A quick spin around the Big Ten headlines

Some stuff to read while you wait for the Illinois at Indiana game tonight, which will be highlighted by a battle of what the late Al McGuire used to call "aircraft carriers" between Meyers Leonard and Cody Zeller. That?s over 14-feet of uber talent that soon will be cashing checks with lots of zeros.

Illinois
Uh-oh. Bruce Weber soon might have to answer to the new A.D., says Mark Tupper of the Decatur Herald-Review.

Clash of the Big Men. Leonard vs. Zeller. Tonight. In Bloomington. Don?t miss it, writes LaMond Pope of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette.

I love honesty. And here?s a brutal dose from Illini coach Bruce Weber, who says Indiana is not one of his favorite teams, says Tina Akouris of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Indiana
Remy Abell is a rare product of Kentucky who crossed the Ohio River to play for the Hoosiers, says Terry Hutchens of the Indianapolis Star.

Surprise, surprise! That?s what Indiana has been this season, says Nathan Hart of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Iowa
Too early to talk RPI? Not if you?re Iowa, writes Scott Dochterman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Do the Hawkeyes really have NCAA hopes?

When hiring an assistant, Kirk Ferentz is not a fan of vagabonds, says Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Iowa notebook: Marcus Coker left frustrated, writes Ryan Suchomel of the Des Moines Register. Too bad. The guy was good.

Pat Harty of the Des Moines Register wonders: Will Kirk Ferenrz second act be better than Hayden Fry?s after he lost coaches?

Michigan
Isn?t life grand? For Zack Novak it is, as he reached the 1,000 point-mark in win at Nebraska, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit News. And Tim Hardaway Jr., is fighting a slump at a critical part of season, says Beard. Still, the Wolverines are winning. What will happen when Hardaway is back on his game? Scary.

Michigan has sold out its nearly 25,000-ticket allotment for a game with Alabama in Jerry?s World, writes the A.P. This is gonna be fun, people! And there?s a Wal-Mart across the street from the stadium for those so inclined to shop afterward. Not proud to say, but I?ve been there.

Michigan recruit Kyle Kalis, snatched from Ohio State, is a road grader, says Kyle Meinke of AnnArbor.com.

Michigan State
Sparty?s chedule is among the toughest in the nation, says Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press.

Minnesota
Tear down the Barn? Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune dares to pose the question. But, if Yankee Stadium can be torn down, no edifice is too sacred.

If the starters flounder-and it happens–Tubby Smith is ready to send in the reserves, says Ameila Rayno of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson-who is a swell guy-is open to discussing the A.D. job, writes Marcus Fuller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He would be a great catch, in my book. His league is circling the drain, anyway. Get out your calendars: The date of the UNLV football game this fall may be moved, Fuller also writes. Yes, UNLV really does play football. I looked it up.

Nebraska
Ross Els is digging into new challenges as the recruiting coordinator, writes Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.

Last time Michigan visited Lincoln, it ranked No. 1 in the nation and got beat. Uh, no stunner this time, says Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald.

Northwestern
Remember Mike Dunbar? He?s the new offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, writes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune.

Ohio State
Ohio State proposes a czar on ethics compliance, writes Encarnacion Pyle of the Columbus Dispatch.
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/02/09/osu-proposes-czar-on-ethics-compliance.html
The Big Ten strikes close to home with its playoff idea, writes Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch.
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/02/09/big-ten-strikes-close-to-home-with-playoff-idea.html

Penn State
There is a petition to restore Paterno?s name on the Big Ten title game trophy, says the Nittany Lions Den.

A profile of defensive coordinator Ted Roof on SBNation. Great guy, great coach. The Nits are lucky to have him. Also was a killer DB at Georgia Tech back in the 1980s.

A strong finish is important for Penn State, says Walt Moody of the Centre Daily Times.

Purdue
The Boilermakers are aiming to build off that tough loss at Ohio State, says legendary scribe Jeff Washburn of the Lafayette Journal-Courier.

Wisconsin
Jordan Taylor hasn?t changed, but everything around him has, says Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.

Russell Wilson?s key to success last year? Solo night sessions at Camp Randall, writes Adam Mertz of the Wisconsin State Journal.

Badgers get back on road, which has been smooth this year, according Jeff Potrykus Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart posts his Daily Links on weekdays. You can subscribe to the Daily Links RSS here, find Dienhart?s work at www.btn.com/tomdienhart, follow him on Twitter at @BTNTomDienhart, send a question to his weekly mailbag here, and click here to subscribe to his overall RSS feed.