they only end up with 7 wins or less, they'll still be trying to get their name on top of the big ten. I think this upcoming season will tell us what type of direction and how far this Northwestern program can go? Agree?

Adam Rittenberg: Kevin, I agree that Northwestern has a great opportunity in 2013. Northwestern finally ended the season with a bowl win, which resonates throughout the spring and summer, makes the media pay attention when it otherwise wouldn't and generates hype and expectations for the next season. The Wildcats also return most of their core pieces from the 2012 team, namely quarterback Kain Colter, running back Venric Mark and defensive backs Ibraheim Campbell and Nick VanHoose. So there's a chance to take another step, but it won't be easy. The schedule is extremely challenging. As I pointed out Monday, Northwestern appears to have by far the toughest schedule of any of the Big Ten title contenders entering 2013. Northwestern also has struggled to handle high expectations (2001, 2011) in the past. Although recruiting has improved, Northwestern hasn't reached the level Stanford did under Jim Harbaugh (continued now by David Shaw). Northwestern's program definitely is headed in the right direction and 2013 will be a telling season, but I could see Northwestern having a better team than 2012 but one with a worse record (8-4 or so).

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Brian from Warrensburg, Mo, writes: Adam, seriously...we need to talk about your final top 25 voting. As an avid Husker fan, my mind is blown that they didn't even make the top 25 and only hit number 25 in Brian's vote. You ranked 3 B1G teams that Nebraska beat ahead of them, and they barely lost their bowl game to a team in your top 5. Please help me and other Husker fans understand, because I know I'm not the only one who was baffled. 10 wins with a really tough schedule, and you think San Jose State is a better team??

Rod Harris from Homer, Neb., writes: No wonder you are a lowly blogger. You have proven once again that you don't know much about how to judge college football teams. I'm just glad you don't have an AP vote! And you are proof of why we need a playoff system in college football because I'm sure there are voters out there that are just as clueless as you are when it comes to rating college football teams.

Adam Rittenberg: These are just some of the emails I received about my final power rankings, which didn't include Nebraska. I didn't include the note asking me to kill myself and noting that Brian Bennett and I are the worst sports writers on the planet (glad we have the market cornered). Honestly, I'm a little surprised so many people are coming to the defense of what is, at best, a fringe Top 25 team. Nebraska finished No. 25 in the final AP Poll and No. 23 in the final coaches' poll. Brian had the Huskers at No. 25 in his final power rankings. If our power rankings included 27 spots instead of 25, I would have included the Huskers. So we're all in the ballpark with ranking this football team. Many folks doing end-of-year rankings didn't think Nebraska belonged much higher than the final few spots of the rankings. When you're a total no-show in the biggest game of the season (against a seemingly weaker opponent) and then lose your bowl game by 14 points -- even while competing well for three quarters -- you're not going to be rewarded in the final rankings. San Jose State pushed Rose Bowl champ Stanford in the season opener, beat a solid BYU team and won its final seven games. That team should be rewarded.

I don't believe in ranking a team because of what it did in late October, which would be the argument for ranking Nebraska ahead of both Northwestern and Michigan (which almost no one did, by the way). Rankings are about what you've done lately, and Nebraska ended the season poorly, even if it hung in there with Georgia for a while. I look at Nebraska and see a talented team that plays an extremely chaotic style (turnovers, penalties, frantic rallies in the fourth quarter). There aren't many teams that can rank 118th nationally in turnovers lost (35) and still win 10 games. I guess that's a testament to Nebraska's talent and resilience, and the Huskers definitely were resilient late in the regular season. But is that a formula for sustained success? No way. And if Nebraska doesn't clean up its play, especially in big games, it won't take the next step and gain respect from the media.

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Justin from East Lansing, Mich., writes :Adam,First of all, thanks to you and Brian for your Big Ten blogging efforts. I read it everyday.Now, I know that you have probably heard this idea, but how about making the Divisions--Leaders: Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska; Legends: Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana?I know it would be like a 'Central Division' and 'Everyone Else Division,' but I think that it would work.

Adam Rittenberg: Justin, I like how you keep the Wisconsin-Iowa-Minnesota cluster together in the "Everyone Else Division," because I think it's important for those teams to play every year. It's also good for emerging rivalries like Nebraska-Iowa and Nebraska-Wisconsin to continue. Although the fan bases in the "Everyone Else" would have some tougher travel than those in the "Central," there would be some easier trips mixed in (Wisconsin-Iowa, Penn State-Rutgers, etc.). I think this could work, but I also see a geographic split being fine and going East-West. The teams that could go in either division appear to be Indiana, Purdue, Illinois and Northwestern. I'd be OK with splitting Indiana/Purdue or Illinois/Northwestern and giving them a protected crossover game. I'd also be OK with splitting Michigan and Michigan State into different divisions and giving them a crossover game. If you put Ohio State and Michigan in the same division, you have to make sure the other division has enough strength. Would Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State and Iowa provide enough in your model? It's possible.

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Chris from Madison, Wis., writes: Hey Adam! I was just wondering what your thoughts are on the Badgers upcoming QB battle. You've mentioned it briefly a few times but the dynamics of it are really intriguing. You have Curt Phillips, the (now) experienced leader who commands respect from his teammates but has yet to really be proven as a passer. There's Joel Stave, the "spark" of the offense early this season who has starting experience and shows great talent as a passer (even just in the 2 plays from the Rose Bowl). Danny O'Brien, while not the favorite to win it, can still fix some things and does have experience and talent. The most intriguing player, and my dark horse candidate, is Bart Houston. In tapes I've watched of him and Stave, Bart seems to have some talent, or edge to him, that Stave didn't quite display to the same level. Houston is more mobile and built to take punishment as well. What are your thoughts? I think this could make a great piece as spring ball nears!

Adam Rittenberg: Chris, I agree it's a fascinating competition, and we'll preview all the QB races before spring ball kicks off. I'm with you about Bart Houston. He's the real wild card here: big-time recruit, has the skills to be a special player, but lacks experience and will be working with a new offensive coordinator in Andy Ludwig. I don't think Danny O'Brien will be a factor, but we'll see. Curt Phillips did a nice job late in the season and will be another offseason removed from surgery, but he'll need to make strides as well. Stave really seemed to be turning a corner before his injury, and if I had to pick a favorite for the job, it'd probably be Stave. Another subplot here is whether Wisconsin can surround its quarterback with enough capable receivers. Jared Abbrederis was the team's only consistent threat at receiver last season. It's really important for the Badgers to find a No. 2 and No. 3 option at receiver. But I'm definitely looking forward to the competition. It's unique because so many players have starting experience.

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Brian L. from Baltimore writes: If the PSU sanctions remain as-is (3 more ineligible seasons), how long do you realistically see BO'B staying put? I can't help but think another 8 win season is not in order for next year or two, thus his NFL stock has a high chance of dropping.

Adam Rittenberg: Brian, that's a fair point about Bill O'Brien's NFL stock, but I also wouldn't bet against him after seeing what he did during the final 10 games this season. Penn State's roster situation isn't actually as bad as it seemed to be when the sanctions were outlined, and if the Lions can stay relatively healthy, they should be OK in a mostly weak Leaders division. I think we'll hear O'Brien's name in the NFL mix most seasons, depending on the openings, and I do expect him to eventually make the jump. But it might not be for 3-5 years, which in my view would be a major victory for Penn State. Will some bad seasons at Penn State take O'Brien off of the NFL radar? Maybe, but I don't think so. The guy already was on a path to be an NFL coach, and he showed what he could do as a head coach in 2012. The NFL folks know O'Brien and understand the obstacles he faces at Penn State. I don't see him disappearing from consideration even if Penn State struggles in the near future.

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SGTSparty from Detroit writes: Adam,For years we all knew Penn State as Linebacker U. But the past year or so it seems like the entire B1G has been stacked with excellent LBs. It begs the questions: 1) Do you think the B1G is the best linebacking conference in the NCAA? 2) Which team has/will have the best linebacker in the conference? 3) What about LB corps top to bottom?

Adam Rittenberg: SGT, Big Ten linebackers were absent from most of the All-America teams for the 2012 season. The SEC (Jarvis Jones, C.J. Mosley, Kevin Minter) and Pac-12 (Anthony Barr, Trent Murphy) had better representation than the Big Ten. I thought Penn State's Michael Mauti got snubbed on most of these teams, and while Ohio State's Ryan Shazier put up All-America numbers in Big Ten play, he started a bit slowly. From a depth standpoint, the Big Ten is among the nation's top leagues with its group of linebackers. But the best? Hard to make the case. As to your second question, there are several candidates for the Big Ten's top linebacker: Ohio State's Shazier, Wisconsin's Chris Borland, Michigan State's Max Bullough and Michigan's Jake Ryan are the top four. You can't go wrong with any of these four. I'd probably lean toward Borland and Bullough if I had to choose, although I loved what I saw from Shazier and Ryan this season. Regarding your final question, it comes down to Michigan State and Michigan for the league's top linebacking corps. I'd give the nod to Michigan State with Bullough, Denicos Allen and Taiwan Jones (reserve Kyler Elsworth is solid, too).

Recognizing the top individual performances by Big Ten players in the postseason:

• Minnesota CB Michael Carter: The Gophers senior had two interceptions, a pass break up and seven tackles in Minnesota's 34-31 loss to Texas Tech in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.
• Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell: Playing in perhaps his final collegiate game, the Spartans junior once again carried the offense in a 17-16 win over TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Bell carried 32 times for 145 yards and a touchdown and also threw a pass for 29 yards. He accounted for all but 53 of Michigan State's total yardage.
• Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead: The Huskers' defense struggled, but Burkhead was in beast mode in the 45-31 Capital One Bowl loss to Georgia. Fully healthy for the first time since the opener, Burkhead ran 24 times for 140 yards and a score, and he also had four catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. We can only imagine what kind of numbers he would have put up as a senior had he not dealt with a knee problem all year.
• Michigan WR Jeremy Gallon: The redshirt junior turned in a strong season-ending performance, catching nine passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the Wolverines' 33-28 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. He accounted for nearly 70 percent of Devin Gardner's passing yards.
• Northwestern's secondary: After some shaky moments in the regular season, the Wildcats' pass defense came up large in the 34-20 win over Mississippi State in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl. The Bulldogs threw for only 106 yards and were intercepted four times. Safety Jared Carpenter, who had 10 tackles, was named the game's MVP. Safety Ibraheim Campbell and cornerback Nick VanHoose also had picks. Add in defensive lineman's Quentin Williams' pick six and another interception by linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo, and you have the recipe for Northwestern's first bowl victory since 1949.

Illinois hasn’t won a Big Ten game this season, but that hasn’t deterred the Illini from believing they can knock off rival Northwestern come Saturday.

“Our season wasn’t what we expected and somewhat disappointing,” Illinois senior defensive end Michael Buchanan said. “I would definitely say winning this game would kind of leave a better taste in our mouth. It’s our rivalry. One of the things we talked about before the year was being the best team in our state. That’s an opportunity we have this Saturday.”

From an overall standpoint, Northwestern has been the better team this season. The Wildcats are 8-3 overall and 4-3 in conference and are headed to a bowl game. Illinois is 2-9 overall and 0-7 in conference and its season will be over after Saturday.

Despite those truths, both sides say Saturday’s game is up for grabs.

“At the same time, you can throw the records out,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “You can throw everything out when you get into rivalry games. Sixty minutes playing someone you have a ton of respect for. It should be a heck of a football game.”

Illinois coach Tim Beckman also played up the rivalry aspect.

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Five lessons from the week that was in Big Ten football.

1. There's no stopping Nebraska now: The Cornhuskers were absolutely dominant against Minnesota, racing out to a 38-0 lead before resting their starters in the fourth quarter. That was the kind of complete performance we've been looking for from Nebraska, and while the Gophers are not to be confused with one of the Big Ten's best teams, the fact that the offense limited mistakes and the first-string defense pitched a shutout shows that this team is on the upswing. With as bad as Iowa looked Saturday (and, for that matter, the previous four Saturdays), it would take something really absurd for Nebraska to lose in Iowa City on Black Friday. This team is heading to the Big Ten championship game to face a Wisconsin club it has already beaten, and if Taylor Martinez keeps leading the way he has, it will go on to the Rose Bowl. The Huskers' only losses this season were to 11-0 Ohio State and a UCLA squad that just beat USC to win the Pac-12 South. Not bad at all for Bo Pelini's team.

2. Ohio State is doing something special: There are two undefeated teams left in the country: Notre Dame and Ohio State. The losses by Kansas State and Oregon proved just how difficult it is to go through a season unscathed. The Buckeyes might not have played the strongest schedule in the country, but they still deserve praise for figuring out how to win every week. Saturday was a great example, as Braxton Miller had his first off game of the year, throwing for only 97 yards and rushing for just 48 against a stout Wisconsin defense. Ohio State mustered just one offensive touchdown in regulation on the road. But when overtime came, Miller worked some magic to help the Buckeyes escape for their 11th win of the year. That counts for something, on a day when other top Heisman Trophy candidates struggled and lost. The Buckeyes still must beat Michigan in the finale, which will be no easy task. But if so, they could find themselves as possibly the only undefeated team in the country when the dust clears. That would have Ohio State fans forever wondering what might have happened if the school had self-imposed a bowl ban last year. But there will be no doubt that it was a special, extremely rare accomplishment.

3. Michigan's future looks bright with Devin Gardner at QB: Denard Robinson has been the face of Michigan's program for the past two and a half seasons, and most figured the Wolverines would take a step back on offense after his graduation. The Wolverines couldn't do anything offensively against Nebraska after Robinson aggravated a nerve issue in his throwing elbow. If only Devin Gardner had been ready to step in at Memorial Stadium. Gardner has been brilliant since moving into the starting role, and he turned in an unreal performance Saturday against Iowa. The junior accounted for six touchdowns, running for three and throwing for three, as the Wolverines routed the Hawkeyes to remain perfect at home for the second straight season. He led six consecutive touchdown drives midway through the game. Gardner's presence has allowed Michigan to maximize its talent at receiver, as Jeremy Gallon, Roy Roundtree and Devin Funchess all contributed Saturday. Although Robinson, who started at tailback, is getting healthier, it's clear the future is now for the Michigan offense with Gardner, who provides the balance the Wolverines have been seeking. It'll be interesting to see how he performs this week against a much better defense in The Game, but the long-term outlook for Michigan's offense looks extremely bright, especially if Gardner gets another year of eligibility from the NCAA.

4. Northwestern has developed resiliency: After a heartbreaking loss on the road last week at Michigan, you could have understood if the Wildcats would have had a letdown at Michigan State on Saturday. And once Venric Mark and Kain Colter both left the game in the second half with injuries, the Wildcats had some major work cut out for them against an outstanding Spartans defense. Despite being outgained by more than 100 yards and scoring only one offensive touchdown, however, Northwestern showed major grit by pulling out a 23-20 road win. It did so by causing four turnovers and getting strong defensive performances from Ibraheim Campbell and David Nwabuisi. After all three of the Wildcats' difficult, come-from-ahead losses -- Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan -- they have followed it up with a win the next Saturday. For a young team to show that kind of resiliency is impressive. (Compare that to Michigan State, which just can't get over the hump on a weekly basis.) Instead of lamenting what might have been in those defeats, it's time to celebrate Pat Fitzgerald's bunch, which is a win over woeful Illinois away from a 9-3 season.

5. Home-field dominance no longer there for Badgers, Spartans: Wisconsin and Michigan State took steps toward college football's upper echelon the past two seasons thanks in large part to dominant play at home. The Badgers' success at Camp Randall Stadium is hardly new, yet Wisconsin entered the season on a 16-game home win streak, the second-longest in the country behind LSU. Michigan State, meanwhile, swept its home schedule in each of the past two seasons, including two wins against Wisconsin. But both teams have taken a step back this fall and stumbled where they've been at their best. Wisconsin couldn't translate yards into points against Ohio State and dropped its second consecutive home game for the first time since 2008. It's even worse for Michigan State, which fell 23-20 to Northwestern and went 0-4 in Big Ten home games for the first time since 2006, John L. Smith's final year as coach. At some point, you stop becoming the best [insert record] team in the country and you become a major disappointment. Michigan State deserves the label after making far too many mistakes at Spartan Stadium. While Michigan State and Wisconsin have lost their home dominance, Michigan has reclaimed it under Brady Hoke. The Wolverines have been perfect at the Big House in Hoke's first two seasons.

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."

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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Northwestern wears the "Cardiac Cats" label as a badge of honor.

Few FBS programs find themselves in more close games than Northwestern. Few FBS programs win more close games than the Wildcats. It has been their M.O. for years and years.

"Close games where it's necessary to be clutch and make plays and win going down to the final seconds, that's something we take pride in," senior safety Brian Peters told ESPN.com.

Northwestern entered the season with a 28-9 record in its previous 37 games decided by seven points or fewer. Of its 13 Big Ten victories between 2008-10, 11 came by seven points or fewer. It began the season with, what else, a 7-point victory against Boston College.

The Wildcats simply don't know any other way to win.

But a troubling trend has emerged in the past season and a half -- and it actually stretches back much longer with this program. Northwestern has built big leads, only to watch them evaporate, often at warp speed.

The Wildcats have squandered leads of 17 points or more in three of their past five Big Ten losses (and all three games that star QB Dan Persa played):

• Built 17-0 first-half lead on undefeated Michigan State last year in Evanston; lost 35-27
• Built 21-0 first-half lead on Penn State last year in State College; lost 35-21
• Built 28-10 third-quarter lead on Illinois last Saturday in Champaign; lost 38-35

Northwestern also squandered a fourth-quarter lead in last year's home loss to Purdue, although it was only four points.

Still, it's fair to ask: Has Northwestern has lost its crunch-time mojo?

"It's a little bit law of the averages," said coach Pat Fitzgerald, who is 19-10 at Northwestern in games decided by seven points or fewer. "At the end of the day, we've won a ton of football games that way. When you come off losing one that way, the sky's falling and I should change my socks and not eat steak anymore and eat chicken like Jobu and all that stuff."

Jobu needs a refill, and so does Northwestern after the Illinois game, where it squandered the 18-point lead, only to regain a 35-31 edge with 1:15 left before allowing the game-winning touchdown.

Fitzgerald and Peters chalk up last Saturday's collapse to poor execution, particularly against Illinois' passing attack. The Illini repeatedly used play-action passes to A.J. Jenkins, who racked up a team-record 268 receiving yards on 12 catches.

"We gave up two touchdowns on three plays," Fitzgerald said, referring to Jenkins' touchdown catches of 50 and 33 yards. "You lose momentum on the road in the Big Ten, it's tough, it's real tough. We made it real hard on ourselves."

Northwestern's problems last Saturday aren't hard to diagnose. Fitzgerald called it "some young players making some young mistakes," and while he didn't name names, safety Ibraheim Campbell and cornerback Jeravin Matthews, both first-year starters, made their share.

Peters, a three-year starter, said part of the learning process as a defensive back is getting beat a few times and finding ways to bounce back.

But is there a bigger issue here? Why has Northwestern been so good in close games and so uncomfortable with big leads? In 2006, Fitzgerald's first season, the Wildcats were on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in NCAA history, as their 38-3 lead turned into a 41-38 loss to Michigan State. The previous December, at the Sun Bowl, Northwestern stormed out to a 22-0 lead against UCLA but saw it completely vanish by halftime.

"I'd like to be able to explain it and give you a simple solution," Peters said. "We're effective in those high-pressure situations, but we have to grow as a team and learn how to play with a lead and learn how to, no matter what the score is, play with our backs against the wall and know that every down and every series is for the game.

"We're taking control as leaders and coaches, and we're looking to fix it."

Saturday night would be a good time to do it. Northwestern hosts No. 12 Michigan in the first of three night games. Denard Robinson and his teammates are likely salivating to face a Wildcats defense that allowed 381 rush yards in a loss to Army and 391 pass yards in the loss to Illinois.

But Northwestern has a penchant for knocking off ranked teams, almost always in dramatic fashion.

"I'm sure the Cardiac Cats will strike again," Peters said. "We're going to try to get a win this Saturday, and if it has to be in dramatic fashion, that's our style anyway, so why not?"