CFB 2013: B1G previews, stories, capsules with links

HANCOCK BREAKS DOWN 'COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF'

IOWA CITY - For a sport that modifies its postseason at a glacial pace, college football's changes will feel like an avalanche next year.

The much-despised Bowl Championship Series, which gave the sport a true No. 1 versus No. 2 match-up and a heck of a lot controversy, will exit after January. In its place comes the College Football Playoff, which will pit the nation's top four teams in semifinal games within two bowls. The winners then will advance to a title game staged outside the bowl structure.

The College Football Playoff is set for 12 years and comprise six bowls: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta and Peach. Each bowl will host a semifinal four times, and a traditional high-profile bowl match-up the other eight years All six bowls will appear on ESPN.

• What if College Football Playoff replaced BCS in 1998? How would bowls, playoffs have looked?

IS 2013 COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S GHOST SEASON?

oOWA CITY - For years Bill Hancock justified the Bowl Championship Series as the perfect marriage between college football's traditional past and its ultra-competitive present.

As the BCS' executive director, Hancock defended the controversial system that subjectively matched the nation's top two teams. When the college football universe finally answered the call for a four-team playoff, Hancock pivoted along with the leadership. He framed the discussion as the best fit for the sport's future while maintaining its ties within the bowl structure.

B1G BUILDING BOOM COST? $1.5 MILLION AND GROWING

IOWA CITY - Minnesota ran out of ammunition in the Big Ten's facility arms race this summer, and football coach Jerry Kill is tired of it.

While hosting a recruit on a visit, Kill received the news no coach wants to hear: the player picked a different school. But it had nothing to do with Kill. It had everything to do with the Gophers' football complex.

TEN BIG QUESTIONS FACING THE B1G

The Big Ten, once college football's premier conference, now has to answer questions about its relevancy.

BOWL PROJECTIONS FOR IOWA, IOWA STATE

I don't have a problem with the number of bowl games. As long as there are no teams with losing records filling the slate, I figure the more college football games the better. It's like postseason basketball.

NO B1G DECISION ON BLACK FRIDAY

IOWA CITY - Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany was non-committal when asked Thursday if Iowa would remain Nebraska's opponent on Black Friday beyond 2017.

• Iowa-Nebraska to move off Black Friday? Black Friday dilemma: Wisconsin or Iowa?

BIG TEN ADDS TO FUTURE BOWL LINEUP

The Big Ten added a pair of Texas bowls to its 2014-19 lineup, giving the league a full grouping around the nation's perimeter.

•  Big Ten to place bowls in three tiers

REALIGNMENT REDUX: WHAT HAVE WE LOST?

Realignment didn't start with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany's announcement on Dec. 15, 2009. But it sure feels like it.

Delany told the world that day the Big Ten would become active participants in expansion, which since has changed the landscape of college athletics. Consider his statement the earthquake that left dozens of devastating aftershocks. Several Big 12 schools didn't know how miserable they were until they thought they had an option to leave. The Big East's collapse was reminiscent of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. It previously was held together by parts that had no interest in the sum. When it was kaput, it was kaput.

DELANY TALKS ON TV RIGHTS, NOVEMBER FOOTBALL, EXPANSION

IOWA CITY - Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany stopped at Iowa's sprawling new $56 million football complex Thursday morning and delivered a two-minute speech in front of more 100 football players.

WISCONSIN'S BORLAND: PLAYING IOWA IS 'MEANINGFUL'

CHICAGO - Chris Borland is one of only three Wisconsin players remaining who saw action the last time the Badgers faced Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium.

In that 2009 meeting, Borland recorded 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, earned one sack and forced a fumble as a true freshman linebacker.

“I remember that game. It was a tough loss,” said Borland, recalling Iowa's 20-10 win.

B1G'S JIM DELANY CALLS FOR NCAA RESTRUCTURING

CHICAGO - Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany echoed the recent comments of his major-conference colleagues and called for a restructuring of the NCAA and how it conducts business with its member institutions.

At the Big Ten's annual football media day event Wednesday, Delany labeled himself a critic and outlined four major points of reform within the NCAA umbrella. He also left no doubt that he favors altering rules for the Division I schools based on revenue, and he was “very optimistic” those changes will occur within a year.

BIG TEN ADS EXCITED ABOUT GEOGRAPHICAL ALIGNMENT

CHICAGO - The Big Ten's next realignment shifts 180 degrees from its last divisional layout, and the league's athletics directors are happy with the change of direction.

This fall marks the third and final year of the Legends/Leaders experiment, where the Big Ten split into football divisions based on historical competitive balance. The geography was awkward, long-standing rivalries like Iowa-Wisconsin were shelved and the divisional nicknames were panned.

With the league expanded of Maryland and Rutgers in 2014, the league voted to alter its alignment based solely on geography. Six schools are located in the Central time zone, while eight reside in the Eastern time zone. Purdue, which is located just east of the Indiana-Illinois border, joined the West.

ANTITRUST CASE PIVOTAL FOR COLLEGE ATHLETICS

IOWA CITY -- The most important development in college athletics this year won't happen on the football field or basketball arena.

Instead it will occur in a federal courtroom.

Ed O'Bannon, a former All-American basketball player at UCLA, field an antitrust suit accusing sued the NCAA, its licensing company, all NCAA schools and conferences of engaging “in a price-fixing conspiracy” to deprive college football and men's basketball players from earning revenue based on their likeness.

• Fully funding scholarships remain divisive among universities

LEGENDS DIVISION

NORTHWESTERN  --  Adversity swings in another direction for Northwestern Team capsule

• Venric Mark still fumes over Hyde's tackle

MICHIGAN – Michigan's hoops success drives football squad Team capsule

• Devin Gardner looks to take next step in QB development

NEBRASKA – Big 12 days in Nebraska's rear-view window Team capsule

MINNESOTA -- Gophers say 'sky's the limit' this year Team capsule

MICHIGAN STATE – Spartans seek year of redemption Team capsule

IOWA -- A look at Marc Morehouse's top 45 players project

LEADERS DIVISION

ILLINOIS -- Illini need patience with Tim Beckman Team capsule

WISCONSIN  -- Badgers enter season with both humility and swagger Team capsule

• Chris Borland embodies Wisconsin's team-first mantra

OHIO STATE –  Ohio State eyes respect for itself, Big Ten  Team capsule

PENN STATE -- Penn State's questions now are about football Team capsule

PURDUE  – Purdue once had Hope, now has change Team capsule

INDIANA -- Is Indiana ready for the next step?  Team capsule