Three Indiana players named in robbery affidavit
December 24, 2008
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
Indiana freshman cornerback Courtney “Cortez” Smith was formally charged Monday with robbery resulting in bodily injury and burglary, stemming from a Dec. 17 incident. Another man, Lazell C. McClellon, was charged with robbery resulting in bodily injury, burglary, resisting law enforcement and battery resulting in bodily injury.
Smith has been suspended indefinitely from [...]
Is The Big Ten in a Recession?
December 21, 2008
Under the strain of the BCS, the college football fan eco-system has evolved away from a shared hobby and passion into a fragmented and bitter civil war amongst the county’s power football conferences. Intra-conference rival fan bases have seemingly put their difference aside and banded together in this war of attrition, prestige, and public opinion. [...]
Reviewing my preseason Top 25 (things to watch)
December 18, 2008
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
It’s always fun at this time of year to look back at preseason thoughts and predictions. In August, I outlined 25 items I wanted to see during the Big Ten season. Several of them came true, others didn’t and some materialized in different ways.
Here’s a look back at the list to [...]
Big Ten’s greatest games
December 15, 2008
Here’s some news to tide you over until I can get the Tale of the Tape on the Butler game up later this afternoon or tonight. I just went through the tape and am writing the OSU Insider for Tuesday’s paper first before I get to the Tale.
Meanwhile, Big Ten Network has announced this season’s [...]
Big Ten lunch links: Ferentz’s stability a plus for Iowa
December 15, 2008
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
As you might have noticed, we’re rolling out our season recaps this week. The posts for Illinois and Indiana are already up, and check back later today for recaps on Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota.
Coming Tuesday: Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Here’s a quick roundup of links before [...]
Indiana Hoosiers season recap
December 15, 2008
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
The pieces were in place this fall for Indiana to continue its momentum after a bowl breakthrough in 2007.
All-Big Ten quarterback Kellen Lewis returned to the offense after a spring suspension. National sacks leader Greg Middleton anchored a promising defensive front. Perhaps most importantly, a favorable schedule featured eight games [...]
Big Ten Coaching Outlook: Who’s on the Hot Seat?
December 5, 2008
Coaching changes are taking place all over the country, and are filling up a lot of air time of ESPN.
From the firing of Tommy Bowden at Clemson to the hiring of Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, excellence is being demanded. Unlike many conferences around the country, the coaching outlook actually looks pretty stable at this point in [...]
Team-by-team turning points from the season
November 29, 2008
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
With all this extra time to reflect on the Big Ten regular season, it seems only natural to try and spot exactly where things went right or wrong for each team. These turning points resonate with players and coaches, either serving as moments of pride or incentive to get things corrected [...]
Wisconsin Football: A Roller Coaster Season For The Badgers
November 23, 2008
Well, the regular season is finally over for Bret Bielema and his Wisconsin Badgers, and what an exciting roller coaster ride it was. Let’s quickly look at how the Badgers got to be where they ended up being.
The ride began on a very high note.
Wisconsin won its first three games in two different Badger fashions. They easily beat Akron [...]
Stop the Train, I’d Like to Get Off: Joe Tiller Closes Out His Coaching Career
November 22, 2008
With a 62-10 embarrassment of the hapless Indiana Hoosiers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana today, the Purdue Boilermakers (4-8, 2-6) sent departing head coach Joe Tiller out in the best of styles.
In a game that could easily be described as hilarious, and not just satisfying, even for a Boilermaker fan base used to taking [...]