Article updated: 8/28/2012 6:42 PM

Michigan can polish Big Ten image with upset of Alabama

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Michigan head coach Brady Hoke and the Wolverines play Alabama for just the fourth time on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, despite having combined for 1,709 wins and 25 national titles.

Associated Press

Michigan State's William Gholston hits Central Michigan quarterback Ryan Radcliff last season. The Spartans open the season against Boise State Friday night.

Associated Press/September 2011

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Michigan and Michigan State are giving the Big Ten a couple of early chances to burnish its national reputation. The conference's image has taken a beating in some quarters, and not just because of the child-sex scandal at Penn State or the NCAA penalties at Ohio State. There is the perceived gap between the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, a gap many think is growing wider each season.

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