ESPN College Football

BuckeyeNation

Brad Bournival writes : The Buckeyes’ top targets along the offensive line have changed a bit.

Recruiting maibag : Bournival looks at possible next commits to OSU and which prospects who already committed to the Buckeyes could climb the ESPN rankings.

NittanyNation

Josh Moyer writes : J.J. Cosentino is pleased with the recent offer from nearby Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are just a safety valve next to FSU, where the Pittburgh Central Catholic QB already has committed.

WolverineNation

Tom VanHaaren writes : Here’s how Michigan ascended to the top of the ESPN recruiting rankings this week.

It's still early, but the tide could be turning a little for Big Ten recruiting.

The league undoubtedly has moved down a few pegs on the recruiting ladder in recent years, a drop that can be tied to poor on-field performance, a lack of national titles or plain ol' geography. But the outlook for the 2014 recruiting class looks good for the league, at least on May 17.

Michigan tops RecruitingNation's latest class rankings, rising two spots to No. 1 after securing a commitment from ESPN 150 defensive end Lawrence Marshall last weekend. The Wolverines have eight ESPN 150 commits in the fold in a nine-man class so far.

Ohio State and Penn State hold steady at Nos. 13 and 14 in the rankings. The Buckeyes almost surely will rise as they bring in more recruits, and Penn State, despite the sanctions and reduced scholarships, is well on its way to compiling a strong 2014 class. The Lions have an ESPN 150 prospect in athlete De'Andre Thompkins and two other four-star selections.

The big surprise in the league is Northwestern, which has risen two spots to No. 17 in the class rankings. The Wildcats have 10 commits, the most in the Big Ten, and are more than halfway done with a class that should be the best in coach Pat Fitzgerald's tenure. Northwestern's recent pickups include running backs Justin Jackson and Auston Anderson, as well as offensive lineman Blake Hance.

No other Big Ten teams are currently in the top 25, but Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa aren't too far off and should rise once they pick up more pledges.

For more on recruiting, go here and here.

Tan, rested and ready after a week in Aruba. Well, maybe not tan.

• Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon says the 2014 home game against Penn State could be a night game. Brandon says student no-shows at the Big House are "unacceptable."
• Mark Hollis talks about keeping the Michigan State-Notre Dame game alive. Mark Dantonio says the Spartans "re-assessed" recruit turned rapper Jay Harris.
• Sixteen significant changes made by Bill O'Brien at Penn State. O'Brien's job is still more than just football. Matt McGloin signed with the Raiders.
• What sticks out about Nebraska's 2014 slate is who's not on it. Logan Rath took a different path toward walking on for the Huskers.
• Northwestern got a commitment from an offensive tackle.
• Ohio State's 2014 schedule looks unimposing. Examining the base pass plays in the Buckeyes' offense.
• Purdue will travel to Indiana in back-to-back years for the first time ever.
• Wisconsin picked up a running back from Utah, but he'll go on a Mormon mission before coming to Madison. The Badgers will get an early look at the new guys in the Big Ten in 2014.
• The stars are aligning for a 2014 resurgence by Iowa. The Hawkeyes skip many of the Big Ten powers that year.
• Minnesota's Derrick Wells and Cedric Thompson are mentoring high school students. Analyzing the Gophers' 2014 schedule.
• The 2014 schedule didn't make things easy for Illinois.
• Winners and losers in the 2014 schedule. Tom Dienhart breaks down the '14 slate.

The Big Ten released its 2014 league schedule earlier Thursday, completing what its architect Mark Rudner called a "long, arduous process" of crafting a slate with two new teams, two new divisions and a second open week.

ESPN.com caught up with Rudner, the Big Ten's senior associate commissioner for television administration, to discuss how the 2014 schedule came together.

It's important to note the Big Ten compiled the 2014 slate based upon principles green-lighted by its athletic directors.

They are:

• Nonconference games that had been previously contracted were protected. For example, Northwestern visits Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2014, so the Big Ten made sure not to schedule the Wildcats on that day. Also, Penn State and Rutgers had a previously scheduled non-league game for Sept. 13, 2014, which became a conference game with Rutgers joining the Big Ten. The date wasn't changed.
• No more than two consecutive road games
• Each team must play two home games and two road games in each half of the season

It's not as if athletic directors ask the league not to schedule multiple rivalry games on the road every year.

"Once you do that," Rudner said, "you're at risk of never having a schedule."

There has been some reaction to Michigan facing in-state rival Michigan State in road games in consecutive seasons (2013, 2014) and Purdue visiting Indiana for the Bucket game the same two years. The Wolverines never have played the Spartans in East Lansing in back-to-back years and haven't hosted MSU in consecutive years since 1967-68.

Although it'll be new for Michigan, such back-to-backs are fairly common when a scheduling model changes. Between 2010-11, there were 13 instances of back-to-back matchups, including rivalry games like Iowa-Minnesota (both games in Minneapolis) and Penn State-Ohio State (both games in Columbus) and other good matchups like Wisconsin-Michigan State (both games in East Lansing).

"It's unavoidable," Rudner said. "It happened five times in 2008-2009. So it's not foreign, it's not ideal, but it's unavoidable. When you're introducing new institutions and you dole out home and road games, it just happens."

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has said "parity-based scheduling," where teams will face one another more often in crossovers based on historical success,will begin in 2016, will begin once the league goes to a nine-game conference schedule. Rudner said the league asked the ADs if they wanted to start the nine-game schedules in 2014 but they couldn't because of so many signed contracts for non-conference games. If they had, the 2014 would have incorporated parity scheduling.

The 2014 slate ultimately features none of it, as the traditional powers in each division -- Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the East, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa in the West -- don't play at all.

"I don't think it's going to hurt us," Rudner said. "Brand is strong enough. There are enough games that are strong that'll drive television interest. Short of a full round-robin, which nobody in our conference wanted to do, you're going to have these sort of issues."

A few other schedule notes:

• Rudner and his staff didn't have a directive to schedule mostly division games in November, but it worked out that way as most teams will play exclusively in their division or play only one crossover in the season's decisive month. "Ideally, that's what we would like to do," Rudner said. "It makes a lot of sense to play division games late in the season, toward a championship."
• The Big Ten doesn't look at long-term trends of how often teams open league play on the road when crafting schedules. Athletic directors haven't asked it to a be a principle of building schedules. "It's never been important to them," Rudner said. "What they want to avoid is long road trips and making sure there's balance, home and away, in each half of the season. The rest of it, they can live with. Not everybody plays the same kind of schedule, but they do it based on those principles. They look at it and say, 'That's fair. Let's do it.'" Penn State, by the way, will open league play on the road for the fifth straight year and for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons.
• That new members Maryland and Rutgers host traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan on the same day (Oct. 4) was pure coincidence, Rudner said.

The 2015 Big Ten schedule, which should be released by the end of the month, will feature the same matchups at the opposite locations. The league has to maneuver around some previously scheduled non-league games before finalizing the slate.

BuckeyeNation

Austin Ward writes : DT Michael Bennett looked fully recovered in the spring from nagging injuries that hampered him in 2012, raising expectations for the defensive line.

Brad Bournival writes : 2014 DT prospect Dylan Thompson is 6-foot-5, 274 pounds with the attitude to match his size.

Bournival writes : Here are the top five uncommitted DT targets who have OSU offers.

NittanyNation

Josh Moyer writes : 2014 DB prospect Dravon Henry, an Aliquippa, Pa., native, is a terrific athlete who counts Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State among his 20-plus offers.

Moyer writes : Two-way lineman Noah Beh of Scranton, Pa., is down to Penn State and Boston College, and he admits he’s leaning toward the Lions.

WolverineNation

Chantel Jennings writes : 2013 Michigan signee Wyatt Shallman, the nation’s No. 1 fullback, is quite a character.

WolverineNation roundtable: : The staff tackles the question of what one player from the past decade it wishes it could add to the 2013 team.

Some spring meetings leftovers and much more ...

• The Big Ten is expanding its bowl options for 2014 and beyond. The new lineup will combat "bowl fatigue," Kyle Meinke writes. There's a lot to like about what the Big Ten is doing.
• Some good takes on the Penn State/medical care issue from Neil Rudel, David Jones, Bob Flounders and Donnie Collins. The former Penn State walk-on mentioned in the SI story defends trainer Tim Bream. Hear from Penn State's latest recruit.
• New Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann must be a visionary for the program. Hermann is the right type of hire for Rutgers. The historical ramifications didn't motivate Rutgers in hiring a female AD. Those who knew Hermann at Nebraska weigh in on her hire.
• Big Ten leaders talk about the possibility of the major conferences separating from the rest, Jeremy Fowler writes.
• Graham Couch weighs in on what Jim Delany and Mark Hollis said at the spring meetings.
• Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi talks recruiting and Joel Heath's development. The Spartans add to their 2014 class with Chris Frey. Former MSU signee Jay Harris knew the school wouldn't like his rap video.
• Michigan likely won't wear alternate unis in 2013.
• Alex Lewis wasn't wearing Nebraska gear the night of his arrest. Three former Huskers make the NFL Network's top 100 list.
• Wisconsin adds a defensive lineman to its 2014 recruiting class.
• Ohio State AD Gene Smith supports a Big Ten title game at Detroit's Ford Field.
• Illinois completes its 2014 nonleague schedule. The Illini are pursuing Oklahoma State transfer QB Wes Lunt (subscription required).
• More Big Ten spring meetings notes. Expansion isn't dead, but it's not on the front burner for the Big Ten.
• Northwestern's latest recruiting target watch.

 

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien raised his voice as if a freshman quarterback had just criticized his play-calling -- and that demeanor remained unchanged for about 30 minutes.

Penn State's second-year coach fielded questions about a Sports Illustrated article that criticized the medical care of his players, and he was absolutely livid. Reporters would often see an angry O'Brien after difficult losses, but O'Brien never seemed angrier than Wednesday afternoon when he defended the program against the latest series of accusations.

"Look, for the past 16 months that I've been here -- along with my staff and everybody that works in this building, along with the players at Penn State -- we're trying to do our best," he said, his voice gradually rising. "We're trying to do our best in the classroom We're trying to do our best on the gamefield. That's what we're trying to do.

"We're recruiting what we believe are fantastic guys in the program. We have a hell of a coaching staff. We got people in our building that are the best I've ever been around. And we're just trying to do the best for Penn State. And, at the end of the day, I wish people would see that and understand that."

Penn State released a list of how other schools' medical staffs operate, and PSU's practices seemed on par with other Big Ten programs such as Northwestern and Nebraska. The Nittany Lions used to have an orthopedic surgeon and team physician at every practice, before a recent change in the staff.

O'Brien alluded to that list. Now, a team physician attends every practice while the surgeon is available at least once a week. But, at LSU and Iowa, those physicians aren't made available at every practice.

So, Penn State's coach implied there was no reason for a narrative that criticizes PSU's medical care.

"I want people to understand that the No. 1 priority to myself and to our staff at Penn State are our players," he said. "We have a deep connection with our players. We are battling an uphill battle. We are at 65 scholarships, 67 scholarships.

"You think for one second I would jeopardize the health and safety of the football team? With 65 scholarships? That's preposterous."

O'Brien deflected talk of being undermined, but he clearly wasn't pleased with a statement by Alumni Trustee Anthony Lubrano, who spoke with the Harrisburg-Patriot News. Lubrano questioned whether, in evolving more into an NFL-type atmosphere, that there could be "more of a rush to get the student back on the field."

ESPN's coach of the year fielded a response to that statement before taking one more question and ending the teleconference.

"I don't know where anyone can just say a quote about something they know nothing about," he said. "I don't understand, I don't comprehend it. I don't understand how someone can make a quote that they know nothing about, and then the quote is not true. The quote is not true."

Coming to you a little late after a busy morning in Chi-town.

• Julie Hermann is Rutgers' new athletic director, and here's what she has to do next.
• Big Ten athletic directors are looking to strengthen future non-league schedules. More notes on the spring meetings here and here and here.
• The Holiday Bowl is expected to have the third pick in the Big Ten's future bowl lineup, Scott Dochterman writes. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz likes the Big Ten's bowl options.
• Big Ten ADs are looking for clarity on the selection process for the Playoff.
• Michigan State's future football schedules could feature a lot of Northwestern. More on the Jay Harris rap saga here and here and here. The Spartans could add Washington State to the future schedule.
• Andrew Logue writes why a 10-game league schedule doesn't make sense for the Big Ten.
• Michigan AD Dave Brandon is disappointed to lose the annual series against Notre Dame.
• The 2014/2015 schedules aren't out yet, but Illinois and Iowa will finally resume their series. Illinois' player personnel chief wishes he could recruit off campus.
• Northwestern's strong recruiting push continues with RB Justin Jackson. The Wildcats have upgraded their local recruiting efforts.
• Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez isn't sorry to see Michigan State less on the Badgers' schedule.
• Some Big Ten/Purdue notes from Mike Carmin. The Boilers are looking to Florida for an offensive line recruit.
• Nebraska AD Shawn Eichorst had an uneventful first go-round at the Big Ten meetings. The Huskers should cut ties with transfer Alex Lewis if he's charged with a felony.
• After losing money on alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota negotiated a new deal.
• Penn State fan reaction to the East division doesn't show much respect for the league's new members. The Lions' coach aims to poach a Washington State QB recruit.

CHICAGO -- Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner jokes with his Pitt counterpart Steve Pederson about scheduling football games somewhere on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between State College and Pittsburgh.

It's unlikely the Nittany Lions and Panthers will lock horns on the side of the road, but they could be seeing each other annually for many years to come. Pederson told colleague Brett McMurphy at the ACC spring meetings Tuesday that he'd like to schedule more games against Penn State beyond the schools' agreement to play from 2016-19. Joyner has strong interest, too.

"We'd be interested in talking about that," Joyner told ESPN.com at the Big Ten spring meetings. "It's a great series. It's been a great linchpin in Pennsylvania for everyone there. Steve and I will definitely talk about doing that."

The longtime rivals announced in 2011 they would resume their series, which had been dormant since 2000, and tacked on two more games in December. Penn State and Pitt met every season from 1935-1992. They took a break when Penn State joined the Big Ten, but then resumed with a four-game series from 1997-2000. The Lions own a 50-42-4 advantage in the all-time series.

Pederson said he "would sign a 30-year deal" if he could, adding that the Pitt-Penn State game "ought to be played." Penn State coach Bill O'Brien also has voiced his support for the series.

"Pitt-Penn State, who can forget those games back in the day, usually late in the season, snowing?" O'Brien said on Penn State's recent coaches' caravan. "I think it's great for college football."

Penn State might not be able to play Pitt annually after the Big Ten goes to a nine-game conference schedule in 2016, but there is certainly more support for the series than there was during the latter part of Joe Paterno's tenure.

Joyner also said Penn State is "actively working" on a 2014 game in Ireland, reportedly against UCF, and hopes to have a resolution in the next few weeks. More neutral-site games are a possibility for Penn State, which kicks off the 2013 season against Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

"Neutral sites are a very, very interesting proposition," Joyner said. "It's good for everybody. From a monetary standpoint, it's a very satisfactory thing to do, but it also engages people in other parts of the country to perhaps come to games. So it's a good thing to consider doing."

The mail comes to you a little early today as I'll have coverage of the Big Ten spring meetings this afternoon.

Badger in Columbus from Columbus, Ohio, writes: Please explain giving the edge to Washington over Wisconsin. If it was a contest of which defense would give up more points then Washington is the obvious choice. Or is this one of those auto-correct errors. Maybe some form of hangover. Did you forget which teams were which.... Help me out.

Adam Rittenberg: I've received several similar emails from Wisconsin fans, and I'm quite frankly a little surprised. Wisconsin was a slightly above-average football team in 2012 that couldn't pass the ball, struggled in close games and only got to the Big Ten championship because Ohio State and Penn State were barred by NCAA sanctions. Both Wisconsin and Washington finished 7-6, and Washington beat two teams -- Stanford and Oregon State -- that Wisconsin lost to last season. The Huskies have a talented veteran quarterback in Keith Price, a solid running back in Bishop Sankey and one of the nation's best tight ends in Austin Seferian-Jenkins (currently suspended). Sure, the matchup might be a toss-up, but to say Wisconsin is leaps and bounds ahead of Washington is silly talk, especially after the Badgers went through a coaching change. You can't base these picks on how a program has done in the past decade (Wisconsin obviously better). You base it on the current teams and the upcoming season.

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Matt from Omaha writes: People are worried about how the BIG West will be just as bad as the Big Twelve North, but they forget one key argument that no one seems to be talking about, COACHING STABILITY. The old Big Twelve North was actually really good before instability in the Coaching position affected Nebraska, Kansas State, and Colorado. I mean, during that time both Kansas (that?s right I said Kansas) and Missouri had pretty dominant programs for a short while. The fact right now is that the BIG West has enough stability at the coaching position to be competitive. Nebraska, Northwestern, and Iowa have had the same head coach for five years or more and each schools coach doesn?t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Had the divisional split happened two or three years ago, there wouldn't be such a problem in my opinion. Remember that time when Michigan was terrible under Rich Rod., when Ohio State lost Tress, or when Joe Paterno was fired? All these programs had faltered, but became more attractive when coaching stability came back to eaches respective programs. Nebraska will be competitive, so will Northwestern, and does anybody really think Ferentz is going to let Iowa fall far and let Iowa State take over as the top school in the state?

Adam Rittenberg: Good points here, Matt. Coaching stability is a big issue not only for the new Big Ten West division but throughout the Big Ten. We've seen coaching changes at eight of 12 programs in the past three years, and the lack of stability certainly has contributed to the league's overall downturn. Pat Fitzgerald doesn't appear to be going anywhere at Northwestern, but some would say this is a big season for both Bo Pelini at Nebraska and Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. I wouldn't put either coach on the hot seat, but there's some grumbling from both fan bases, and it wouldn't shock me to see either coach eventually leave for another job (Pelini in college, Ferentz in the NFL). Jerry Kill should remain at Minnesota for a while, as long as he remains healthy, and Gary Andersen has the potential to be a long-term answer at Wisconsin. Your point is a valid one, but I also think it's imperative that West division programs upgrade their recruiting efforts to keep up with Urban Meyer, Brady Hoke and Bill O'Brien in the East.

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Adam from Chicago writes: Lots of excitement within Northwestern fan circles about the forming 2014 recruiting class. Is this class a sign that Northwestern is ready to become a legitimate contender for the immediate future or is this class just exciting because previous ones have been more average?

Adam Rittenberg: The recruiting uptick shows momentum is building at Northwestern. The combination of wins on the field, improved recruiting and, most important, the new lakefront facility being built puts Northwestern in position to be a more consistent division/league title contender. Northwestern's placement in the seemingly easier West division also helps. Pat Fitzgerald brought in some average recruiting classes at the start of his tenure, but the quality of recruits has improved in the past three seasons and 2014 has a chance to be the best yet. The question is whether Northwestern can continue to win 8-10 games per year as the schedules get a bit tougher in future seasons. Ultimately, it all comes down to wins and losses, but Northwestern definitely is bringing in more talent now than it was five years ago.

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Aaron from Bettendorf, Iowa, writes: After getting engaged over the weekend we have been discussing possible dates. We both like Fall 2014; however, that prime time Big 10 football season. We are in agreement that it CANNOT be on an Iowa weekend. With the additions of Maryland and Rutgers next year it is hard to know the schedule this far in advance. Any ideas when we might have some clarity on this situation regarding bye weeks for next season.

Adam Rittenberg: First of all, congrats to you and your fiancée! The simple answer is to tell her, like I told my wife, that we had to get married in the spring or summer (wife still a bit peeved, by the way). If that doesn't fly, wait a few more weeks as the Big Ten hopes to release the 2014 and 2015 schedules by the end of May. The Big Ten would like to get all its significant business -- bowl lineup, future schedules -- finished by the presidents/chancellors meeting June 2. So sit tight for now and you should know the schedules soon. One thing in your favor is that Iowa will have two open weeks rather than one in the 2014 season, like it will this fall.

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Craig from Braintree, Mass., writes: Adam, like your choice of important games for Minnesota. Have you done any more in depth study as to why previous Kill teams have succeeded in their third year? I believe that there are three particular reasons - Kill's leadership, consistency of staff and the quality of his physical fitness coach.

Adam Rittenberg: All three of those factors undoubtedly have contributed to Kill's Year 3 success at previous spots like Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois. Two other factors: he had more of his own recruits in positions to contribute, and every player had greater familiarity with his system. Former Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish, for example, was recruited by the previous staff but redshirted the season before Kill arrived. He had two years to develop in the offense under Kill's staff before putting together a record-setting 2010 season -- Kill's third at the school -- in leading the Huskies to the MAC title game.

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Jeremy from Columbus writes: You've said that Big Ten fan bases tend to frown upon games against the MAC, but why is this? Obviously we'd all rather watch a game against the Pac 12, but no team is going to schedule 12 games against BCS teams. If the Buckeyes demand on playing two 'cupcakes' each year, I'd much rather play local teams like Miami and Toledo than Alabama-Birmingham and Central Florida. When we played Miami last year, there were tons of Miami fans. Half the OSU students at the game had a friend from high school who had gone to Miami that they had been trash talking with in the week leading up to the game. In my opinion, that local aspect really helps build up the excitement for the game, even if the game itself usually isn't very good.

Adam Rittenberg: Jeremy, some great points here. Most fans don't understand why teams play cupcake/guarantee/gimme games in non-league play, and that's not a bad thing as programs should be pressured to challenge themselves and schedule attractive opponents for the fans. But the reality is these games will be played in some form (one per year, two per year), and there's value in playing teams from the same state or region. Ohio State has done this a lot over the years, and it helps that six MAC programs are located in Ohio. These are great opportunities for MAC teams to not only play on bigger stages but record signature wins. As long as Big Ten teams are playing at least one marquee game per year, I think there will be less grumbling about the MAC games. But it's also important for the MAC to keep improving as a league. Last year was a step in the right direction, but the MAC had been on a steady decline for a while. Most Big Ten fans will never get excited about playing MAC opponents, but if they understand the realities of scheduling and the benefits for playing in the state/region, they could start tolerating them.

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Ryan from Lincoln, Neb., writes: No more Pretender or Contender? When will you finish the remaining schools?

Adam Rittenberg: Ryan, we actually completed the series last week with the Illinois post. You can check out all nine posts here. As we pointed out in each post, we considered Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska likely preseason top-20 teams and therefore bona fide contenders. So we didn't do polls for those squads. Maybe we should have for Michigan and Nebraska, but we didn't. There was some interesting voting. You guys don't think much of the Big Ten as only Northwestern was labeled a contender. Wisconsin finished with a 50-50 contender/pretender split. The voting for both Michigan State and Penn State was fairly even but leaned toward pretender. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue all were clear-cut pretenders, according to the voting.

Your Big Ten spring meetings version ...

• Future football schedules likely will be a hot topic at Big Ten meetings. So will bowl games, Lee Barfknecht writes.
• Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has been tough on player conduct, so how will he handle Alex Lewis? The details of Lewis' assault arrest aren't good.
• Michigan State picks up a commitment from tight end Matt Sokol. MSU's athletic budget once again is balanced. The Spartans have a favorable 2013 schedule.
• Minnesota coach Jerry Kill will get a raise, but not right away, his boss says.
• Michigan's depleted 2010 recruiting class hurts depth but not leadership. The Wolverines are recruiting Snoop Dogg's son.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien would like to be able to meet with players during the summer. CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd checks in with Jay Paterno. Nine Lions players take part in NFL rookie minicamps. Penn State quarterback Tyler Ferguson made this list of spring standouts.
• Purdue has seen an increase in football season-ticket sales after a more aggressive push. Missed this from late last week, but Jim Tressel talks Darrell Hazell.
• Former Northwestern receiver Demetrius Fields signs a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears. Northwestern kick specialist Hunter Niswander relishes pressure situations.
• Several key Ohio State players to watch this season.
• Wisconsin deputy AD Sean Frazier is a finalist for the top job at Rutgers.
• Some Indiana tidbits from athletic director Fred Glass.

Another week and another ESPN 150 commitment for Michigan. WolverineNation's Tom VanHaaren talks with Phil Murphy about Lawrence Marshall's commitment, and what's shaping up to be a loaded defensive line class for Michigan. Also, with a limited class size, Penn State is doing well very, too. NittanyNation's Josh Moyer stops by to discuss.

Penn State still can win the Leaders Division title despite the NCAA sanctions, and the Lions will need to go through Ohio State to do so. PSU aims for its third win in four tries at Ohio Stadium in its most important game.

There has been plenty of recent news on the recruiting trail around the Big Ten, and we're a bit overdue for a scorecard, so here's the latest rundown. Teams are sorted based on most verbal commitments for the 2014 class.

MICHIGAN

Total commits: 9
ESPN 150 commits: 8
The latest: Michigan's recruiting once again is off to an extremely fast start, as the Wolverines not only are piling up commits but quality players. Defensive end Lawrence Marshall on Saturday became the eighth ESPN 150 prospect to pick Michigan. No other FBS team has more than five ESPN 150 players pledged for the 2014 class. Barring a surprise turn, Michigan will sign a top-5 class in February. The Wolverines currently rank No. 3 in the RecruitingNation rankings.

PENN STATE

Total commits: 9
ESPN 150 commits: 1
The latest: Penn State has filled out most of its 2014 class before mid May, and the Lions are adding quality prospects like ESPN 150 athlete De'Andre Thompkins, wide receiver Chris Godwin and linebacker Troy Reeder. The Lions picked up two more commits late last week in defensive back Marcus Allen and linebacker Jared Wangler. Bill O'Brien and his staff have to be selective because of scholarship restrictions, but they've also been aggressive in piling up early commits. Penn State is No. 13 in the latest class rankings.

NORTHWESTERN

Total commits: 8
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: Northwestern is quietly putting together the best class in coach Pat Fitzgerald's tenure. The Wildcats are 19th in RecruitingNation's class rankings after an excellent week that ended with them landing talented running back Auston Anderson on Thursday. Anderson's pledge came on the heels of four-star athlete Dariean Watkins choosing Northwestern. Although Northwestern hasn't landed an ESPN 150 prospect, it boasts several commits (QB Clayton Thorson, Watkins) who are close.

OHIO STATE

Total commits: 8
ESPN 150 commits: 1
The latest: Urban Meyer's assistants are all over the recruiting trail -- and letting us know about it on Twitter -- and after a six-week drought without a commitment, the Buckeyes added one Sunday in wide receiver Lonnie Johnson. The Gary, Ind., native had offers from Indiana, Purdue and Nebraska, among others, but gives Ohio State a four-star prospect at a position of need. Ohio State checks in at No. 14 in the latest class rankings.

MICHIGAN STATE

Total commits: 6
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Spartans' total hasn't changed since they picked up linemen Brian Allen and Enoch Smith Jr. during spring game weekend, but they're closing in on prospects like tight end Matt Sokol and defensive end Rashawn Pierce. The downside is that Michigan State lost Marshall to rival Michigan after many believed Marshall would go green. Michigan State also had been pursuing Watkins, who verballed to Northwestern.

WISCONSIN

Total commits: 4
ESPN 150 commits: 1
The latest: Gary Andersen's staff has added just one 2014 commit (defensive tackle Craig Evans) since taking over in late December. Although Evans pledged in March, the Badgers staff has been active on the recruiting trail and extending plenty of scholarship offers. Wisconsin made a late addition to its 2013 class last week by picking up junior-college cornerback Tekeim Reynard.

ILLINOIS

Total commits: 4
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Illini added to their quarterback depth earlier this month by picking up a commitment from Ohio prep signal caller Chayce Crouch. Crouch led his team to the state championship game last season and had received scholarship offers from several MAC programs, as well as some interest from other Big Ten schools. Illinois also has injected some more spice into its in-state rivalry with Northwestern by picking up defensive end recruit Tito Odenigbo, the younger brother of Wildcats defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo.

IOWA

Total commits: 3
ESPN 150 commits: 1
The latest: The Hawkeyes haven't added to their total since getting a pledge from offensive lineman Lucas LeGrand in early April. But with three in-state prospects -- headlined by guard Ross Pierschbacher, the nation's No. 47 player and highest-ranked Big Ten commit, according to RecruitingNation -- Iowa still is off to a decent start. Iowa is extending its recruiting reach to Georgia and recently offered defenders Henry Famurewa and Bradley Chubb.

MINNESOTA

Total commits: 3
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Gophers added two verbals during spring game weekend in athlete Dimonic McKinzy (early All-Name team nominee) and defensive tackle Steven Richardson. In-state running back Jeff Jones, a three-star prospect, headlines the class so far. Like the previous coaching staff, Jerry Kill and his assistants are targeting Texas for recruits like linebacker Everett Williams and defensive end Noah Westerfield.

NEBRASKA

Total commits: 2
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Huskers wait for their second 2014 commitment ended last week as Texas defensive back Jason Hall pledged for Big Red. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Hall brings excellent size to Nebraska's defensive backfield. Although Nebraska should continue to add to its total in the coming weeks and months, recruiting coordinator Ross Els told ESPN.com last week that the Huskers likely won't see a surge until prospects start coming to campus on official visits this fall.

PURDUE

Total commits: 1
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: Purdue is going back to its recruiting roots under new coach Darrell Hazell, as its first verbal for 2014 comes from the fertile state of Texas. The Boilers recently added wide receiver Trae Hart to the mix. I'll have more on this later in the week, but Boilers recruiting coordinator Gerad Parker said the program is ramping up its efforts in the Lone Star State, mindful of the success former Purdue boss Joe Tiller had there.

INDIANA

Total commits: 0
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: After signing an excellent recruiting class in February, Indiana's efforts for 2014 are off to a slow start. Indiana and Colorado are the only programs from a big-five conference (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12) without a verbal commit for next year. Things should pick up when camps kick off next month in Bloomington.

Future Big Ten members Rutgers and Maryland also are recruiting for the Big Ten, so here's a quick look at how they're doing ...

RUTGERS

Total commits: 9
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Scarlet Knights recruited well under Greg Schiano, had six players selected in April's NFL draft and continue to bring in quality players under Kyle Flood. After a productive March and April, Rutgers began May by adding a pledge from defensive tackle Pete Mokwuah. Running back Joshua Hicks and defensive end Justin Nelson headline Rutgers' 2014 so far. Rutgers also went into current Big Ten territory for quarterback Tyler Wiegers from Detroit Country Day School.

MARYLAND

Total commits: 3
ESPN 150 commits: 0
The latest: The Terrapins added two pieces to their 2014 class in recent weeks in running back Johnathan Thomas from Massachusetts and athlete William Ulmer from Washington D.C. Maryland has plenty of local and regional players on its radar for 2014, as the areas surrounding College Park consistently produce a ton of FBS talent. The Terps picked up most of their 2013 recruits before the start of the season, but they might have to be more patient after a 4-8 record in 2012.

Red Wings-Blackhawks one last time in the Western Conference playoffs? Yes, please.

• No more media trailers at Michigan State? Yes, please. Here's more on the proposed Spartan Stadium renovation. Matt Charboneau is reserving judgment on a Spartans team projected all over the map. Linebacker recruit Chris Frey is headed to East Lansing.
• Minnesota offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover talks about his amazing weight-loss transformation, which included gastric-bypass surgery.
• Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst has a new style but old-school values, Tom Shatel writes. A Q&A with the new Nebraska AD. Bo Pelini's Big Ten colleagues challenge him on the recruiting trail.
• Teddy Greenstein tees it up with Illinois coach Tim Beckman. Get to know these five Illini players before the fall.
• A good look at how Ohio State's unheralded 2010 recruiting class factors into a national title push. Orlando Pace's Hall pass puts the spotlight on Ohio State's great offensive linemen. Former Ohio State player Barry Walker passed away Friday.
• Northwestern's recruiting efforts are on the upswing for 2014 and beyond. Recruit Auston Anderson's mom gave him the extra push he needed to pick Northwestern.
• Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is excited about LB Nyeem Wartman in 2013 and beyond. A good piece on O'Brien, his wife and the challenges they face with a special-needs child. The Lions add two more recruits to their 2014 class.
• Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison played a big role in Lawrence Marshall's commitment. Kyle Meinke takes our "most indispensable" series one step further and lists Michigan's six most indispensable players. Breaking down Michigan's 2013 schedule.
• Coach Gary Andersen wants to keep a small-school feel at Wisconsin.
• Purdue coach Darrell Hazell talks toughness, the summer plan, personnel and much more in this interview with Pete DiPrimio. Will the Boilers' streak of NFL draft picks continue in 2014?
• Pat Harty runs down the top 10 Iowa players of the Hayden Fry era. Marc Morehouse examines Iowa's future nonconference schedules, which include more games with Northern Illinois.
• Indiana strength coach Mark Hill is mic'd up during a spring practice.