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Want to ask ESPN RecruitingNation senior analyst Tom Luginbill a question about your team? Tweet it to @TomLuginbill using the hashtag #AskLoogs.

@TomLuginbill Does an incident like the Pelini tape have a potential effect good or bad on recruits, or is it a non-issue? #AskLoogs

— Devin Tejral (@Huskers5times) September 25, 2013

It certainly can’t help because it brings negative publicity and attention to the program, and as this program stands right now, it has enough to deal with without any other distractions piling on.

In all honesty, I don’t believe prospects place much stock in this kind of stuff. They place far more stock in how the program is performing, the overall national perception of the program, relationships with coaches who are recruiting them and -- more than anything at the end of the day -- they care about winning. Nebraska has resources, they have a great fan base and they have a long-standing tradition of excellence as a university. What they are struggling with right now is relevancy as a result of a diminished player pool and lack of productivity on the field, particularly on defense.

Times have changed and moving out of the Big 12 has hurt their recruiting efforts in Texas, in our opinion. Perception is everything in the eyes of prospects and that is something Nebraska is battling right now. Since the advent of cable television, Nebraska’s national identity has slowly diminished over time because in this day and age just about everybody goes to a bowl and plays on TV. A luxury Nebraska and a few other programs owned for decades is no longer an advantage.

Any incidents related to Bo Pelini’s actions only adds fuel to the fire, unfortunately.

The baseball postseason starts today. Who ya got? (Hint: birds on a bat).

• Adjusting on defense will be key for Ohio State's trip to Northwestern. Christian Bryant's father is encouraged by all the support for the injured Buckeyes safety. Urban Meyer won't ever apologize for going into win-the-game mode.
• Northwestern is relishing this week's big-game atmosphere at home. Teammates are confident that Venric Mark will play this week. Pat Fitzgerald answered a reporter's phone.
• Michigan's offensive line is still in flux as it gets ready for Minnesota. Brady Hoke wants to get a second running back some early work versus Minnesota. Jake Ryan could potentially return at Penn State.
• Silas Redd's decision to transfer to USC backfired. Indiana-Penn State is a big game for both sides. Bill Belton has left 2012 behind him.
• Here are five wins to remember from Kirk Ferentz's success against Michigan State. Defense should rule the day in Iowa City.
• Michigan State is mixing and matching on the offensive line. Jamal Lyles is starting to make a difference at tight end for the Spartans.
• Nebraska defensive end Greg McMullen, an Ohio native, is eager for Big Ten play. The Huskers are confident in their quarterback situation despite health questions around Taylor Martinez.
• Minnesota got a commitment from a 2014 linebacker. The Daily Gopher asks some uncomfortable questions about Jerry Kill's team.
• Indiana has a tough road ahead as Big Ten play opens for the Hoosiers. Kevin Wilson went back to the drawing board during the bye week (subscription required).
• High praise is coming Illinois offensive coordinator Bill Cubit's way. Tight ends have taken on a larger role in the Illini offense. Big Ten losing streak? What Big Ten losing streak?
• Wisconsin has almost no margin of error in its quest to repeat as Big Ten champs. Gary Andersen feels good about the health of his team during the bye week and said star running back Melvin Gordon would be ready to play next week. Andersen is trying to learn from last week's loss.
• The bye week did not start off well for Purdue, as two young receivers were arrested on suspicion of theft.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Taylor Martinez is coming back. It’ll happen.

Maybe not this week, though. And don’t be shocked if he sits for a good portion of October.

Reading between the lines of Bo Pelini’s comments on Monday, the Nebraska coach appears ready to err on the side of caution in determining the right time for the return on his senior quarterback from a turf-toe injury.

On Sept. 21, Martinez, who has more than 10,000 yards of total offense to his credit among dozens of school records, missed his first game since 2010 as freshman Tommy Armstrong and senior Ron Kellogg III filled in nicely to direct a 59-20 win over South Dakota State.

Since then, Martinez has not practiced. He’s getting closer to 100 percent, Pelini said.

“It’s still to be determined,” Pelini said Monday of the starting assignment against the Illini Saturday (noon ET, ESPNU).

That’s coachspeak.

This from Pelini is not: “I would assume Taylor wants to play. But at the same time, I deal with doctors and trainers. Taylor knows. We’ve talked to him. We’re not putting him out there until I know he’s going to feel 100 percent and can execute our offense at 100 percent.”

Pelini’s thinking represents something of a change from early in the season, when Martinez played at less than 100 percent. His rushing figures decreased each week, from 80 yards against Wyoming to 34 on just six carries against Southern Miss to minus-13 against UCLA.

Martinez is the second-leading active rusher among FBS players with 2,959 career yards, trailing only James White of Wisconsin. When Martinez presents little or no threat to run, his entire game suffers.

You saw it in the second half against UCLA, and it’s why you might not see him in uniform at Memorial Stadium this week.

“You’ve got to be able to put your foot in the ground and go,” Pelini said. “That’s a big part of our offense.”

Martinez won’t return, Pelini said, “until he shows us that he’s ready, willing and able to do that.”

Likely, there’s more at work here. Nebraska is excited about the prospects of Armstrong, the heir apparent to Martinez, who looked ready, willing and able to do it all in his first start, albeit against the FCS-level Jackrabbits. And Kellogg provides a stabilizing, veteran presence.

As a duo, they work.

Additionally, look at the schedule. After upstart Illinois, the Huskers travel to 1-4 Purdue before another bye week. The Huskers need a healthy Martinez for the stretch run that starts Oct. 26 with Minnesota and includes Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.

Pelini said he feels better about Armstrong and Kellogg than he did before they directed Nebraska to its first-ever 300-yard rushing, 300-yard passing game against SDSU.

“I have a lot of confidence in those guys,” Pelini said. “I think they are both good players. I know we’ll play well around them, too, whatever gives us the best chance to win the football game. We’ll have somebody who is physically and mentally ready to roll at that position.”

Offensive guard Spencer Long said he knew from their practice reps that Armstrong and Kellogg could handle the job.

“It’s really just a matter of doing it in front of 92,000 people,” Long said. “They showed that they could.”

For his part, Kellogg said he’s preparing to start, though Pelini said if Martinez can’t go, Armstrong would probably remain as the first to play.

As for Martinez, he has handled the waiting time of past two weeks, according to Kellogg, “like an adult.”

Don’t be surprised if the wait continues.

Want to talk about last weekend's games or the big ones coming up this Saturday? Well, come on by my Big Ten Monday chat, and we'll discuss all of it.

The chat kicks off in less than an hour, at 3 p.m. ET. Here's the link. See you there.

The Big Ten and its television partners have finalized kickoff times and TV plans for the games of Week 7 (Oct. 12).

Here they are:

Noon ET

• Indiana at Michigan State, ESPN2
• Nebraska at Purdue, Big Ten Network

3:30 p.m. ET

• Northwestern at Wisconsin, ABC regional (ESPN or ESPN2 in outer markets)

5 p.m. ET

• Michigan at Penn State, ESPN

Open weeks: Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota

Linking back and linking forward ...

• Tom Dienhart's Big Ten lessons from Week 5 and latest power rankings.
• Ohio State is the king of the Big Ten after its win against Wisconsin. Some good observations on Ohio State's big win. It doesn't appear that Buckeyes safety Christian Bryant can receive a medial redshirt. Braxton's back in a big way.
• Wisconsin's path back to Indianapolis for the league title game has narrowed. The open week gives the Badgers a much-needed chance to regroup.
• It's too bad the annual Ohio State-Wisconsin series will end, Bob Hunter writes.
• Iowa might be a better team than it realizes, Mike Hlas writes, and it's certainly better than advertised, Andrew Logue writes. Hawkeyes QB Jake Rudock puts the pieces together.
• Minnesota coach Jerry Kill defends his decision to stick with Philip Nelson at quarterback. Third down isn't the money down for Minnesota these days. The Gophers' lack of Big Ten experience showed up Saturday.
• The national spotlight will be on Northwestern this week. The Wildcats need to win a shootout to beat the Buckeyes. Former Northwestern coach Gary Barnett will be on hand for the game.
• Lessons from Illinois' dominant win against Miami (Ohio). Illinois shouldn't take Saturday's strong performance for granted.
• Nebraska simply must win and advance during October to set up a pivotal November, Sam McKewon writes. Huskers WR Kenny Bell deals with adversity on and off the field this fall. A new movie tells the story of Nebraska's passionate fan base.
• Purdue's mistakes are piling up with the losses this season. It will be a long climb for Darrell Hazell's Boilers. The grades for Purdue's latest setback not surprisingly aren't good. Boilers freshman QB Danny Etling shows promise in his debut but is far from satisfied.
• Mark Snyder explores whether Michigan's offense or defense is the stronger unit. The Wolverines fall in the AP poll despite not playing.
• Graham Couch explains why MSU is more than a basketball school. Despite continued issues on offense, Michigan State is improving this year. More on why Alabama pulled out of the series with MSU and other schedule notes.
• Penn State recruit Daquan Worley continues to turn heads this season. Grading the Lions after nonleague play. A look at where Penn State's transfers are now. It's a new ball game for PSU coach Bill O'Brien.
• Indiana added 19 walk-ons over the weekend.

How much heartburn can one team and one fan base take?

That's one of the lingering questions from Week 5 for Wisconsin, which dropped another close game Saturday in a 31-24 loss to Ohio State. That's 10 defeats by seven points or less since the start of 2011 for the Badgers, who have done this so much that we're starting to see reruns.

Prime example: Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller's 40-yard touchdown pass to Corey Brown with one second to go in the first half covered the same distance as Miller's game-winning heave in the last half Wisconsin played in the Horseshoe, back in 2011. This time, safety Dezmen Southward was late in providing help after cornerback Peniel Jean peeled off, making an inexcusable mistake by letting a receiver get free in the end zone on the half's final snap.

“It’s basically a play that shouldn’t ever happen,” Southward said afterward.

The Badgers also had two potential Ohio State turnovers negated by penalties, one on a face-mask call that didn't look like a face-mask violation on replay and the other on an illegal punt formation. Kicker Kyle French also missed a 32-yard field goal -- the same distance he was being set up for at Arizona State.

The late-game problems can't really be blamed on the head coach's late-game management. Gary Andersen had his team in position to win at Arizona State until the officials botched the final seconds. On Saturday, he elected to have his team punt on fourth-and-1 from its own 17 with under seven minutes left, while trailing by 14 points. At the time, that looked like a potential mistake. But Wisconsin got the ball right back and scored a touchdown with 2:05 left.

The Badgers then tried a pooch onside kick that Bradley Roby had to knock out of bounds. In retrospect, with all three timeouts remaining, Andersen could have just kicked off and potentially gotten better field position after his defense held for a three-and-out. But it was a totally understandable call to try to get the ball back on the road.

Meanwhile, every decision seems to continue working out for Urban Meyer in his 17-game winning streak. I thought Meyer was a little more conservative than normal on Saturday night. It was very surprising, for instance, to see him not go for it on fourth and 2 from the Wisconsin 45 in the first half, instead trying the lame "Let's-try-to-draw-them-offside" technique before punting. Ohio State also played it safe in the fourth quarter instead of going for the kill shot. Miller's wounded duck pass before the touchdown at the end of the half should have been picked off.

But the Buckeyes -- who scored only seven points in the second half -- again came away unscathed. They have become the anti-Wisconsin, having won six games by seven or fewer points since the start of last season.

Badgers fans have to wonder when their heartburn will finally be soothed.

Take that and rewind it back …

Team of the week: Ohio State. The Buckeyes got their first major challenge of the season and pulled through in a tough game against Wisconsin. The environment in the Horseshoe was electric from start to finish and included a visit from LeBron James and this amazing halftime show by TBDBITL (try not to be impressed by the formation around the 4:30 mark). Seventeen in a row and counting.

Worst hangover: Minnesota. The Gophers thought they had made progress in getting ready for the rigors of Big Ten play and that this year's 4-0 start meant more than last year's. Instead, they got manhandled by Iowa in game No. 5 just like last season, leading to questions about what really has changed for this program.

Big Man on Campus (offense): We usually don't single out players from teams who lost for this honor, but the best effort we saw this past weekend came from Wisconsin receiver Jared Abbrederis. Ohio State thought it could slow down the Badgers' only notable receiving threat by putting All-America cornerback Roby on him. Not close. Abbrederis finished with 10 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown. His Twitter handle is @abbrecadabra, and how he keeps getting so open might just be magic.

Big Man on Campus (defense): Iowa linebacker James Morris had an outstanding game against Minnesota, recording eight tackles, a sack and an interception and leading the defensive effort that limited the Gophers to just 165 total yards. "He plays the way I expect him to,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “He’s a complete football player. Nobody prepares any harder, works any harder. He does things you would hope anybody would do. And he backs it up every Saturday." Ohio State's Ryan Shazier and Wisconsin's Chris Borland also had standout games, but what else is new in this star-studded linebacker league?

Big Man on Campus (special teams): Ohio State punter Cameron Johnston placed all six of his punts inside the Wisconsin 20-yard line and five of those inside the 10, helping the Buckeyes maintain great field position most of the night. The Badgers managed just three return yards on punts. "Our punt team is solid, and that's probably the star of our special teams," Meyer said.

Fun with numbers (via ESPN Stats & Info): Ohio State’s Miller was 9-for-11 for 107 yards and had three of his four passing touchdowns off play-action Saturday. He has completed more passes off run fakes against Wisconsin (17) in his career than any other opponent. … Meanwhile, Badgers QB Joel Stave threw the ball 25 times without using play-action and completed just 13. It was only the third game in the last four seasons that a Wisconsin quarterback attempted at least 25 passes without a run fake; the Badgers have lost all three of them. … Illinois' Nathan Scheelhaase has completed 21 passes that have gone for at least 20 yards. That's tops in the Big Ten and tied for eighth in the nation. … Remember how frustrating it was to watch Iowa continually come up short of the sticks on third down last season? That's not the case this year for the improved Hawkeyes. They're converting on 52.5 percent of their third-down tries, good for 13th best in the country. … Northwestern has scored 83 points off turnovers in four games, the most in the nation. … Purdue's opponents have committed just 12 penalties in five games, second fewest of any team in the FBS. The Boilers' penalty margin is the worst in the country, as they have committed 30 themselves for a minus-18 margin.

The first truly significant Big Ten game of 2013 is in the books, and Ohio State, thanks to the return of quarterback Braxton Miller and a stout run defense, found a way to prevail. As a reward, the Buckeyes remain atop the Big Ten power rankings heading into another showdown this week at Northwestern.

It's not much consolation to Wisconsin or its fans, but there might not be a better two-loss team in the FBS than the Badgers, who displayed a lot of fight in Columbus even after top running back Melvin Gordon injured his knee. We've been more impressed with Wisconsin than 4-0 Michigan or 3-1 Nebraska, so we're keeping the Badgers in the No. 3 hole for now.

Iowa makes a major move up the rankings after its impressive win in Minneapolis, while the Gophers take a tumble.

Half of the Big Ten spent Saturday on the couch, so there wasn't much movement in the power rankings.

One last look at last week's rankings.

And away we go ...

1. Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten; last week: 1): Welcome back, Mr. Miller. The Ohio State quarterback returned to the field with a bang Saturday night, firing four touchdown passes and completing 17 of 25. Carlos Hyde also seemingly has reclaimed his place atop the running back depth chart, and Ohio State's young defense took a step against Wisconsin's power run game Saturday night. The Buckeyes now must figure out how to replace standout safety Christian Bryant as they face another test this week at Northwestern.

2. Northwestern (4-0, last week: 2): After two uninspiring performances against weak competition, Northwestern knows it must elevate its play significantly against Ohio State in what will be the most anticipated game of the Pat Fitzgerald era. Expect running back Venric Mark to return against the Buckeyes, as Northwestern will need its zone-read game to be in top form to keep pace with Ohio State on the scoreboard.

3. Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1; last week: 3): Credit the Badgers for a strong effort in Columbus despite a shaky start, a disastrous end to the first half and the loss of running back Melvin Gordon to a knee injury. But Wisconsin once again came up just short on the road. Despite another single-digit loss, Wisconsin can take away some positives from Columbus, namely the play of quarterback Joel Stave and wide receiver Jared Abbrederis. But the Badgers, who are off this week, will need some help if they want to return to Indianapolis.

4. Michigan (4-0, last week: 4): No team needed the off week more than Michigan, which had plenty to clean up following near disasters against Akron and Connecticut. Quarterback Devin Gardner's decision-making skills will be under the microscope against Minnesota, and the Wolverines' line play also will be in the spotlight against a Gophers team that has improved up front.

5. Nebraska (3-1, last week: 5): No one wants to hear Bo Pelini talk about execution anymore. It's time for Nebraska's defense to show some improvement, or it will be a long Big Ten season in Lincoln. After an open week, the Blackshirts will face a good test from Nathan Scheelhaase and an Illinois offense that doesn't resemble the unit we saw last season. Quarterback Taylor Martinez's health will be an interesting story line this week.

6: Iowa (4-1, 1-0; last week: 9): We knew Iowa was an improved team, but we needed a little more validation. Kirk Ferentz's crew provided it Saturday with a dominant performance against Minnesota to ruin its rival's homecoming. The offense is significantly better behind quarterback Jake Rudock and running back Mark Weisman, and an opportunistic defense shut down Minnesota's run game and controlled the line of scrimmage. Iowa is minutes away from being undefeated and returns home to play Michigan State with a bunch of momentum.

7. Michigan State (3-1, last week: 7): The Spartans had a familiar to-do list during their open week -- fix the offense. Coach Mark Dantonio is sticking with Connor Cook as his starting quarterback, but Dantonio clearly wants to see more plays made from the signal-caller. Michigan State's offensive line can build off its performance at Notre Dame, but the Spartans need some chunk plays.

8. Penn State (3-1, last week: 8): Bill O'Brien once again has the offense moving, as the Nittany Lions' run game looks strong and freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg is performing beyond his years. The bigger questions remain on defense, as Penn State rebounded against a woeful Kent State offense but must show it can contain more explosive attacks. The good news is we'll find out as Penn State opens Big Ten play against four strong offenses, starting this week at Indiana.

9. Illinois (3-1, last week: 10): Here come the Illini. The biggest surprise in the Big Ten completed nonleague play at 3-1 and heads to Nebraska with a lot of confidence, particularly on offense. Scheelhaase takes aim at a vulnerable Huskers defense after firing five first-half touchdown passes and finishing with 278 pass yards on 19-of-24. The big question now is, can he follow it up against a major-conference team after struggling against Washington? Illinois already has exceeded last year's wins total.

10. Minnesota (4-1, last week: 6): The Gophers take a tumble after a horrendous performance on homecoming against Iowa. It seems like Minnesota was a product of a weak nonleague schedule, as some of the small problems that surfaced against weaker competition became big problems against Iowa, which dominated the Gophers at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Philip Nelson struggled mightily and didn't get much help from the run game. After Mitch Leidner provided a spark in Week 4, it will be interesting to see what Jerry Kill does at quarterback going forward.

11. Indiana (2-2, last week: 11): A regrouping week was in order for Indiana after nearly nothing went right against Missouri. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld must rebound from his first real brush with adversity (three interceptions). Indiana's defense faces another balanced attack in Penn State after failing to stop Missouri on the ground or through the air. After sluggish starts in both of its losses, IU needs a strong first quarter against the Lions.

12. Purdue (1-4, 0-1; last week: 12): The misery continues for Darrell Hazell's crew, but there's a reason to watch the Boilers for the rest of the season. The Danny Etling era is underway, as Hazell opted to burn the quarterback's redshirt after Rob Henry continued to struggle. Etling showed some promise in Purdue's loss to Northern Illinois, as the offense racked up 524 yards. An open week comes at a good time for the beleaguered Boilers and their young quarterback.

As most of the Big Ten watched Week 5 from the couch -- six teams had open weeks -- there wasn't too much movement in the polls.

Two of the Big Ten's ranked teams squared off in Columbus, and Ohio State prevailed by a touchdown, holding steady at No. 4 and No. 3, respectively, in the AP and coaches' polls.

Wisconsin paid a price for its second setback of the young season, falling out of both polls. We happen to think the Badgers are better than several ranked one-loss teams out there, but the voters look for reasons to drop teams, and Wisconsin's losses provide an out.

Northwestern moves up a spot in both polls, rising to No. 16 in the AP and No. 15 in the coaches', heading into this week's home showdown against Ohio State. Michigan moves up in the coaches' but drops in the AP, thanks to Florida's improved play, while Nebraska returns to the coaches' poll at No. 25.

Iowa's four-game win streak has earned the Hawkeyes a vote in the coaches' poll, while the voters aren't quite as sold on Illinois' surprising start.

Future Big Ten member Maryland cracks the AP Poll at No. 25, while Rutgers is receiving votes in both polls.

Here's how the league stacks up in both major polls:

AP

No. 4 Ohio State
No. 16 Northwestern
No. 19 Michigan

Receiving votes: Wisconsin (28th), Nebraska (29th), Michigan State (33rd)

Coaches

No. 3 Ohio State
No. 15 Northwestern
No. 17 Michigan
No. 25 Nebraska

Receiving votes: Wisconsin (28th), Michigan State (33rd), Iowa (T-36th)

Half of the league was off in Week 5, and Ohio State maintained its perch atop the league, so we didn't make too many changes in the projections.

Wisconsin is among the nation's best two-loss teams and could run the table the rest of the way, putting itself in position for a possible BCS at-large berth. But right now, it's still hard to put two Big Ten teams in BCS bowls, at least until we see more from Northwestern and Michigan.

Illinois and Iowa were two of the three eligible Big Ten teams to miss the postseason in 2012. Although the Illini and Hawkeyes have some work left to go bowling, we expect both to be somewhere warm in late December or early January. Tim Beckman's Illini (3-1) already have exceeded last year's wins total, while the Hawkeyes are 4-1 with a bunch of momentum heading into the meat of their Big Ten schedule.

Minnesota remains in the projections, but just barely. Although the Gophers need only two more wins to become eligible, they play a brutal schedule the rest of the way and didn't look ready for Big Ten action on Saturday against Iowa. It may take a signature win for Jerry Kill's crew to go bowling once again.

Rose Bowl presented by VIZIO, Jan. 1: Ohio State
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1: Michigan
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Wisconsin
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 1: Nebraska
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Dec. 28: Northwestern
Texas Bowl, Dec. 27: Michigan State
Heart of Dallas Bowl, Jan. 1: Iowa
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26: Illinois
At-large bowl: Minnesota

Five lessons from four games in Week 5. Got that?

Let's go ...

1. Ohio State's young defense is growing up: Lost amid the Braxton Miller-Kenny Guiton debate this week was the fact a mostly young Ohio State defense with only one returning starter in the front seven would be put to the test by Melvin Gordon, James White and the formidable Wisconsin run game. The young Bucks certainly earned a passing grade after holding Wisconsin to just 104 yards on 27 carries. Gordon's knee injury limited the Badgers, but Ohio State prevented big runs and forced Wisconsin to win the game through the air. Linebacker Ryan Shazier shined, while linebacker Curtis Grant and lineman Michael Bennett both recorded sacks. The loss of safety Christian Bryant to a season-ending ankle injury is a big blow, but Ohio State has enough talent in the secondary to make up for it, as long as they don't run into Jared Abbrederis again soon. Ohio State's offense will win plenty of games, but you know what they say about defenses and championship. These might not be the typical Silver Bullets, but they're developing and can build on Saturday's performance as they face an even another formidable offense in Northwestern next week.

2. Wisconsin is an excellent 56-minute team: Gary Andersen's crew showed plenty of grit Saturday night in Columbus. Quarterback Joel Stave quieted some of his critics -- thanks in large part to a career performance from Abbrederis (10 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD) -- and linebacker Chris Borland was brilliant, as usual. But Wisconsin's inability to finish off halves remains a troubling trend, and it surfaced in the loss to Ohio State. The Badgers trailed by only three points when freshman cornerback Sojourn Shelton dropped an easy interception near the goal line. Miller found Philly Brown for a 40-yard touchdown on the next play, giving Ohio State a huge boost with one second left in the half. Wisconsin struggled to manage the clock down the stretch as its comeback attempt fell short. This isn't a team built to come back in games based on the pass game, and it showed. Coupled with the Arizona State debacle (granted, more officiating than execution), Wisconsin has had a lot of bad things happen at critical moments. That's what could separate the Badgers from a fourth consecutive Big Ten title.

3. Iowa will be a factor in the Legends Division: The Hawkeyes might not be a great team yet, but it's clear they are vastly improved from last season. On Saturday, Iowa went into Minnesota and pushed the Gophers around on their home turf, piling up 464 total yards and allowing only 30 rushing yards in a 23-7 win. The pig will return to Iowa City, but even more importantly, the hogs up front are getting it done in classic Kirk Ferentz fashion. Iowa has rushed for at least 200 yards in every game this season and went for 246 against a Minnesota defense that thought it had made strides in that area. This team has an identity, and it starts with the power running game led by Mark Weisman and a solid offensive line. Quarterback Jake Rudock has shown an ability to extend plays, and Iowa even got an explosive play in the passing game when Damond Powell took a short pass 74 yards to paydirt. The defense is also playing well right now; the Gophers' only score came after a long kickoff return. The Hawkeyes are 4-1 and gets Michigan State at home next week, while Northwestern and Michigan still must come to Kinnick Stadium. The schedule is difficult the rest of the way, but Iowa will have a big say in who wins the Legends.

4. Nathan Scheelhaase is the Big Ten's most improved player: A year ago, Scheelhaase was sputtering at the helm of one of the nation's worst offenses, hardly resembling the player who had shown promise as a freshman and during the first part of his sophomore season. No Big Ten player has made bigger strides in the past season than the Illinois senior quarterback, who threw five first-half touchdown passes Saturday against Miami (Ohio) and finished with 278 pass yards on 19 of 24 attempts. Scheelhaase leads the Big Ten in passing yards and is second in touchdowns (12), tripling his total from last season. He's just five touchdown passes shy of his single-season best and 15 shy of Kurt Kittner's single-season team record. Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit deserves a lot of credit for Scheelhaase's surge -- and that of the entire Illini offense -- but Scheelhaase clearly is back on track after a year and a half in the dark. It will be interesting to see what he does this week against Nebraska's shaky defense.

5. Future starts now for Etling, Purdue: Darrell Hazell stuck with senior quarterback Rob Henry through this season's early offensive struggles, but the Purdue coach realized it was time for a change Saturday against Northern Illinois. The last straw was Henry's second interception of the first half, a terribly thrown floater into the Huskies' end zone. That prompted Hazell to give the reins over to true freshman Danny Etling, the prized former recruit who made his collegiate debut. This was no fairy tale, so Etling didn't lead the Boilermakers to a comeback victory. He threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, and narrowly avoided another one. But Etling (19-for-39, 241 yards) did show good mobility and flashed his strong arm, especially on his first career touchdown pass, a 16-yarder to Cameron Posey. The offense will have more of a chance to stretch the field with him under center. Quarterback is hardly the only problem for Purdue, which got housed 55-24 at home by a MAC team and might have a hard time finding another win this season. But while Boilers fans don't like to see the words "Danny" and "hope" in the same sentence, Etling at least gives them something to look forward to as Hazell tries to work the program out of this mess.

Some questions and answers before Week 5 kicks off.

Don't forget: Twitter!

To the inbox ...

Eric from Los Angeles writes: Hi Adam, love the blog. Is this the most open you have ever seen the Big Ten? Call me crazy, but I'm not completely sold on OSU this year. I could see up to 6 teams with a legit chance of winning the Big Ten Championship. OSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern. Thoughts?

Adam Rittenberg: Eric, I'll have a better answer for you in two weeks, as Ohio State will have played both Wisconsin and Northwestern. If the Buckeyes blow out both the Badgers and Wildcats, it's hard not to consider them the clear-cut favorite to win the league, as we all thought entering the season. If Ohio State loses one of the next two games, the race should be pretty wide open. Every Big Ten team has some type of flaw, but Ohio State could have fewer than the others, as well as more talent. We'll soon find out.

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Georgie from Augusta, Ga., writes: Adam, As a nuclear engineer, and I appreciate how close your name is to "Atom". As much as I am completely against paying the student-athletes, do you think it might be prudent to pay student-athletes for revenue generating sports a flat salary of, let's say, $9.00 an hour for practice and game time? That way, the student-athletes get a bit of money, and the school has a way to keep a cap on the amount they are paying the players. Using this method, the football players would cost the school $1,080,000 (on top of all the other money spent on them) assuming the student-athletes put in 25 hours of 'work' a week, there are 120 players on the football team, and practice 40 weeks of the year. Your thoughts?

Rittenberg: Maybe I'll change my name to Atom. Sounds cooler. The problem with your plan is limiting the salaries only to athletes who play revenue-generating sports. Leagues would open themselves up to Title IX issues, potential lawsuits from athletes who play other sports, etc. Those athletes, by the way, put in a lot of time, too. It's why if and when scholarship values increase, it will be for all full-scholarship athletes. The leagues clearly can afford this and the Big Ten has been on board with it for a few years.

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Brian from Raleigh, N.C., writes: On Jim Delany's comments on paying student athletes, isn't there something inconsistent about heralding a century-old student-athlete model, and simultaneously wielding the Big Ten conference as a money-making machine? He's saying student-athletes shouldn't be able to make money off of football or even control their own images after graduation, but the Big Ten conference and schools can make as much money off the athletes as the market will support. Isn't there something morally shaky about that argument? I'm all for an NFL D-league that offers a for-pay alternative to talented athletes. That seems to solve a lot of problems, and take a lot of pressure off academic institutions. But so long as the schools and major conferences are enjoying unprecedented revenue from the Big Ten Network and other TV deals, there are going to be students who feel that they have earned some portion of that revenue. If Delany isn't willing to negotiate on that point, he needs to be prepared to give up his cable network, give up the league's exposure in other sports media, and impose coaching salary caps and facilities spending caps to keep Big Ten athletics affordable. The alternative-- "We can make as much money off of you as we want but you have to live out the ideals of student athletics"-- is incredibly disgusting and hypocritical.

Rittenberg: Some good points, Brian. Delany's response would be that there were great college players in the 1940s, the 1950s, the 1960s and so on, just like there are great players today. They come and go. The reason the Big Ten makes money is because of its brand and the brands it represents. The platform is the reason revenues are going up, not because players are so much better now than they were 15 years ago. He would say the Big Ten gets rich because of what Big Ten football means, because of what Big Ten football has created over the years. If you want to be a part of this platform, you have to agree to the collegial model. If you want to go pro, you can. He also is willing to negotiate on the value of scholarships, but he doesn't want a system with agents and contracts and endorsements. It would get out of hand.

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Cory from Dallas writes: How do athletes and their families not realize how much they are actually getting? Everyone is constantly complaining about increased tuition and costs associated with school and these athletes don't have to worry about that but they are still complaining. I am all for giving kids getting access to the school supplies and textbooks they need but handing a kid extra money will only lead to more problems. The amount of benefit these kids are obtaining by getting a scholarship is huge and I just don't understand how they don't see that. I wish I didn't have school loans to pay for now but I chose to walk onto a team because I wanted to play a sport. If a kid wants to get paid that bad go straight to the pros, find a semi-pro league or get a trainer. Going to college on a scholarship means a free education, free room and board, free access to a trainer and high end weight room, the chance to play in front of thousands and also a laundry list of other benefits (which includes getting some of their laundry done for them). People need a reality check.

Rittenberg: Cory, thanks for your perspective. I think the value of a scholarship can go a bit further, and by increasing it across the board for every full-scholarship athlete, male or female, you satisfy Title IX and prevent further fairness issues. The big, rich conferences can do this and shouldn't be held back by the smaller, poorer ones. There are some costs currently not covered that should be, to help out the athletes and their families. But beyond that, I don't see a pay-for-play system being feasible.

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Brian from Atlanta writes: Adam, since (Barry) Alvarez arrived at WI, OSU is 12-6-1 against WI but only 12-10-1 against MI. In addition, OSU is 13-7 against PSU. WI has been the 3rd biggest threat to OSU over that period. There have been years when WI was the bigger threat, but overall it is still clearly MI.

Rittenberg: Some good numbers to present, Brian. If you're going solely by head-to-head, Penn State is probably the biggest threat to Ohio State, as the Lions have performed better against the Buckeyes in recent years than either Michigan or Wisconsin. But if you go by conference titles won, Wisconsin clearly has been the biggest threat in recent years. The Badgers have won or shared three consecutive Big Ten titles and boast five titles since 1998. In the same span, Michigan has won or shared four titles and none since 2004. Penn State has only two titles (both vacated). I think you have to take both factors -- head-to-head, overall league titles won -- when sizing up which team is Ohio State's biggest threat.

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John from Las Vegas writes: One of the bright spots of the Husker Defense this year has been SJB's knack for intercepting the football. His size (ESPN has him listed at 6'3" and 220lbs) is abnormal for a corner…do you foresee him continuing his success in Big Ten play? Or even projecting to the NFL like Richard Sherman in Seattle?

Rittenberg: John, you're absolutely right that Stanley Jean-Baptiste has been a bright spot for a mostly porous Nebraska defense this season. The former wide receiver is tied for the national lead with four interceptions. Although I still put SJB a notch below Bradley Roby and Darqueze Dennard in the ranks of Big Ten cornerbacks, his stock undoubtedly is on the rise. I think he'll continue to make plays during the Big Ten season, although quarterbacks might think twice about challenging him. I like the Sherman size comparison and will see if Jean-Baptiste looks to Sherman as a model for getting to the next level.

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Dave from Whitehall, Mich., writes: My question is the OC Position at Michigan State. Given 2 facts - 1) MSU has floundered offensively since his departure and 2) no real progress or success for Treadwell as a head coach, is it out of the question to bring him back as "THE" OC at MSU? Maybe that would keep Narduzzi around until MD retires and be promoted to the head coaching job in E Lansing?

Rittenberg: Dave, don't you think Michigan State's offense downturn has more to do with Kirk Cousins than Don Treadwell? Nothing against Treadwell, but the Spartans were fine offensively in 2011 when Cousins led them to the Big Ten championship game. I thought Treadwell did some good things at MSU, especially after Mark Dantonio had his health scare in 2010. But I've always felt Michigan State's offensive issues go back to a middling line and the inability to develop enough perimeter weapons. I believe going to the spread offense would help Michigan State close the talent gap in some areas. Treadwell could be looking for a new job if things don't turn around fast at Miami, but I'd be surprised if Michigan State brings him back. And I don't think Treadwell's presence has any bearing on whether Narduzzi stays or goes. Narduzzi wants to be a head coach and should get an opportunity soon.

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Rob from Morristown, N.J., writes: Adam, in a recent article regarding Penn State's sanctions reduction, there was mention that the B1G Conference in conjunction with Sen. Mitchell proposed to the NCAA to reduce the sanctions, per Sen. Mitchell's initial recommendations. If that is true, at what point might the B1G decide to lift their own ban on PSU from being eligible to play for the Conference Championship? If the NCAA decides, down the road, to reduce the post season sanctions, is that the key driver for the B1G conference following suit and reducing the ban on playing in the Conference Championship game. Seems to me the conference reacted to follow the NCAA's punishment, now that the B1G may have been at the forefront of helping to reduce the sanctions, might they be proactive in reducing the number of years PSU is banned from playing in the conference championship game, without waiting on the NCAA to decide down the road if they will allow PSU to play in bowl games?

Rittenberg: The Big Ten championship penalty is directly tied to the postseason ban penalty, Rob. When listing the requirements to appear in its first championship game in 2011, the Big Ten noted that any team ineligible for bowls also could not appear in its title game. So once the NCAA ends the bowl ban, the Big Ten will allow Penn State to play for a league championship. It's not a matter of being proactive. The Big Ten doesn't want to see its league champion end its season in Indianapolis because of a larger postseason ban. It would look horrible. What might be more interesting to watch is whether the Big Ten starts giving Penn State its bowl revenue share a little earlier. But right now the Big Ten is following the NCAA's lead on this.