| The Big Ten deserves 10 big questions about the 1999 season. Beginning with ...
1. Will Wisconsin's Ron Dayne break Ricky Williams's NCAA career rushing record?
Does Bucky Badger favor red and white fall ensembles? Of course, Dayne will break the record, that is, if he doesn't get hit by a frat house beer keg or suffer another in a series of ankle injuries that have plagued him in the past.
Dayne needs 1,717 yards to surpass Williams, which means he has to average 156.1 yards in each of his 11 games.
Thanks to a non-conference schedule as soft as a Lilith Fair, Dayne should be a third of the way to the record by the time Michigan travels to Wisconsin on Sept. 25.
One advantage for Dayne: Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez, never known to purposely embarrass an opponent, says he'll keep Dayne in a late-season game if the record is within reach -- regardless if the Badgers are comfortably ahead. Alvarez says he owes Dayne that much. He's right.
2. Who will be Michigan's starting quarterback: fifth-year senior Tom Brady or sophomore Drew Henson?
Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr is 10 of the most secretive guys you'll ever meet. So don't expect an official announcement until Sept. 4, which is when Notre Dame comes to Ann Arbor. Carr isn't afraid to make difficult or unpopular decisions, but it's hard to imagine him handing a clipboard to Brady after what happened last season. Brady inherited an 0-2 team and led the Wolverines to a 10-3 record, including a Florida Citrus Bowl victory.
Henson, who is considered a can't-miss baseball prospect, will eventually get the starting job -- just not in early September.
3. You can watch one player every week. Who would it be?
Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El. The Human Two-Minute Drill.
4. Do four Big Ten teams really belong in the top 10 of the preseason ESPN and AP polls?
Not to sound like a Big Ten honk, but there isn't a more top heavy conference than the Big Ten.
Penn State is a no-brainer top 10 pick, as is Ohio State. Michigan has a roster to die for, but it also has a schedule capable of causing premature poll demise (Notre Dame, at Syracuse, at Wisconsin, Purdue, at Michigan State, at Penn State, Ohio State). And Wisconsin is right where it belongs -- just within the ropes of the top 10.
Purdue is the fifth Big Ten team in both Top 25s, but if it were up to us, we'd swap the Boilermakers for Michigan State.
5. Drew Brees -- fact or fiction?
Brees threw for 232 yards as a true freshman, 3,983 yards as a sophomore. Do you think he picked up coach Joe Tiller's pass control offense OK? His one weakness last season: 20 interceptions.
This season Purdue drops Illinois and Iowa and picks up Michigan and Ohio State.
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Penn State is the big story this year, and whether or not the Lions can develop a passing attack and be less predictable offensively. Last year they relied on playing good defense and running the ball, which is a Penn State trademark. But I think the teams that have been exceptional at Happy Valley have had the ability to run and throw equally well, along with playing solid defense.
Even though a lot of people are questioning it, this year's team has the ability to throw the ball. The players made a commitment in the offseason. Led by quarterback Kevin Thompson and linebacker Brandon Short, and without any coaches involved, the players organized practices and mandated that everyone show up to seven-on-seven drills.
If they didn't show up, Thompson and Short were in charge of punishment. When you hear things like that, it tells you about the level of commitment.
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6. Flop of the Year candidates?
Flop is too strong of a word. Michigan's schedule of doom could skew the Wolverines' season. Plus, Carr has to massage his quarterback situation just so. He can't afford a weekly controversy similar to the one John Cooper endured at Ohio State two seasons ago.
Penn State has two early season non-conference games (Arizona, at Miami in the heat of south Florida) and a legitimate question at quarterback.
But Ohio State is the team with the least wiggle room. Can sophomore Steve Bellisari, who had fewer pass attempts last season than wide receiver Michael Wiley, lead the Buckeyes past Miami, UCLA, Wisconsin, Purdue, at Penn State, at Minnesota, at Michigan State and at Michigan?
7. Surprise of the Year candidates?
Michigan State is a top 25 team, no matter what the polls say. With apologies to the coaches and media voters, they had a major brain cramp when it came to the Spartans.
Wisconsin can go undefeated -- repeat, undefeated -- if Dayne stays healthy. And yes, we noticed the Badgers play Michigan and Ohio State on back to back weeks.
Our flyer pick: Indiana.
8. When will the Big Ten expand to 12 members?
When commissioner Jim Delany freezes over. Delany made his run at Notre Dame, got stiffed and doesn't foresee adding another school anytime soon. "We haven't had any activity at all about expansion," he says.
But if they do. . . think Syracuse.
9. Is there anything nice to say about Illinois football?
Well, good sections are still available at Memorial Stadium. The Illini haven't been to a bowl game since 1994 and have been held to nine points or less 20 times during the last four seasons. But in Ron Turner, we trust. Illinois is beginning to make a medium-sized splash with its recruiting efforts. Depending on the rankings (pure speculation, at best), the Ilini had a top 40 recruiting class this year, maybe better.
10. And the Big Ten Conference winner is. . . ?
Dayne-mania lives. Wisconsin doesn't make mistakes, has killer special teams and star-to-be sophomore defensive tackle Wendell Bryant.
Runner-up: Penn State. Nothing against senior quarterback Kevin Thompson, but we need to be convinced.
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