Penn State, Rutgers agree to two-game series

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Penn State and Rutgers have agreed to a home-and-home series, with the Nittany Lions visiting Rutgers Stadium in 2014 and the Scarlet Knights returning to Happy Valley the next year. 
During my trip to State College, I heard this series was close to being finalized, and it should please Penn State fans for a number of reasons. Penn State has a…
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Destination: Columbus

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
It's been a fun, albeit short trip to Happy Valley, where I hope to return in the fall. Really liked the vibe in downtown State College.
Now it's off to Columbus to check in with head coach Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes. I'll have another Penn State item or two in the morning before turning my attention to the Scarlet and Gray.
A…
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Greetings from Happy Valley

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A brief hello from Happy Valley, where it hasn't stopped raining since I arrived last night.
I'll be heading back to the Lasch Football Building in a few minutes to meet with Penn State star linebacker Navorro Bowman and, later on, head coach Joe Paterno.
It's been a fun morning so far.
I got a brief tour of the very…
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Penn State Football Spring Preview: Breaking Down 2009 from Every Angle

As the snow is just about all melted, and the temperatures warm up in Happy Valley that means only one thing.  Spring football is just around the corner. 
The team will take the indoor field of Holuba Hall the week of March 30, for what should be a very interesting few weeks of practice.  The intra-squad, Blue-White Game will take place on April 25 which will reveal the likely…
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Early schedule snapshot: Penn State

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

After a Big Ten co-championship and a Rose Bowl appearance, Penn State aims to repeat last year's success this fall. It has the schedule to do so. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Akron

Sept. 12 Syracuse

Sept. 19 Temple

Oct. 10 Eastern Illinois

My take: Penn State should have no trouble cruising through the league's easiest nonconference schedule. The problem once again comes if the Nittany Lions are in the national title mix. They didn't get nearly enough credit for a Week 2 blowout of Oregon State last year, but their 2009 slate is impossible to defend. Penn State's only chance for a trip to the BCS championship is an undefeated regular season, and even that isn't a guarantee. Temple is making some progress under Al Golden, but the Owls shouldn't challenge Penn State in Happy Valley. Anything less than 4-0 will be a major disappointment, and Penn State should win all four home games by a wide margin. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 Iowa

Oct. 3 at Illinois

Oct. 17 Minnesota

Oct. 24 at Michigan

Oct. 31 at Northwestern

Nov. 7 Ohio State

Nov. 14 Indiana

Nov. 21 at Michigan State

Byes: Purdue, Wisconsin

My take: Penn State is the last Big Ten team to beat Ohio State at home, and the Nittany Lions get the Buckeyes in Happy Valley for a game that could decide the league title. They also host Iowa, a preseason top 20 team that stunned Penn State last year at Kinnick Stadium. The road schedule isn't easy, as Illinois and Michigan should be improved and Northwestern usually plays the Lions tough in Evanston. The regular-season finale at Michigan State also could loom large. Penn State dropped its last game at Spartan Stadium and saw its scoring production drop off on the road late last season. Still, the schedule favors the Lions to repeat as league champs. 

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Early schedule snapshot: Ohio State

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

In what has become a trend, Ohio State once again will play the Big Ten's premier nonconference game this season as USC visits Columbus on Sept. 12. Here's a look at the Buckeyes' full 2009 slate. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Navy

Sept. 12 USC

Sept. 19 Toledo (at Cleveland)

Oct. 31 New Mexico State

My take: The Buckeyes' philosophy of scheduling one national showcase game and three revenue-generating contests holds true again this season. USC provides an excellent barometer for a young Ohio State team trying to regain its swagger in big games. A win against the Trojans could put the Buckeyes in the BCS title mix. A home loss, and especially a lopsided one, would reinforce the perception about Ohio State and the Big Ten. So there's definitely risks and rewards with the game, which makes it more exciting for players, coaches and fans. Navy is a well-respected team that should provide Ohio State a nice Week 1 test. The Buckeyes won't have any trouble with Toledo or New Mexico State.

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 Illinois

Oct. 3 at Indiana

Oct. 10 Wisconsin

Oct. 17 at Purdue

Oct. 24 Minnesota

Nov. 7 at Penn State

Nov. 14 Iowa

Nov. 21 at Michigan

Byes: Michigan State, Northwestern

My take: Aside from the trip to Beaver Stadium — the last place Ohio State lost a Big Ten road game (2005) — the schedule favors Jim Tressel's squad. The Buckeyes open with three of five at home and make trips to arguably the league's two worst teams in Indiana and Purdue. Should Ohio State knock off USC, it could be 8-0 heading to Happy Valley. November won't be easy with games against Penn State, Iowa and archrival Michigan, which should be much improved by the time Ohio State visits the Big House. So it's important the Buckeyes avoid October stumbles. Though the Buckeyes have dominated Michigan State this decade and Northwestern for several decades, they won't mind having two teams that finished in the league's upper half off of the 2009 slate.

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Early schedule snapshot: Minnesota

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Scheduling has kept Minnesota busy during the offseason.

Here's what the Golden Gophers will face this fall. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 at Syracuse
Sept. 12 Air Force
Sept. 19 California
Nov. 14 South Dakota State

My take: Minnesota's scheduling philosophy has dramatically changed under head coach Tim Brewster, who helped add national powerhouse USC to the slate in 2010 and 2011. This year's slate ranks at or near the top of the Big Ten in difficulty, as Minnesota opens its new on-campus facility (TCF Bank Stadium) against back-to-back bowl participant Air Force before taking on Cal, a preseason top-20 squad. The Gophers also travel to Syracuse for new coach Doug Marrone's debut, which could provide the rebuilding Orange an emotional boost. A 2-0 or 3-0 start would set up the Gophers for another step forward after improving six wins last season. On the flip side, Minnesota brought in two new coordinators and a new offensive system and could struggle to adjust against strong competition. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 at Northwestern
Oct. 3 Wisconsin
Oct. 10 Purdue
Oct. 17 at Penn State
Oct. 24 at Ohio State
Oct. 31 Michigan State
Nov. 7 Illinois
Nov. 21 at Iowa

Byes: Michigan, Indiana

My take: Minnesota has the toughest road schedule of any Big Ten team, with trips to league-title contenders Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa as well as a visit to Northwestern, which finished in the top half of the conference in 2008. The Gophers got a bit unlucky with their byes, but their home games all are winnable. A win at Northwestern in the opener would be huge, as Minnesota could begin league play at 3-0. Minnesota has a history of starting strong and fading fast, and this schedule certainly lends itself to the trend. After consecutive trips to Happy Valley and Columbus, the Gophers will need to bounce back against Michigan State and Illinois.

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Early schedule snapshot: Indiana

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

After a look at Illinois' near-complete schedule, it's time to examine Indiana, the only other Big Ten team without a finalized 2009 slate. 

Here's what we know at this point about the Hoosiers:

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Eastern Kentucky

Sept. 12 Western Michigan

Sept. 19 at Akron

Oct. 10 ??? 

My take: Indiana's non-league slate lost some flavor after South Florida rescheduled a 2009 trip to Bloomington for 2015 so it could face Florida State in Tallahassee this fall. Then again, the Hoosiers lost to two MAC teams (Ball State and Central Michigan) in 2008 and will have their hands full with Western Michigan and a trip to Akron. Last year's soft slate was set up for Indiana to return to a bowl game, but an easy opening stretch seemed to leave the team poorly prepared for Ball State in Week 3. Eastern Kentucky is a solid FCS program that produced new Purdue head coach Danny Hope and was knocked out of the playoffs last season by eventual national champion Richmond. It would be nice to see Indiana fill its final spot with a BCS program, but it could be tough at this late date. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 at Michigan

Oct. 3 Ohio State

Oct. 17 Illinois

Oct. 24 at Northwestern

Oct. 31 at Iowa

Nov. 7 Wisconsin

Nov. 14 at Penn State

Nov. 21 Purdue 

Byes: Michigan State, Minnesota

My take: The road schedule is simply brutal, and Indiana has dropped eight consecutive games away from Memorial Stadium (7 road, 1 bowl), stretching back to Sept. 29, 2007. Indiana does catch Michigan fairly early on, and if the Wolverines are still finding their way, the Hoosiers could hang around in the Big House. The Hoosiers travel to Happy Valley for the second straight year, and they also visit an improved Iowa team and a Northwestern squad that won't take them lightly after last year's upset in Bloomington. The key is to survive September and October with something to play for and then take advantage of the November home games. 

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Bowman grows up fast at Linebacker U

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Navorro Bowman admits he became a bit wide-eyed when the college football awards were distributed, hoping to someday get his hands on the hardware.

He saw his roommate and Penn State teammate, defensive end Aaron Maybin, travel to Orlando, Fla., as a finalist for the Bednarik Award. Another teammate, Nittany Lions center A.Q. Shipley, brought home the Rimington Trophy. 

Visions of his name being engraved on a trophy go through Bowman’s mind, but he doesn’t get consumed by such thoughts. 

“It’s everyone’s dream,” he said, “but I still have two years left and a lot to work on. I’ve matured a lot as a man, realizing that the things you have now are not always guaranteed. I’m just blessed to be playing right now, blessed to be playing in the Rose Bowl and really looking forward to playing USC.”

Arguably no Penn State player will cherish Thursday’s matchup against USC in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi more than Bowman, a first-team All-Big Ten linebacker who led Penn State with 98 tackles (11.5 for loss). A year ago, he stayed home when Penn State traveled to the Alamo Bowl, suspended for his role in one of the incidents that stained the Nittany Lions program. 

Bowman and teammate Chris Baker were charged with felony aggravated assault after a fight at the Penn State student union. Eventually, Bowman and teammate Phil Taylor pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in May and received a year’s probation.

“Motivation has been the main word for me in the last year,” said Bowman, whose football suspension ran through spring practice. “The bowl game, missing that, it hurt. I was in my apartment, watching guys go to practice during those times. It was hard for me. I knew I was supposed to be playing and the reason I wasn’t was all my fault, so I took responsibility for that and wanted to start a new slate this year.” 

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Big Ten year-end running back rankings

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The rankings started with arguably the Big Ten’s most disappointing position and now move on to its most dominant one. No conference boasted a better crop of running backs than the Big Ten, which had three players ranked in the top seven nationally in rushing and another ranked 26th. 

These rankings will be slightly different from the other positions because this group of backs should be evaluated in two ways: 2008 performance/value to their team and overall ability/pro potential. 

Here’s a refresher of my preseason rankings, which weren’t as bad as the quarterbacks but had one notable omission (some dude named Shonn Greene). 

1. Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State
2. Javon Ringer, Michigan State
3. P.J. Hill, Wisconsin
4. Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern
5. Evan Royster, Penn State
6. Kory Sheets, Purdue
7. Jaycen Taylor, Purdue
8. Marcus Thigpen, Indiana
9. Stephfon Green, Penn State
10. Lance Smith-Williams, Wisconsin*
*-Rankings done before dismissal from team

Running back rankings (2008 performance/value to team)

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