Spring Storylines Abound in Big Ten

It's barely spring here in the Midwest but spring football is well under way, and there's abundant intrigue in the Big Ten conference. Coming off what seems like the 46th consecutive disappointing bowl season, including a Rose Bowl where Penn State's Daryll Clark (right) did his best but the Nittany Lions still couldn't beat Southern Cal, nobody will be expecting much from the conference or its teams when fall rolls around. Somebody has to win it, however, and now is when the jockeying for position really begins.

"Position" is the key word in understanding the current state of affairs in the conference, since a number of departures have left some of the conference's traditional powers more than a little vulnerable. Who's in? Who's out? Is there hope for any team in the league everyone else loves to slag on? Check it out below.

At Illinois the key departure hasn't happened yet, but it's going to color the whole season. This is Juice Williams's last season of eligibility. So far Ron Zook doesn't have a lot to show for Williams's efforts. Apart from a gutty win over Ohio State and a curbstomping by Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, it's been a festival of mediocrity. The lack of a running game harmed the Illini last season, but the departure of cornerback Vontae Davis may be the critical influence on Illinois's 2009 season. If they can't maintain a credible pass defense, it won't matter if the Illini develop a second offensive weapon.

Indiana must be reeling, and not just from basketball season. After a huge breakthrough in 2007 when the school earned its first bowl bid since Bill Clinton's first year in office, 2008 was an unwelcome retreat. The Hoosiers didn't excel at anything last season, and it's hard to see where they're going to improve for 2009. Moving Kellen Lewis (right) from quarterback to wide receiver might be the spark the offense needs, but the defense has to get a lot better for any hope of getting back to the postseason.

Iowa will miss Shonn Greene, and wouldn't you? The Hawkeyes will miss defensive tackles Mitch King and Matt Kroul even more, though. Their replacements can assume they'll be attacked early and often. Meanwhile, the off-the-field problems which dogged the team after the 2007 season have returned, though thankfully not to the magnitude of that dreadful year.

Michigan fans should be careful not to assume that things can only get better. The quarterback situation is far from settled, and the defense isn't quite ready to shoulder such a heavy burden. The possible arrival of Duke basketball player Greg Paulus to compete for the quarterback job might overshadow everything else that happens in Ann Arbor, though.

Michigan State finished 2008 strong but couldn't turn that momentum into a bowl victory. If Sparty is going to make a run at its first Rose Bowl since the late 1980s, this could be the season. Somebody's going to have to step up in the all-new offensive backfield to replace the well-seasoned Brian Hoyer and Javon Ringer. The defense should pick up right where it left off last year, though.

Minnesota opens its shiny new stadium this fall, but the real question is which Gopher team will occupy it. Will it be the team that started 7-1, or the one that finished 0-5? Wait, what do you mean they're the same team? Eric Decker, the Gophers' most effective weapon last season, is currently pondering whether he'll return for his senior year if he's drafted in the MLB draft this June. Losing him would set the Gophers back. Is there anybody on the roster who can step up?

Northwestern was one inexplicable loss to Indiana away from a New Year's bowl last season. The Wildcats lose their go-to quarterback, C.J. Bacher, but the job will go to Mike Kafka, and you can ask Minnesota if he's any good. So long as the defense can remain tough, things look bright for Pat Fitzgerald's team this spring.

Ohio State has to replace every player you've ever heard of except for Terrelle Pryor (right). The plan is for Pryor to run less and throw more in 2009, and the Wildcat formation will figure into Jim Tressel's plans too. With a raw offensive line and unproven players all over the field, Pryor might spend a good part of the season running for his life. The Buckeyes look vulnerable, at least early in the season.

Penn State needs to recover from the disappointing end to a season that almost brought them back to glory. Graduation barely touched this team, so there is hope to regain some momentum. The State College police blotter has been relatively free of Nits lately, which is always a good sign.

Purdue starts from scratch with a new hope -- Danny Hope, who replaces the now-retired Joe Tiller. Danny may be their only hope at the moment, as the only quarterback with any meaningful experience, Justin Siller, has been kicked out of school for violating academic policies. Of course, it's not like anybody is clamoring for a repeat of the Boilermakers' 2008 offense anyway. Hope is something of an X factor, so people will be watching Purdue a little more closely than usual.

Wisconsin will face the music this fall. Nobody in Mad City is happy with how last season turned out, and a number of off-the-field questions have followed them around since December. Fans are increasingly questioning whether Bret Bielema is the right person to keep Barry Alvarez's legacy going. He hasn't missed a bowl game yet, but all the trends are pointing down. If Bielema's not cracking the whip this spring, he ought to be.