A team-by-team glance at Big Ten spring football
Here's a look at what to watch for during spring practice around the Big Ten:
Illinois (5-7)
Practice starts: March 31.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: New offensive coordinator Mike Schultz comes to
Illinois after 11 seasons at TCU, where the Horned Frogs last year averaged 417 yards a game and 33.6 points. Schultz replaces Mike Locksley, the new head coach at New Mexico. Schultz will be looking for more consistency from QB Juice Williams, and someone to emerge from the four running backs who shared time last season.
Indiana (3-9)
Practice starts: March 24.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: The Hoosiers seem intent on moving record-setting quarterback Kellen Lewis to wide receiver. So in Bloomington, coaches will be watching closely to see how seamless a transition Lewis makes to his new position. That means Indiana will also be keeping close tabs on QB Ben Chappell, who replaced the injured Lewis last season, to see if he can be as effective as the full-time starter.
Iowa (9-4)
Practice starts: March 25.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: Iowa needs to replace RB Shonn Greene, the Doak Walker Award winner. Jewel Hampton ran for 463 yards and seven TDs as a freshman last season, so he'll likely be the starter heading into camp. There are also two defensive tackle spots and a pair of offensive line jobs up for grabs. But the key for the Hawkeyes will be in building off their 6-1 finish to 2008, which helped get a stalled program back on track.
Michigan (3-9)
Practice starts: March 14.
Spring game: April 11.
All eyes on: Tate Forcier. The dual-threat freshman QB from San Diego enrolled in time for spring practice with the Wolverines, improving his chances of taking the first snap next season. Steven Threet, who shared starting duties with Nick Sheridan, transferred, possibly because he knew Forcier would get the job. Forcier's brothers, Chris (UCLA) and Jason (Stanford), played in the Pac-10 last season. Coach Rich Rodriguez desperately needs a playmaker at quarterback to run his spread offense after terrible first season in Ann Arbor.
Michigan State (9-4)
Practice starts: March 24.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: The Spartans have to replace All-American RB Javon Ringer and there is no clear-cut heir on the roster. A pair of incoming freshmen, Edwin Baker and Larry Caper, may compete for carries when they arrive on campus this fall. QBs Kirk Cousins and Oklahoma transfer Keith Nichol will compete to replace departing starter Brian Hoyer, who led Michigan State to back-to-back winning seasons in coach Mark Dantonio's first two years in East Lansing.
Minnesota (7-6)
Practice starts: March 24.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: TCF Bank Stadium. The Gophers have been marooned on Metrodome Island in downtown Minneapolis for more than two decades. The dingy Dome with the sparse crowds certainly didn't help them in recruiting, but did help keep them in the bottom third of the Big Ten all those years. Now they have a brand-new, beautiful open-air stadium on campus that opens Sept. 12 against Air Force. The novelty alone will pack crowds in for the first few seasons. After that, it's up to coach Tim Brewster to turn his impressive recruiting classes into a competitive team to keep the fans in the stands.
Northwestern (9-4)
Practice starts: March 30.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: The Wildcats must replace QB C.J. Bacher, TB Tyrell Sutton and WRs Ross Lane, Rasheed Ward and Eric Peterman. The last four combined for 598 catches during their careers. Bacher finished No. 3 in school history in passing yards. His likely replacement is Mike Kafka, who filled in for a game at Minnesota last season and rushed for 217 yards - a record for a Big Ten quarterback. After a nine-win season and a tough overtime loss to Missouri in the Alamo Bowl, the Wildcats might tweak their spread offense to make it more run-oriented.
Ohio State (10-3)
Practice starts: April 2.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: The Buckeyes struggled at times on offense last year, and that was when they had star TB Chris "Beanie" Wells. With Wells leaving early for the NFL, Ohio State must find a replacement, possibly third-leading rusher Dan "Boom" Herron, who had 439 yards and 6 TDs a year ago. QB Terrelle Pryor should expand his responsibilities after a year of on-the-job training as a freshman. The Buckeyes will try to fine-tune his passing, while also replacing two top receivers (Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline).
Penn State (11-2)
Practice starts: March 23.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: The Big Ten champions must deal with heavy losses on both sides of the ball, including WR-KR Derrick Williams and DE Aaron Maybin. But coach Joe Paterno will welcome back talented LB Sean Lee, who missed last season with a right knee injury. Lee's recovery has gone well, and he could man the middle after spending his first three seasons at outside linebacker. Armed with a new three-year contract, JoePa hopes to be more active on the field four months after hip surgery.
Purdue (4-8)
Practice starts: March 25.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: Danny Hope, who takes over as head coach after Joe Tiller's successful 12-year run. Hope spent a season as the coach-in-waiting, so his transition is expected to be smooth. He'll need to replace QB Curtis Painter, one of the most prolific passers in Big Ten history. Justin Siller and Joey Elliott are the front-runners in the race to be the next signal caller at the school that produced Drew Brees and Kyle Orton.
Wisconsin (7-6)
Practice starts: March 24.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: The Badgers have to replace RB P.J. Hill, who became the second player in school history to run for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, joining Ron Dayne. Sophomore John Clay and junior Zach Brown could be a potent 1-2 punch. Clay scored nine TDs and ran for 884 yards, a 5.7 average that topped Hill's 5.1 clip.