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Here are a few things to keep an eye on in the bowl games involving teams from the Big 12 this season.

1. The headless Aggies. A team playing in a bowl after firing its coach is a bit of a rarity, but that's where the Aggies are as they prepare to face Northwestern on Dec. 31 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Defensive coordinator and interim head coach Tim DeRuyter is leaving to become the coach at Fresno State. Former coach Mike Sherman served as their offensive coordinator, too, and it'll be interesting to see what Texas A&M looks like without him. Cyrus Gray is questionable, but Northwestern's defense is a lot different than Texas'. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill should be able to win this game, but will Texas A&M look like it's playing for anything, and will it show it has fixed the second-half woes?

2. Oklahoma State on the big stage. Oklahoma State has played in a lot of big games over the past two years, but the two biggest -- Oklahoma in both years -- were played in its home stadium. The Cowboys never played in a Big 12 title setting and never played in a huge neutral-site game against a team suited to beat them. The Jan. 2 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, opposite Stanford, will be all new for the Cowboys. Will the team look the same after a week unlike anything it has experienced before?

3. Sooners stopping a swoon? Oklahoma finished the season with two losses in its final three games and now will be without Jaz Reynolds in the Dec. 30 Insight Bowl against Iowa. Landry Jones will be missing his No. 1 and No. 3 receivers, and the Hawkeyes' offense will take on a defense that struggled late in the year against Baylor and Oklahoma State. Iowa is closer to Iowa State -- Oklahoma's only victory in the final three games -- but the Sooners had better show up in this one, or this season will get even more forgettable.

4. A finale for RG3? At Baylor, 2011 has been unforgettable. The Bears already have nine wins, a third-place finish in the Big 12 and the school's first Heisman winner. Quarterback Robert Griffin III has become must-see TV, but the Valero Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 might be the last time we see him in green and gold. There's no guarantee on either side, but what's Griffin got in store for the finale?

5. Did the Longhorns learn? Texas lamented its holidays at home last year, with players saying they never wanted to experience the feeling again. Several said they couldn't even watch the bowls. Well, the Longhorns are back. How much will they relish the Dec. 28 Holiday Bowl meeting with Cal? Texas should be back to health by then, and a big win in this game might produce big results next fall for a young offense that needs good vibes heading into the offseason.

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (6-6)

Dec. 31, noon ET (ESPN)

Texas A&M take from Big 12 blogger David Ubben: The Aggies are in a state of turmoil. They have no coach and the players are understandably shaken up about it. Mike Sherman was loved around College Station, and his super classy exit press conference showed all the reasons why. Ultimately, Texas A&M's much-ballyhooed second-half failures ended Sherman's tenure as the head Aggie. The numbers are well-known by now, but still staggering. They tell the story of how a preseason top 10 team with as much talent as any in the Big 12 ends up at 6-6. Five halftime leads of double digits and another by nine against rival Texas. All were losses.

That doesn't change the talent on the field. Running back Cyrus Gray will likely return from injury, as will quarterback Ryan Tannehill with top targets Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller. They'll play with an offensive line that has some legit NFL talent, a credit to Sherman's recruiting acumen as a coach with an offensive line background. Texas A&M is already assured of leaving the Big 12 with a bitter taste en route to the SEC next season, but a bowl win might help ... if only a little bit.

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Northwestern take from Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: Northwestern will play in a bowl for a team-record fourth consecutive year, but the Wildcats are still looking for that elusive postseason win after a disappointing 2011 campaign.

As players and coaches often are reminded, Northwestern hasn’t won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose. The Wildcats have come close the past three seasons, particularly in the 2010 Outback Bowl, but they’ve fallen short each time. While Texas A&M’s motivation might be a question mark after its recent coaching change, Northwestern will be geared up.

The good news is that unlike last year, Northwestern will have top quarterback Dan Persa on the field for its bowl. Although Persa didn’t look nearly as dominant this season as he did in 2010, he still led the Big Ten in passing (240.3 ypg) and completed 74.2 percent of his passes with 17 touchdown strikes and seven interceptions. Persa and the offense will need to put up points as Northwestern’s defense has struggled mightily this season and in the recent bowl losses. The Wildcats will be without top cornerback Jordan Mabin against Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill and his talented group of receivers.

This will be a virtual road game for Northwestern in Houston, as Texas A&M fans will pack Reliant Stadium. But Pat Fitzgerald’s teams often play better on the road than at home, as they are 14-8 on the road since the start of the 2008 season.

1. The NCAA closed its investigation of Auburn over the recruitment of former quarterback Cam Newton and removed the shadow that hovered over his Heisman Trophy and the Tigers’ crystal football. It is good to know once and for all that 80 interviews conducted by the NCAA didn’t find evidence worthy of a Letter of Inquiry. Auburn will have to live with the conspiracy theorists, of course -- that’s the price of success today -- but the Tigers’ miracle climb to the BCS title should get its due from anyone who held back.

2. Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa has been limited in his comeback from an Achilles’ tendon tear late last season. After rushing for 519 yards last season, he has minus-8 yards in two games. But Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, whose Hawkeyes play the Wildcats this week, said the lack of rushing isn’t the same as being immobile. “He may not be running north and south but he's running east, west,” Ferentz said. “…The real danger right there is you've got a guy who can break the pocket and still throw the ball down the field.”

3. You may have seen when the AP poll came out Sunday that there are no ranked teams from Florida for the first time since Dec. 6, 1982. Just to put that into perspective, that poll came out nine days before Alabama coach Bear Bryant announced his retirement. Former Florida coach Urban Meyer, who has already retired, was an 18-year-old shortstop in the Atlanta Braves’ minor-league system. And since that poll, Florida schools have won 10 national championships, a total which won’t increase in 2011.

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern's Kain Colter doesn’t abide by the saying “safety first.”

Colter’s personal safety has ranked somewhere behind victories, touchdowns and yards during his first two games at starting quarterback, and so far, the renegade approach has paid off.

On Saturday, Colter followed up his respectable debut against Boston College with an even stronger performance against Eastern Illinois, rushing for 109 yards and three touchdowns in Northwestern’s 42-21 win.

Colter made plays happen where it appeared impossible. He slipped through tacklers’ arms, darted left to find other defenders waiting for him, then cut back right and found what he was looking for -- open space. He had runs of 16, 21 and 25 yards and plenty more of the 5- to 7-yard variety.

Northwestern left guard Brian Mulroe and the Wildcats offensive line were trying to block for Colter on those runs, but it couldn’t be certain if they were getting the job done, or just getting in Colter’s way as he improvised.

“It’s awesome because you’ll be blocking one way, and he just makes a play,” Mulroe said. “He’s just a playmaker as you guys saw today. He’s a warrior out there. It’s awesome blocking for him.”

Count Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo among those who were impressed.

“He’s got excellent speed,” Spoo said. “He’s got great elusiveness. I thought their whole running game -- he and all the running backs were going north and south. They didn’t hesitate to take you on straight ahead. And, that was impressive in my mind. He is a fine football player.”

But … there’s always a “but” when it comes to quarterbacks who have that careless nature. Everyone from Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to injured quarterback Dan Persa, who took his share of licks last year due to the same approach, to New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi have advised Colter to be less of a stuntman when he runs.

A few days following Northwestern’s win over Boston College, Girardi, an NU alumni, left Fitzgerald a voicemail. Girardi congratulated the Wildcats on their season-opening win, but he also had a message for Colter.

“He said, ‘Tell Kain Colter that he needs to slide,’” Colter said. “He said, ‘My 9-year-old son taught Mark Sanchez how to slide, and he’ll be able to teach you, too.’ It was funny. It was a good, little wake-up call realizing that Girardi’s watching the games, and he’s out there seeing me play.

“It’s not a joking matter. I take it seriously, so I feel like I do need to slide to try to keep myself healthy throughout the season."

Colter says that, but the heat of the moment is what gets to him. When he took off from the pocket for his final touchdown Saturday, he was eyeing the end zone, not Eastern Illinois safety Nick Beard who was running like a train at him. Beard got a good piece of Colter’s right shoulder and spun him nearly 360 degrees, but Colter stayed on his feet and stumbled into the end zone.

“You know what? I realize (the big hits) after the game,” Colter said. “During the game, especially in the red zone, you know you smell blood. You want to score a touchdown. You know you want to get those tough yards.”

Northwestern running back Jacob Schmidt saw a lot of those hits Colter took up close, and he could attest they were just as gruesome as they were on TV. If Schmidt had his way, Colter would pull back on the reins, but Schmidt also realized that recklessness was working for Colter.

“He’s a tough one,” Schmidt said. “I think he showed that last year in the bowl game and so far this season. He’s a tough nut. I’d like for him to slide a little more. But when he’s out there making plays, hey, let the kids make plays and we’ll fix him.”

Colter realizes, though, if one of those 240-pound, muscled linebackers does land a massive blow just precisely it could easily put him on the sideline. Realistically, he’s more like Humpty Dumpty than a quick fixer-upper like Schmidt would suggest. It’s just not that easy to put a 6-foot, 190-pound quarterback back together again.

“In the open field when it’s maybe two defenders on me, I need to maybe just get down,” Colter said. “Get the yards I can and just slide. It’s going to be a long season. I’d like to think that I need to be in there to help the team in any way possible. I’d like to get in there and keep my body healthy throughout the season.”

And just maybe, Girardi’s son won’t be needed after all.

1. Fans and schools alike complain about slow NCAA investigations. But they are never slow when competition is afoot. It took Miami fewer than 10 days to declare 13 players, including veteran quarterback Jacory Harris, ineligible in the Nevin Shapiro case. The university acted Thursday not only to give the NCAA the opportunity to rule on the players before the Hurricanes’ opener on Sept. 5, but also to give head coach Al Golden time to prepare a team without those players.

2. I like Dan Persa as much as the next writer. The Northwestern quarterback has been an exciting player, and if the Wildcats are winning, there’s usually a good story in it. But the hype for Persa is setting up Wildcat fans to be disappointed. I have read this week on the ESPN.com Big Ten blog that Persa’s mobility remains limited from the Achilles tendon injury he suffered late last season, yet I also read on the blog that Persa the No. 3 player in the Big Ten. It just doesn’t add up. I hope I’m wrong.

3. There may be a reason that tennis star Caroline Wozniacki is a three-time defending champion in the ATP event on the Yale campus in New Haven. The last two years, Wozniacki has spoken to the Bulldog football team and they have come to her matches to cheer her on. The team has tentative plans to attend her semifinal match Friday. While there, the players also plan to run on the pink treadmill outside the stadium, a fundraiser for breast cancer research.

1. It could be that Oregon redshirt freshman tailback Lache Seastrunk wanted to be near his grandmother in Texas. It could be that the spotlight that shone on Seastrunk because of the NCAA’s interest in the relationship between him and Willie Lyles got too hot. But I’m betting the reason that Seastrunk is leaving the Ducks is that he had fallen to fifth string in a very talented backfield. Seastrunk couldn’t break into the lineup and, evidently, didn’t want to wait.

2. Pitt senior defensive end Brandon Lindsey no longer has his hand in the dirt. Under new coach Todd Graham, Lindsey is standing up at the snap. It has taken some getting used to. “It’s more difficult to be explosive,” Lindsey said, “because you don’t have the momentum (from) leaning forward to get a jump on the snap. The first month, I fell about 10, 15 times. Just leaning forward, leaning forward on my feet. And then trying to jump the snap, you’re going to fall. My teammates will never let me live it down.”

3. The preseason polls are my favorites. The votes are spread among more teams which I take for optimism, if not a little regional bias. I look at the voting discrepancies for meaning. The coaches are more deferential to past success (Auburn is 19th; AP has Auburn 23rd). Then there’s Northwestern and Arizona, which got 30 and 28 points, respectively, from the coaches; 1 and 2 points, respectively, from the media. Maybe the writers don’t like Wildcats.

1. I always cut coaches a wide swath on player discipline. They know the details and the player better than those of us on the outside. That said, I’m surprised that Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly didn’t suspend wide receiver Michael Floyd beyond spring football after Floyd’s third arrest for alcohol last March. Floyd says he has been humbled and embarrassed, and he sounds as if he’s learned a lesson. Kelly has stuck his neck out for his player. Floyd would be wise to protect it.

2. Northwestern’s Heisman campaign for senior quarterback Dan Persa may be premature, particularly when the senior is recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered late last season. But the PersaStrong idea is clever and refreshingly old school. A pair of purple seven-pound dumbbells arrived at my door this week; according to the Wildcats, the ‘Cats, the 6-1, 210-pound Persa (No. 7) is the best pound-for-pound quarterback in the country. Let’s just hope that mended Achilles is PersaStrong.

3. Bubba Smith, who died Wednesday at 66, became not only an All-American on the great Michigan State teams of the mid-1960s, but a symbol of the cost of segregation to southern football. Smith, of Beaumont, Texas, grew up in an era when southern and southwestern schools refused to sign African-Americans. Shortly after Baltimore selected Smith with the first pick of the 1967 NFL draft, SEC schools began to breach the color line. Neither the league nor, for that matter, Michigan State, was ever the same.

1. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald closed his weight room to heavy lifting in the first two weeks of August. The Wildcats practiced at their typically fast tempo, and ended each practice with 10 minutes of two-person stretching. “We had the least amount of (preseason) injuries we’ve had in my time as head coach,” said Fitzgerald, heading into his fifth season. So the change in format is a success? “If we win games,” Fitzgerald said. “Otherwise, next year we will be pumping iron.” He laughed, and he meant every word.

2. It looks as if Hurricane Earl will no more than sideswipe New England, and on Friday instead of Saturday. Yet the storm remains “somewhat” a factor in Boston College’s plan for the opener against Weber State, Eagles SID Chris Cameron said Monday. The Wildcats already had planned to fly the 2,300 miles to Boston on Thursday. Good thing: UCLA couldn’t get to Miami in Sept. 1998 because of Hurricane Georges. They postponed the game 10 weeks. The No. 3 Bruins lost to the, yes, Hurricanes, 49-45.

3. Former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill has brought with him to East Carolina a little bit of Lubbock -- the Pirates will use two quarterbacks in their opener Sunday against Tulsa. Sophomore Brad Wornick and junior Dominique Davis, the former Boston College starter, “are battling every day,” McNeill said. “…It’s not a bad deal to have two other guys ready to go.” Especially if one guy isn’t.

This sounds a little twisted, but House of Pain week actually was a lot of fun. If you needed a refresher on some of college football's most memorable games, the series certainly provided one. I also really enjoyed trying to identify the most painful loss for each Big Ten team, and your participation on Twitter really helped out.

These are the losses that linger, and while the pain is still there for Big Ten fans, I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory pain lane.

Here's what some of you had to say (most mentioned games: Wisconsin-Purdue in 2004 and Penn State-Michigan in 2005) ...

Aaron D. in Washington, D.C., writes: 2003 #17 Minnesota- #20 Michigan. Both undefeated. Night game. Full Metrodome. Minnesota was up 28-7 entering 4th, only to lose 38-35. Minnesota had Barber III and Maroney. Was apex of renewed Gopher program. It has never recovered since.

Dan in New York writes: Nothing pains me more as a Penn State fan than that magical season of 2005, and the horrific call in the October 15th game against Michagan, which gave the dreaded Wolverines a few extra seconds to score the game-winning touchdown, and thus end our quest for yet another perfect season and a shot at the BCS National Championship. I thank the good Lord above that my children weren't alive yet to see my reaction...

Craig Hearn in Atlanta writes: October 16, 2004, #5 Purdue has a ten point lead over Wisconsin. All Purdue has to do is stop the Badgers for six minutes and they are 6-0. Wisconsin gets a touchdown with 5:36 left. Purdue ate the clock to under three minutes. One first down would do it. Kyle Orton lunged for the first down and got past the marker, but in the blink of an eye the game was flipped upside down. He fumbled and Badgers corner Scott Starks took it to the end zone to win 20-17. Purdue lost four straight and was never the same again.

Nick Dembski in Columbus, Ohio, writes: The Buckeyes' loss to Michigan State at home in 1998 that cost the team another national title in the 1990's and pretty much ended John Cooper's career in Columbus. After all of the near misses in the decade, this was going to be the year that OSU finally got over the hump with the most talented team I have seen in my lifetime (even more than 2002 champs). However, OSU blew a 24-9 lead in the second half and lost 28-24, the only game all year that the opponent stayed within a single digit margin of a team that finished #2.

Josh in Sparta, N.J., writes: Most painful loss for me was Penn State losing to Michigain in 2005. We had just went ahead 25-21 with under 2 minutes and our perfect season was still in tact. This was awesome considering we haven't beat Michigan since 1996 and especially since the week before was one of the most thrilling Penn State wins in history (Penn State 17-Ohio State 10 in the inauguration of the Whiteout). "Henne to Manningham" will always reasonate in my head forever and it's still very painful to remember, even 5 years later, especially because it was our only loss of the season.

Steve Guzowski in Livonia, Mich., writes: Known to Michigan fans and alums simply as The Horror. The images will haunt us into perpetuity: Armanti Edwards slicing up the Michigan defense with spread option precision. Appalachian State's eventual game winning field goal. The sickening double thud of a blocked Michigan field goal returned for a touchdown. If dwelled upon too long, The Horror opens fresh those searing, painful wounds.

Jim in Barrington, Ill., writes: The first game that comes to mind is the 2000 Michigan theft against Illinois aided by the Big Ten refs. Two badly blown fumble calls in the last three minutes of the game gave Michigan the win. The Big Ten later apologized for the refereeing errors but didn't institute instant replay until some questionable clock management at MSU cost Michigan the game a couple of years later.

Josh in Baltimore writes: The most painful one had to be Michigan State vs. Michigan in 2004. John L. Smith's team was on the rise and Drew Stanton was emerging as a big-time quarterback as MSU walked into Ann Arbor and jumped out to a big lead, helped by long TD runs by Deandre Cobb. (that kid was so fast)Then Drew Stanton went down with a shoulder injury in the 3rd quarter with no prepared backup QB ready to take the field. Michigan would come back though it took 3 OTs. Spartan fans will never forget Michigan WR Braylon Edwards repeatedly jumping over the undersized, converted cornerback Jaren Hayes for easy touchdowns. John L. Smith teams would have a few more "almost made it to the top" moments but that game really hurt his program.

Dan in Kansas City, Mo., writes: 2004. Wisconsin. Undefeated. 9-0. #5 in the polls. On the cover of Sports Illustrated. East Lansing, MI. Spartans. 5-5. Score tied 14-14 at the start of the 2nd Q. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. 14-49 Final. Devastating. Lost next 2 games.

Shawn Eagle in Bryan, Ohio, writes: As a big time Michigan fan, my most painful loss, was when Cordell Stewert hit Michael Westbrook for the Hail Mary over Michigan. Before the game, while tailgating I had re-torn my ACL. With Michigan sitting on a 12 point, I decided to beat the crowd out. I could hear the 1st touchdown while still walking out to the car, and had to hear the game winner on the radio.

Jeff Schell in Chicago writes: Truly no more painful loss than Northwestern's loss to the Hawkeyes in 2000. NU had just come off dramatic wins against Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and had a path to the Rose Bowl. Instead, NU came out flat against the lowly last-place Ioa and watched its Rose Bowl hopes vanish.

Alice Beutel in North Brunswick, N.J., writes: For me, Penn State's worse loss came in the Sugar Bowl versus Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide on 1/1/79. Coach Paterno had already lost to the Bear in the 1975 Sugar Bowl. In 1979, PSU was 11-0 and ranked number 1, Bama was 10-1 and ranked number 2. It was a defensive struggle, with Alabama leading 14-7 late in the game. PSU had the ball deep in Bama territory but ultimately could not score from 1-2 feet out. Paterno would face Bryant 2 more times but would never beat him. Had it gone differently, it might have been Paterno's first NC.

Andrew McAlister in Charlotte, N.C., writes: Oct. 16 2004 #5 Purdue vs. #10 Wisconsin - It had all the makings of a great day in Purdue football history with a top 5 ranking, ESPN "College Gameday," a Heisman hopeful quarterback, homecoming, and a rare nationally televised evening game. What seemed like the perfect ending was lined up as one more first down would all but seal it. Instead, an Orton fumble (with a non-called facemask) taken back for six gave Wisconsin the lead and eventually the game. The sounds of excitement giving way to the pin-drop sounds of defeat cemented that night in my memory forever.

Trent Evans in Bloomington, Ind., writes: Being an IU football fan is painful enough as it is.

Billy Patterson in Topeka, Kan., writes: Iowa vs. Northwestern, 2009. Ranked #4 in the country with an undefeated season on the line and a legitimate chance to play for a national title if we win out. Stanzi goes down with an ankle injury and we end up losing at home to the unranked Wildcats. The post game atmosphere of Kinnick Stadium was unlike anything I had ever seen. People stayed in the seats for an hour after the game just sitting there in shock and disbelief. Destroyed a dream season; absolute devestation.

Northwestern's Drake Dunsmore caught the swing pass in the flat, shook free of Auburn defender Demond Washington and rumbled down the sideline.

About 40 yards later, Dunsmore encountered his next victim, Auburn's All-SEC cornerback Walter McFadden. McFadden appeared to have Dunsmore wrapped up around the 20-yard line, but Dunsmore kept pumping his legs, eventually depositing McFadden around the 8 before darting into the end zone.

Listed as a superback, a hybrid position that includes tight ends and fullbacks, Dunsmore looked more like Superman on his 66-yard touchdown catch in an epic Outback Bowl.

It's hard to believe that just six months earlier, Dunsmore was taking daily blood thinner medication and didn't know if he'd even play the season. And exactly three months after the Outback Bowl, the Northwestern standout was on an operating table in St. Louis, enduring a seven-and-a-half hour surgery that included the removal of a rib.

Dunsmore appeared in every game in the 2009 season, and he expects to do the same this fall as one of the Big Ten's top tight ends. But his body has taken a beating off the field.

"I’ve got some gruesome scars," he said. "When I go to the beach, I get a few extra head-turns."

The problem began last summer, as Dunsmore worked his way back from a torn ACL that cost him the 2008 season. He had added 15 pounds of muscle, putting him north of 240 pounds, and practically lived in the weight room.

It was there when he noticed numbness and swelling down his right arm. At first, he only felt it while doing over-the-head lifts, but the symptoms became more frequent, even cropping up while he watched TV at home. Dunsmore visited Northwestern's team doctor, who conducted an ultrasound and discovered a blood clot in his right subclavian vein, which runs from under the collarbone.

His next stop was a vascular surgeon in downtown Chicago, who thought Dunsmore might still play the season as long as the clot was removed and the symptoms subsided. Dunsmore was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition where the rib closest to the collarbone and the scalene muscle, which runs down the side of the neck, impinge the vein, causing clots.

"They told me it’s structural, it’s the way I’m put together," Dunsmore said. "But it was also the amount of muscle I put on with my shoulder and neck. It didn’t help the situation.”

In July, he began taking blood thinners.

"Injections every night and taking a pill every day," he said. "I didn’t really know if I was going to be able to play the season. The doctors attacked it like, ‘OK, it’s July, we’ve got to get rid of this blood clot first and see how long it takes.’ "

Dunsmore responded well and was cleared to play just a week before training camp, arriving "really out of shape."

Although it took him several games to get comfortable, Dunsmore finished third on the team in both receptions (47) and receiving yards (523). He finished second among Big Ten tight ends in receiving and is the top returnee for 2010.

"I didn’t have any symptoms during the season," he said. "I was blessed to make it through without any complications."

Dunsmore had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in January, but the symptoms on his left side resurfaced when he started lifting again during winter workouts. This time, he went to St. Louis to see Dr. Robert Thompson, a renowned specialist on thoracic outlet syndrome at Washington University Medical Center.

Thompson quickly discovered that the blood clot was back.

"Right away, he said, ‘This is going to be a reoccurring thing for the rest of your life. If you want to have any kind of lifestyle like you do now, you’re going to need surgery to repair it or you’re going to be at a very high risk of getting blood clots,'" Dunsmore recalled.

But this wasn't a simple surgery. Doctors had to remove a rib and the scalene muscle by making two incisions near Dunsmore's neck.

The seven-and-a-half hour procedure took place April 1.

"They said it’d be extremely painful and you stay in the hospital for a few days just for pain management," Dunsmore said. "They said you can’t move your neck, you can’t even get up out of bed and walk around. But within two days, I was doing all that. I was up, walking around, I didn’t have any pain after a week and a half, hardly any pain."

Dunsmore had to wait 12 weeks to ensure there were no complications before being cleared to play.

He'll actually be in better shape when Northwestern opens preseason camp Aug. 9 than he was a year ago. Although he's down a rib, Dunsmore barely notices a difference. Aside from those stares on the beach, of course.

"I’ve got to come up with different stories every time, fool with people," he said.

Despite the flashy title, Northwestern's superbacks have been used sparingly for most of the spread offense era, but that should change this fall. Dunsmore is the team's leading returning receiver, and offensive coordinator Mick McCall loves to feature him in a vertical passing attack.

"After a year like last year, where we utilized the position a little more, I think we’re going to see even more of that," Dunsmore said.

Dunsmore expects more plays like his Outback Bowl run, even with one fewer rib on his frame.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I’m going to be even faster now."

You asked (nicely) for it, and this time, you get what you want.

Remember colleague Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks" list, which examined the top workout warriors in college football for 2010? Ohio State sophomore defender John "Sandman" Simon made the rundown, along with other weight-room stars from around the country.

Several of you loved Feldman's list so much that you wanted me to create a similar one just for the Big Ten. Thanks to help from sports information staffers and strength coaches from around the conference, I've compiled the following list.

I based my selections primarily on weight-room numbers and comments from Big Ten strength coaches.

Not every player submitted made the rundown, and both Wisconsin and Iowa chose not to make any individual player nominations. While I know guys like Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and Wisconsin's J.J. Watt do some serious damage in the weight room, I'd rather only list players who have their schools' support and whose schools provided weight-room data and/or comments from strength coaches.

Penn State didn't provide weight-room statistics but singled out linebacker Michael Mauti, wide receiver Derek Moye and defensive tackle Devon Still for their weight-room performance.

Here are my selections, listed alphabetically by school:

Illinois WR Jarred Fayson 6-0, 215, Sr., Tampa, Fla.

• Bench-presses 405 pounds, squats 500 pounds, power cleans 352 pounds
• Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds
• Has just four percent body fat

Indiana LB Tyler Replogle 6-2, 238, Sr., Centerville, Ohio

• Bench-presses 455 pounds, leg-presses 760 pounds
• Has 33-inch vertical jump
• Clocked at 4.2 seconds in the shuttle run

Michigan DT Mike Martin 6-2, 294, Jr., Redford, Mich.

• Bench-presses 505 pounds, squats 700 pounds
• Power cleans 430 pounds, hang cleans 475 pounds
• Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds
• Strength coach Mike Barwis says: "Mike is an absolute warrior. He has a never quit attitude and is a natural born leader. He is one of the most impressive physical specimens I have ever seen."

Michigan C David Molk 6-2, 270, Jr., Lemont, Ill.

• Bench-presses 490 pounds, squats 660 pounds
• Power cleans 420 pounds, hang cleans 440 pounds
• Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds
• Strength coach Mike Barwis says: "Dave is an outstanding worker and a natural athlete. He is one of the most naturally explosive linemen I have ever trained."

Michigan State LB Eric Gordon 6-0, 228, Jr., Traverse City, Mich.

• Bench-presses 415 pounds
• Squats 600 pounds
• Best 40-yard dash time among Spartans linebackers at 4.52 seconds (Greg Jones clocks in at 4.55)

Michigan State TE Charlie Gantt 6-5, 248, Jr., Farmington Hills, Mich.

• Bench-presses 470 pounds
• Squats 535 pounds
• Has the top 40-yard dash time among Spartans tight ends at 4.72 seconds

Minnesota LB Mike Rallis 6-2, 210, So., Edina, Minn.

• Has increased his bench press from 325 to 365 pounds during the last year
• Power cleans 345 pounds and squats significantly more than 550 pounds
• Strength coach Mark Hill says: "Mike's work ethic exemplifies a guy who wants to succeed. He comes into the weight room every day and shows that he wants to contribute to this team winning. He does everything he needs to do. Mike absolutely attacks his workouts every day."

Minnesota RB DeLeon Eskridge 5-11, 198, Jr., San Francisco

• Has improved his squat from 250 pounds when he arrived at Minnesota to 375 pounds now
• Increased his bench press from 300 pounds to 340 pounds during the last year
• Has increased his power clean from 250 to more than 300 pounds as a Gopher
• Strength coach Mark Hill says: "I’ve been very impressed by DeLeon's improvements. He was a 185-pound freshman who had to play, due to depth issues. He could have used a red-shirt year to get bigger and stronger. But to see where he’s gone to achieve the strength, weight, speed, explosiveness and power needed to be a successful Big Ten back says a lot about his hard work."

Northwestern QB Dan Persa 6-1, 210, Jr., Bethlehem, Pa.

• Bench-presses 385 pounds, squats 550 pounds and power cleans 330 pounds, all top marks for Wildcats quarterbacks
• Soon will earn second consecutive "Top Cat" award as Northwestern's top weight-room performer
• Strength coach Larry Lilja says: "Dan is off the charts. No one works harder in the weight room. For his size, I doubt there is any quarterback who can match his numbers."

Northwestern DT Corbin Bryant 6-4, 285, Sr., Chicago

• Bench-presses 475 pounds, squats 600 pounds and power cleans 385 pounds
• Has a 34-inch vertical jump
• Strength coach Larry Lilja says: "He's one of our best workers and a true champion in the weight room."

Ohio State DL John Simon 6-2, 270, So., Youngstown, Ohio

• Bench-pressed 450 and squatted 700 pounds as a high school senior
• Can do 40 bench-press reps at 225 pounds
• Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds
• Strength coach Jeff Uhlenhake says: "John Simon is the best total package workout guy I’ve ever been around, in college, in the pros, as a coach, anybody. He is amazing."

Purdue T Nick Mondek 6-5, 299, Jr., Naperville, Ill.

• Former defensive lineman bench-presses 435 pounds, squats 605 pounds, power cleans 352 pounds
• Has a 31-inch vertical jump
• Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds
• Strength coach Jim Lathrop says: "Great worker who really has challenged himself. He has taken the position change and run with it. He is a leader in the weight room."

Purdue S Albert Evans 6-0, 206, Jr., Gary, Ind.

• Bench-presses 355 pounds, squats 500 pounds
• Power cleans 319 pounds
• Strength coach Jim Lathrop says: "Albert has really improved and is establishing himself as a leader."

If you can't tell, our theme today is hot matchups for the 2010 season, the games that are already stoking the fires on college campuses around the country.

The Michigan-Michigan State game in Ann Arbor fits the description, and I'd rather be nowhere but the Big House on Oct 9. But there are other grudge matches in the league this fall, and colleague Mark Schlabach mentions three of them in his top 10 national rundown.

The Michigan-Purdue game on Nov. 13 at Ross-Ade Stadium comes in at No. 5.

The Big Ten matchup might seem like the most unlikely of rivalries, but there's plenty of bad blood boiling between the Boilermakers and Wolverines. Former Purdue coach Joe Tiller referred to Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as a "guy in a wizard hat selling snake oil," and then new Boilermakers coach Danny Hope handed Rich Rod a 38-36 loss in the Big House in '09. The head coaches exchanged words at midfield after Purdue's first victory in Ann Arbor since 1966.

My take: The Tiller-Rodriguez and Hope-Rodriguez spats are totally unrelated, but it's interesting how this particular matchup has created some controversy between the coaches. After Purdue's historic win last year at Michigan, Hope met Rodriguez at midfield and motioned for offensive lineman Zach Reckman to join them. According to Rodriguez, Hope said, "Thanks, coach. Really appreciate what you did," referring to Rodriguez calling for the Big Ten to assess all potential unsportsmanlike incidents equally. Michigan had seen its starting linebacker Jonas Mouton suspended for throwing a punch against Notre Dame, and Rodriguez identified Reckman's late hit against Northern Illinois as another potential violation for the Big Ten to review. The league concurred and suspended Reckman for a game, a decision that didn't sit well with Hope. No one is going to place Purdue among Michigan's top rivals, but last year's incident might add some fuel to a mid-November matchup that could have huge implications for both teams and especially Rodriguez, whose job might be on the line.

Schlabach ranks the Miami-Ohio State game at No. 8.

The teams haven't played since the unforgettable 2003 Fiesta Bowl, which ended with the Buckeyes' winning their first national championship since 1968. Since Ohio State's 31-24 victory in double overtime, fans of both schools have tried to forget about former Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett, who produced a game-changing strip of the ball and an embarrassing string of off-field incidents.

My take: I tend to think enough time has passed to turn down the heat on any potential Canes-Bucks rivalry, but maybe not. I still get plenty of e-mails about the pass interference call that helped Ohio State win the title. Ohio State seems to have more bad blood with the SEC in general, but it should get a little rowdy in The Shoe on Sept. 11. I look at this as a great matchup, but not really a heated one.

Schlabach lists the Iowa-Northwestern game at No. 9.

The Wildcats handed the Hawkeyes their first loss of the '09 season with a 17-10 upset in Iowa City. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi missed most of the game with an ankle injury, and the Hawkeyes' 13-game winning streak -- and BCS national championship hopes -- came to a screeching halt.

My take: The more I think about it, Iowa-Northwestern easily could have been my pick for the Big Ten's hottest game in 2010. Iowa fans will never publicly list Northwestern among their top rivals, but they can't stand losing to the Wildcats. Injuries and turnovers certainly have played major roles in the recent matchups, but that's football. Both teams have developed strong reputations for player development in the last decade, taking average or overlooked recruits and transforming them into All-Big Ten players. There's a lot of bad blood between the fan bases, and I know from covering Northwestern that the players always felt Iowa was a rival. Iowa gets a chance to exact revenge this fall in Evanston, while Northwestern can continue to torture the Hawkeyes with a win.

Football strength training is the flavor this week on ESPN.com, as we attempt to pump ... you up! Sorry, couldn't resist.

Head coaches get most of the credit -- and, to be fair, most of the blame -- but strength coaches spend more time with players than anyone else on campus. They play major roles in developing personnel for the season.

So who are these guys? Here's a quick look at the Big Ten strength coaches.

ILLINOIS
Name: Lou Hernandez
At Illinois since: 2005
The skinny: Hernandez made the transition from Florida to Illinois with Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, for whom he has worked since 2003. A native Texan, Hernandez received both his bachelor's and master's from the University of Houston, where he worked from 1992-2001 as both an assistant strength coach and the head man. Hernandez spent 2002 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. Despite being just 5-foot-8, Hernandez was a competitive power lifter who could bench 507 pounds and squat 720 in his heyday. He also consults Illinois players on nutrition and helped defensive end Will Davis add to his frame in 2008.

INDIANA
Name: Mark Wateska
At Indiana since: 2002
The skinny: Wateska has spent nearly a quarter century as a strength and conditioning coach, including the last eight seasons with the Hoosiers football program. He played football at Penn State and was part of the 1986 national championship team. Wateska received both his bachelor's degree and his master's degree in exercise and sports science from Penn State and started his career there. He eventually left for Boston College, where he served as an assistant strength coach for four years before he took his first head job at Maine. Before Indiana, Wateska spent seven years as Stanford's head strength and conditioning coach. After his first year at The Farm, Wateksa was named Pac-10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).

IOWA
Name: Chris Doyle
At Iowa since: 1999
The skinny: Doyle has been in Iowa City for every step of the program's resurgence under Kirk Ferentz. He made his mark right away, earning Big Ten Strength Coach of the Year honors from the NCSA in 1999. Doyle has helped 149 players who have reached the professional ranks in the NFL, NHL and NBA, including 24 Iowa players selected in the last six NFL drafts. A native of Quincy, Mass., who earned two degrees at Boston University, Doyle came to Iowa after a year at Utah but was no stranger to the Big Ten. He served as Wisconsin's assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1996-98. Doyle worked both the football and hockey teams in Madison.

MICHIGAN
Name: Mike Barwis
At Michigan since: 2008
The skinny: Barwis followed Rich Rodriguez to Michigan after spending 14 years at West Virginia, where he worked with the school's Olympic sports programs before taking over strength and conditioning for football in 2003. Rodriguez is extremely loyal to Barwis and gives Barwis a lot of credit for the Mountaineers' rise to national prominence from 2005-07. Barwis has coached 24 NCSA All-Americans since 1999 and received the Bronze Award from the NCSA certification commission in 2004. A former mixed-martial arts fighter, Barwis' workout regimes at West Virginia became legendary, and the Philadelphia native has developed quite a reputation among Michigan players and fans.

MICHIGAN STATE
Name: Ken Mannie
At Michigan State since: 1994
The skinny: Mannie made the transition with Nick Saban from Toledo to Michigan State in 1994, but while Saban moved on, Mannie remained a fixture in East Lansing. He has received numerous awards and honors during his Michigan State tenure, including being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA in 2002 and being inducted into the Varsity S Club as an honorary member in 2007. Mannie, who oversees the strength and conditioning programs for all of Michigan State's sports, is a regular contributor to the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director publication. He first met Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio at Ohio State, where they both served as graduate assistants in 1984.

MINNESOTA
Name: Mark Hill
At Minnesota since: 2007
The skinny: A 1999 graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Hill already has worked as a high-level strength coach in the Big 12, Pac-10 and Big Ten. He joined Minnesota's staff in head coach Tim Brewster's first season after spending three years as associate director of performance enhancement at Arizona. Hill worked closely with Antoine Cason at Arizona, helping the defensive back win the Thorpe Award. He has mentored six All-Big Ten players at Minnesota and helped coach 13 All-Americans and 28 NFL draft picks as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma from 2000-03. Hill was an All-Southern Conference wide receiver at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

NORTHWESTERN
Name: Larry Lilja
At Northwestern since: 1981
The skinny: Lilja is the dean of Big Ten strength coaches and counts current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald among the many Wildcats players he tutored during his lengthy run in Evanston. He was a three-year starter at Northwestern from 1973-75, serving as a captain in 1974, before returning in 1981 to run the school's strength and conditioning center. Lilja played a major role in helping Northwestern transform its football program by winning Big Ten championships in 1995 and 1996. He earned Big Ten Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year honors in 1996. The Lilja family has deep roots in the Big Ten, as Larry and his brothers George (Michigan) and Dave (Indiana) are the only siblings in league history to serve as captains for three different teams.

OHIO STATE
Name: Eric Lichter
At Ohio State since: 2006
The skinny: Lichter built his reputation in the private sector by opening the Speed Strength Athlete Training Center in Euclid, Ohio, where he trained athletes in many sports, including Ohio State NFL draft prospects like Donte Whitner and Bobby Carpenter. He served as a consultant to Ohio State's 2002 national championship team and brought Power Plate technology to the program. Head coach Jim Tressel hired him in 2006 to oversee the strength and conditioning program. Lichter has trained six Top 10 NFL draft picks and has worked with LeBron James, Ron Dayne and others. His mother, Linda Lichter Witter, is Ohio State’s synchronized swimming coach, and Eric served as a consultant for the synchronized swimming team before joining Tressel's staff.

PENN STATE
Name: John Thomas
At Penn State since: 1992
The skinny: Like pretty much every member of Joe Paterno's staff, Thomas has been in State College for quite some time, making his mark on the Penn State program. In 2002, Thomas was named a Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA, one of only 27 people to carry the title at the time. He also was named National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1997. Thomas is a staunch supporter of the High Intensity Strength Training System (HIT), which early last decade created some discontent that has since subsided. Thomas came to Penn State from Army, where he served as head strength and conditioning coach in 1990-91. He played both offensive and defensive line at Muskingum College.

PURDUE
Name: Jim Lathrop
At Purdue since: 1998 (sixth year as director of strength and conditioning)
The skinny: Lathrop made the trek with Joe Tiller and Danny Hope from Wyoming to Purdue after being named the WAC's strength and conditioning coordinator professional of the year in 1996. He spent seven years as strength and conditioning coordinator before being promoted to oversee strength and conditioning for Purdue's entire athletic program. Lathrop designs specific training programs for football, wrestling, and men's and women's track. A former offensive guard for Northwest Missouri State, Lathrop served as both an assistant and a director of strength and conditioning at Georgia Tech from 1988-92. Georgia Tech won the 1990 national championship during his first year as director.

WISCONSIN
Name: Ben Herbert
At Wisconsin since: 2002 (named head strength and conditioning coach in January 2009)
The skinny: Herbert cut his teeth under longtime Wisconsin strength coach John Dettman before working his way into the top football job last winter. A two-year starter on the defensive line for the Badgers, Herbert helped Wisconsin reach back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He joined Wisconsin's strength and conditioning staff as an intern in 2002 before being promoted to an assistant the next year. Herbert shook things up after becoming the head strength coach, introducing position group workouts, innovative competitions and some unique motivational props, including a WWE replica belt and two potted plants.

The wait is over.

Many of you -- hundreds? thousands? -- have asked me to review your proposals for Big Ten divisions and to offer my own. It's truly amazing how much interest this part of expansion garners. Even before Dec. 15, I received hundreds of e-mails not only proposing new members to the Big Ten, but outlining how the divisions would set up. It must be the fantasy sports aspect in all of this.

OK, let's get started.

Note: This is all based on the Big Ten remaining a 12-team league with Nebraska as the only new addition. These divisions apply to football only, so don't start crying about basketball or other sports. There's no need for divisions when you have conference tournaments.

OBJECTIVES

There's no perfect model to divisions, and someone is going to be upset no matter what. But it's important to identify some criteria.

• Competitive balance. I can't stress this enough, but as commissioner Jim Delany said Friday in Lincoln, competitive balance is the top priority in determining divisions. There are lessons to be learned from the Big 12, which shifted its power to the South division and made the league championship game weaker. The Big Ten wants its title game to mean something. Recent history certainly matters when evaluating programs, but so does long-term history.
• Rivalries (old and new). The Big Ten is nothing without its rivalries, but not every rivalry will be saved unless the league goes to an 11-game round robin schedule (not happenin'). It's also important to be forward thinking and project new rivalries that not only appeal to the two fan bases, but to casual fans and to national audiences.
• National appeal. You've seen me write a lot about teams that "move the needle." Certain teams have national appeal, and certain teams don't. That's just the way it is. A league needs to address this in divisions and ensure it has as many opportunities as possible to showcase its product nationally. You want to get the ABC Saturday night game as often as possible.

(Read full post)

Rivalries are undoubtedly among the primary concerns for fans and some media members when assessing realignment in college football.

Rivalries define the sport, and they're certainly at risk depending upon what happens. Nebraska and Colorado, longtime Big 8/Big 12 rivals, both have left for other conferences, leaving their annual series in doubt. There are also nonconference rivalries like Iowa-Iowa State that could be altered or possibly ended if the dominoes don't fall the right way.

This post focuses solely on current Big Ten rivalries (excluding Nebraska). They mean everything in this league, and they will be impacted, one way or another, by the league expanding to at least 12 teams.

“We’re going into this with the idea that rivalries really matter," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Friday. "But not all rivalries are equal.”

We've got a ton of time to look at divisions, championship game possibilities and the like, but here's my take on the rivalries that must be preserved, should be preserved and could be sacrificed for the good of the league.

If you need a refresher, here's the Big Ten's list of protected rivalries and my thoughts on the good and the eh.

OK, let's get going ...

HANDS OFF!

• Michigan-Ohio State
• Michigan-Michigan State
• Minnesota-Wisconsin
• Indiana-Purdue
• Minnesota-Iowa
• Wisconsin-Iowa

HANDLE WITH CARE

• Ohio State-Penn State
• Illinois-Ohio State
• Michigan-Minnesota
• Iowa-Penn State

EXPENDABLE

• Michigan State-Penn State
• Illinois-Northwestern
• Indiana-Illinois (should be able to save)
• Penn State-Michigan
• Minnesota-Penn State
• Wisconsin-Michigan
• Purdue-Illinois (did you know this is a trophy game?)
• Northwestern-Iowa (should be able to save)
• Purdue-Northwestern
• Michigan State-Indiana

Nebraska's entrance into the league certainly changes the rivalry landscape. Is it worth sacrificing a current Big Ten rivalry or two to build some potentially great ones between Nebraska and teams in its new league?

There are some great possibilities out there: Nebraska-Iowa, Nebraska-Wisconsin, Nebraska-Minnesota, Nebraska-Penn State. Wisconsin is already pushing for a late-season rivalry game with the Huskers.

But that's a conversation for another day.

What are your thoughts on which rivalries are worth saving?