ESPN College Football

CHICAGO -- The first Saturday of the 2012 college football season is highlighted by a blockbuster game taking place at a cavernous NFL stadium.

On the night of Sept. 1, Michigan and Alabama will take center stage in Arlington, Texas, at a shrine to all things big and bold, nicknamed "Jerryworld" after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. It will mark the latest in a series of national showcase games during the regular season that take place at neutral sites.

Last year, LSU and Oregon kicked off the season on the same field. Notable neutral-site games this fall include Miami-Notre Dame at Chicago's Soldier Field and Clemson-Auburn at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

The trend is clear, and many major-conference teams see the neutral-site games as a nice alternative to the home-and-home series that take longer and give up a precious home game.

Big Ten athletic directors are split on the neutral-site issue. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, who helped organize the Alabama game, said last month that the school has had preliminary talks about playing a neutral-site game at Sun Life Stadium near Miami.

Iowa opens the 2012 season against Northern Illinois at Soldier Field, and Hawkeyes athletic director Gary Barta recently told the Des Moines Register that he is "wide open to the concept" of more neutral-site games.

Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips on Wednesday expressed interest in playing a game at New York's Yankee Stadium, and, with the Big Ten/Pac-12 scheduling partnership approaching, added, "We need to get out to California some." Northwestern moved its home game against Illinois to Wrigley Field in 2010, and the teams could play again at Wrigley or Soldier Field.

Illinois AD Mike Thomas also wants a bigger presence in Chicago and could schedule a game at Soldier Field as early as 2013, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Illini used to open the season against Missouri in St. Louis, but the series is on a hiatus.

The neutral-site surge isn't for everyone, though. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told ESPN.com last month that he's extremely reluctant to give up a home game for a neutral-site contest.

"I love Dave Brandon at Michigan and I applaud them," Smith said. "They're playing Alabama in Dallas, which I think is cool and unique. But if I can get eight home games, the economic impact we have here, I just can't pull it away. Because it's a home game. Now if an away game, like Indiana or somebody says, 'Hey, let's go to Maryland,' and it’s their home game, I'd do that in a minute.

"But taking one of my home games, I just can't do it. The economic impact in this community is just huge."

Michigan State AD Mark Hollis has been very proactive in scheduling top nonconference opponents (Boise State, Oregon, Alabama, Miami). But those games will take place on campus.

Hollis acknowledges scheduling trends elsewhere impact what Big Ten teams do, but his position is firm.

"I'd rather bring big games into Spartan Stadium," Hollis said. "We talked to Boise State about playing in Chicago, but we had no interest in that. We want to play them at home. I want Miami there, I want Alabama there, I want Oregon, so our fans can see them."

Statement are beginning to roll in from around the Big Ten Conference following the passing of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno on Sunday morning. Paterno coached his final 19 seasons in the Big Ten and won three league titles (1994, 2005, 2008).

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Paterno. His passing marks a tremendous loss for Penn State, college football and for countless fans, coaches and student-athletes. Our condolences go out to the Paterno family and to the entire Penn State community."

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer

"I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of coach Joe Paterno. He was a man who I have deep respect for as a human being, as a husband and father, as a leader and as a football coach. I was very fortunate to have been able to develop a personal relationship with him, especially over the course of the last several years, and it is something that I will always cherish. My prayers and thoughts go out to his wife, Sue, and to their family, and also to the family he had at Penn State University. We have lost a remarkable person and someone who affected the lives of so many people in so many positive ways. His presence will be dearly missed. His legacy as a coach, as a winner and as a champion will carry on forever."

Nebraska athletic director and former coach Tom Osborne

"I am saddened to hear the news of Joe Paterno's passing. Joe was a genuinely good person. Whenever you recruited or played against Joe you knew how he operated and that he always stood for the right things. Of course, his longevity over time and his impact on college football is remarkable. Anybody who knew Joe feels badly about the circumstances. I suspect the emotional turmoil of the last few weeks might have played into it. We offer our condolences to his family and wish them the very best."

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon also tweeted: "The U-M Athletic Dept expresses its condolences to the Paterno Family on Joe's passing. Very sad. May he RIP."

Fans at Indiana's Assembly Hall observed a moment of silence for Paterno before today's basketball game between IU and Penn State.

More statements from around the league are on the way and we'll post them on the blog.

NEW ORLEANS -- A major theme during bowl season has been teams dealing with distractions, particularly of the coaching variety.

A year ago, Michigan was one of those teams.

Rich Rodriguez hadn't officially been fired as Wolverines coach, but few believed he would survive past the team's Gator Bowl matchup against Mississippi State. Athletic director Dave Brandon had opted to wait until after the bowl to make an evaluation on Rodriguez, eschewing the common practice of determining a coach's future following the regular season.

Although Brandon's decision kept Rodriguez with his team through the bowl game, the uncertainty had its effects. Mississippi State ended up drubbing Michigan 52-14, handing the Wolverines their worst-ever bowl defeat by 18 points.

"That was definitely somewhat of a distraction," Wolverines defensive end Ryan Van Bergen said of the RichRod limbo. "We did have that kind of hanging over our head, whether our coach was going to be back. You can't say it wasn't a distraction.

"It had to be on the minds of some of us. It was on my mind."

Michigan players don't have to worry about their coach's future heading into Tuesday night's Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup against Virginia Tech. Brady Hoke claimed Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in his first season at the helm and won't be leaving Ann Arbor any time soon.

Although there are some different distractions this year -- Bourbon Street being just around the corner from the team hotel, for starters -- Michigan seniors like Van Bergen and defensive tackle Mike Martin have tried to keep the team focused.

"The guys after practice, they see [the veterans] in the hotel watching film instead of going out and doing whatever," Martin said.

Martin saw a more relaxed attitude last year in Jacksonville.

"There wasn't as much of a focus as there needed to be," Martin said. "That's just watching the older guys. It trickles down. I'm a senior, and this is my time to show these younger guys how important this game is to me. That rubs off.

"Every single day, there's an intensity that you need to win a football game."

New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer met with a small group of reporters today in Columbus. Some highlights from what Meyer had to say:

• Meyer said current assistant coaches Stan Drayton and Taver Johnson will remain on the staff, along with Luke Fickell. He hasn't yet decided on linebackers coach Mike Vrabel. Meyer said he would announce his full staff on Jan. 3, one day after the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
• Meyer said he didn't understand some of the consternation about Ohio State being granted a waiver so it could have extra coaches on staff during the transition. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon was among those who voiced his displeasure about it. Meyer said he received the same waiver when he was hired at Florida.
• The Buckeyes will run Meyer's spread offense, but it won't just be a spread. Meyer said attacking the perimeter of a defense is key, but that's not all you have to do in the Big Ten. "Ohio State's still Ohio State," he said. "We're going to turn around and smack (people) ... That will be a part of who we are, probably more than we've done, because of who we have." Meyer said he would incorporate the I-formation in his offense and that he likes new offensive coordinator Tom Herman because Herman is open to ideas instead of married to his own system.
• Meyer has told recruits not to expect heavy sanctions from the NCAA, which could issue its ruling on the Ohio State infractions case sometime this week. Though Meyer doesn't know for sure what's coming down, he said he has spoken to friends in the NCAA and feels secure that there won't be a bowl ban or other heavy penalties. Meyer said he would work to prevent future rules violations. "If you see something that doesn't look right, you go like a torpedo and go blow the whole thing up and then go put it back together," he said. "We had that approach in Florida."
• Meyer doesn't plan to go to Jacksonville to watch the Gator Bowl. He said he might not even watch it on TV because he is so close to both Florida and Ohio State.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- When Brady Hoke informed his Michigan players that they had won Saturday's game against Western Michigan, the locker room remained silent.

Football coaches usually don't tell their teams when they win. Scoreboards do. Players are trained to grind for 60 minutes, not 43.

But as lightning continued to strike around Michigan Stadium on Saturday, both teams agreed to end the game with 1:27 left in the third quarter. Final score: Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10.

"When coach Hoke told us we had won the game, everybody got quiet," quarterback Denard Robinson said. "It was like, 'Seriously?' Everybody wanted to play."

The weather-shortened win was an appropriate start for a Michigan team that remains very much a work in progress. There were certainly signs of progress Saturday: a potent rushing attack that wasn't simply The Denard Show; an opportunistic defense that forced three turnovers, returning two for touchdowns; a team that grabbed momentum after an initial lightning delay and racked up 14 points, a burst that made the decision to call the game a little easier.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said that during the discussions about how to proceed, someone "wearing a different color than maize and blue" suggested the game should be terminated and treated as if it never happened, with no victory awarded.

"We'd be here till 3 o'clock in the morning if we needed to before we were going to settle that up," Brandon said. "I'm proud of our team and I think we had the game under control. Our team deserved the victory. I give a lot of credit to Western because they came to that conclusion, just as we did."

Michigan looked completely in control when the second and final delay began, but the Wolverines had some shaky moments. Western Michigan marched downfield on the game's opening drive as quarterback Alex Carder carved up the Michigan secondary like so many others had the past three seasons.

The Broncos outgained Michigan 199-146 in the first half and reached Wolverines' territory on five of their eight possessions. Michigan struggled with standout receiver Jordan White (12 receptions, 119 yards) and, much like it did last year, allowed too many third-down conversions (6-of-11).

"We're a long way from being any kind of defense that we want to represent Michigan with," Hoke said.

Asked moments later how he felt about the Wolverines defense, Hoke was blunt: "Not very good."

There were some very good moments for the Wolverines' defense. Linebacker Brandon Herron became the first defender in team history to record two touchdown returns in a game (and the first Michigan player to do so since Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon in 1940).

Herron's second score, a 28-yard fumble return, came after safety Jordan Kovacs leveled Carder on a perfectly timed blitz. Coordinator Greg Mattison turned up the heat after halftime, and Kovacs recorded two sacks.

"It's a completely different scheme," Kovacs said. "We've got some more blitz packages that give me the opportunity to come down in the box and try to make a play."

The offense started off looking much like its 2010 form. Robinson took off on a designed run on the first play of scrimmage, and spread elements surfaced throughout a 76-yard scoring drive. But the new scheme, outfitted with power elements, began to take root.

The fact Robinson provided only 46 of Michigan's 190 rush yards is significant. Midway through the third quarter, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint raced through a truck-sized hole for 43 yards. On the next play, Michael Shaw found a seam and raced 44 yards to the end zone.

"On the long run by Fitz, he lowered himself to go through a guy, and if you watch, you see [wide receiver] Junior Hemingway launching himself to try to get a block over the top," Hoke said. "That was exciting to me. That was good football to me."

Hoke has preached toughness from the moment he arrived here. Michigan didn't look very tough early, as Western Michigan held the edge at the line of scrimmage.

But things shifted as the game wore on. Michigan offset big Broncos gains by forcing turnovers. The Wolverines lost top cornerback Troy Woolfolk to an ankle injury -- Hoke said the senior could have returned -- but kept Western Michigan out of the end zone after the first quarter.

The offense scored in the third quarter because it dominated the line of scrimmage.

"There's a mind-set," Hoke said. "They understand how we're going to play. You could see it a little bit, in the third quarter, up front on both sides of the ball that it was going to be more physical.

"You could feel that."

The Wolverines are far from complete, much like Saturday's game. They're still terrible on special teams. They're still susceptible to big plays on defense.

But this was a starting point, a 43-minute starting point.

"It was kind of wild," Hoke said. "Wet and wild."

And after the initial shock of learning they had won, Michigan players reacted as they normally would.

"We do what we do after every victory," Kovacs said. "Sing 'The Victors.'"

The first Big Ten coaches teleconference of the season took place earlier Tuesday. Given all the news and nuggets of Week 1, we're compiling notebooks for both divisions. We'll try to do these as often as possible on Tuesdays during the season.

Let's get things started with the Legends division.

IOWA

• Coach Kirk Ferentz said if the Hawkeyes played a game today, A.J. Derby would serve as James Vandenberg's backup at quarterback. Derby, a fan favorite who boasts tremendous athleticism, has clearly made strides during camp to move slightly ahead of John Wienke, who Ferentz said also is improving. After so much talk about where Derby would end up playing, it seems like his future is at quarterback.
• Ferentz said the biggest change we'll see on Iowa's defense this fall will be a larger rotation up front. Iowa typically went with a 5-man rotation the past few seasons, but after losing three linemen to the NFL draft, the Hawkeyes will rotate 6-8 players and possibly nine up front this season.
• Jason White will get the next shot at running back behind starter Marcus Coker. Ferentz also said Iowa will use its freshmen tailbacks early in the season to get them accustomed to games. The past two seasons have shown Iowa can't take anything for granted injury-wise at running back.

MICHIGAN

• Brady Hoke fielded several questions about the defense and not surprisingly spoke mainly about the line. He likes the depth the Wolverines have in the front four but emphasized the need to get off blocks and maintain "gap integrity" when the games begin. Got to love that football lingo.
• Hoke gave a shout out to his boss, athletic director Dave Brandon, for allowing the Wolverines' kickers to use Michigan Stadium often during camp. The stadium not only provided a more realistic setting for the kickers, but the wind conditions in the Big House are different than on the practice fields. Hoke also praised Brendan Gibbons, who will handle field goals, saying he's "very excited about his progress."

MICHIGAN STATE

• I asked Spartans coach Dantonio a bit about all the co-starters on his Week 1 depth chart, and he basically said anyone listed in bold will play a lot Friday night against Youngstown State. Not only will Michigan State rotate quite a few defensive ends Friday, but the offensive line rotation also likely will be larger as the Spartans figure out spots like left tackle and center. "How they play in a game situation determines where we go from there," Dantonio said.
• Despite four consecutive bowl appearances and a Big Ten co-championship in 2010, Michigan State remains a fairly young team. The offense boasts a mix of veterans and youth, while the defense is fairly young entering 2011. "We're a young football team with a blend of experience," Dantonio said. "We have three seniors on defense in our top 22 players, so good things should be around the corner for us."
• Dantonio began the call by thanking everyone for their support since the passing of his father, Justin, on Sunday. He'll return home to Zanesville, Ohio, in the middle of the week for the funeral and be back for the Youngstown State game.

MINNESOTA

• Coach Jerry Kill said he has discussed a plan for future nonconference scheduling with the university administration, although he declined to provide details. Don't expect Kill's plan to include many more openers at USC. Said Kill: "Would I like to open up with USC every year? No. I’d like to open up right here at home."
• Kill's Week 1 depth chart is filled with true freshmen and redshirt freshmen, but he considers his entire roster freshmen because they haven't gone through a season with the coaches. The result will be a more pared down game plan for Saturday. "There's no question we have to keep things simpler," Kill said. "We can't be like we were at Northern Illinois, so we'll have to adjust."

NEBRASKA

• Coach Bo Pelini wants to see efficiency from his offense Saturday against Chattanooga. He stressed the need to limit penalties and turnovers, and to form sustained scoring drives against the Mocs. "At the end of the day, that's what's going to determine our success, how efficient we can be," Pelini said. You can tell Nebraska's poor finish on offense at the end of the 2010 season still irks Pelini.
• Like his brother, Carl, the Huskers defensive coordinator, Bo is excited about what the team brings back in the secondary. He singled out the preseason play of cornerback Andrew Green, who likely will start in place of the injured Alfonzo Dennard on Saturday.

NORTHWESTERN

• Coach Pat Fitzgerald said the competition between running backs Mike Trumpy and Jacob Schmidt will continue through game week. Trumpy has come on strong as of late, while Schmidt's consistency has impressed the coaches. "Both guys are going to play," Fitzgerald said. "If one guy gets hot, he'll take over the role and be the bell cow."
• Fitzgerald didn't say much about the status of quarterback Dan Persa for Saturday's game. He does, however, know what to expect from Boston College. "They will try to run it down your throats until you stop them," he said.

The matchup that caused one of the most stunning upsets in recent college football history will take place again in 2014.

Michigan announced Thursday that it will open the 2014 season at home against Appalachian State. Yep, the same Appalachian State that shocked the Wolverines 34-32 to open the 2007 season, when the defending FCS champion Mountaineers blocked a potential winning field goal at the end of regulation.

"We look forward to facing Appalachian State again," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said in a news release.

Appalachian State is currently deciding whether to move up to become an FBS member. The school could be in a transition period to the FBS by 2014 if it decided to make the move. So if the Mountaineers beat Michigan again, it might not register as big of an upset. But it would still be big.

Give some credit to the Wolverines for scheduling the Mountaineers again. That upset probably hastened the departure of Lloyd Carr, though the team bounced back to finish 9-4 and beat Florida in the Capital One Bowl. While this game presents the opportunity for revenge, Michigan is also taking a chance here because Appalachian State is an FCS powerhouse that usually fields a really good team.

The Wolverines should still have enough talent to beat a team from a lower level, but lightning has already struck once here. Can you imagine the reaction if Appalachian State pulls off another upset in the Big House?

Either way, it's a fun start to the 2014 season, as a lot of people will be watching or talking about this game when it could be another snoozer of an opener against an FCS opponent. One thing we know: Michigan won't look past Appalachian State in 2014.

The first six months of the Brady Hoke era have been overwhelmingly positive.

Hoke's message has resonated with current players, former players, Michigan alumni and fans and, perhaps most dramatically, prospective recruits. The locker room doesn't appear to have splintered, while a supposedly splintered fan base seems to be rallying behind Hoke and the new staff. While some Michigan fans likely would have welcomed any change after the past three seasons, Hoke deserves credit for creating much of the mojo.

Hoke's most significant accomplishment so far is a 2012 recruiting class that already features 20 commits and is rated among the nation's best.

"I couldn't be more pleased what we've seen thus far," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon recently told ESPN.com. "Our 2012 class is going to be special. Clearly, the optimism and the excitement is something we all feel."

It should be pointed out, though, that the first six months of the Hoke era have featured zero games that count.

If things go badly on the field in September, the good vibes surrounding Hoke will begin to fade. Hoke and his staff face some significant challenges with the current roster, particularly as they implement new systems on both sides of the ball.

Brandon senses Michigan fans are excited about coaching staff "committed to change and is going to build a program the Michigan way." But he also acknowledges the hurdles Hoke faces.

"We're a program that needs to be turned around," Brandon said. "Brady doesn't have all the right players in the right places to do the things he's going to want to do to be successful. That's one of the reasons why the recruiting trail is such an important aspect of what we're doing."

The next question, the one Brandon constantly faces, is, how long will it take to get Michigan back to elite status?

"Everybody always wants to know wins and losses and 'How are they gonna be?'" Brandon said. "I've been around this game long enough to know that's a dangerous trap. So much depends on injuries. We're implementing a new system, so how fast can our players adapt to a completely new system on both sides of the ball? How big of a step-change improvement will you see among some of those young players who really struggled last year?

"There's just too many unknowns to quantify how we're going to be on the field this year."

Brandon will be patient with Hoke. He hired Hoke, after all. And Michigan doesn't want to start shuffling through coaches every few seasons.

But there's a need to show significant progress in Year 1. Here's why: the schedule in Year 2. It's brutal.

The Wolverines open with a neutral-site game against Alabama and make trips to Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State. Although they avoid crossover games against both Wisconsin and Penn State, they host recent nemesis Michigan State as well as Iowa, Northwestern and Illinois.

If Michigan doesn't make a big jump this fall, it could have a tough time doing so in 2012. The Wolverines could be a better team, a more well-adjusted team, and not have the record to show for it.

Two middling seasons would mean two more years of Michigan lingering outside the upper crust. Questions about whether or not Hoke can restore Michigan among the Big Ten's elite likely would surface.

So while it seems unfair to expect Michigan to win a Legends division title this season, Hoke needs a strong start. The league race is wide open, archrival Ohio State could be backsliding and the schedule isn't overly daunting.

Michigan has an opportunity in 2011, and a big statement from Hoke would go a long way toward maintaining the mojo before a daunting slate in Year 2.

In an empty hotel ballroom in late May, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told a gathering of reporters that conference officials had just discussed the idea of covering student-athletes' true cost of attendance. At the time, his remarks didn't gain a lot of attention, as issues like the Big Ten championship game site and future scheduling took precedence.

But when ESPN.com published Delany's comments, plus those from Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, the following afternoon, what Delany calls a "tsunami of opinion" took off. The Big Ten tossed around an idea that had been pursued by late NCAA president Myles Brand and current NCAA chief Mark Emmert. Delany says his league is not pushing some radical change or suggesting the end of amateurism in college sports.

"It's just part of a very broad-ranging discussion about how we could re-establish a system that is a little more about student-athlete welfare rather than a level playing field," he told ESPN.com last month. "It's just whether or not the grant-in-aid could include all of the elements of the cost of education, all of the elements as defined by the government of going to school. No more."

Just about everyone has an opinion on the subject. The Big Ten hasn't formally endorsed the issue or proposed any rule changes yet. But many in the league see it as an idea whose time has come -- at least to be talked about.

"My personal belief is we should be doing a better job of providing student-athletes with the resources necessary associated with the cost of education," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said. "How do we make sure when we sign a kid to come to Michigan and compete and represent our university and provide them with a scholarship, that the nature of that scholarship is such that it doesn't create need for them to reach deep into their pockets and pay for things that should be paid for by the scholarship?"

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald supports the idea in theory but questions its implementation. Like many others, he wonders how it would impact not just football and men's basketball, but the non-revenue sports as well. Federal statistics say the average gap between a so-called full scholarship and the true cost of attending a university is about $3,000 per student. That could cost schools millions per year if all scholarship athletes are covered.

"We have to figure out what our priorities are," Fitzgerald said. "If our priorities are to be paying bills for excess -- i.e. cell phones, video games, phones. If it's travel back and forth to home. I've always been a big believer that a scholarship should pay at least for a trip home whenever their scheduled vacation periods are. That's why the cost of attendance makes a little bit more sense."

Big Ten power Ohio State is reeling from an NCAA investigation that was sparked by a handful of players selling and trading memorabilia for a few hundred bucks. While no one can say whether those players would have done the same thing if they had an extra $3,000 per year, Brandon says the gap in cost of attendance "opens up the door for negative things."

"It's a vacuum that can be filled by people and agents and boosters who frankly can take advantage of the fact that these young people are in a situation where they require resources for their education that they can't fund on their own," he said. "We should be coming up with ways to mitigate that risk."

Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno, however, seriously doubts whether a cost of attendance stipend would reduce NCAA violations.

"Right now it seems like a lot of schools are under investigation for recruiting violations or getting paid for autographs, whatever the case may be," Paterno said. "Every time we have one of these cycles, there seems to be a movement in everybody's minds that we ought to go pay student-athletes and that will take care of it. But human nature is such that if all of a sudden you're getting $3,000 stipends, somebody is going to want more than that. I'm not against it, but it's not a cure all."

The Big Ten rakes in millions of dollars in revenue from its football TV contract. The league distributed more than $20 million to each school last year, fueled in part by the success of the Big Ten Network. That leads many to ask if the players should share in some of that windfall.

But Paterno argues athletes are already getting more value from their scholarships than most people realize.

"If they can graduate college with zero student loans, they're far ahead of the curve," Paterno said. "There are [regular] students who are working at McDonald's and busing tables and all that. The average student at Penn State graduates with $27,000 in debt. So society in general is not going to look at a student-athlete's deal and say, 'They're getting a bum rap.'"

Fitzgerald adds that each case must be viewed separately. And despite the year-round demands placed on college football players, employment opportunities can be pursued, especially in the spring and summer.

"I've got some guys that will visit with me and our director of player development and say, 'Listen, times have gotten a little tougher at home. I need to get a job that's going to help pay some bills that my folks were able to help me with before,'" Fitzgerald said. "And we go get them a job that might pay a little more and they might have to be more involved and they might not be able to go to summer school."

The debate is far from settled. The Big Ten will likely continue to take a leading role in wherever this is heading.

"I don't see it as a stand-alone; I see it as part of a dozen to a half-dozen reform-related issues," Delany said. "The good news is we're having this discussion, both publicly and internally."

One of the more interesting things about covering Big Ten football is seeing how the league and its members balance tradition and history with the need to grow brands and keep up with national trends. Whether it's expansion, instant replay, the addition of division play and a championship game, a new TV network or simply more football in prime time, the Big Ten and its schools are in a historic period of change.

Michigan is a particularly fascinating case study, particularly since Dave Brandon took over as athletic director in March 2010. Brandon has roots in the Michigan tradition as a former football player under Bo Schembechler. He also returned to his alma mater from the business world and saw a brand that, despite its historical significance, needed upgrades.

Brandon made branding a priority from the start and has facilitated several changes.

Michigan now has lights at the Big House. The Wolverines will play their first night game Sept. 10 against Notre Dame -- in throwback jerseys, no less. They will open the 2012 season against Alabama at JerryWorld in Texas. New LED video boards are being installed at Michigan Stadium.

These moves wouldn't be notable at many programs, but they are at Michigan, which hadn't exactly been a beacon for change.

I recently caught up with Brandon to discuss the Michigan brand and his vision for the future.

What was your impression of the Michigan brand when you arrived as AD?

Dave Brandon: The Block M brand has always stood for excellence. It's a brand that is connected with the history and tradition of college football. It's the oldest football program, it's the winningest football program. It's got a lot of iconic characteristics in terms of the Big House and the winged helmet and legendary coaches and many championships. The expectations around the brand are always high.

As I came in and did my review, I think our brand had received some short-term hits that were a result of football being such an important brand builder for us. We'd had two consecutive years of poor performance, not being competitive in our conference, not going to a bowl game. We had the NCAA violations and all of the negative ramifications of being involved in investigations and allegations. Certainly that was detrimental. And across the board, one of the measures is our performance in the Director's Cup. We had fallen to 26th that previous year, which was a real low point.

So it felt to me like even though we continue to have a strong brand, in the near term we had slid back a little bit. We're working really hard to find ways to pull ourselves out of that.

What were some of the ways you felt the brand needed to be enhanced?

DB: Clearly, Michigan athletics cannot be successful if football doesn't lead our success. It's our revenue generator, it's so much connected with how the brand is perceived, and clearly we've made a lot of changes and investments in our football program, in hopes of getting it back to a level where it's highly competitive in the Big Ten and nationally. We've made significant investments in facilities, significant investments in talent at the coaching level, made some changes at the coaching level, and we're working really hard in recruiting.

When you do things like the first night game or throwback uniforms, how did you approach ideas that were different from the way Michigan has operated?

DB: They're clearly designed to help us re-establish Michigan as a prominent program in the national picture. Putting lights up in Michigan Stadium has allowed us to schedule the first night game in 132 years. To schedule the first neutral-venue game down in Texas, those are all kinds of things I really saw as important to pump some energy and create some excitement and bring Michigan back to the stage we're used to playing on.

The throwback jerseys and $20 million in new scoreboards in the Big House, and a whole bunch of other programs we have in place to enhance the fan experience, these are all tactics designed to make the experience of Michigan football special and great. Ultimately, if we execute those at a high level, it will continue to build the brand.

Do you encounter much resistance with these moves?

DB: I'm a position where any decision I make, there's going to be some percentage of people disappointed by it, for whatever their reasons. I'm kind of used to that, actually. Whenever you're in a significant leadership role and you make changes, there's going to be certain people who resist and who want everything to stay the same. But generally the feedback I've received on some of the things we're doing that are new and different has been overwhelmingly positive.

People want Michigan to be on the national stage. They want us to be innovative. They want us to embrace our traditions -- and I do, I'm a part of that tradition -- but I also believe there's a lot of people that want us to be fresh and to be competitive, not just on the field through performance but also in the way we present our program to the nation.

Night football is so popular right now. What's the future outlook there for Michigan?

DB: We've not committed to any more night football games until we get the experience of Sept. 10. We're going to see how this goes, execute this at a high level, have it be a safe, positive experience for our fans. If it's a good experience and we execute it well and it's overall a positive night for our community and for our fans and our players and coaches, my expectations would be we would try to do a night game at least once a year. I don't know that we would necessarily go much beyond that, but to have one a year in Michigan Stadium would be a great goal.

What other ways are you exploring to enhance the brand?

DB: We're constantly challenging ourselves. How can we leverage what we have, who we are, and take it up a notch? I've hired a chief marketing officer [Hunter Lochmann] who has come in and is doing some terrific stuff with social media and the way we're marketing our tickets. We're really working hard to make sure we don't become too football-centric, in light of the fact we're putting nearly $100 million into Crisler Arena. We added men's and women's lacrosse, which for us is a brand builder. It's a completely different initiative: new conferences, new campuses we would be visiting, new colleagues. We're doing a lot of things above and beyond just football to try to put our brand at a different level.

Would you ever envision a day when Michigan could have its own TV Network?

DB: No, I don't, only because the Big Ten Network has been so successful. And it was built on the same basic premise that has afforded the Big Ten Conference to be so successful for so long, and that is one of complete collegiality and teamwork. We all share and share alike in the Big Ten, we always have. We don't create this competitive world where everybody's trying to grab what they think they're entitled to. We all work together well for the greater purpose, and we all share in the benefits that are created. That model, to me, makes a world of sense. For that reason, Michigan is very invested in and interested in continuing to build the Big Ten to continue to be the greatest conference in America.

How much do you look at other branding models?

DB: I'm a big believer in benchmarking. You're always out there looking at what other people are doing, particularly the programs you respect and the programs that are growing and achieving success. We try to find out who does the best job of executing the operations and creating the best fan experience? Who does the best job of providing academic support services? Who's doing the best job with facilities? That's part of the way you get better. I'll always do that. But just because Texas is out there forming their own television network doesn't mean that's a good model for Michigan. It's an interesting thing for them to do in their set of circumstances, but our circumstances are different.

Some worry began to spread among Michigan fans last week as images of what might have been the Wolverines' throwback jerseys for their Sept. 10 game against Notre Dame leaked on the Web.

The reaction wasn't favorable, to say the least. As Mgoblog's Brian Cook wrote, referring to the school's unveiling Friday night, "If that's what you're deploying, 8 PM isn't late enough. Broadcast the announcement from the Chinese factory where they'll be made at 4 AM Eastern."

The real jerseys from adidas resembled the mockups, although they looked a bit better in the flesh. Here's a closer look at the Michigan unis, modeled by Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson and defensive end Ryan Van Bergen. Michigan and Notre Dame will wear the jerseys in Week 2 for the first night game at Michigan Stadium.

The block "M" as the centerpiece of the jersey is different, although the stitching behind it looks a little odd. The number in the top right corner of the jersey front is a very nice touch. Same with the number on the helmet. Alabama's helmets are classic, and it's good to see Michigan go this route.

I'm not a huge fan of the stripes, but they look better in pads than on longer sleeves.

"These uniforms are amazing," Robinson said. "I love them."

"I loved it right away," defensive lineman Craig Roh said. "It's innovative. It speaks to the tradition Michigan has."

Notre Dame's uniforms have a cleaner, sleeker look but fewer bells and whistles. The shamrocks on the helmet are a nod to Notre Dame's teams of the early 1960s. They certainly get your attention.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon called the game a "one-time special event" and said the school won't produce alternate jerseys every year. The jerseys will be auctioned after the game.

CHICAGO -- Michigan is eager to put its recent NCAA punishment behind it.

So eager are the Wolverines that they have decided to take some more of the bitter medicine now so it hurts a little less later.

Athletic director Dave Brandon said on Monday at the Big Ten spring meetings that the program has completed the majority of its most serious sanction: the reduction of football practice time. In November, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions slapped the Wolverines with major violations regarding practice policies and the use of staff members under former coach Rich Rodriguez. As part of the penalties, the NCAA accepted Michigan's self-imposed sanction of reducing practice by 130 hours before the end of the 2011-12 school year.

In anticipation of the penalties, the Wolverines began cutting their practice hours in the 2010 season.

"We haven't been releasing it about hour-by-hour," Brandon said. "But we've been recording it hour-by-hour. We're about two-thirds of the way through that. We've accelerated the process of where we need to be at this point."

Giving back two-thirds of the allotted time means the Wolverines have missed more than 85 hours of practice since fall camp started in 2010. It was unclear how much of that missed time occurred during last season and how much, if any, was reduced during this year's spring practice under new head coach Brady Hoke.

Either way, Brandon indicated that Michigan would be back to normal quickly in Hoke's tenure.

"We're well ahead, and we will have given back all of those hours well before [2012]," Brandon said.

Still, Brandon said the sanctions will have left their mark on the program.

"Our football team has practiced less than our competitors, and practice is one of the things you rely on to get better," he said. "So to a certain extent, we're at a competitive disadvantage. We had real, tangible penalties to deal with, and we are still dealing with them."

There was sad news Tuesday as Jim Mandich, a former All-American tight end at Michigan, died after a fight with bile-duct cancer. Mandich was 62.

Mandich served as a captain for Michigan in 1969, as the Wolverines upset Ohio State and advanced to their first Rose Bowl in five seasons. He went on to play nine seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowl championships with the Miami Dolphins and one with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mandich, inducted into Michigan's Hall of Honor in 1994 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, played for the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 championship squad.

"Jim was a Michigan Man in every way," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said in a prepared statement. "He did so much for our football program and our University as a student-athlete, supporter, donor and ambassador of positive energy. ... He was a legendary player and an even better person. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family as they grieve the loss of a great husband and father."

Mandich was part of the Dolphins' broadcast crew for 17 years after his playing career ended.

"I was sad to hear about Jim’s passing," former Dolphins coach Don Shula said in a statement. "I know he fought a courageous battle, but that was typical of his fighting spirit. When I think about Jim, I always looked at him as a guy who was bright, well prepared, and competitive. He was someone who I could count on as a player and was instrumental in the success we had during his time with the Dolphins. Mary Anne and I want to pass along our condolences to his wife, Bonnie, and the rest of his family."

Mandich was diagnosed with cancer in early 2010. Asked by The Detroit News last November if he still had time to follow Michigan during his cancer fight, Mandich replied, "Are you kidding me? Of course I care about that stuff. To the point of irrationality. It will always be Michigan first, cancer second."

For more on Mandich's passing, click here and here and here and here.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Brady Hoke has spent his head-coaching career dressed like he's going to a funeral.

Hoke's first stop as a head coach took him back to Ball State, his alma mater. Ball State's official school colors are cardinal and white. Hoke showed up to games looking like this and this.

He then moved on to San Diego State in 2009. San Diego State's school colors are red and black. It made Hoke's choice easy. Johnny Cash and Darth Vader would have loved the coach's game-day getup.

Hoke worked tirelessly for both schools, recruited for them, won games for them. But he wouldn't wear red for them.

"I never have," Hoke said. "People understood. They got the message, I guess. Right, wrong or different, that's me."

Hoke's red rejection had nothing to do with Ball State or San Diego State. It had everything to do with Michigan and its archrival, the school Hoke refers to only as "Ohio."

Ohio State wears scarlet on Saturdays, and a Michigan man like Hoke, a Wolverines assistant from 1995-2002, would be damned if he'd enter the same color palette.

"All his guys at San Diego State would give him crap because he wouldn't wear red," Michigan senior defensive end Ryan Van Bergen said. "He wore a black shirt on game day. His red never came out because he still had the Michigan roots and you never wear red because that's Ohio's color. For him to maintain that passion and that fire, even when he wasn't associated with the program or playing against us or anything, that means a lot.

"It's personal for him, what we do."

Hoke's personal connection to Michigan and his desire to restore the program to powerhouse status has reverberated throughout Schembechler Hall this spring. Players know this is the 132nd year of Michigan football. They know about the 42 Big Ten championships. They know about the tradition, the legacies and the expectations. Most important, they know what it all means to their coach.

"They know my love for Michigan," Hoke said.

Players also know about Michigan's recent downturn. In announcing the firing of Rich Rodriguez on Jan. 5, athletic director Dave Brandon cited the program's struggles in "red-letter games," contests against Ohio State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin.

"If you want to be successful at Michigan, you better win more than your share of those red-letter games," Brandon said that day. "Those red-letter games, over the last three seasons, we've been 3-15."

Hoke understands. And to him, one red-letter game always will stand out from the rest.

"Today is 2,699 since we've beaten Ohio, and that’s important to remember," he told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "It hurts, but it's the truth and you've got to do something about it. That's why you're at Michigan."

Hoke has hammered it home by placing reminders around Schembechler Hall.

Countdown clocks to Michigan's upcoming games against Michigan State and "Ohio" are everywhere around the football complex. Outside Hoke's office. In the area outside the Commons room. In the locker room. On either side of the entrance to the indoor practice facility.

"I can appreciate that," Van Bergen said. "When everything in the weight room is based around beating Ohio and everything on the practice field is based around beating Ohio, you're going to get better because you realize how good they are. That emphasis makes everybody work harder."

Hoke's refusal to add "State" to "Ohio" also seems to be catching on.

"I don't know if it's a rule or not," Van Bergen said, "but he's not going to do it, so obviously that's making a statement and I'm not going to, either."

Rodriguez often took heat for what some felt was a failure to fully grasp Michigan's traditions and rivalries. His lack of success against Ohio State and Michigan State -- he went 0-6 -- didn't mitigate the criticism.

Although Hoke has yet to face Ohio State or Michigan State as the Wolverines' head coach, he likely won't be questioned about playing up the rivalries.

"Both of them embraced it, but coach Hoke, he's been here before so I guess he'll know more than coach Rod," quarterback Denard Robinson said. "[Hoke] says, 'Ohio,' so that's different for me. But I guess that's how it used to be."

Asked about the countdown clocks, Robinson smiled.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, you're ready for that," he said. "Coach Rod took an approach like that, too, but you can't compare those two coaches."

Hoke is using more than clocks and colors to revive the Michigan way. After three years of the spread offense and (mostly) the 3-3-5 defense, Michigan is getting back to its roots from a schematic standpoint.

Greg Mattison returned to Michigan from the Baltimore Ravens and brought his trademark 4-3 defense with him. Al Borges came with Hoke from San Diego State and installed a more traditional offensive system.

"Michigan's always been known for its pro-style offense, power running, set up the pass with the run," wide receiver Darryl Stonum said. "It's been known for its dominant defense. That's just been Michigan. We got back to the pro-style offense. Our defense is out there playing hard.

"It just feels like Michigan's back."

Older players like Stonum and Van Bergen have taken to the changes because they were recruited to play in similar systems by former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. Michigan has seen little attrition during the coaching change, and players seem to be responding to Hoke's veteran staff, led by Mattison and veteran offensive coordinator Borges.

"There's not much on-the-job training going on here," Borges said. "We’ve all done this for a long time."

Borges has made previous stops at Auburn, Oregon, UCLA and California, among others. But he senses a difference this time, not only because of the program but because of the man leading the way.

"Brady had a lot of passion at San Diego State, but this is the job when you’re a little kid you grow up dreaming of having," Borges said. "The people who love Michigan football are excited about Brady being here because Brady's excited about being here. And he has hired a staff that is as excited as he is."

Hoke wasn't a big-name hire at Michigan. He carries a losing record as a head coach (47-50) and hasn't led a team in a BCS automatic-qualifying conference.

There were flashier coaches out there, more accomplished coaches. But arguably no coach cares more about restoring Michigan at this critical juncture than Hoke does.

"He's made it real easy for us to buy into what he's teaching and what he's doing because he loves Michigan and he loves football," Stonum said. "We love Michigan and we love football, so it’s easy to get on the same page with him."

After firing Rich Rodriguez, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon made it clear he was willing to pay big bucks for a new coach.

Brandon noted that Michigan had been in the middle of the pack in paying its coaches, adding, "I don't necessarily believe that's appropriate." He then proceeded to hire a coach, Brady Hoke, who, according to Brandon, didn't even ask about salary before accepting the job.

Hoke's contract was finalized Monday, and the Wolverines' new coach shouldn't have any complaints with his compensation. He will earn $2 million in 2011 and can increase his salary to $3.25 million if he stays through the six-year deal.

His salary will increase by $100,000 each season, and he'll earn a $1.5 million bonus after his third year, the point where Michigan parted ways with RichRod. Hoke can earn another $1.5 million bonus if he's still at Michigan after the six-year deal.

"Brady's contract puts him in the top third of the Big Ten and that's where the Michigan football coach should be," Brandon told the Associated Press. "The economics were worked out in minutes -- not hours or days. It was quick, easy and stress-free, but it took several weeks to get done because we let the lawyers do their work with the contract language."

This salary seems about right for Hoke, who deserved a substantial bump from his San Diego State wage ($700,000 last year) but still must prove he can win at the highest level. Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz are the Big Ten's highest paid coaches, and Nebraska's Bo Pelini also earns more than $2 million annually. Rodriguez earned $2.5 million in his final season at Michigan.

I think Michigan's more significant financial commitment came for Hoke's assistants, especially defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who was brought in from the NFL for $750,000 a year.

This seems like a well-structured deal, as the key increase point comes after three seasons, enough time for Hoke to show he has things headed in the right direction or not.