The Sports Desk: Storylines big and small at Big Ten media days

Big Ten media days begin Thursday.

Sometimes, this event is a little sleepy. And then other times, it's a Transformers movie.

Expect Shia Labeouf to save a scantily clad hottie right there in the Hyatt McCormick place. The storylines are kind of Hollywood, larger than life and all that.

First, you have Nebraska. The fresh-faced farm kid who gets off the bus in the big city and cuts his own path to . . . something. It could end up "Midnight Cowboy" or "Crodile Dundee."

Nebraska is the new kid in class. I can't wait for the first bell.

Then, you have Ohio State. Think of a "Star Wars" from the POV of the Empire people who put the Death Star back together. Not as dramatic as "The Empire Strikes Back," but more like "Death Star: The Plumbing Has Issues."

Those are the biggies. The Big Ten also comes with some smaller stories, ones that you might see on the Sundance Channel.

There's the issue of the four new coaches, a goodly number for the conference. Say hello to Ohio State's Luke Fickell, Minnesota's Jerry Kill, Indiana's Kevin Wilson and Nebraska's Bo Pelini. Think of it as "Usual Suspects II." [Scratch that, make it five with Michigan's Brady Hoke. My mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. -- MM]

It's a sub, sub storyline, but the Big Ten could have two Heisman contenders in Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson and Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa.

So, are you Team Denard or Team Dan?

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