B1G changes await oldest major collegiate conference

CHICAGO - Hope and change entered the American lexicon in 2008 as buzzwords for then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. As part of college football's ironic verbal twists, there's a ton of changes to the new-look Big Ten Conference and none of them have to do with Purdue Coach Danny Hope.

It's the season of change in the oldest major college athletics league. Change pushed the 115-year-old Big Ten to expand by one. Change had the league divide into two. Change allowed the league to add a league championship game. Change (and plenty of dollars) now will filter into league coffers from that title game.

But there's more to know about the Big Ten this year than just change. Some of the key plots take place on the field, like Ohio State shooting for a league record (don't forget the asterisk) seventh straight title. Off the field, Illinois will hire a new athletic director, which could impact Coach Ron Zook's future.

There are five storylines that deserve the “B1G” moniker. In no particular order, they include:

• In as close to a numerical palindrome you'll ever find in collegiate sports, Big Red has left the now 10-team Big 12 to become the 12th team in the Big Ten.
• The Big Ten doesn't play a conference game indoors and its media contracts disallow televised November night games. So where and where does the inaugural league championship take place? At Indianapolis' retractable-roofed Lucas Oil Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3.
• In its inaugural Big Ten season, newcomer Nebraska could win the Legends Division. The second-place leader in the Leaders Division could advance to the league championship game if Ohio State is hit with a bowl ban.
• Ohio State's fan base was so divided on the fate of former Coach Jim Tressel, it's no surprise his replacement was a man named (Luke) Fickell.
• The last prominent man named (Tom) Brady at Michigan was pretty good in Ann Arbor, but he's better in the pros. The newest Brady (Hoke) at Michigan was born in Ohio but won't say “State.”

Now there are many other interesting subplots to the season. Penn State's Joe Paterno enters his 46th season as coach. Wisconsin and Michigan State will try to duplicate 11-win seasons. Michigan will seek its customary spot atop the Big Ten standings.

There are other facts and figures even more interesting, such as:

• Fickell, Pelini, Wisconsin's Bret Bielema and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald weren't even born when Paterno went 5-5 in his 1966 coaching debut.
• The only head coach named Bo patrolling the sidelines coaching at Michigan Stadium this year will be Nebraska's Pelini.
• Indiana's best player is a senior in high school, and new coach Kevin Wilson can't publicly say his name until February.
• The new Big Ten logo doesn't contain the words “Big” or “Ten” or the number 10. It is aqua, a color none of the league's 12 schools share.
• Nebraska and Iowa will play for a trophy that doesn't exist.
• The Iowa-Wisconsin series stands at 42-42-2 after 86 games, the nation's second-longest played tied series (after Missouri-Kansas). However the schools won't meet for only the third season since 1936.
• Iowa and Purdue were named permanent cross-divisional rivals and will play every year from now until eternity. Of course the schools didn't play in 2009 or 2010 because they weren't considered permanent rivals.
• Michigan and Ohio State will finish the regular season against one another and possibly meet the following week for the Big Ten title. So can Illinois and Minnesota.
• When Big Red meets Big Blue in the Big House in Big Ten play, does it make Big Purple?
• And, reloading Purdue has a coach named Hope. Rebuilding Minnesota has a coach named (Jerry) Kill. The method of change is ambiguous at both schools, kind of like the new-look Big Ten Conference.