Challenges await new-look Big Ten by The Sports Network

Yes, the Big Ten is synonymous with excellence both on and off the gridiron… or so we thought. To listen to many of its top officials, you’d think the league was still a significant player in the hunt for major college football’s ultimate prize, although truth be told the conference has claimed just three national crowns in the last 40 years. That’s right, three!

No, the current state of affairs in the Big Ten is much different than what the suits would have you believe, and one in which the players, coaches, administrators and fans alike need to come to grips with, and quickly.

While it’s true the addition of Nebraska and its impressive resume (five national titles) will help, recent transgressions committed by perennial powerhouse Ohio State coupled with Michigan’s unexpected demise have left the Big Ten clamoring for the days of yore, say from 1901-1970 when more than 40 percent of the national championships awarded went to a Big Ten school.

With the infusion of new blood comes a whole new way of life for a conference steeped in tradition, but lacking for the most part in inventiveness. Some long-time rivalries will take a back seat as new ones are forged, and at first glance, autumn Saturdays in America’s Heartland simply won’t be the same. Now change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you tinker with history, or at least people’s perception of it, there’s going to be an adjustment period.

Since 1990, the Big Ten title has been shared 10 times, but that won’t happen again as a long-awaited championship game will pit the winners of both the [poorly-named] “Legends” and “Leaders” divisions against each other for the right to claim conference supremacy and earn the league’s automatic berth to a BCS bowl.

With the debacle in Columbus dominating the headlines of late, a resurgence at Michigan is paramount to bringing a sense of normalcy back to the Big Ten. Brady Hoke has been tasked with rebuilding what former coach Rich Rodriguez dismantled, but it won’t happen overnight. Will the rabid UM fan base continue to demonstrate patience? Well, that remains to be seen.

Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern are all extremely well-coached, and while few land the type of blue-chip prospects Ohio State and Michigan typically do, there is no shortage of lunch pail-type talent and it may be these teams that carry the Big Ten torch for a while — at least until the Wolverines turn the corner, and the beleaguered Buckeyes restore their lost pride.

Illinois, Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota may be worthy contenders in some other conferences, but in the Big Ten it takes a whole lot more than gumption to climb the ladder and challenge the big boys on a consistent basis.

Jim Tressel’s decision to resign at Ohio State, forced or not, was the prudent thing to do in the wake of all the ugliness the Buckeyes have endured recently. Subsequently, quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s choice to forego his senior season — not all that shocking considering his penchant for selfish acts — was also the right move. The lengthy suspension of other players means OSU won’t field its full team until sometime in October, but before you shed a tear over their misfortune it’s important to remember… this is Ohio State folks! The third-string guys could start on just about every other team in the conference so we’re not going to bury the Buckeyes just yet. That will be the NCAA’s job once it completes its investigation and levies its official punishment later this summer.

That brings us back to Nebraska, which continues preparations for its inaugural Big Ten run. The Cornhuskers are capable of making an immediate impact and challenge for the conference crown, but how they transition from the Big 12 to the Big Ten will go a long way in determining their fate. Having a coach in Bo Pelini who played his college ball at Ohio State definitely helps, but consistent quarterback play, the issue at the heart of nearly every team in the country, will be the key.

With both national recognition and a windfall of cash at stake, it’s clear the Big Ten brass has work to do before the start of the 2011 season. Like the coaches they support, it’s likely they’re hunkered down in their offices game- planning. Charting their success will be difficult, although once the games begin, and football, not turmoil, is at the front of everyone’s minds, their jobs will get much easier.

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