ESPN College Football

The league meetings in Chicago and playoffs (cue Jim Mora clip) dominate your hump day links:

• The Big Ten's love of the Rose Bowl is making it act irrationally and against the league's best interests, Dan Wetzel writes.
• There's no guarantee on how that Rose Bowl relationship will continue.
• The Big Ten won't be able to use geography as an excuse for bowl performance in the future, Drew Sharp says.
• The league is pushing for a seven-win minimum to make a bowl game even though that may hurt some of its own teams.
• A selection committee is the best way to go to pick playoff teams, Andy Staples writes.
• Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas envisions playing a game in Chicago every other year.
• Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said he would welcome a night game against Michigan.
• Indiana AD Fred Glass says his athletic program is self-sustaining (subscription required).
• Brady Hoke talked about the need for leadership from his seniors during a speech to fans. Michigan missed out on Ty Isaac but has other options at running back.
• Athlon ranks Nebraska No. 14 and previews its season, while asking if Taylor Martinez is one of the league's top quarterbacks. A 92-yard romp through Yankee Stadium makes the list of most memorable Huskers touchdowns.
• Curt Warner's son hopes to follow in dad's footsteps at Penn State. Bill O'Brien will adjust his offense to fit his current players. Quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher says Matt McGloin leads in the QB race.
• Purdue's Otis Armstrong once heard he was too small to be a running back. Now, he's headed to the College Football Hall of Fame.
• Ohio State AD Gene Smith said the tattoo scandal hurt him and his family.
• Former Wisconsin athletic director Pat Richter earned an honor. Wisconsin spent about $44,000 investigating sexual impropriety allegations against former athletics administrator John Chadima.
• Maize N Brew asks what will be good enough for Minnesota.

Here are your lunchtime -- wait for it -- links.

• Playoffs are on the minds of Big Ten leaders as they gather in Chicago today.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien says he'd like to play Pitt on an annual basis, but the schedule may not allow it to happen. A decision on the Lions' starting quarterback should be coming soon. Penn State has gone to great lengths to help restore its reputation.
• Michigan receiver Jerald Robinson had his hearing on a misdemeanor charge postponed. A one-time Wolverines recruiting target says Michigan doesn't pressure prospects into committing. Tate Forcier signed with a CFL team.
• Le'Veon Bell is earning some high praise at Michigan State.
• Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke wants to preserve the Rose Bowl tradition.
• Concussions caused Ohio State's Andrew Sweat to walk away from football. Tom Dienhart analyzes the Buckeyes' schedule.
• Indiana's Kevin Wilson won't follow Tom Crean's lead and start recruiting eight- or ninth-graders.
• Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was asked about the debate over compensating players in a talk with students.
• Versatility will be key as former Gopher fullback Jon Hoese tries to make the Green Bay Packers.
• An Ohio linebacker has taken notice of Illinois and Tim Beckman.
• The married life suits Bret Bielema just fine.
• Kirk Ferentz went on the road to talk about what's happening with Iowa football.
• Nebraska's nutritionist talks about how to feed a bunch of hungry Huskers. The Lincoln Journal Star's countdown of the Cornhuskers' top 100 most memorable touchdowns takes a look at the beginning of the Triplets.

This isn't exactly surprising news, but Big Ten schools are among the biggest spenders -- and earners -- in all of college athletics, according to a new database compiled by USA Today.

The newspaper collected the expenses and revenues for Division I athletic programs in 2010-2011, the most recent year for which public schools' filings with the NCAA were available. The study showed that everything is bigger in Texas, including sports spending; the Longhorns outpaced every other school with a $133.7 million budget and more than $150 million in revenue.

But Big Ten schools also ranked high among the biggest spenders, with seven teams in the top 16 nationally. Here is how they stacked up nationally in operating expenses:

2. Ohio State: $122.3 million

3. Michigan: $111.8 million

6. Penn State: $101.3 million

9. Wisconsin: $95.6 million

12. Iowa: $93.4 million

14. Michigan State: $84.5 million

16. Nebraska: $83.7 million

22. Minnesota: $78.9 million

26. Illinois: $77.7 million

29. Indiana: $71 million

41. Purdue: $66.2 million

(Note: Information for Northwestern, which is a private school, was not available).

Only the SEC -- another surprise, right? -- has more big spenders than the Big Ten, with eight schools reporting more than $80 million in expenses

The USA Today report also said that only 22 athletic programs turned a profit in 2010-11, but 10 of the 11 Big Ten schools surveyed were in the black, while Minnesota broke even (Thanks, Big Ten Network). Penn State had the biggest profit, at nearly $15 million, while Michigan and Ohio State each reported revenue of about $11 million more than their expenses.

Another interesting part of the report is how much subsidy each athletic program receives from its school, in the form of student fees and other university support. Four Big Ten athletic programs -- Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue -- receive no school subsidy, something only seven Division I programs can claim. Meanwhile, Michigan ($272,000) and Iowa ($564,000) get less than a million, ranking in the bottom 10 nationally for subsidy support.

Here's a look at the subsidies other league programs receive:

Minnesota: $7.8 million in subsidies (9.9 percent of total operating budget)

Wisconsin: $7.2 million (7.5 percent)

Illinois: $4 million (5.1 percent)

Michigan State: $3.7 million (4.3 percent)

Indiana: $2.7 million (3.8 percent)

The USA Today report paints a picture of the haves and have-nots in college athletics and even suggests that the wild disparity between the upper echelon and the bottom schools could lead to a split in college football.

But while many schools' athletic programs are struggling to make ends meet or need vast support from their universities to keep the lights on, the Big Ten looks extremely healthy in its finances.

Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets.

• The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman argues the Big Ten and Pac-12 should secede from the college football playoff and just stick with the Rose Bowl. Alabama coach Nick Saban doesn't exactly endorse Jim Delany's latest playoff proposal (something along the lines of "Hell no!").
• The Sporting News ranked 124 college football head coaches, with Urban Meyer (No. 3) topping the Big Ten contingent. Bret Bielema (No. 12) and Mark Dantonio (No. 13) were next in line.
• Defensive lineman Chris Rock (not that one) has left Michigan. Well, there go all the Chris Rock jokes I had holstered. Brady Hoke is already looking forward to the opener against Alabama.
• Evaluating the Michigan State receiver position in the wake of the DeAnthony Arnett news.
• Minnesota could get a $3 million bump from having the Vikings play in TCF Bank Stadium. The parents of the late Gary Tinsley received the degree he was scheduled to earn.
• Could Alex Anzalone still end up at Ohio State despite one of the weirdest recruiting flaps of all time?
• Bill O'Brien has a good idea who his quarterback will be, and that's likely Matt McGloin, Dustin Hockensmith writes. O'Brien says the Nittany Lions have big-play capability.
• Defensive end/linebacker Randy Gregory is still going to be a Purdue Boilermaker, just after a little detour.
• Athlon previews Wisconsin's 2012 season.
• The top recruit in the state of Iowa committed to Missouri. The Hawkeyes' new indoor practice facility should be up and running by the start of fall camp.
• Nebraska cornerback Charles Jackson didn't let an eligibility problem keep him down.
• Illinois appears ahead of its normal pace in recruiting.
• Maize N Brew offers an assessment of Kevin Wilson's challenges at Indiana.
• Off Tackle Empire lists some reasons to dislike Northwestern.

2011 record: 3-9
2011 conference record: 2-6 (sixth, Legends Division)
Returning starters: Offense: 7; Defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners

QB MarQueis Gray, CB Troy Stoudermire, LB Keanon Cooper, LB Mike Rallis, WR Brandon Green, LT Ed Olson

Key losses

WR Da'Jon McKnight, S Kim Royston, RB Duane Bennett, DT Anthony Jacobs, DT Brandon Kirksey, TE Collin McGarry

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: MarQueis Gray* (966 yards)
Passing: MarQueis Gray* (1,495 yards)
Receiving: Da'Jon McKnight (760 yards)
Tackles: Kim Royston (123)
Sacks: Gary Tinsley (4)
Interceptions: Troy Stoudermire* (2)

Spring answers

1. Better secondary play: The Gophers looked overmatched defending the pass at times last season, but things appear to have changed dramatically. The secondary took a major step forward this spring and looks to be as deep and talented as it's been in a few years. Head coach Jerry Kill brought in three junior-college defensive backs who should all contribute, including Martez Shabazz, and Troy Stoudermire returns at starting corner after getting an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA. The Gophers were also able to move corner Brock Vereen to safety with the extra depth. Once a weakness, this position now figures to be a strength.

2. Gray matter: Quarterback MarQueis Gray had some big moments last year in his first year of starting but also struggled with inconsistency. That was expected from a guy who played receiver the previous year. Well, Gray greatly improved his mechanics in the offseason, and Minnesota coaches went to Baylor and other places to study how to best utilize his dynamic skills. Gray looked like a more accurate passer this spring, and he has a chance to rush for more than 1,000 yards and throw for more than 2,000 this season as the team's main weapon.

3. Need for speed: Minnesota hasn't had much of a pass rush for the past few years, but the team is hoping a move toward a lighter, speedier defense helps in that regard. Guys like redshirt freshman Thieren Cockran (a listed 235 pounds) and sophomore Michael Amaefula (245) fit the mold of what the Gophers are looking for in a defensive end: athletic, if undersized, quarterback chasers. Along with moving some former safeties down to outside linebacker, Kill and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys are expecting to field faster players on the edge.

Fall questions

1. Skill set: Gray lost his favorite target in departed senior Da'Jon McKnight, and though several options are available, Minnesota lacks a clear No. 1 receiver. Senior Brandon Green and sophomore Marcus Jones -- coming off an ACL injury -- are among the veterans hoping to contribute. But the Gophers will likely need help from incoming freshmen like Andre McDonald and Jamel Harbison. Junior-college transfer James Gillum could help in the running game, but the team is not deep at tailback. Skill-position players need to step up to keep Gray from being a one-man show.

2. Strength up the middle: While the defense is getting swifter on the perimeter, is it tough enough inside? The team lost both starting defensive tackles from a year ago, and there is very little experience or depth there. Junior college import Roland Johnson could help but is not arriving until the summer. Middle linebacker is another spot without much depth behind starter Mike Rallis. Will Minnesota be able to stand up against power teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska?

3. O-line depth: The good news is that four players who started on the offensive line return, with only right tackle really up for grabs right now. Yet this is an extremely young group overall, and an injury or two could thrust some players into action before they're quite ready. Kill brought in six offensive linemen in his first recruiting class, knowing he needed to rebuild the group. They'll be better off waiting another year before seeing major action.

I haven't been judged by this many people since I forgot my canvas bags at Whole Foods.

• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is talking about the postseason again, and this time he doesn't want division winners in the playoff.
• A ranking of the Big Ten's backup quarterbacks in 2012.
• The mother of the late Minnesota player Gary Tinsley will accept her son's diploma today at commencement.
• An interesting piece from Mike Hlas on how Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is the Big Ten's youngest elder statesman (among coaches) since another Iowa boss (Hayden Fry).
• Several Big Ten games appear on this list of top contests in the first month of the 2012 season.
• Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, Michigan State's Mark Dantonio and Michigan's Brady Hoke appear on the Sporting News' latest installment of the FBS coaches' rankings.
• Athlon Sports ranks Michigan State at No. 18 on its preseason countdown and has plenty of coverage here and here and here.
• Bill O'Brien sees "sunny days and blue skies" at Penn State. If you need more evidence that things are changing at Penn State, check out the video system O'Brien is using to break down games. The Lions could be adding a second quarterback recruit to their 2013 class.
• Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges is already preparing for the Alabama game. Former Wolverine star Marcus Ray turns his life around after battling depression.
• Nebraska makes an offer to a prep QB from the Atlanta area. It has been 15 years since former Nebraska coach and AD Bob Devaney passed away.
• Standout recruit Ifeadi Odenigbo hopes to build football tradition at Northwestern.
• Ohio State's spring game attendance shows that the sky is no longer falling in Columbus.
• Illinois picks up yet another recruit for 2013, but Kenton Gibbs still will take visits elsewhere .
• Purdue tackle Dennis Kelly signs with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Minnesota junior defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman was arrested early Thursday morning for misdemeanor disorderly conduct following an incident at a bar near campus.

Hageman was arrested at 2:39 a.m. and booked into the Hennepin County Jail. He was released after posting $50 bond.

A Minnesota spokesman told ESPN.com that Hageman, 21, was trying to break up a fight at Sally's Bar, when police arrived and began making arrests. No other Gophers players are believed to be involved in the incident. The team is continuing to investigate what happened, but Hageman's status hasn't changed, and any potential discipline will be handled internally, the spokesman said.

Hageman appeared in all 12 games for Minnesota last season, recording 13 tackles, including two sacks, and had a forced fumble. He has a court date May 24.

This doesn't sound like a big deal, and I won't expect Hageman to face major repercussions.

White Fang-ing these links.

• The Alex Anzalone case at Ohio State shows the dangers of social media for athletes, Rob Oller writes. The Buckeyes' John Simon made former colleague Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks" list.
• The versatile Bill Belton could be a huge weapon in Bill O'Brien's Penn State offense. O'Brien says only about a third of the team's starters have been identified so far.
• Grantland's Charles P. Pierce tackles the Ron Brown issue and what he sees as the looming end of homophobia in sports.
• Purdue's Antavian Edison has used Twitter to declare his innocence on gun charges. The Boilermakers picked up a junior-college defensive end.
• Barry Alvarez favors a selection committee for picking the four teams involved in the coming playoff. Former Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing had his path cleared toward playing for the Falcons.
• Former Michigan State star T.J. Duckett has made life after football all about community service. Keith Nichol is trying to catch on with the Redskins. Denicos Allen is looking to get better on his fundamentals after a breakthrough year.
• Jordan Kovacs is looking forward to Michigan's night games this season. Kevin Koger is staying upbeat despite a devastating injury that killed his draft chances.
• Kirk Ferentz is hoping his young team can make some fast improvements.
• Illinois is keeping tabs on a pair of Indiana high school teammates.
• Former Minnesota defensive lineman Anthony Jacobs signed with the Vikings. A local kicker is headed to the Gophers.
• Off Tackle Empire examines Northwestern's prospects.

Let's resume our series looking at the most indispensable players on each Big Ten squad entering the 2012 season. Once again, this is not necessarily a listing of the best players on each team, but ones whose absence would be toughest to absorb because of their particular value or a lack of depth behind them.

We're selecting two players from each Big Ten squad, usually one on offense and one on defense, but not always. Up next, the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

MarQueis Gray, QB, Sr.

While the Philip Nelson prophecy grew this spring, the fact remains that Gray is the team's only proven weapon on offense. He carried the unit at times in 2011, setting a team record for quarterback rushing with 996 yards and adding 1,495 yards through the air. While there's no doubt Gray must make significant upgrades in the passing game, he should be more comfortable in his second year in Matt Limegrover's system. Minnesota lacks proven playmakers around No. 5, and the idea of a Gophers offense without Gray on the field is extremely daunting. Gray can make a lot happen on the ground, as he showed with consecutive 160-yard rushing performances to finish the 2011 season. And he has shown glimpses as a passer, like a 295-yard effort at Michigan State. Consistency is the key with him, but Minnesota needs to keep Gray upright and healthy this fall.

Troy Stoudermire, CB/returner, Sr.

Minnesota received a huge boost when the NCAA granted Stoudermire a medical hardship waiver in January. The secondary loses its undisputed leader in safety Kim Royston, and while some experienced defensive backs like Brock Vereen return, Stoudermire's presence provides a big boost. Stoudermire recorded 24 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups in the first five games last fall and still led the team in interceptions at the end of the season. He's a natural playmaker who Minnesota can send against opponents' top receivers. Stoudermire also gives the Gophers a record-setting return man in the kicking game.

We always say around here that spring games are overrated from an information-gathering standpoint. Still, you can't blame fans for wanting to see their team in action, and those whose schools have new coaches were especially curious to see what things were looking like this spring.

That's one reason it's no surprise that Ohio State and Penn State had two of the three largest spring game crowds in the nation this year, according to Sports Business Daily.

The Buckeyes led the country in spring game attendance, with 81,112 coming out to get a glimpse of the new Urban Meyer regime. No one should be surprised by the passion for the Scarlet and Grey; Ohio State claims the all-time spring game record, with more than 95,000 showing up for the 2009 event.

Defending national champion Alabama was second with 78,526, followed by Penn State at 60,000. The Nittany Lions got a large turnout for Bill O'Brien's Beaver Stadium debut and the first spring game without Joe Paterno in half a century.

Spring game attendance is often largely dependent on the weather, and it must be said that weather conditions were truly terrible throughout most of the Big Ten for spring games. Rain and chilly temperatures were the norm, holding down crowds at places like Michigan and Michigan State. Storms canceled the Nebraska spring game, which surely would have been packed since the Huskers drew more than 66,000 last year and better than 77,000 the previous two spring games. Indiana and Purdue both moved their events indoors and mostly kept fans away to escape lightning.

So the numbers were lower than they should have been, but here is how other Big Ten schools ranked nationally in spring game attendance:

17. Michigan: 25,000
20: Michigan State: 20,000
31: Iowa: 15,000
36: Wisconsin: 10,479
53. Minnesota: 3,500
55. Illinois: 3,000

Note: Northwestern did not report its attendance for the spring game.

You can tell from this 2011 chart that the numbers were down from their averages in a lot of places. Let's hope for better weather next spring.

And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.

RIP, Maurice Sendak.

• The date of the alleged locker-room shower incident involving Jerry Sandusky has changed, which could help two former Penn State officials in their perjury case.
• Recruit Alex Anzalone hasn't ruled out Ohio State after decommitting from the Buckeyes last week. The sex offender who posted pictures of himself and Anzalone on the Web was arrested Monday.
• Spring football accelerated the healing process at both Penn State and Ohio State, colleague Gene Wojciechowski writes.
• Northwestern might be a long shot to bring ESPN's "College GameDay" to campus, but coach Pat Fitzgerald is taking the challenge head on. Matt Micucci starred as a prep quarterback, but he'll walk on as a kicker/punter at Northwestern.
• Several former Illinois players gear up for NFL camps, John Supinie writes. A look back at the year for Illinois football.
• There's a chance Iowa's season opener at Soldier Field might not be televised. The Hawkeyes roll out the welcome mat for folks from Camp Courageous.
• Here's the latest on the arrest of Purdue wide receiver Antavian Edison. Former Purdue star Matt Light has announced his retirement from the NFL's New England Patriots.
• Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs steps into a primary leadership role. Soon-to-be baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin talks about how he told Bo Schembechler he was quitting football at Michigan.
• Dirk Chatelain has a very personal take on the controversy surrounding Nebraska assistant Ron Brown.
• Wisconsin's coaches need to make a stronger effort to ensure their athletes avoid bad choices. Montee Ball wasn't the only elite athlete on Mifflin Street -- oh, Kaner.
• BTN.com's Tom Dienhart ranks his top Big Ten tandems.
• Bill O'Brien is aware of the expectations he faces at Penn State. The Beaver Stadium scoreboard makeover won't be complete until 2014.
• Several former Minnesota players are chasing their NFL dreams with the Vikings.
• A defensive recruit from Florida lands his first scholarship offer from Indiana.
• The Football Writers Association of America gives some well-deserved recognition to Michigan State's athletic communications staff.
• The Naples News' David Moulton favors Jim Delany's proposal for a college football playoff.

I'm as cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce. (R.I.P, MCA).

• Montee Ball was cited for trespassing during a block party over the weekend. He'll have to pay a $429 fine.
• Nebraska snagged a defensive end right out of Texas A&M's backyard. Ron Brown wrote an open letter to the Lincoln Journal Star about his controversial stance. Check out Rick Reilly's piece on Brown and an openly-gay student he had an impact on.
• Bill O'Brien is helping the healing process with his Penn State caravan tour. O'Brien says he thinks the Nittany Lions should play Pittsburgh on an annual basis.
• No matter what the future playoff format looks like, Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis is committed to scheduling tough opponents. Former Spartans great Andre Rison is returning to campus as a student coach.
• Ed Warriner feels much better about the Ohio State offensive linemen now than when he arrived as position coach, when a few Buckeyes showed up late to their first meeting.
• Some of Michigan's early commitments, including David Dawson and Michael McCray II, starred at a recruiting event in Columbus. How about Stanford or USC for the Wolverines' future Pac-12 opponent?
• Minnesota will have to be selective as it faces some smaller recruiting classes in the near future. A few former Gophers got tryouts with the Minnesota Vikings.
• Illinois has had some star power but needs to build more depth, Loren Tate writes.
• Iowa's seniors spent their Saturday with some special kids from Camp Courageous.

I don't like the sound of that. A lot of amenities disappear when an H turns into an M.

• With no postseason in the picture, Ohio State puts The Game on an even bigger pedestal, colleague Mark Schlabach writes.
• Kirk Ferentz on Twitter? It actually might happen. Top recruit Orlando Brown is a big fan of Iowa's head coach.
• Mike Poorman runs through Bill O'Brien's 10 commandments for Penn State's next starting quarterback. Tight end Jesse James tops this list of Penn State freshmen who could play big roles this fall (totally agree on James, by the way).
• New Minnesota AD Norwood Teague must sell hope to the fan base, Jim Souhan writes. An injury will keep Gophers safety Kim Royston from participating in Vikings rookie minicamp.
• Missed this from earlier in the week: Sporting News ranks the Big Ten head coaches. BTN.com's Tom Dienhart assembles his dream Big Ten coaching staff (defensive backs choice is a head-scratcher).
• Spartan Stadium is getting a makeover, and Michigan State's season-ticket sales are going so well the school has suspended them until June. Some Spartans recruiting notes.
• Are Michigan officials on a different page than the Big Ten when it comes to college football's postseason? The Wolverines are in the mix for a two-way recruit.
• Wisconsin has created quite a pipeline to the Brookfield area. Camp Randall Stadium is getting a new field.
• Purdue is eying a defensive tackle from the junior college ranks.
• A breakdown of Indiana's 2012 schedule.
• Two Big Ten strength coaches, Nebraska's James Dobson and Iowa's Chris Doyle, have been named masters of their profession.
• Some good thoughts from Scott Dochterman on future Big Ten schedules.

The depravity and decadence of Derby weekend await me. But first: your emails.

Bryan from Chicago writes: Regarding your handicapping of the B1G race, I'm betting on all teams. With the odds you gave each team, if you add them up, the player has about a 33% advantage over the house! If you ever decide to open a casino, let me know and I'll be the first one in line. But, if I'm taking 1 team, betting with emotions I'm taking my Huskers -- hoping they can outscore a lot of teams this year. Betting with brains, I'm taking Wisconsin -- no Ohio State to worry about, gives them the easiest road to the title game and who knows once you get there, and 8-1 is a good payout.

Brian Bennett: In defense of my admittedly poor math skills, Indiana is much higher than the listed 99-to-1, but the toteboard can only handle double-digit numbers. And Ohio State's scratch threw off the odds. But I agree with you about Nebraska and Wisconsin being pretty good value plays. I'd add Penn State to that mix as well.

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Brian from Newark, DE, writes: Am I the only person not completely overjoyed with this whole playoff deal? To me, it's a real stretch to call a two game tournament a playoff. There's four teams involved. Granted, that's double what the current system allows. But it's still not exactly opening the championship up like the basketball tournament does. All this really amounts to is one extra game for two teams. So can we stop calling it a playoff and start referring to it as what it really is: The one more game after the bowls so we can all make a little more money and appease the fans bowl?

Brian Bennett: Brian (great name, by the way, and correct spelling), I'm perfectly fine with the four-team format. It keeps the value of the regular season, keeps the season from dragging far into January and still opens the championship up to more teams. How many years have there been more than four legitimate national title contenders at the end of the year, anyway? I've never been in favor of a 16-team format because that's too many teams and not enough quality. An eight-teamer would be a lot of fun, and I think we will eventually see an expansion of any playoff system. But for now, while we can quibble with the details, let's rejoice that the sport is actually giving us something we want.

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Zach from Lincoln writes: Why are we even listening to the "on campus semi-finals won't work" [sentiment]?? I understand they are worried about teams with small stadiums not being able to host large crowds, but how many times since the BCS model was created has 1 of those teams been #1 or #2? Zero is the correct answer. Also, even if one of these teams did eventually finish #1 or #2 doesn't the fact that college stadiums are in general larger than NFL stadiums make up for the fact that there could be a smaller venue every once in a blue moon?

Brian Bennett: Couldn't agree more with you, Zach. The capacity of the Superdome is just over 72,000, while Sun Life Stadium -- home of the Orange Bowl -- seats a little more than 75,000. There would be a whole lot more seats (and money to be made) with games at the Big House, Horseshoe, Bryant-Denny, etc. MGoBlog does a good job of breaking down the difference in capacity and how campus sites would have meant more, not less, seats during the BCS era in this post.

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Josh S. ? @josh_sim writes: Re: Big 6. Won't voters change their voting patterns and work around the rules for best matchups?

Brian Bennett: That's a concern with any system, including the one we have now. Which is why we need to take this out of the hands of voters, especially one with obvious biases like the coaches themselves.

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Roger from Denver, Colo., writes: Really, 25 [for Ohio State in your rankings]? Come on, Blue had the easiest schedule in the conference, barely beat an extremely down The Ohio State team and you have Blue ranked top 10 not to mention in ACC bowl game that they really lost but got a bogus call in their favor on a touchdown.

Brian Bennett: The mountain air might be getting to you, Roger. Fact is, Michigan went 11-2 last year while Ohio State was 6-7. Michigan brought back its coaching staff and arguably the most productive backfield in the league (Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint), while the Buckeyes will be going through a coaching transition and lack offensive playmakers. I like Ohio State to be much improved this season, and there's no question the team has talent. But given last year's results, I think a ranking at the bottom of the Top 25 is fair for this point in the year.

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Dying for The Gophers To Be Relevant Again from Minneapolis writes: I find it interesting how people get excited about the new A.D. at Minnesota. Everyone is giddy over his fund raising abilities. Sure, raising funds is important for all programs, but winning is the key. Some would say that fund raising will help winning, I believe that winning will hep fund raising. Your thoughts?

Brian Bennett: An athletic director absolutely has to be able to do two things right: hire good coaches, and keep the money fountain flowing. Since Norwood Teague didn't hire Jerry Kill, the best thing he can do is make sure donations are coming in so the Gophers can keep up with facilities, salaries, etc. Winning solves a lot of ills, but ultimately that will be up to Kill and his staff to it make happen.

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David from Houston writes: I just saw your 4/26 mailbag and the Wisconsin coach and AD answers concerning their non-conference scheduling. As a Badger, I'm calling "BS" on Bret Bielema. His answer of "people don't want to play here" may be right in some rare instances, but that is most definitely not what is going on with Badger scheduling. The real issues are this: 1) The Badgers will only play one road game per year (at least Barry was honest about that one). 2) Wisconsin is not willing to schedule more than one BCS opponent per season. They went through a nice stretch for 2001-2003 of playing two such schools, but that turned out to be an aberration. 3) They won't even do that if they think a future year's Big Ten Schedule is "too tough." See the 8-year postponement of the Virginia Tech games. ... The Pac-12 deal is nice, but this team is not going to then start scheduling 2 BCS foes each season. This will just take their one good game out of their hands, leaving them to deal with the 3 buy games each year.

Brian Bennett: David, I can understand your frustration as a fan in not getting to see great nonconference games at Camp Randall. At the same time, Wisconsin is not alone in only scheduling one BCS AQ school per year in its nonconference slate. In the Big Ten alone, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue all only have one such opponent on their schedule this season. Indiana has none.

While I'd love to see the Badgers schedule more aggressively, it just doesn't pay many dividends for schools to do so. The Badgers went to the Rose Bowl the past two years and were a couple plays away from being in the national title mix both times. I hope the new playoff format rewards strength of schedule to encourage all teams to play better nonconference opponents.

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Max from Madras, India, writes: Brian, what do you think is more detrimental to the season? QB competition and playing 4 guys in your spring game, a la PSU? Or pretty much knowing who your starter is going to be, and not having him for your spring game, a la MSU? Or at this stage does it really matter?

Brian Bennett: It's early enough to not really matter. Remember Wisconsin won the Big Ten last year, and its starting quarterback didn't arrive in Madison until the summer. But in the scenario you mention, I'd much rather be Michigan State. The Spartans know Andrew Maxwell will be their starter, and his injury wasn't serious. He's been in the program for four years, so playing in a spring game means very little. Penn State still doesn't seem to be settled at the position. Maxwell can confidently lead the offense all summer. I'm not sure any of Penn State's quarterbacks can do the same.

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Paul from Orlando, Fla., writes: Last season, Nebraska had All Big Ten-caliber players at each level of the defense in Crick, David and Dennard. Although these players made major contributions in 2011, the defense ranked a mere 36th nationally in total defense; well outside the norm for a Pelini coached defense. It appeared, especially early in the season, that offensive coordinators could simply pick on the young guy lined up opposite Crick, David or Dennard and these players didn?t really impact their game plans. This spring Pelini has been vocal about how much he likes his secondary and expects the defensive line and linebackers to be a solid veteran group. Do you think having a veteran defense without any weak links and a potentially dominate group at one level of the defense can lead to a better 2012 defense despite the loss of such great players?

Brian Bennett: It's an interesting question, and one I've been thinking about a lot this season. In fairness to the 2012 Huskers, Crick, David and Dennard were never really all healthy at the same time. But a big problem, as you mentioned, was the obvious holes on that defense. Bo Pelini seemed optimistic this spring about the defensive play, but aren't all coaches optimistic in the spring? Still, I think this defense has a chance to be very solid. I just want to see a couple of players take the next step into becoming major difference-makers, whether that's a guy like Will Compton or Cameron Meredith or Daimion Stafford. You need special players to be a truly special defense.

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Mr. Pewter from Farmland, Iowa, writes: I hate the new Cy-Hawk trophy. I am still going to rally around my family with a basket full of corn. Come with it now!

Brian Bennett: You keep raging against that machine.

Here's your Thursday linkage.

• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany reveals a proposal that would create playoff access for the best conference champs. It's important for the Big Ten to protect its Rose Bowl partnership.
• Athletic directors Dave Brandon (Michigan) and Mark Hollis (Michigan State) weigh in on the playoff issues.
• Penn State is moving defensive lineman Kyle Baublitz from end to tackle. Lions coach Bill O'Brien has "a pretty good idea" of how the team's quarterback situation will shake out. O'Brien understands the challenges he faces at Penn State.
• Take it from Minnesota coach Jerry Kill: "You hang around with turds, you'll finish third."
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio likens Le'Veon Bell to former Ohio State great Keith Byars. The Kirk Cousins-Keith Nichol connection could continue with the NFL's Washington Redskins.
• Tom Mulhern projects what Wisconsin's depth chart looks like coming out of the spring. The Badgers pick up a verbal commit for 2013.
• Kawann Short's decision to stay at Purdue could pay off for the standout defensive tackle.
• The Big Ten can embrace both the Rose Bowl and the national title, Tom Shatel writes.
• Iowa is paying lower guarantees for nonconference games this season. Like Iowa's other receivers, Kevonte Martin-Manley could see his production surge in the new offense this fall.
• A breakdown of Illinois' 2012 schedule.
• Assistant Ron Brown's remarks shouldn't be tolerated at a public institution like Nebraska, Blair Kerkhoff writes.
• Ohio State assistant Kerry Coombs has settled in well to his new role.
• A look inside draft night for Michigan's Mike Martin.
• Indiana linebacker Jeff Thomas gets a tryout with the Buffalo Bills (subscription required).