Let's get down to business. As of today, there are exactly sixty days until the Gophers play Syracuse in what will hopefully be their last non-bowl game in a dome. With that in mind, I provide the expansive TDG readership with (what I hope is) an interesting link for each Big (11) Ten football team.
Alphabetically (except for the TDG team of interest):
(1) Minnesota - This web-site bludgeoned Coach Brewster recently over his "coaching record," but it is worth having another look at the Coach's blog / recruiting website. It's dolled up now and looks pretty good. Plus, you can see inside the mammoth locker room at the Vault, and listen to scholarship athletes attempting to sound pithy.
(2) Illinois - Honestly, would you put this on a tree in your yard without giving it the axe 10 minutes later?
(3) Indiana - when is there any Indiana football news? Well, Kellen Lewis is gone, they've been recruiting well (this guy picked Indiana over Minnesota? Huh?), and here's pics of some remodeling done at Memorial Stadium.
(4) Iowa - Significant news out of Iowa City this week, as projected starting RB Jewel Hampton (who Gopher fans should be quite aware of - see 55-0's second half) tore his anterior cruciate ligament (known to the sports fan as the ACL) in non-contact drills on Friday, July 3rd. This leaves walk-on Paki O'Meara and incoming recruit Brandon Wehger, a 4-star recruit and Rivals' #14 all-purpose back. Yes, Hampton did well last year as a frosh and Wehger could have done well in 2009, but not as the feature back. This is a significant blow to Iowa's 2009 team.
(5) Michigan - this off-season has understandably been one of soul-searching for the fans of the Ann Arbor team. The Wolverine Liberation Army, which somehow ably links 1910s Communist icon Vladimir Lenin with 2009 Wolverines freshman Vladimir Emilien, has begun its assessment of the Rich Rodriguez revolution. See part one of their inquest here. Well worth your time.
(6) Michigan State - A somewhat interesting article discussing whether football coach Mark D'antonio is pillaging Tom O's (Jay Z says Izzo) recruiting style.
(7) Northwestern - I'm a fan of Playboy Magazine (sorry, no link here high schoolers), and I really, really, like their All-American team. So, too, I'm guessing, does Corey Wootton and his surgically repaired knee which will hopefully heal on September 27th. The amazing thing that Hugh Hefner has been able to accomplish, in my eyes, is getting headlines like this, for example, touting Arizona State's 14 individual Playboy All Americans.
(8) Ohio State - This is a little bit dated, but so is coach Jim Tressel's offense. Tressel was part of a group of college coaches, including Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, who toured U.S. military bases in Africa, Europe and Iraq (think Neuheisel arranged any side trips to casinos?) Read about it here.
(9) Penn State - Zombie Nation didn't like Dennis Dodd's recent 2009 Big Ten preview.
(10) Purdue - Hey! A Little Bit Softer Now! Vote in this poll to determine who should lead the singing of "Shout" between the 3rd and 4th quarters of the Notre Dame game! (Think of it as "Jump Around" without the jumping and with more, er, shouting.)
(11) Wisconsin - Screw Wisconsin, and leave the Axe behind on October 3rd.