Tuesday Talk -- KF: 'Weeks or months' for Canzeri contact

OK, did the Morehouse in the Morning show on 1490 The Jock in Des Moines and on this this link, http://www.mouthofthemidwest.com/. It's 7:30ish to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Join host Trent Condon (@trentcondon) and me. It's a lot of fun. I swear, I'm awake.

-- E-mail from Iowa SID Steve Roe: True frosh OT Ryan Ward has been named to the leadership committee.

Here's the text:

WARD ADDED TO LEADERSHIP GROUP

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Freshman offensive lineman Ryan Ward has been added to the University of Iowa's 2012 Leadership Group. Ward becomes the 15th member of the group for the upcoming season.

The group includes five seniors, four juniors, three sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and Ward as a first-year freshman. The purpose of the group is to help formulate policies and enter into team decision-making matters regarding the program.

Ward (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) is a native of New Lenox, Ill., and attended Providence Catholic HS. He was named an Army All-American while earning first team all-state honors as a prep senior and served as a team captain.

Along with Ward, the Leadership Group includes seniors DL Steve Bigach, DB Greg Castillo, OL James Ferentz, DB Micah Hyde and QB James Vandenberg; juniors LS Casey Kreiter, LB James Morris, FB Brad Rogers, and OL Brett Van Sloten; sophomores WR Kevonte Martin-Manley, OL Brandon Scherff and LB Quinton Alston; and redshirt freshmen OL Austin Blythe and QB Jake Rudock.

The Hawkeyes open the 2012 season Saturday, facing Northern Illinois at Soldier Field in Chicago (2:32 p.m., ESPNU). Iowa opens the home season Saturday, Sept. 8 against Iowa State (2:30 p.m., BTN).

Big Ten notes from week 1 (Have you heard Michigan plays Alabama?)

2012 Week 1_82712

That Time of Year:  Big Ten football will open its 117th season of play when all 12 conference teams begin the 2012 campaign on Labor Day weekend. For the fourth consecutive year, at least one Big Ten team will open the season in primetime, as Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota begin the new campaign under the lights . . .

Where We Rank: The Big Ten is tied for the national lead with five teams appearing in the top 20 of the preseason Associated Press poll, while four teams rank in the top 16 of the preseason USA Today coaches poll . . .

Preseason Accolades: At the annual Big Ten Media Days, the conference announced the 10-member Players to Watch list, as voted by members of the media, featuring five returning standouts from the Legends and Leaders Divisions.  Two players each from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin were voted to the list, while Nebraska and Purdue had one player named among the Players to Watch, which include two former Big Ten Offensive Players of the Year, two former Big Ten Freshman of the Year, five All-Americans and nine All-Conference selections . . .

Keep An Eye On…: More than 70 Big Ten student-athletes appear on at least 19 preseason watch lists that have been announced during the course of the summer . . .

That One Will Be Hard to Top: Following the conference's debut of divisional play for the 2011 season, the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game was staged between Legends Division representative Michigan State and Leaders Division representative Wisconsin. In a rematch of one of college football's most thrilling games during the 2011 season, the two teams turned in another memorable showdown in the conference championship game, with the Badgers earning a 42-39 victory. The second annual Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 1 and will be televised by FOX.

Welcome Back:?The 2012 Big Ten campaign will feature 24 All-Conference players from last season, with nine first-team honorees and 15 second-team selections returning to the field this fall . . .

Fresh Crop of Coaches: After welcoming four new head coaches to Big Ten play for the 2011 campaign, three more coaches will make their conference debut this season. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is the Big Ten's longest-tenured mentor, with 13 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. No other Big Ten head coach has spent more than six years on their respective school's sidelines.

New Faces In New Places: The Big Ten will feature three new head coaches roaming the sidelines in 2012. Illinois' Tim Beckman, Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Penn State's Bill O'Brien will enter their first seasons as Big Ten head coaches in 2012 . . .

Double Dip: Wisconsin's Montee Ball enters the 2012 season with the chance to become just the second player to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, joining former Indiana tailback Anthony Thompson (1988-89) . . .

Tandem Trying For Two: Wisconsin's Montee Ball and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson each enter the 2012 season seeking their second Offensive Player of the Year award after Ball picked up the honor in 2011 and Robinson received recognition in 2010. This season marks just the fifth time that two conference players enter the year already boasting a Player of the Year award . . .

Next up is Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz doing the Big Ten teleconference.

On RB Jordan Canzeri, who is coming back from an ACL he tore in March: "He's in gear, but he's coming off an ACL repair, so he's working and he's doing great. The recovery is going well, but I think realistically, we'll reserve judgment on that. I think we're looking at weeks or months before we even talk about him entering back into contact or anything live at all. It's great that he's rehab is going well and it's great to get him back in uniform. I think that makes him feel better and helps the rehab process, but I think, again realistically, I think we're months away from having him return to action."

On RB (the plan): "Basically, anybody who's healthy and with us will play. Three guys who figure in are Damon Bullock, who had a good spring and summer, and two true freshman Greg Garmon and Mike Malloy. We also have Brad Rogers and Mark Weisman, those are the five guys. -- How did you evaluate? -- Brad had some injuries during the course of camp, but the other four guys got a lot of work and all had a good camp.

How many WR and TE this weekend: KF said four TEs. I'm going to assume CJF, Derby, Duzey and Hamilton. He said six WRs -- Keenan, KMM, Hillyer, Shumpert, Staggs and . . . Reese Fleming? This one probably isn't hard and fast. Could be more, could be less.

Off to the real press conference.