Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, May 28, 2015

Mlive.com has 10 things Michigan State fans can look forward to in 2015.

I am intrigued by who will start at tailback. Mike Griffith of Mlive.com says Gerald Holmes and Madre London battled for the pole position coming out of spring drills, and incoming freshman LJ Scott is expected to enter the competition the moment he steps on campus. Delton Williams remains suspended indefinitely, so who starts in the opener is one of the more compelling questions.

***

The honeymoon for new Nebraska coach Mike Riley continues.

Backslaps for everyone in Lincoln! But know this: The first game is Sept. 5 vs. BYU. Then, reality will set in.

***

The great Bob Asmussen of the Champaign News Gazette thinks Illinois and Notre Dame should play more often.

***

The astute gang at Athlon?s has tabbed the 10 most intriguing September non-conference matchups.

Several games involving Big Ten teams made the cut, headed by Oregon?s visit to Michigan State. And how about Michigan at Utah? And I love TCU at Minnesota. Wisconsin vs. Alabama in Arlington, Texas? Yes, please. BYU at Nebraska is sweet. Ohio State at Virginia Tech drips with intrigue, as the Buckeyes seek revenge for losing to the Hokies last year in Columbus.

***

More from Athlon: A 2015 Ohio State preview. Will this team lose in 2015 as it rides a 13-game winning streak as the defending national champ? Enjoy this ride, OSU fans. It won?t get much sweeter than this.

***

And how about this from Ohio State: a rapper has produced a song and video pushing Ezekiel Elliott for the Heisman.

The rapper is Mekka Don, a former Ohio State walk-on. Hey, it?s not my cup of tea. But the hip youngsters wearing flat-billed ball caps probably will like it.

***

Sam McKewon of Omaha.com doesn?t think the SEC?s hopes of snuffing out satellite camps will get far.

?I guess it?s a selfish position, somewhat,? Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said during his media session. ?I kind of like it the way it is for us, but I totally understand, if I was sitting somewhere, and in my recruiting circle, there are satellite camps going on, I would want the freedom to do the same.?

McKewon says that since rules shouldn?t be written to protect the self-interest of a few, we wouldn?t expect the SEC?s proposal to get much traction, especially when Freeze concedes that his position is shaped by geography and vague loyalty, not principle.

It?s all about protecting self-interest.

***

Good piece on Northwestern from SBNation.com, which notes the program?s breakthrough took place years ago and wonders when the follow up will take place. How have the Wildcats flattened out? They won 10 games in 2012-and have combined for 10 the last two seasons. Lots of good numbers, charts and analysis. Kudos to Bill Connelly.

***

Wisconsin had a crowded depth chart at quarterback. Well, the ranks have been thinned with Austin Kafentzis transferring before even playing a down.

***

For the second straight year, Rutgers led the nation in athletic subsidy.

You have to think this one day will end, as RU gets deeper into its Big Ten tenure and its pockets swell with cash. NJ Advance Media reported on Jan. 30 that the Rutgers athletics department received $26 million from the university's general fund and $10.3 million in student fees, according to the school's 2014 fiscal year report filed to the NCAA. But the USA Today database published Tuesday reveals that Rutgers leads all other schools in the country with a $36,340,665 total subsidy. Nearly half of Rutgers' $76.3 million budget - 47.4 percent - was fueled by university support. Since 2005, Rutgers athletics has received $275 million in total subsidies ($195.4 million from the university general fund and $79.5 million in student fees).

***

About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

And if you want to leave a comment on this post, use the box below. All comments need to be approved by a moderator.