As always, Paterno and Tressel keep things in perspective

Every year, it's the same thing at the Big Ten media days.

You can practically set your calendar and whet your college football appetite to the verbal gymnastics by Joe Paterno and Jim Tressel.

Paterno, who's starting his 44th year as Penn State's head coach, always pretends to act every bit of his 82 years by throwing out a malapropism involving the latest technology.

This year he did so while defending a pillowy nonconference schedule that features home games with Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois.

"I haven't seen any of these guys play yet," Paterno said. "So for me to get up here and worry about what people think about our out-of-conference schedule, hey, you guys have to talk about something. Fans have got to put something on those, what do you guys call those: 'Tweedledoo?' 'Twiddly?'"

With his spoof of Twitter, which he encouraged all of his assistants to do, Paterno upheld his long-running streak of getting the biggest laugh from the media.

This came shortly after Tressel did his annual job of pooh-poohing Ohio State's chances to live up to the media's predictions.

For the third time in the last four years, the media pegged the Bucks as the preseason favorite. Defending co-champ Penn State and Michigan State rounded out the top three, but Tressel made it sound like the Bucks will be lucky to see October.

Never mind that he has 12 starters back, including preseason Big Ten offensive player of the year Terrelle Pryor, from last year's Fiesta Bowl team.

"It's probably the youngest group that I can remember that we've had," Tressel said. "We most certainly have to mature quickly because our September is an extraordinary one."

The Buckeyes don't leave their home state as they open with Navy, USC and Toledo before hosting Illinois in a Big Ten opener on Sept. 26.

"In my opinion, (Illinois) has as much or more talent than anyone in this league," Tressel said. "I know they're going to be a veteran team, a mature team."

Brent back on board: As Tressel asserted, Illinois welcomes back eight players on offense and seven on defense who started at least five games.

Junior defensive tackle Josh Brent, the lineman who played the most in 2008, has returned to the team after pleading guilty to DUI and spending a month in jail.

Brent, who was suspended for spring practice, had the DUI expunged from his record. But according to the Champaign Circuit Court Web site, Brent lost a civil judgment for $2,650.74 plus costs last month after his landlord filed a forcible entry and detainer complaint. Brent also was evicted from his apartment as part of the ruling.

"Josh is back working out with the team," said Illinois coach Ron Zook. "He's kind of paid his dues. The guy's been through a lot. He's done a lot (to make amends). It's going to be important how he handles this month.

"I talked with him for a long time last week again and I think he understands. He's very remorseful. He understands he made a serious mistake and he's paid a valuable price. To me, he's grown up a lot."

Zook and Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther will sit down after Guenther returns from vacation and decide whether Brent will be suspended for part of the 2009 season.

Brent will go to Camp Rantoul for practice like a normal member of Illinois' roster.

Wootton 100 percent: Northwestern senior defensive end Corey Wootton earned a spot on Playboy's preseason All-America team and took part in the annual photo-shoot weekend while he was still rehabbing the surgically repaired ACL in his right knee.

Now Wootton gets a chance to live up to his accolades as he owns a clean bill of health from NU's doctors.

"I fully anticipate Corey will be full-go in camp," said Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald. "Will he participate in every practice? Probably not."

Since teams aren't allowed to do double sessions on back-to-back days, Wootton will probably participate in two of every three practices.

"He was cleared a couple weeks to go full-speed with our strength and conditioning staff," Fitzgerald said. "He's been running with our trainers all summer long, really since the end of spring practice. I fully anticipate him being 100 percent for the opener."

Big Ten football primer

The media's preseason picks to finish at the top this season:

1. Ohio State (10-3, 7-1 last year)

2. Penn State (11-2, 7-1)

3. Michigan State (9-4, 6-2)

Iowa (9-4, 5-3) and Illinois (5-7, 3-5) were the closest to supplanting the Spartans for third in the annual unscientific media balloting.

The media's preseason offensive player of the year:

Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, who led the Big Ten in pass efficiency last year (146.5). The sophomore completed 100 of 165 passes for 1,311 yards, 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while rushing for 631 yards and 6 scores.

The media's preseason defensive player of the year:

Michigan State MLB Greg Jones, who finished third in the league last year (behind Illinois' Brit Miller and OSU's James Laurinaitis) with 127 tackles. The junior added 14 TFLs and 2 sacks.

The new stadium: Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, an open-air on-campus facility, hosts its first game Sept. 12 vs. Air Force.

The new coach: Purdue's Danny Hope, who replaces Joe Tiller after a 13-season reign.

The new coordinators: Illinois' OC Mike Schultz; Michigan's DC Greg Robinson; Minnesota's OC Jedd Fisch and co-DC Kevin Cosgrove; Purdue's OC Gary Nord and DC Donn Landholm.

More Big Ten talk: Check out the Joe Sports blog at dailyherald.com. Illinois' Juice Williams and Rejus Benn talk about how they always play Illinois vs. Illinois in their frequent NCAA Football 2010 (and who usually wins their battles). Plus, much more from around the league, including pithy quotes of the day.