Quarterback play hasn’t been at an elite level in the Big Ten in recent years. In fact, many feel that’s one reason for the conference’s struggles. But this year’s collection of passers teems with potential.

The Big Ten announced Tuesday its 2013 All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners. Big Ten champion Indiana was well represented, as it took home Pitcher of the Year (Aaron Slegers) and Coach of the Year (Tracy Smith). Illinois’ Justin Parr was named Player of the Year and Kevin Duchene earned Freshman of the Year honors. See the teams in this post.

By working its way to a 5-0 lead and holding its opponent without a shot for the first 17 minutes of the game, No. 2 Northwestern set the tone for what turned into a convincing 15-7 win over No. 7 Penn State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship in front of over 1,100 fans Saturday night in Evanston.

The 2013 Big Ten baseball regular season came to a close Saturday, and Indiana, one night after wrapping up at least a share of the crown, wrapped up its first outright Big Ten title since 1932. It came in a commanding 8-1 victory at Ohio State. Get all of Saturday’s Big Ten scores, stats and video highlights in this post.

Most every key component from last year’s team that went 10-3 and won the school’s first bowl since the Stone Age — OK, the 1948 season –  is back. Good, because this schedule is a doozy. In fact, starting 2-0 won’t be a given, with a trip to Cal and visit from Syracuse, which lost a crazy 42-41 game at home to the Wildcats last season, on tap to open the season. Big Ten schools switched cross-division foes this season, and no school had a less advantageous swap then NU.

The Big Ten office announced the conference schedule for the 2014 football season today, as approved by the Big Ten Directors of Athletics. The 2014 schedule will consist of eight games for each of the Big Ten’s 14 teams, feature a new division alignment, include the conference debut of Maryland and Rutgers and culminate with the fourth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game.