When Michigan State meets #3 Purdue on Sunday, it’ll have huge influence on who wins the Big Ten regular season title. But beyond that…who will eventually take Purdue’s #1 seed in the NCAA tourney now?

The Purdue Boilermakers are 12-3 in the Big Ten, a half-game ahead of Ohio State and a full game in front of the Michigan State Spartans, so Sunday’s clash in West Lafayatte between the two is already huge. But now we have the added storyline of Purdue playing their first game without their most important player- Robbie Hummel. And it will be the first of EVERY game they’ll play this season without him, as he is out for the season with a torn ACL.

When I asked Tom Izzo earlier this season, who Purdue’s most valuable player is, he told me “I think it’s Hummel. He’s really what makes them go.” And as I’ve pointed out numerous times before, Izzo is an all-knowing, all-seeing sage; whose status as an all powerful guru is never to be questioned- EVER!

Since Robbie Hummel is the Purdue engine, the Boilers are now like an airbone plane with an engine that failed and Coach Matt Painter is a pilot attempting to glide this craft back to land without crashing massively. What will they be without Hummel? Last year, when Hummel suffered more back problems than a 70 year old furniture mover, Robbie missed 4 games, and the Boilermakers went 1-3.

This will be sort of be like Ohio State without Evan Turner. Times five.

The Boilermakers controlled their own destiny for a Big Ten regular-season title and a No. 1 seed in the big dance. But like Barack Obama said, “it’s not enough to just change the players, you have to change the game.” And Hummel’s loss actually changes a lot more than a player in the starting lineup, it changes the game on a national scale. Michigan State or Ohio State could grab the Boilers’ once likely conference title.

But in the bigger picture, that #1 seed they once had penciled in could now go to…..

…the Big East runner up? Why not? Syracuse is a “top line” team, and Pittsburgh or Villanova could play their way into joining them by running the table at the Big East tournament in a couple weeks.

…Duke? Well that would certainly please the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network; seeing Coach K.’s current bunch of star college players that will likely go un-drafted, or be NBA busts, grab another #1 seed. But do they actually have enough down low to not stumble anywhere down the stretch?

…K-State? Seriously, you know that Kansas and Kentucky join the ‘Cuse as mortal locks for #1 seeds. And two #1 seeds coming from the same state? A state that’s not North Carolina, Indiana or Kentucky? Yes, the Kansas State Wildcats could indeed be the biggest benefactors from Purdue’s soul-crushing loss. If things play out their way of course.

…New Mexico? No, sorry #1 seeds are reserved for high-major big boys

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

1. Purdue (24-3, 12-3)

Ten in a row! Give them that #1 seed. Boilers are on a mission to duplicate Michigan St.’s feat from last season- reach a Final Four held in your home state. Getting there is DEPENDENT on the health of Robbie Hummel. And the fact that he left Wednesday night’s game unable to put weight on his leg is not a good sign.

2. Ohio State (22-7, 12-4)

It’s now a two man race between “His Royal Smoothness” Evan Turner and Kentucky’s John Wall for all the National Player of the Year trophies.

3. Michigan State (21-7, 11-4)

My favorite Tom Izzo quote of the year, says a ton about this team: “He just grits his teeth and doesn’t care about all the flash and dash. He is the perfect Spartan. He’s a blue-collar work horse. I’m going to ride him like a jackass. He’s tougher than nails and winning matters to him, it really does.”

4. Wisconsin (20-7, 10-5)

The way Bo Ryan weathered the storm of missing Jon Leuer for so long, and the fact that he has been able to do what he has done with this bunch (Seriously, how many of you really expected anything from anyone on this team not named Trevon Hughes or Jason Bohannon?) really makes me belive he deserves conference coach of the year.

5. Illinois (18-10, 10-5)

I thought the comparisons of Demetri McCamey to Deron Williams last season were just a bit RIDICULOUS. But today? They do have a semblance of legitimacy as we’ve seen how he can take over a game with his scoring (Michigan St., Indiana are just two examples) or by setting up other teammates to score (tied school record for single game assists versus Purdue).

6. Minnesota (16-11, 7-8)

Did you know Blake Hoffarber is leading the nation (well, tied with Tim Abromaitis, that guy on Notre Dame with horrible acne ) in three point field goal percentage? Did you know the Gophers are sixth in the nation in assists? You do now. Indeed, these are things one should know.

7. Northwestern (17-10, 6-9)

Maybe they’re out of luck for this season, but next year looks bright with Kevin Coble returning and the promising development of freshman Drew Crawford. The Cats third leading scorer has good basketball bloodlines, as his father is accomplished NBA referee Danny Crawford.

8. Michigan (13-14, 6-9)

Did you watch this team’s loss to Illinois Tuesday night? The entire upper half of the arena was empty, so was much of the lower half. But you can’t blame them- they missed seeing their stars, Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims, shoot 8-29 from the field, as well as Stu Douglass and Darius Morris (who played 67 minutes) go 1-15.

9. Iowa (9-18, 3-11)

I’m sure this news will not shock you: Iowa (the least watchable team in the Big Ten) has not sold out a home date all season. Penn State is the only other Big Ten team with that dubious distinction. But here’s a tidbit that is shocking: #9 Ohio State has only sold out ONE game! I guess Columbus is just overly obsessed with the Blue Jackets right now.

10. Penn State (10-17, 2-13)

Wow. Two wins in a row after a 12 game drought to open the conference season- slow down guys! Nevertheless, it’s enough to finally lift them from the basement.

11. Indiana (9-17, 3-11)

How on Earth can a Big Ten team have a 217 RPI, this late in the season? That has last place written all over it.

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

Alright maybe not, but it still feels good.  I said on Tuesday that the Big Ten would be in good shape if it could enter the final day tied at three games apiece.  I didn’t think that would include a win from Northwestern Tuesday and certainly didn’t think Wisconsin would knock off Duke last night.  It was classic Wisconsin basketball last night with big white guys banking in eight-footers and superb defense winning the night. 

Wisconsin beating Duke was awesome, but Illinois had the game of the night.  The Illini used a 28-4 run in the second half to score their biggest comeback in school history.  Illinois managed to gel as a team in the second half, something that was visibly missing early in the year.  Behind Tisdale, Davis, McCamey, and freshman Brandon Paul, the Illini erased a 23-point deficit in the second half and when Tisdale had the go-ahead bucket with 41 seconds to go, they just had to hold off Clemson for the huge win.  Oddly, Illinois avenged a win from last year’s Challenge where Clemson was the team escaping with an identical 76-74 score. 

About a month remains until the Big Ten season starts and the Illini will have a couple more chances to build a resume before the battle begins in conference play.  That battle is sure to be fierce, but until then we can all bask in the glory of a sweet victory.

The Big Ten certainly has the firepower to play with the ACC this sesaon.  Last year the all-conference first team featured all sophomores and they’re all back for their junior campaigns.  The ACC is also without an uber-elite team like North Carolina was last year.  Duke is very good obviously, but UNC beat the Big Ten’s best team by 30 or so last year.

As main events go, the ACC-BT Challenge has a great one in a rematch of that drubbing from last year, which is also a rematch of a second drubbing between the two teams in the National Championship.  North Carolina and Michigan State will play tonight at 8PM CT on ESPN and the Spartans may actually be favored this time around.  Well maybe not since it’s at UNC, but they have a chance and I’m calling a W.

More good news for the Big Ten: Penn State started the event off with a win last night at Virginia.  With ten games remaining, let’s see if there is a chance at a split. 

Tonight doesn’t look very promising, as some of the Big Ten’s worst teams are in action.  MSU has a good chance to win and I like Purdue’s chances at home against Wake Forest.  Northwestern takes on NC State, which I don’t see going well with Coble out, then you have two truly awful teams in Indiana and Iowa taking on Maryland and Va Tech.  The Big Ten should be overjoyed if it can go into the final day with a 3-3 tie. 

Wednesday shall be the day of redemption!  Illinois travels to Clemson in a rematch of a great game from last year.  The Illini are coming off losses to Utah and Bradley, but should have a chance to take down the Tigers.  Minnesota goes to Miami in a game the Gophers should bring home for the Big Ten. 

Even if one MSU, Purdue, or Minnesota drops a game I have down as a win, the Big Ten can take two of the final three games and engage in much rejoicing over its first Challenge win.  Michigan hosts Boston College and while the Wolverines are coming of two losses of their own, you have to like Michigan in this match-up.  UofM has the third best record among Big Ten teams in the Challenge and the home court advantage will help them get the win.  Duke is playing very well and will almost certainly beat Wisconsin. 

So this thing could all come down to Florida State at Ohio State for the entirety of the marbles.  Florida State is coming off an impressive showing at the Old Spice Classic this past weekend, but the Buckeyes are the favorites here. 

There you have it.  6-5 Big Ten.  Tune back in tomorrow when I’ll predict the Bears to win the Super Bowl.

This past Saturday Purdue lineman Zach Reckman received another one gamer for a cheap shot at the end of the Boilermakers’ loss against Northern Illinois.  Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez didn’t do Purdue any favors by mentioning that the Big Ten better keep an eye on everyone in his press conference this week.  Anyway, Reckman will miss Purdue’s game against none other than Charlie Weis’s Fighting Irish.  Here’s the video.

Now, I’m not against suspending players for the cheap stuff.  Both of these guys deserved some punishment for their actions.  Rodriguez and Danny Hope should have been out in front of these, announcing anything from “we’ll handle it internally” to “he’s out for a quarter, a half, or a game.”  However, this is not the job of the Big Ten and they are setting a precedent with these suspensions that will get them in trouble and annoy the hell out of fans in the future. 

If only there was some kind of feature that would allow me to explain my displeasure in an organized fashion one by one.  Bullets!

• Problemo uno is that Mouton’s suspension came down on Thursday afternoon and Reckman’s sometime on Wednesday.  WTF Delaney?  Michigan had no time to prepare for a missing defensive starter, as most teams restrict Fridays to walkthroughs.  Purdue didn’t get much better notice, only getting one full day of practice for their backup. 
• A off-shoot of uno is that most of these situations likely are brought to the Big Ten’s attention by opposing coaches.  If you’re coaching against Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor pops a guy to defend Mike Vick’s honor, you better believe you’re sending that tape in as late as possible so they won’t be able to prepare. 
• That leads in to the biggest problem of all.  Coaches are going to comb the desert Spaceballs style for any evidence of foul play.  Not in their own games, but in the games of their upcoming opponent.  Then we’ll hear them mention it and complain in hopes that the Big Ten will bring the boom on some starter from their future opponent’s squad.  If you think coaches won’t do this, you’re crazy.  Any coach will do what it takes to give his team any competitive advantage.  Plus, it’s not like they will be taking advantage of the system, this is essentially what the Big Ten is asking for. 
• Finally, I can’t wait for a star to do something questionable the week before a big game.  Evan Royster gives a stomp to an opponent the week before the OSU game, or heaven forbid Terrelle Pryor reverts to his high school basketball days and gets in a fight the week before that game.  We’ll see if Delaney steps up when something like that happens, but hopefully the Big Ten realizes the overreaching arm of the law they’ve extended and stops. 

Again, I’m not saying that players who dole out cheap shots shouldn’t be punished.  Coaches should be responsible for suspensions though, with a failure to do so resulting in negative publicity for the school.  Sure, that’s not much of a punishment, but it beats the alternative of Wednesday suspensions and whiny coaches looking to get college kids thrown out of games.

The injury, a herniated disk requiring surgery, has to be especially devastating for Wilson after he worked his way back into the starting lineup following an incident at a bar in the winter where Wilson sustained multiple stab wounds.  The injury occurred in the first week against Mizzou and Ian Thomas filled in for the win against Illinois State last week. 

Thomas will likely start again next week when the Illini travel to Ohio State.  The extra week to prepare should help out the sophomore, but the defense as a whole will be tested against dual-threat sophomore Terrelle Pryor. 

This is tough for Wilson and you have to feel for him coming off the incident over the off-season.  At least this will give some young players needed experience, but it’s another bombshell in a season off to a very rough start.

1) Ohio State- Hard to put the Buckeyes anywhere else on the list.  Terrelle Pryor was the most efficient passer in the conference last year and OSU is never lacking talent.  For the first time in a while though, the talent is unproven.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see Ohio State lose a game or three this year. 

2) Penn State- Some of the same issues face the Nittany Lions that face the Buckeyes.  They lose a lot of experienced players in bunches.  Wide receiver and defensive back positions groups will be very green.  Penn State has a quarterback better than Pryor though, in Clark and a proven NFL-bound back in Evan Royster.  PSU should benefit from playing absolutely no one in their out of conference slate as they bring their young guys around. 

3) Illinois- The Illini struggle with success.  The last two times they went to BCS bowls, Illinois followed up with a 5-7 season.  This year though, Illinois returns all of its rushing yards, a dynamic veteran quarterback, and the best receiver in the conference.  The defense needs to step up, but I think the Zooker brings the Illini back this season. 

4) Iowa- The Hawkeyes received some bad news in the preseason, learning that RB Jewel Hampton would be out for significant time.  The good news for the Hawkeyes is that they return a bunch of players.  The Hawkeyes are strong in the trenches and if Stanzi can limit the turnovers and become the ideal game manager he can be at quarterback, Iowa will be in great shape. 

5) Michigan State- The Spartans were picked third in the conference by the Big Ten media this summer.  I don’t see it.  They lose Javon Ringer, who represented basically their entire offense.  One guy to watch is linebacker Greg Jones, he’s something special.  Kirk Cousins will get the start at QB for the Spartans, while Keith Nichol will also get snaps in the first game.  Nichol has the higher ceiling, but Cousins is likely the smart move at the outset. 

6) Michigan- The Wolverines have taken plenty of heat in the week leading up to the season and it remains to be seen whether the “scandal” will help bring them together or be too large of a distraction.  If Tate Forcier can even be an average starter as freshmen go, he’ll be a significant upgrade at QB.  The Wolverines have four returning starters on the O-line and a defense that couldn’t be worse than last year.  If they put the distractions aside, I see a big jump for UM.

7) Northwestern-  I have changed my mind on the Wildcats in the last couple of weeks.  I really like what Pat Fitzgerald is doing in Evanston and Mike Kafka is a great fit for this offense.  With a favorable schedule, I like the Wildcats to make some noise in the Big Ten this year.   

8- Wisconsin-  Bret Bielema has to be feeling the heat in Madison, and I’m not talking about the kind of heat that seems to land a running back in legal trouble once per year.  Wisconsin failed miserably to meet expectations last year and the pressure is on this year.  Scott Tolzien will be your yearly new starter for the Badgers, who will rely heavily on John Clay and Zach Brown to carry the load. 

9) Minnesota-  Tim Brewster’s squad will be led by the pass-catch combo of Adam Weber and Eric Decker.  Decker is one of the best receivers in the league, but the Gophers will need to establish the run with one of their young backs to give Decker a chance to really break games open.  I think Minnesota gets off to a decent start, but falters down the stretch with losses to Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, and Iowa in five of the last six weeks of the season. 

10) Purdue-  New coach, bad players.

11) Indiana- Was there any doubt Indiana would be here?  Kellen Lewis is gone, but the pistol offense is coming to town.

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Northwestern comes in at #8.

Last year I predicted big things for Northwestern (like a winning record) and the Wildcats came through to back me up with nine wins.  Since I don’t want to press my luck, I’ll curtail enthusiasm this season.  Last year, the Wildcats boasted a bevy of seniors at important skill positions.  This year the Wildcats return players in the trenches, with four offensive linemen and eight defensive starters coming back. 

Despite losing three-year starter CJ Bacher as the signal caller, replacement Mike Kafka does have some experience after filling in last year in spots.  Kafka is very athletic and head coach Pat Fitzgerald will need to work to get him in space to make plays.  You may remember Kafka running for 217 yards last year in a win against Minnesota.  Then again, it was Northwestern vs. Minnesota, so probably not. 

Stephen Simmons will fill in for departed running back Tyrell Sutton.  Sutton leaves NU at second place on the school’s all-time rushing list.  As for those catching the passes now that three of the Wildcats’ top receivers from last year are gone, look for speedsters Jeremy Ebert and Andrew Brewer, as well as tight end Drake Dunsmore as a breakout sophomore. 

If the offense has trouble getting up to speed with its inexperience, the defense could help keep them in games.  The squad features Northwestern’s best player in first team all-Big Ten defensive end Corey Wootton.  The seven other returning starters, including defensive backs Sherrick McManis and Brad Phillips, should continue to improve under second year d-coordinator Mike Hankwitz. 

I don’t like the inexperience on offense for Northwestern but 8th place could prove to be far too low with the improving defense and some talent–albeit unproven talent–on offense, especially when you look at the schedule.  The Wildcats don’t play a “good” team until they travel to Michigan State in the seventh game of the season.  The last four games of the year will be tough as well, but the schedule sets up perfectly to get the young offense up and running.  They miss Michigan and Ohio State this year due to the rotating conference schedule. 

Three out of the last  four times Ohio State has been absent from the NU schedule, the Wildcats have won at least a share of the Big Ten title.  Don’t see that happening this year.

This is where the ranking of the Big Ten teams gets a little tough as there were probably three or four candidates for the 9th spot.  The Gophers might not be the third worst team in the league, but based on the schedule, this is where I see them finishing. 

Minnesota has seen a nice climb under Tim Brewster in both recruiting and on-field results.  It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Gophers improve this year with quarterback Adam Weber and star receiver Eric Decker returning.  In fact, 17 starters are coming back and the starting defense will include almost all upperclassmen.  Weber represents a good but not great–but hey not awful either!–QB that can keep the Gophers in games by getting Decker the ball.

The problem for Minnesota is the running game, which sounds ridiculous given their reputation.  The Gophers were last in the Big Ten in rushing last year and without a successful ground attack, Weber and Decker will see some increased focus on the passing game from defenses. 

Defensively, the Gophers have been awful against the pass.  I don’t have one stat to back this up, it just seems like most of the time when the ball goes up in the air against Minnesota it usually falls in the hands of an opposing player.  A pair of BCS school transfers could help with the weaknesses, with Matt Carufel (G-ND) and Kim Royston (S-Wisc.) seeing the field this year. 

The Gophers seem like they’ll be pretty decent, so what’s up with the low prediction with teams like Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan still out there?  Their schedule is awful.  Minnesota plays three of the Big Ten’s toughest teams on the road in OSU, PSU, and Iowa, not to mention they’ll also likely be underdogs at their new stadium against Illinois and Michigan State. 

But I do love that goofy mascot.

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Coming in at 10th: Purdue.

First year coach Danny Hope will have big shoes to fill with Joe Tiller retiring after a 12-year run with the Boilermakers that saw them go to 10 bowl games, including one Rose Bowl.  Hope was on the staff last year, coming from Eastern Kentucky with the understanding that he would inherit the job when Tiller left to do diabeetus commercials full time.

Hope coached at Purdue during the school’s most successful period in football, the Drew Brees era.  The quarterback position is nowhere near what it was during the times of mole face and neck beard though.  With Curtis Painter’s graduation, long time backup Joey Elliot will get the starting nod after a pair of incidents cast contenders aside.  First, Justin Siller was kicked off the team for the year for academic failure, then Robert Marve–a transfer from Miami (that Miami)–tore his ACL. 

Elliot suffered a major injury last year and needs to stay healthy this season in a major way.  At running back, the Boilers lose Kory Sheets, but get Jaycen Taylor back from injury.  Taylor should be the starter and will run behind an offensive line that returns four starters.  Good news!

The bad news is that the quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker positions are major questions with unproven players or players that have proven to be no good.  Hope brought in his defensive coordinator Donn Landholm from Eastern Kentucky after the former DC left to coach at Illinois State.  We’ll see how he handles Big Ten offenses. 

Hope is an apt name for the Boilermaker coach, because after a 13-19 Big Ten record in Tiller’s last four years, Danny will bring a fresh face, a renewed energy, and the same old mustasche to the table.  Purdue will be tested early when they travel to Oregon for a night game in the second week of the season.  They could get off to a fast start in the Big Ten, but a brutal stretch will keep the Boilers in the bottom of the league again this year.

For the next few weeks leading up to the college football season, we’ll be previewing every Big Ten team, starting with my prediction to finish last, to my predicted champ.  This way if I don’t get to Ohio State before the season starts, you’ll have a good grasp on all the teams whose analysis isn’t “highest payroll, most talent, probably champs.”  Up first, Indiana.

Oh, what to say about Indiana?  The Hoosiers are an easy pick for last in the league because, well…they always are.  Indiana lost its best player when Kellen Lewis was kicked off the team before the spring.  Lewis would have been moved to wide receiver this year to make way for junior Ben Chappell, who showed flashes of decency last season. 

The defense could actually be okay this year, with a solid pass rush from ends Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew.  Middleton will draw a lot of double-teams and Kirlew should be good enough to take advantage of the one-on-one match-ups that result.  For whatever it’s worth, the Hoosiers have experience at the linebacker spot, forming a very un-Indiana-like front seven. 

The offensive line also has some experience, with Rodger Saffold anchoring the unit at tackle.  Losing Kellen Lewis and graduating Marcus Thigpen hurts IU’s offense a ton though.  Without those two, the Hoosiers lack playmakers.  Though the wide receivers could be decent, the Hoosiers running game won’t be enough to get the job done and they’ll finish last in the league again. 

Look for Indiana to lose to another MAC team this year (Western Michigan) and possibly get shut out in the Big Ten until their annual suck-fest against Purdue in the last game of the year.

So what did we learn coming out of the event?

• Ron Zook broke his regiment of water skiing and small child eating to show up, which was nice.  Zook actually spent a lot of time talking discipline and off the field issues, which I guess is disturbing.  Apparently a couple of bars are off limits to players around campus (any guesses?) and they have drafted “character teams” so either Zook is very proactive in attacking character issues, or there are some serious ones.  He also jokingly–or not so much–chided the media for picking Terrelle Pryor as preseason Big Ten Offensive POY.  Good for him.  Way to base the distinction on hype rather than, you know, the guy who won the actual Offensive POY award last year (Clark). 
• Joe Pa is still living and stuff, and he was there cracking jokes and drawing out plays on tablecloths about how they used to run the spread in the 1840’s 1940’s.  A couple years ago I thought he should just hang it up, but now I hope he lives/coaches forever.  Not because of the diagrams, just because I changed my mind. 
• So yeah, Terrelle Pryor was preseason POY for offense and Greg Jones, a linebacker from MSU, got the honor on defense.  Jones is a solid choice and if you hadn’t heard of him, try to watch him play this year.  He will only be a junior, but is a heck of a talent.  Pryor…well, it’s no secret I don’t like him.  You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Todd Boekmann could have done just as well, if not better for the Buckeyes last year.  It’s not that hard to lob deep balls up to future pros when the other team has eight or nine in the box to stop your star running back.  Pryor can run and he throws a nice bomb, but his intermediate passing game will need to improve if he wants to live up to this hype. 
• The top three teams as voted by the media will be OSU, PSU, and MSU.  Well there’s no surprise there…wait, MSU?  This is a team that was actually outgained by its opponents last year, and loses it’s only offensive star in Javon Ringer.  The QB situation should be addition by subtraction with Hoyer out and Cousins or Nichol in, but come on.  The best thing the Spartans have going for them this year is that they miss Ohio State and Dantonio has been better at avoiding embarrassing losses in games they should win easily.  I like Illinois and Iowa over the Spartans. 
• In terms of the other coaches, Dantonio and Tressel were unbelievably boring, Bielema made some lame excuse about why UW plays cupcakes every year, Rodriguez said his team was on track to improve, but he didn’t seem to want to be there, and Pat Fitzgerald continues to look like the perfect guy to lead Northwestern and I mean that in a good way. 

Plenty more Illini coverage will be coming, along with previews for each team before the season gets started in September.  You can rejoice football fans, the long month of July is almost over.