ESPN College Football

Ten items to track as you watch every Big Ten squad in action Saturday.

1. Hawkeyes head west: History doesn't favor Iowa -- or any Big Ten team, for that matter -- when it comes to early season road games out west. Iowa has dropped its past six games west of the Rockies, and as columnist Mike Hlas points out, the Hawkeyes have lost their past three road games against Pac-10 members by an average of 28 points. Fortunately for Iowa, it boasts a senior-laden team that should be able to handle the difficulties of a time change, a late kickoff time, the absence of defensive coordinator Norm Parker and some potentially steamy weather in Tucson against No. 24 Arizona (ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET). This is a chance for Iowa to showcase itself on the national stage and beat a solid Wildcats team. The elements will be tough, but Iowa is a tough team that won in tough places last fall.

2. Spartans' secondary put to the test: Michigan State's secondary was the team's No. 1 concern entering the season. We should get an excellent read on whether the Spartans have taken a step forward or not Saturday night against Dayne Crist, Michael Floyd, Kyle Rudolph and the Notre Dame offense (ABC/ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET). Floyd is a handful for any secondary, and Rudolph showed once again against Michigan that he's not a typical tight end. Michigan State needs strong performances from safety Trenton Robinson, cornerback Chris L. Rucker and others, and it'll be interesting to see if All-American linebacker Greg Jones provides a lift in coverage, a point of emphasis for him in returning to school.

3. Big Ten reunion of sorts: When Wisconsin began watching tape in preparation to face Arizona State on Saturday (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET), coach Bret Bielema made sure to include a clip of a Michigan quarterback leading a historic comeback against the Badgers in 2008. That quarterback was Steven Threet, who will lead the Arizona State offense into Camp Randall. Threet is one of several former Big Ten players reunited with foes from their old league Saturday. Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, formerly of Michigan State, faces Iowa, while Rice running back Sam McGuffie, formerly of Michigan, faces Northwestern. And let's not forget about Arizona coach Mike Stoops, who goes up against his alma mater.

4. Minnesota picks up the pieces: This could go one of two ways for Tim Brewster's crew. Minnesota either will let Matt Barkley and USC go nuts Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium (ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET) and increase the calls for a coaching change. Or, the Gophers will use last week's inexcusable loss to South Dakota as a rallying cry and play good football against a USC team asking to get beat. Obviously, Minnesota needs to take a huge step with a young defense, which will regain the services of senior safety Kyle Theret. Overshadowed by the Dakota Debacle were the strong performances of Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber and running back Duane Bennett, who need even better days against the Trojans.

5. Michigan's quarterback rotation: Unless we see an Appalachian State re-run, Michigan should be able to rest sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson for part of Saturday's game against Massachusetts. If and when Robinson leaves the game, it should get interesting. Will coach Rich Rodriguez continue to call on true freshman Devin Gardner before last year's starting signal caller, Tate Forcier? How will they perform? Forcier seemed to be in better spirits last week at Notre Dame, and you know he's itching to play and show what he can do in a game.

6. Penn State running on E: E as in All-Big Ten running back Evan Royster, who needs a strong performance very soon after racking up only 72 rush yards in the first two games. Whether it's Royster's weight gain, the offensive line or a limited playbook, Penn State hasn't gotten much from No. 22. Saturday provides an interesting challenge as Penn State faces a Kent State team (ESPN2, noon ET) that leads the nation in rush defense (11 ypg allowed). The Golden Flashes certainly aren't Alabama, but they did a nice job of holding Boston College's ground game in check last week. This is a good chance for Royster to show he's still got it and make a move in his pursuit for the school's career rushing record.

7. Purdue behind the 8 ball: Life without No. 8 (Keith Smith) begins for Purdue, which must identify a new top target for quarterback Robert Marve. Smith was an outstanding possession receiver, and the Boilers will look to Justin Siller, Antavian Edison, Cortez Smith, Gary Bush, O.J. Ross and others to help fill the void beginning Saturday against Ball State. Purdue also can't also lose sight of the need to identify a deep threat. Through two games, Marve has completed 54 passes for only 391 yards (7.2 yards per completion). Siller seems like a good candidate to stretch the field.

8. A family affair for Poseys: Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey squares off against his older brother, Julian, a defensive back for Ohio, on Saturday in Columbus. It's one thing for brothers to play on opposing teams, but the Poseys likely will be matched up directly against one another. DeVier Posey has been excellent so far this season, recording eight receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. But Julian Posey can hold his own -- three pass breakups and a 38-yard fumble return to the end zone this year for the Bobcats -- and he knows his little brother better than anyone. Said Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel: "I told DeVier, 'If big brother shuts you down, it's going to be a long lifetime for you.'"

9. Illini aim to own the state: Illinois is 12-0 all-time against public schools from the state, a streak it tries to continue Saturday against Northern Illinois. It's only Week 3, but this is another must-win for Ron Zook's team, which looked very good last week against Southern Illinois. After the NIU game, Illinois has a week off before opening Big Ten play with Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State. So this is crucial. Linebacker Ian Thomas and an improving Illinois defense faces a Northern Illinois team favored to win the MAC West but struggling a bit so far this season. NIU also could be without ailing coach Jerry Kill for the game.

10. Wildcats, Hoosiers hit the road: Northwestern and Indiana both are favored to win Saturday, but September road games always are tricky. The Wildcats head to Houston, which will be a homecoming for several players, but provides some unique challenges, namely the weather. Rice held its own in the season opener against Texas and should test on-target quarterback Dan Persa and his NU teammates. Remember Indiana? It seems like the Hoosiers haven't played for eons (actually Sept. 2), but they're back at it Saturday afternoon at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers top this week's Bottom 10, but they'll be excited to face a Big Ten squad in their house. Indiana's defense must perform better than it did in the opener.

South Dakota ended my quest for perfection (or was it Minnesota?). Either way, I'll try to start a new streak this week.

Michigan 43, Massachusetts 14: Denard Robinson does his thing for two and a half quarters before the real drama begins. Does Devin Gardner get the first call after Shoelace, or will it be Tate Forcier? Both reserve quarterbacks end up playing well as Michigan improves to 3-0.

Ohio State 41, Ohio 6: The Buckeyes receive an efficient performance from Terrelle Pryor, and receiver DeVier Posey beats his big brother Julian for two touchdowns. No special teams meltdowns this week, and the defense keeps the Bobcats out of the end zone.

Penn State 35, Kent State 10: After two quiet weeks, Evan Royster arrives in a big way against Kent State. The senior running back goes for 140 yards and three touchdowns against a good run defense, and quarterback Rob Bolden bounces back nicely from the Alabama loss.

Illinois 26, Northern Illinois 14: I'm buying into Illinois' defensive improvement under Vic Koenning, and the Illini receive another solid performance from Ian Thomas, Tavon Wilson and crew. Northern Illinois seems to be struggling to put it all together, and the Illini need this game more.

Purdue 34, Ball State 17: Receivers Justin Siller and Antavian Edison emerge as Purdue begins life without star wideout Keith Smith. The Boilers start slowly for the second consecutive week but get it going in the second quarter, as Dan Dierking eclipses 100 rushing yards for the second consecutive week.

USC 35, Minnesota 23: I've got a strange feeling about this one. Minnesota isn't as bad as it looked against South Dakota, and USC seems to be just skating by on its talent right now. I can't pick the Gophers to win, not with their issues on defense, but they'll come out energized after the Dakota Debacle. Minnesota takes an early lead, but Matt Barkley and his receivers prove to be too much in the second half.

Wisconsin 30, Arizona State 20: This is my Pick of the Week. Check the blog later as I'll have a video explaining my prediction in greater detail.

Indiana 45, Western Kentucky 21: The Hoosiers' offense shows no rust from the 16-day layoff, as Ben Chappell, Darius Willis and Tandon Doss all have big days against a woeful Western Kentucky defense. Indiana's defense struggles against Bobby Rainey, raising some concerns as Big Ten play beckons.

Northwestern 27, Rice 21: Another tricky road game for Pat Fitzgerald's crew against a Rice team that did some good things against Texas in the opener. The Owls jump ahead early and former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie reaches the end zone, but the Wildcats control play in the second half behind quarterback Dan Persa and receiver Jeremy Ebert.

Michigan State 33, Notre Dame 31: A very tough call here. Expect an entertaining shootout in East Lansing, as both offenses find their groove. I'm not sold on the Spartans' defense, and Notre Dame takes advantage as Michael Floyd has a big night. But Michigan State's balanced attack also steps up as Kirk Cousins rallies the team in the fourth quarter and Dan Conroy kicks a 42-yard field goal as time expires.

Iowa 26, Arizona 21: Arizona feeds off an electric atmosphere and jumps ahead behind Nic Grigsby, but Iowa duplicates what it did all last year and rallies on the road behind quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The senior signal caller overcomes an early interception and leads the game-winning touchdown drive, hitting Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for the decisive touchdown.

Last week: 9-1

Season record: 20-1 (.952)

It's hardly unusual for a Big Ten team to face a former player from the league in a nonconference game.

But this week, things reach a different level. Several former Big Ten players will be in key roles Saturday as they line up against squads from their former league. Feels a bit like reunion week. Kind of.

Remember these guys?

Steven Threet, QB

• Former team: Michigan
• Current team: Arizona State
• Big Ten reunion: Saturday at Wisconsin (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)
• The skinny: Threet's finest moment as a Wolverine came against Wisconsin on Sept. 27, 2008, when he engineered the biggest comeback in Michigan Stadium history, leading Michigan to a 27-25 victory over the ninth-ranked Badgers. Unfortunately for both Wisconsin and Threet, things went downhill from there. Threet transferred after the season and sat out 2009 before winning the starting job. Threet comes to Madison ranked 10th nationally in total offense and 22nd in pass efficiency, although those numbers have come against two FCS opponents (Portland State and Northern Arizona).

Nick Foles, QB

• Former team: Michigan State
• Current team: Arizona
• Big Ten reunion: Saturday vs. Iowa (ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET)
• The skinny: Foles played in one game for Michigan State in 2007 before opting to transfer the following spring. He sat out 2008 before emerging as Arizona's starter last fall, passing for 2,486 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Foles' single-season numbers for completions, attempts, pass yards, touchdown passes and completion percentage all ranked in the top 10 in Arizona history. He ranks 11th nationally in pass efficiency and tied for 21st in total offense this season.

Sam McGuffie, RB

• Former team: Michigan
• Current team: Rice
• Big Ten reunion: Saturday vs. Northwestern
• The skinny: A YouTube sensation, McGuffie came to Michigan with a lot of hype. He recorded two 100-yard rushing performances as a freshman in 2008 but suffered three concussions and sat out three of the team's final four games. The Texas native transferred weeks after the season and landed at Rice. He's sharing time in the backfield with the Owls and has 65 rushing yards on 28 carries. McGuffie also has caught four passes for 91 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown last week.

Other former Big Ten players facing the Big Ten on Saturday include:

• Northern Illinois K Michael Cklamovski: Former Illinois player faces the Illini.
• Arizona QB Ross Oltorik: Former Ohio State walk-on faces Iowa.
• Kent State LB Cobrani Mixon: Former Michigan player faces Penn State

Let's look back at Week 2 before looking ahead to Saturday's completely full slate (11 games) of Big Ten action.

Team of the week: Iowa. Ohio State and Michigan drew more national attention, as usual, but Iowa delivered the most impressive performance of the day. The Hawkeyes annihilated in-state rival Iowa State, storming out to a 35-0 lead behind Adam Robinson and Ricky Stanzi. Iowa State supposedly had improved since last year's meeting, but the Hawkeyes once again victimized quarterback Austen Arnaud for three interceptions. After walking the tightrope every week in 2009, Iowa isn't letting inferior teams hang around. It'll be interesting to see how the Hawkeyes perform Saturday at Arizona.

Best game: Michigan at Notre Dame. For the second consecutive season, the Wolverines and Irish provided plenty of drama. And once again, a young quarterback became the hero for the Maize and Blue. Denard Robinson's brilliance helped Michigan overcome a late defensive breakdown and rally for a 28-24 victory in South Bend. The game featured plenty of plot twists, as Notre Dame jumped ahead early, lost quarterback Dayne Crist to injury, got him back and took the lead before falling. Just great theater in one of college football's great cathedrals.

Biggest play: Going with three of them this week. Robinson set a Notre Dame Stadium record with his 87-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, a beautiful display of pure speed. And who doesn't like to see a defensive lineman rumble? That's exactly what Ohio State's Cameron Heyward did on an 80-yard interception return against Miami early in the third quarter with the game still very much in doubt. Purdue running back Al-Terek McBurse also deserves props for keeping his balance while rolling over a Western Illinois defender and then scooting into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown run.

Specialist spotlight: Michigan State entered the season with major questions at the kicker spot after losing standout Brett Swenson. Dan Conroy eased the concern Saturday against Florida Atlantic, converting field goal attempts of 50, 44 and 41 yards. Conroy is 4-for-4 on field goals for the season. Ohio State kicker Devin Barclay tied a team record with five field goals before missing his sixth attempt. "It was the first time I've ever been in a game where the kicker cramped up," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said afterward.

Game balls (given to players from winning teams not selected for helmet stickers):

• Northwestern QB Dan Persa: Robinson and Terrelle Pryor get all the pub, but Persa is leading the nation in pass efficiency with an amazing rating of 212.06. He has completed 86.4 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no picks. It's still early, but Persa is answering NU's biggest question mark entering the fall.
• Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan: Kerrigan is continuing his dominant play from 2009 and recorded four tackles for loss with a sack and a forced fumble against Western Illinois. He leads the league in both tackles for loss (6.5) and forced fumbles (2), and ranks fifth in tackles (19).
• Illinois RB Mikel Leshoure: Another player who has carried over his success from last fall, Leshoure racked up 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries against Southern Illinois. Imagine what he'll do if he ever gets a full carries load.
• Michigan State WR/KR/PR Keshawn Martin: Martin showed against Florida Atlantic why he can be so dangerous for the Spartans this year. He had a 42-yard reception, a 46-yard kickoff return and a 47-yard punt return. He finished with a game-high 204 all-purpose yards.
• Michigan WR Roy Roundtree: Labeled as doubtful last Monday after taking a huge shot against UConn, Roundtree not only played against Notre Dame but led Michigan with eight receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Plus, he took another big hit in the game. Gutsy performance.
• Wisconsin DE J.J. Watt: Watt is performing like an All-Big Ten player so far this season, and he came up big against San Jose State with 2.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a blocked field goal attempt.
• Purdue RB Dan Dierking: Dierking eased some concerns about the Boilers' run game with 14 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns against Western Illinois. He broke career bests for rushes, rushing yardage and touchdowns for the second straight game.

How bizarre: The entire Miami-Ohio State game fits into this category. Ohio State allowed a kickoff return touchdown and a punt return touchdown in the same game for the first time in team history. Miami's Jacory Harris threw four interceptions and still had a chance in the second half. Pryor completed just 12 of 27 passes but still put up great yardage totals for both passing (233) and rushing (113). Just a very weird game at The Shoe, but the Buckeyes will take the W.

Now, let's take a quick look at the Week 2 slate ...

Massachusetts (2-0) at Michigan (2-0): What will Robinson do next? Tune in for the first half, as he might not be around for much of this one. The real subplot should be how Michigan uses backup quarterbacks Devin Gardner and Tate Forcier.

Ohio (1-1) at Ohio State (2-0): Frank Solich's Bobcats gave the Buckeyes a real scare two years ago, but Ohio is coming off of a home loss to Toledo. Can't see Ohio State letting Ohio hang around very long.

Kent State (1-1) at Penn State (1-1): The Lions should finally be able to get Evan Royster and the run game going, right? One problem: Kent State leads the nation in rush defense, allowing just 11 yards per game.

Northern Illinois (1-1) at Illinois (1-1): The Illini looked great against Southern Illinois and try to continue maintain their unbeaten record (12-0) against public schools from the state. NIU coach Jerry Kill could miss the game after being hospitalized Sunday.

Ball State (1-1) at Purdue (1-1): Life without star wide receiver Keith Smith begins for the Boilers, who still are looking for more consistency on both sides of the ball. Can Dierking nail down Purdue's top running back spot?

USC (2-0) at Minnesota (1-1): These are the big-ticket games Tim Brewster wants to play at Minnesota, but the heat is rising on the fourth-year coach after an embarrassing loss to South Dakota. USC's Matt Barkley takes aim at a Gophers' secondary that made South Dakota's Dante Warren look like superman.

Arizona State (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0): Steven Threet sparked Wisconsin's downward spiral in 2008 after leading Michigan to a historic come-from-behind win at the Big House. Now Threet leads the Sun Devils into Madison looking for an upset.

Indiana (1-0) at Western Kentucky (0-2): Remember the Hoosiers? It feels like months since they last played. All-Big Ten wideout Tandon Doss is expected to make his season debut as Indiana hits the road for the first time.

Northwestern (2-0) at Rice (1-1): The Michigan-Big Ten reunion continues as former Wolverines running back Sam McGuffie faces Northwestern. This could be a tricky game for the Wildcats, but if Persa continues to perform like he has, they should be fine.

Notre Dame (1-1) at Michigan State (2-0): We should learn a lot more about the Spartans in this prime-time affair, as Notre Dame should test a secondary that struggled mightily in 2009. Linebacker Greg Jones and the Michigan State seniors try to go 3-1 against the Irish.

Iowa (2-0) at Arizona (2-0): Stay up late for this one, people. Both teams have looked dominant so far, and Iowa will have to adjust to the elements in the desert. Nick Foles and the Arizona offense will test Adrian Clayborn & Co., but Arizona also must contend with an Iowa offense that looks very strong so far.

I’m a joiner and this morning I saw that the other bloggers were writing about the teams from their conferences that had the best chance of going bowling this year. So, I thought I’d join in.

Obviously, I have more conferences, so I’ll break this down over a few posts throughout the rest of the week. I’ll go in alphabetical order, so let’s start with Conference USA.

C-USA announced last month that it will have six guaranteed bowl spots and an agreement with the new Dallas Football Classic to participate in that game should be the Big Ten or Big 12 be unable to provide a team. The Liberty Bowl takes the conference champion and then teams are dispersed with the help of the league office.

I’m not going to pick the exact bowls but rather the teams I think will be bowling at the end of the year.

COUNT ON IT

• Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles have missed the postseason just once this decade, so there’s no reason to think they’re going to slip now. Yes, there are questions on the offensive line, but this team should be challenging for a conference title by the end of the season.
• Central Florida: The Knights rebounded from a tough 2008 to nearly play in the conference title game in 2009. This year, the defense looks stout and the offense seems to have found a quarterback in Rob Calabrese that can help expand their game. Running back is a huge question mark with Brynn Harvey out for nonconference play, but several other options seemed to step up during the spring.
• Houston: The Cougars seemed to hit a wall at the end of last season, but with nearly everyone returning from that team, they’ll be the favorites to win C-USA West in the fall. The question will be whether they learned from last year’s mistakes to put themselves in better bowl position this year.
• SMU: Dare I say that SMU is back? The Mustangs will be young again, but I think coach June Jones has found something in quarterback Kyle Padron and the Mustangs will once again be in a bowl hunt. I think the ‘Stangs have the best chance to give Houston a run for the West Division.
• Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane had a down year in 2009, but I think that was an aberration. Coach Todd Graham acknowledged he underestimated the loss of some players heading into last year, but with most of the 2009 squad returning for 2010, he feels confident his team can rebound. Much of Tulsa’s success will depend on the offensive line, which was really shaky a year ago.

MOST LIKELY

• UTEP: The Miners have the talent to make a bowl game, especially with quarterback Trevor Vittatoe and running back Donald Buckram back, but the consistency is something that needs to come along. The Miners have a new defensive coordinator, which should alleviate the need to get into shootouts with opponents.
• Marshall: It’s hard to say what a team will look like with a new coach and several of the top offensive weapons gone, but coach Doc Holliday does have some gems on his roster that could get this team to six wins. However, the nonconference schedule is a bear and the Herd has to play at Southern Miss, ECU and SMU.

OUTSIDE SHOT

• East Carolina: The Pirates lost more starters to graduation than any other team in the country. Combine that with trying to learn a new offensive and defensive system and it seems like a rebuilding year.
• Rice: Last year was a tough transition for Rice after losing almost all of its offense from 2008. This year should be better with some new quarterback choices, experience and running back Sam McGuffie available to play. The Owls could easily go 2-2 during nonconference play and have SMU and Houston at home, but there’s a tough road stretch during late October and early November that will get them a bowl berth.

WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR

• Memphis: New head coach Larry Porter inherited a lot of potential, but it won’t be easy to put that together in a year. There are a lot of questions for this Memphis team, especially at running back, the position that carried the offense a year ago.
• UAB: Quarterback Joe Webb was the Blazers’ all-everything player a year ago and now that he’s gone, no one has stepped up to fill that gap. Coach Neil Callaway has been looking for players to help out for the past few years and has had little luck finding someone to emerge. That will continue as the Blazers struggle in 2010.
• Tulane: I thought the Green Wave would be better in 2009, but that didn’t happen and I don’t have a lot of confidence for 2010. They lose top players Jeremy Williams and Andre Anderson and are still looking for consistent play from both sides of the ball.

Rice felt the effects of losing some key seniors last year and struggled to a 2-10 record. This year, the offense should get back on track with a couple of transfers and more experience. It’s the defense that seems to be slowing the Owls down, so that will be a major focus this spring.

Here’s a look at the strongest and weakest positions for Rice this spring:

Strongest position: Running back

Key returners: Sophomore Charles Ross (97 carries, 491 yards, 11 touchdowns), senior Tyler Smith (101 carries, 428 yards, one touchdown)

Key departures: None.

The skinny: It’s a little crazy to say the Rice rushing offense, which ranked 104^th in the country with just 109.25 yards per game, is the strongest position on the field, but the addition of Michigan transfer Sam McGuffie gives the Owls perhaps the best rusher in the conference. Already, McGuffie has shown what he can do in scrimmages by rattling off touchdown runs of 50 and 20 yards, and he’ll only get better as he shakes off the rust from sitting out the past year. He’s going to be one of the top offensive producers in the conference and he’ll help the team be better than its 2-10 record a year ago.

Weakest position: Defense

Key returners: Senior defensive end Scott Solomon (63 tackles, 105 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks), senior defensive end Cheta Ozougwu (61 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks), junior defensive back Travis Bradshaw (121 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss), senior free safety Chris Jones (41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss)

Key departures: Defensive back Andrew Sendejo (64 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception), linebacker Terrance Garmon (55 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks)

The skinny: The defense was pretty awful last season, ranking in the 100s in nearly every defensive category. But the defense also was young. Ten starters return and should be a better unit with more experience. However, Rice has not really excelled defensively under head coach David Bailiff, and a drastic change shouldn’t be expected. But in a Conference USA, where offense rules the roost, the Owls just have to be OK to get into the win column. There is some talent returning, especially at the defensive end position, but the linebackers and secondary have to get better this spring if the Owls want to move up in the defensive rankings.

On Wednesday we looked at the top quarterbacks transferring from schools from automatic qualifying conferences to non-AQ schools, and a today we’re going to look at some of the top running backs.

Here are my top five running back transfers from AQ schools:

Sam McGuffie, Rice: As a true freshman at Michigan in 2008, McGuffie led the Wolverines in rushing with 486 yards and three touchdowns. He also missed three games with an injury. McGuffie, combined with Miami quarterback transfer Taylor Cook, could make Rice a feared offensive team in Conference USA. McGuffie can run, catch and return kicks. He might be the best weapon the Owls have this spring.

Lennon Creer, Louisiana Tech: Creer transferred from Tennessee after head coach Lane Kiffin arrived in 2009. Creer had played two seasons for the Volunteers and appeared in 24 total games. In 2008, he rushed for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll have a prime opportunity to earn the starting role this spring with the Bulldogs looking for a new running back to replace Daniel Porter. Sophomore Tyrone Duplessis will be his primary competition, and it will be interesting to see how the running game is used with the Bulldogs’ new spread offensive system.

Aundre Dean, TCU: Dean came from UCLA last year as a Parade All-American running back, but this spring he’ll be trying his hand at safety. TCU is loaded at running back and Dean probably would have seen spot time behind Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker. But the Horned Frogs are thin at safety and it’s an opportunity for Dean to play. Plus, the TCU coaching staff has proved time and time again that it has a knack for placing players in positions that accentuate their abilities.

Cameron Bell, Northern Illinois: Chad Spann is the starting running back, but the Huskies were most effective last season when they had a two-headed attack. Me’co Brown, who was the No. 2 back, returns, but he’s had some injury and family issues that have limited his playing time. The door is open for Bell, an Iowa State transfer, to compete for playing time and help the Huskies re-establish the two-headed monster. But there will be a lot of competition in the backfield this spring with junior college transfer Jasmin Hopkins, Ricky Crider and Antoine Kirkand.

Raymond Carter, Colorado State: Carter is another former UCLA running back looking for a home. However, finding one with Colorado State this year won’t be easy. The Rams return both leading rushers in John Mosure and Leonard Mason, and 92 percent of last year’s rushing yards. The Colorado State backfield is crowded with Lou Greenwood and Chris Nwoke also competing this spring. Carter was a highly rated back out of high school and saw action in seven games during his freshman year at UCLA. However, he had just 51 yards and a touchdown in that first season.

Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

Central Florida Knights
Spring practice starts: March 19
Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• The Knights will need to develop offensive line talent after allowing 2.54 sacks per game and failing to block for a rushing offense that ranked 82nd in the country. The Knights return all but two offensive linemen and have one coming in the spring.
• The quarterback battle will heat up with early enrollee Jeffrey Godfrey, who already has impressed coach George O’Leary. Godfrey will compete against Rob Calabrese for the starting role.
• The Knights will have to find replacements for three key members of the defensive line -- DE Jarvis Geathers, RT Torrell Troup, LT Travis Timmons. The defense was the main reason the Knights finished 8-5 and won their final five games.

East Carolina Pirates
Spring practice starts: March 22
Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

• With a new coach, a new system, and a crop of new starters, East Carolina will have its work cut out for it this spring. New head coach Ruffin McNeill needs to replace 15 players with starting experience, which won’t be easy with just a month to work.
• The most underrated positions the Pirates have to fill are punter and kicker. All-American Matt Dodge is gone as is kicker Ben Hartman, who set the school record for career scoring. Finding replacements for those two is a top priority.
• New offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley will be implement Texas Tech’s offensive system with just two scholarship quarterbacks and a team that relied on its running game. Riley is confident he can install all of his spread offense this fall, but there’s no telling how quickly the Pirates will pick it up.

Houston Cougars
Spring practice starts: March 27
Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

• The one thing that really kept Houston from an undefeated season was its defense. Brian Stewart, who was named the defensive coordinator in January, inherits a young team with a lot of talent, but he has some work to do to catch the defense up to the offense by September.
• Quarterback Case Keenum returns for his senior season, but his center, Carl Barnett, does not. Barnett started 39 games, so Keenum will have to establish a good rapport with his new center this spring. Blake Sargent, who was the backup last year, appears to be the front-runner.
• Even though the Cougars did not lose many starters on offense, coach Kevin Sumlin will look for more athletic players to rotate into the mix. Last season, 19 players had at least one catch and 12 had double-digit catches.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

After making history for all the wrong reasons last fall at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez enters spring practice with history back on his side.

As Michigan returns to the practice field Saturday, Rodriguez can fall back on a track record of producing better offenses in Year 2 than Year 1 during his various coaching stops.

	James Lang/US PRESSWIRE
	Rich Rodriguez hopes a year of experience in his system pays off for Michigan in 2009.

• Tulane went 7-4 in Rodriguez's first year as offensive coordinator (1997) but surged the next fall, going 12-0 behind a dynamic offense. The Green Wave was the only FBS team to average more than 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards. They finished second nationally in scoring (45.4 ppg) and fourth in total offense (507.1 ypg).
  
• Clemson went from 6-6 to 9-3 in Rodriguez's second season as offensive coordinator (2000), and the offense improved from 36th in total offense and 44th in rushing to 10th nationally in both categories.
  
• After West Virginia went 3-8 in Rodriguez's first season as head coach, the Mountaineers rallied in 2002, going 9-4. The offense improved from 80th nationally in total yards and 89th in scoring to 18th in total yards and 33rd in scoring.
  

Could Michigan make a similar jump in Rodriguez's second season?

"We hope," Rodriguez said, "but there's a lot of things that have to go right."

Almost nothing went right for the Wolverines and their head coach last fall.

There's no need to rehash the entire list of lows, but Rodriguez's offense finished 109th nationally in yards (290.8 ypg) and 99th in scoring (20.3 ppg). Playing with mostly novices struggling to adapt to the spread system, Michigan mustered 21 points or fewer in eight games and eclipsed 29 points only once.

But spring ball brings new hope to a unit that returns full- or part-time starters at every position. Michigan is still young, but players who looked utterly lost last season have had time to ripen.

"They'll be able to recognize things a little bit faster," Rodriguez said. "Not only from what we're doing, but also a recognition from a defensive standpoint. That, in itself, will allow them to be fundamentally better because they won't have to fake as much.

"First-time system, you're thinking a lot and you're not able to play to your capabilities because you're thinking too much. Hopefully, with some of that experience coming back, you'll be able to see [progress]."

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Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

There's another mailbag coming up later today, along with a feature on Michigan State wide receiver Blair White. The blog will be pretty light this weekend since the Big Ten bowl season doesn't kick off until Dec. 27 (Champs Sports Bowl vs. Florida State).

Enjoy the early bowls and I'll be back Monday with plenty of items.

It's link time. 

• Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker runs a pretty vanilla scheme, but he continues to get sweet results on the field, Ryan Suchomel writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 
  
• Barry Alvarez tabbed Bret Bielema as his successor at Wisconsin, but he learned a lot about the young head coach during a trying 2008 season, Mike Lucas writes in The Capital Times.

"You find out whether you can coach or not," Alvarez said, "by whether you can get your team back after a losing streak, whether you can get the players to focus, whether you can get them out of their tailspin. That's what determines good coaching. It's not when everything is going good. Hell, anybody can do it then."

• Hard work runs in Pat Fitzgerald's family, Jim O'Donnell writes in the Chicago Sun-Times. And despite his name and religious upbringing, the Northwestern coach never had a burning desire to attend Notre Dame, as many out there want you to believe.
• Texas head coach Mack Brown expects Jim Tressel to win another national title at Ohio State with Terrelle Pryor as his quarterback, The Columbus Dispatch's Ken Gordon writes in his blog. Pryor would be wise to follow the career path of Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Columbus Dispatch. 
• Running back Sam McGuffie has definitely left Michigan and is spending the week visiting Texas A&M and Rice.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

With no bowl games on the Big 12's bowl horizon until the Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl, the biggest story bouncing around the conference will continue to be who Jamie Pollard hires at Iowa State to replace Gene Chizik.

I expect that hiring to be made sooner, rather than later. Which means that should command most of the conference's attention until after Christmas.

Here's are some of the stories that people are talking about around the conference today.

• Omaha World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel writes that current Buffalo and former Nebraska assistant coach and player Turner Gill can afford to be choosy about future jobs. And with that being the case, Shatel writes that Auburn and Iowa State probably aren't the right fit for Gill.
• Martin Manley of the Kansas City Star's blog "Upon Further Review" notes that the only two sophomores in Heisman history to win the trophy have come in the last two seasons with Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Florida's Tim Tebow.
• Sean Keeler of the Des Moines Register writes that Iowa State should say no to the hot young coordinator in favor of a proven college head coach. And Keeler also blogged that former coach Gene Chizik never really understood the culture of Iowa when he was coaching there.
• Colorado coach Dan Hawkins predicted at the Buffaloes' season-ending football banquet that his team would win 10 games next season, according to the Rocky Mountain News' B.G. Brooks.
• John Maher of the Austin American-Statesman detects little buzz in Columbus for the Jan. 5 Fiesta Bowl against Texas. How down is demand for the game? Maher writes that tickets will go on sale to the general public for the bowl game on Wednesday -- a rarity for Buckeye fans.
• Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle opines that Michigan transfer running back Sam McGuffie would be an ideal fit for Texas A&M's struggling ground game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As you might have noticed, we're rolling out our season recaps this week. The posts for Illinois and Indiana are already up, and check back later today for recaps on Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota. 

Coming Tuesday: Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. 

Here's a quick roundup of links before getting back to the recaps.

• Iowa fans have complained about Kirk Ferentz in recent seasons, but Hawkeye Nation is in a much better position than the other FBS program in the state, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 

"You could argue that Hayden Fry stuck around too long as the Iowa coach in the late 1990s, but what a small price to pay for two decades of stability, sunny bowl trips and Fry's classic one-liners.

You could argue that current Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is too stubborn about certain things and too loyal to his assistants.

But you can't argue about whether Ferentz is the right fit for the Iowa job. A person doesn't keep the same job for 10 seasons and win two conference titles without being the right fit."

• Ohio State's decision to replace quarterback Todd Boeckman with Terrelle Pryor sparked debate throughout the season, but Boeckman has tried to take the demotion in stride, Tim May writes in The Columbus Dispatch. 

"All I know is I wasn't performing to my best, the team wasn't doing its best, and maybe we needed a little boost," Boeckman said.

• The timing of quarterback Pat Devlin's departure doesn't help Penn State heading into the Rose Bowl, Jeff McLane writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer.  
• Bowl practices are allowing Michigan State to get a head start on its quarterback competition for 2009, as Keith Nichol and Kirk Cousins go head-to-head, Andrew Mouranie writes in the Lansing State Journal. 
• Family issues triggered Sam McGuffie's decision to transfer from Michigan, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

A quick programming note. My regular Thursday chat has been moved up to Wednesday at noon ET. Hope you can join me then to wrap up the Big Ten regular season, talk all-conference picks and potential bowl matchups.

Link time. 

• This guy celebrated the All-Big Ten selections Monday night. So did these guys. And so did this team. Here's a breakdown of how all the teams fared in the all-conference picks, courtesy of the Daily Herald's Lindsey Willhite. 
• The powers-that-be at Penn State still might want to go in a new direction with Joe Paterno's successor. But after an 11-1 season, it might be time to acknowledge that this plan is still working and name Tom Bradley coach-in-waiting, Ron Cook writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

"The Syracuse job will be open after the season. Bradley would be foolish not to explore it. Syracuse officials will be idiots if they don't make a big push for him. A terrific recruiter with high-school ties all over the Northeast, he could bring in players to make Syracuse a winner.

[Graham] Spanier and [Tim] Curley should remember that when they finally and reluctantly get around to publicly endorsing another season for Paterno. If, as I suspect, they really don't care if Bradley leaves, fine. But if there's any chance they want him as their next head coach, say in '10 or '15 or even '20, now is the time to step up and scream it."

• Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster might be targeting Alabama player personnel director Tim Davis as his next offensive line coach, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune. Heck, anyone associated with Alabama's O-line sounds good to me. 
  
• Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez expects running back Sam McGuffie and defensive end Brandon Graham to return for 2009, Angelique Chengelis writes in The Detroit News. 
• Northwestern nearly got shut out of the all-conference picks despite a 9-3 record, but the Wildcats are eyeing a bowl victory, Jim O'Donnell writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Not much came easy for Wisconsin this season, but at least the Badgers appeared to find their quarterback for 2009, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. 
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The regular season is finished, but there's still some news throughout the conference. Here's a closer look at five Big Ten teams.

Michigan
Three players have left the program in recent days, and more attrition could be on the way. But head coach Rich Rodriguez expects freshman running back Sam McGuffie to return next fall, despite rumors of a transfer to a school closer to his home in Texas. McGuffie led Michigan in carries (118) and finished second in rushing (486), but he was overtaken by Brandon Minor down the stretch and dealt with some injuries, including two concussions that might require more medical evaluation.

"Sam has some tough issues," Rodriguez said. "He's a long way from home, trying to take care of his family. ... But hopefully Sam, he had a pretty good freshman year. He got banged up a little bit here at the end. But hopefully things will work out."

Michigan State
The Spartans' extra practice time in the coming weeks could jump-start what figures to be one of the Big Ten's most intriguing position competitions heading into 2009. With senior quarterback Brian Hoyer graduating, Michigan State will turn to either Kirk Cousins or Oklahoma transfer Keith Nichol to lead the offense. Cousins has looked good in relief work this fall, completing 7 of 9 passes with a 23-yard touchdown pass and a 2-point conversion in Saturday's loss to Penn State. The coaches don't need to see much of Hoyer until game preparation begins, so they should get an extended look at Cousins and Nichol in practice.

Minnesota
Head coach Tim Brewster on Monday announced the resignation of offensive line coach Phil Meyer, who will pursue other opportunities. Minnesota's offensive line became a glaring weakness as the season went along, and the Gophers ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing offense (105.8 yards per game) and 10th in sacks allowed (27). Inexperience and injuries contributed to the struggles, but Minnesota was manhandled down the stretch by Iowa and Michigan. Brewster will begin a national search for a replacement and could make a hire before Minnesota's bowl game.

Northwestern
The Wildcats hope to get two big pieces back for a bowl appearance. Defensive end Vince Browne will not require surgery on his knee, as originally thought, and should begin doing light running with the team when practices resume next week. Browne, who has four sacks and seven tackles for loss, sustained the injury on kickoff coverage Nov. 1 against Minnesota. Star running back Tyrell Sutton recently was fitted with a second cast on his injured wrist. Sutton will have the cast removed the second week of December, at which point he'll be re-evaluated. Northwestern won three of four games without Sutton but struggled to run the ball consistently.

Ohio State
Perhaps no player will benefit from an extended layoff more than junior running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. Wells re-aggravated a right hamstring injury in Saturday's win against Michigan and sat out the final quarter. Though he fully expects to play in a January bowl game, Wells welcomes the time off. He estimates that he hasn't been better than 80 percent healthy all season, dealing with a foot injury before the hamstring. If Wells gets near full strength for a bowl, he could have a huge performance in what could very well be his final collegiate game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

I had a chance to watch Rich Rodriguez's news conference this morning via Webcast. Some good stuff there.

The first-year Michigan head coach seemed much more philosophical than usual, perhaps realizing that this nightmare of a season is almost over and the process of building for the future will soon begin. He reflected on his first season at Michigan, where the program needs to go and reiterated that he recognizes the importance of Saturday's rivalry game at Ohio State.

Here are some notable nuggets from Rodriguez:

• First, some housekeeping issues. Quarterback Steven Threet is doubtful for Ohio State with a shoulder injury that Rodriguez didn't know about until after last Saturday's loss to Northwestern. Expect sophomore Nick Sheridan to make his second consecutive start at quarterback. Running back Brandon Minor (ribs, shoulder, wrist) likely will return to action, while running back Sam McGuffie might miss the game because of a death in the family. McGuffie sat out last week with a shoulder injury.
  
• Rodriguez spoke frankly about the mystique Michigan has lost and the importance of regaining it for future seasons.
  

"Coach [Bo] Schembechler, coach [Gary] Moeller, coach [Lloyd] Carr had built the program to the point where playing at home in that Big House and that winged helmet comes out, there was a certain feeling that, 'Boy, it's going to be a tough game,'" he said. "It's worth 10-14 points right there. That ain't the case anymore. That's obvious. Now I'd like to build it up to that point, and that's part of our challenge and our goal, but we're not there anymore where just putting on the winged helmet means something. We've got to deserve that.

"Everybody wants to know when we're going to win more games. When we deserve to win more games. It's as simple as that. When we deserve to win more games, we'll win more games. That's our challenge as coaches and certainly our challenge in our program in our players to get to that point. We'll get there. It's taken longer than I want, but we'll get there."

(Read full post)