Big Ten

TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Curtis Painter (below), QB, Sr., Purdue .
The fourth-year starter needs 3,030 yards to surpass former Boilermaker Drew Brees as the most prolific passer in Big Ten history.

TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER
James Laurinaitis , LB, Sr., Ohio State.
A two-time All-America and last year's Butkus Award winner, he led the Buckeyes with 121 tackles, then passed on the NFL draft.

TRUE FRESHMAN TO WATCH
Terrelle Pryor , QB, Ohio State.
Look for the Buckeyes to use the 6'6", 235-pound super recruit like a young Tim Tebow.

COACH ON THE RISE
Mark Dantonio , Michigan State .
In his first year he took over a team that had endured three straight losing seasons and led it to a 7--6 record and a bowl game.

COACH ON THE HOT SEAT
Kirk Ferentz , Iowa .
He was the toast of Iowa City when the Hawkeyes won 10 or more games in 2002, '03 and '04, but since then his teams are a pedestrian 19--18.

EXTRA POINTS

Michigan's starting quarterback will most likely be redshirt freshman STEVEN THREET, a transfer from Georgia Tech who moved up after Ryan Mallet transferred to Arkansas.... Without a returning starter at running back, Iowa will rely on its deep corps of receivers, including long-ball threat ANDY BRODELL, who missed eight games in 2007 with a torn hamstring. But quarterback Jake CHRISTENSEN has to improve on his 53.5% completion rate if the Hawkeyes expect to score more than the Big Ten--low 18.5 points they averaged last fall.... New defensive coordinator MIKE HANKWITZ should help a Northwestern unit that finished 89th in the country in points allowed (31.0) and 75th against the run (167.1 yards). At Wisconsin in 2006, Hankwitz's D ranked third in scoring defense.... For coach TIM BREWSTER's spread offense to click, Minnesota has to get its running game back on track. The Gophers would get a major boost if junior JAY THOMAS is all the way back from right ACL surgery.