Thoughts ahead of Big Ten Media Days

* I like Ohio State to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten. The Buckeyes depth of talent at the skill positions is unreal. QB Kyle McCord is the key.

* Wisconsin looks like the winner in the Big Ten West on paper, but it's hard to know how quickly they adjust to the new spread offense under Luke Fickell.

* Purdue maybe okay long term under Ryan Walters - he's recruiting well - but there will be first-year hiccups and growing pains. Still, the media is underrating them a little in the preseason poll. I think they are better than Nebraska.

* Cooper DeJean and Jer'Zhan Newtwon were 1-2 in voting for preseason Big Ten DPOY. I don't think either one wins it. Ohio State LB Tommy Eichenberg is my pick.

* Maryland is the most overrated team in the conference. (picked 4th in B1G West). They have a good QB in Tagovailoa, but the offensive line is very suspect.

* I expect Iowa's offense to finally get off the ground some. If they play defense the way they did last year, they could win the West.

* Tom Allen (Indiana) and Greg Schiano (Rutgers) enter the season on the hot seat. Allen's seat is on fire. .

* Anyone want to change places with NU interim coach David Braun? Impossible situation. He'll go through a gauntlet at media days.

* Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh deserves more than a four-game suspension for lying to investigators.

* The conference has two Heisman candidates in RB Blake Corum (Michigan) and WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State).

Next Wed (Aug 2) media is invited to watch practice as the team prepares for the trip to Spain.

I'm not sure yet if we get to catch the entire practice, or just a portion.

What do you guys want to hear about?

I'll have a front page story on five things I'll be looking for.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When fans enter the east side of Memorial Stadium for the 2023 Fighting Illini Football season, they will notice facility improvements in the East Main Hall as well as added concessions features aimed at improving service and quality.

During the offseason, the East Main Hall received a makeover, which included a much-needed renovation of the restrooms with new toilets, sinks, and stalls. The East Main Hall also got a refresh of paint, flooring, and windows. Fans will also see new larger televisions throughout the concourse to allow fans at concessions to keep up with the action on the field. Additionally, a permanent water bottle filler has been installed for those patrons who bring in personal bottles.

On the concessions front, increasing the number of concessions locations around Memorial Stadium was paramount. Throughout the stadium, fans will see new Illini Markets designed to allow fans to shop and self-checkout for drinks, deli sandwiches, chips, fruit, and candy. Each of the four markets will have six checkout stations, increasing the stadium total to 24 new points of sale. Markets can be found in the East Main Hall, West Balcony and two in the Horseshoe.

"During the offseason, we took a deep dive into ways we could innovate and improve Memorial Stadium in meaningful ways," Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "We pushed to take advantage of usable space, tap into successful ventures at other large public-facing venues and think about the practical experience of our fans. What we hope we have accomplished is significantly better flow, upgrades in service and new features that will make our loyal fanbase feel valued."

The sidewalk outside the East Main Hall will also feature 3-4 food trucks per game, which will provide more options and variety for those on the east side of the stadium, as well as create more movement throughout the space and less congestion. Food trucks on board for 2023 are Watson's Shack & Rail, Sammy's Smoothie Bar, Maria's Kitchen (Asian fusion), and Canelo's Tacos.

Illinois has created two new concessions stands and eight new points of sale in the East Colonnades at the top of sections 103 and 107, to provide service for East Balcony patrons as well as those sitting towards the top of the East Main stands. These stands will have bottled soda and water, hot dogs, popcorn, and candy.

All concessions sales in Memorial Stadium are cashless.

I’m already on record saying the Illini win the west.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois senior outside hitter Raina Terry received Big Ten Preseason Honors, the league announced on Friday. Terry is one of 15 conference student-athletes to earn the accolade.

Terry receives the recognition for the second time in her career. The outside hitter was a unanimous Big Ten first-team selection following her junior season. The Marengo, Ohio, native joined an elite group of 32 Illini players who have earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northeast All-Region honors.

Last season, Terry led the Orange and Blue with 444 kills and 4.07 kills per set. The outside hitter paced the Big Ten with 363 points during conference play, averaging 3.04 points per set.

During her junior campaign, Terry recorded over 20 kills on three separate occasions, all during Big Ten play. She tallied a season-high 24 kills against both Purdue (Sept. 30) and Penn State (Oct. 26). Her first effort came against Maryland on Sept. 23, when she logged 20 kills in a four-set battle on the road.

Entering her senior season, Terry sits 22nd all-time in the Illini record books with 1,095 kills. She also ranks ninth in service aces, amassing 128, so far, at Illinois.

The Big Ten also released its preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Illinois was tabbed for a seventh-place finish. Reigning Big Ten champion Wisconsin earned the top spot in the poll.

The Orange and Blue will open the season at Northern Illinois on Aug. 26. The team's home opener against Valparaiso is slated for Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

* unanimous selections

PRESEASON POLL

1. Wisconsin

2. Nebraska

3. Minnesota

4. Penn State

5. Purdue

6. Ohio State

7. Illinois

8. Indiana

9. Maryland

T10. Michigan

T10. Northwestern

12. Michigan State

13. Iowa

14. Rutgers

I just saw he is a 4 star now. awesome!!

New Defensive Coordinator David Braun will be named interim Head Coach:


Baseball coach Jim Foster fired.

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Kid from Decatur McCarthur. Big, fast receiver. Track guy.

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Big Ten East​

1-Michigan (27 first-place votes) 248

2-Ohio State (8) 226

3-Penn State (2) 192

4-Maryland 143

5-Michigan State 105

6-Rutgers 74

7-Indiana 48

Big Ten West​

1-Wisconsin (20 first-place votes) 233

2-Iowa (16) 232

3-Minnesota (1) 176

4-Illinois 152

5-Nebraska 116

6-Purdue 89


7-Northwestern 38

Looks like a 6:30 pm CT kickoff on NBC.

No other NBC games for us this season.

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Jim Harbaugh suspended four games to begin the 2023 season.

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced its 2023 football preseason honors on Wednesday ahead of the start of Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium. A media panel selected the 10-member preseason list, with five representatives each from the East and West Divisions.

The East Division list highlighted by a pair of returning consensus All-Americans in Michigan’s Blake Corum and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Corum and Harrison Jr. were joined on this year’s preseason East Division squad by Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, Wolverine quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Penn State offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

Four different schools placed students on the West Division preseason list, led by two representatives from Minnesota in tight end Brevyn Spann-Fordand defensive back Tyler Nubin. They were joined on the list by Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton, Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean and Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen.

The 2023 Big Ten preseason honors list features two recipients of conference individual awards from a season ago in Corum (Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year) and Harrison Jr. (Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year).

Corum, Harrison Jr., and Newton were also 2022 first-team All-Big Ten selections, joining second-team selections Allen, DeJean, Fashanu, Nubin and Tagovailoa, as well as third-team honoree McCarthy.

Nine of this year’s Big Ten preseason honorees — Allen, Corum, DeJean, Fashanu, Harrison Jr., Newton, Nubin, Spann-Ford, Tagovailoa — are scheduled to attend Big Ten Media Days this week in Indianapolis.

The full list of Big Ten football preseason honorees is as follows:


EAST

Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland

Blake Corum, RB, Michigan

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OL, Penn State

WEST

Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois

Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE, Minnesota

Tyler Nubin, DB, Minnesota

Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin

Did Alan Griffin (former Illinois basketball player) have a son?

I was just reading about Adrian Griffin’s son (Milwaukee Bucks head coach) passing (2 yrs old). The AP newswire is from Urbana, IL.