Ten B1G topics for B1G media day

Big Ten football media days have revolved around the endless speculation about expansion, divisional alignment and the scarlet letter on Penn State's uniforms in recent years. Those topics still linger, but pure football will dominate this year's two-day session in Chicago.

It's about football this year. Rutgers and Maryland join the league for their first season, but expansion talk is less palatable and more casual. There's a new divisional alignment so the questions will center around how those teams will compete in their divisions this year. We won't hear about if the structure will change. Penn State still lives with crippling sanctions, but new Coach James Franklin's charismatic approach to recruiting is a bigger storyline than the ordeals in State College.

There are topics de jour for the sport, the league and every program. Here's a look at 10 prominent topics entering Big Ten media days this year:

1. East-West Divide

- Three years of divisional play based on competitive equality now rests upon history's scrap heap. East and West divisions have replaced the alliterative Legends and Leaders, and there are obvious pluses and minuses associated with the shift. Competitive equality previously shelved a few high-profile rivalries like Iowa-Wisconsin and Michigan-Penn State. Now those return annually, and the league staples newcomers Rutgers and Maryland to Penn State and allows Wisconsin-Nebraska to nurture organically. But there are questions about competitive balance with the East commanding clout, while the West lacks the profile.

2. College Football Playoff

- Like Legends and Leaders, the book is closed on the Bowl Championship Series. For the Big Ten, it's good riddance. The league won only one national title in 16 BCS years and that was in 2002. Derision followed the Big Ten through the BCS' latter years, which were dominated by the Southeastern Conference. Overall, the Big Ten was 14-15 in BCS bowls and bookended the era with decent records (5-1 from 1998-2000; 5-4 from 2009-2013). But an 0-6 record from 2006 through 2008 included a pair of BCS title blowouts by Ohio State cast an inferiority shadow over the whole league. It also elevated the SEC from a power to the absolute standard.

3. Ohio Statement?

- The Buckeyes won the first 24 games of the Urban Meyer era but a bowl ban prevented a 2012 national title shot. Then OSU suffered back-to-back losses in the Big Ten championship game and the Orange Bowl, somewhat tarnishing an impressive run. That doesn't seem to spoil the vibe around the program. A preseason poll among Big Ten reporters tabbed Ohio State as the conference favorite. With Silver Football winner Braxton Miller returning along with one of the nation's top defensive lines, the Buckeyes are the Big Ten's best shot at earning a spot in the four-team playoff. The most important question is, do they have enough juice to win the whole thing?

4. Is Michigan State elite?

- Four years ago Michigan State was an afterthought when the league shifted into divisions based on competitive equality. The Spartans were glued to Michigan because of their instate rivalry but clearly were ranked behind the top six in criteria. Over the last four years, Michigan State has claimed three different titles and is 25-7 in Big Ten play. Do the Spartans deserve the respect automatically afforded to traditional powers Penn State and Michigan?

5. Maize of glory

- As its primary rivals Michigan State and Ohio State dominant the Big Ten, Michigan hasn't even shared the league title since 2004. Last year Michigan posted a 7-6 record and a fifth-place finish in the Legends Division while their rivals combined for 25 wins. Those facts, combined with the buzz generated by new Penn State hire James Franklin, has Michigan appearing stale in the cutthroat East Division. If Michigan continues its slide and drops loses again to Ohio State and Michigan State, can Brady Hoke survive?

6. Newbies

- Maryland and Rutgers join the Big Ten this year and questions abound pertaining to their competitive level. Both schools enjoyed bowl berths a year ago, but the now compete in a much different league. Both have difficult conference schedules. You can bet Maryland Coach Randy Edsall and Rutgers Coach Kyle Flood will straddle the line between humility and confident in their comments, much like their Big Ten brethren. We won't get many answers about either program until November, but we'll learn plenty about their programs.

7. Cat's cradle

- Nobody enjoyed a greater change in public perception this off-season than Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini. At season's end, Pelini was perceived as a hothead. He picked up a personal foul for swinging his hat toward an official and earned a $10,000 fine for derogatory comments following a 38-17 home loss to Iowa. Then the night of the BCS title game, Pelini tweeted at his faux account - 'ok enough is enough ... I want my cat back. You've had her long enough!” - and cast himself in a new light. Pelini followed up by carrying a cat into Memorial Stadium for the spring game and now has American re-evaluating his persona. Pelini could charge celebrities and politicians major bucks for tips on image makeovers.

8. Autonomy

- It's the topic too important to ignore and completely exhausts the general public. The heads of college sports' five families want the freedom to make their own rules pertaining to finances and student-athlete well-being. Big Ten Godfather Jim Delany will hold court Monday and if the past provides a precedent, Delany will come out strong and possibly introduce a few initiatives along the way. I'm sure someone will have a bet on how many times the word 'autonomy” is uttered that day.

9. ‘The' Scherff

- Iowa senior tackle Brandon Scherff has garnered plenty of attention this off-season and rocketed into Paul Bunyan-esque status by hang cleaning 443 pounds three times. He could become a media day darling based on his background as a high school quarterback, his incredible strength and prowess as a big-game hunter. Oh, and he might be the nation's best offensive lineman for a contending team.

10. Happy birthday!

- The most important question is whether Illinois Coach Tim Beckman will claim it's his mother's birthday in his opening comments for the third straight season. In 2012, coaches spoke at the podium on July 24 and last year it was July 21. This year it's July 28. That's one awful long birthday.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@sourcemedia.net