Spring football is over and the offseason is officially here. Let’s all let loose with a collective sigh. Now we have to wait until the night of Thursday, August 29, for the first Big Ten game when UNLV plays at Minnesota. There are lots of barbecues, cannon balls into the swimming pool, croquet, Wiffle Ball and Jarts between now and then.

There’s no more talked-about position than quarterback, and for obvious reasons. The quarterback, more times than not, is the face of the team, and has his hands on the ball every snap. That being the case, fans love to follow a good quarterback battle.

The Big Ten put a bow on spring practice last Saturday, but many questions still loom as the schools enter the offseason.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck has the keys to one of the top offenses in the Big Ten—if not the country. He knows it.

The Big Ten put a wrap on spring football last weekend, with Iowa and Minnesota playing the final spring games in the conference. Now, the long offseason begins. But, honestly, this is when players get better—not from September to December.

Iowa had a lot of work to do in spring drills coming off a 4-8 season that was the program’s worst since 2000. The offense, which struggled mightily last season and had just seven touchdown passes, may have turned a corner this spring under second-year coordinator Greg Davis. No doubt, the offense looked good in the spring game. The defense also may have found a playmaker up front.

Iowa’s spring football game is the 12th and final Big Ten Spring Football game to air on BTN. You can watch the entire broadcast at 8 p.m. ET on BTN/BTN2Go.

Minnesota officially is pointed toward Year Three under Jerry Kill, putting a cap on spring drills with a game today. The team showed improvement from its first year under Kill to last season. The 2013 season could be the best yet, as it looks to pass better and make more big plays on offense, while tightening up the run defense.

The Minnesota spring game aired live on BTN2Go. Watch all the game’s best plays and other notable moments in this post. Remember that all of our Spring Football video clips can be found in our BTN.com video vault.

Two years into the Jerry Kill era, and progress at Minnesota is tangible. The Golden Gophers went from 3-9 in 2011 to 6-7, earning a bowl bid. The next step: move out of the basement of the Legends Division and win a postseason game for the first time since 2004. Year Three has been a charm for Kill at his last two stops, going 10-3 at Northern Illinois and 10-2 at Southern Illinois. To continue that trend in Dinkytown, big keys will be developing some big-play ability on offense and tightening the defense vs. the run. And the special teams need lots of improvement. This is an underrated coaching staff that’s capable of doing it all.

There is a sense of urgency in Iowa City, as the Hawkeyes look to rebound from the school’s worst season since 2000. There has been plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball, but the offense has the most heavy lifting. Except for running back and line, Iowa has questions on offense. The defense? A search for playmakers up front is on. That has made this an interesting spring for the Hawkeyes, as Kirk Ferentz begins his 15th season on campus.

Offensive coordinators under Urban Meyer go on to big things. There’s Steve Addazio and Dan Mullen, to name a couple. BTN analyst Gerry DiNardo thinks a similar fate could be in store for Meyer’s current OC, Tom Herman, whose offense averaged a Big Ten-best 37.2 points last season. DiNardo sat down with Herman recently for our latest “Film Session.” Watch the full segment here.

It was a surprise to see news that Steven Bench is transferring from Penn State. He appeared to be in the thick of the quarterback chase to replace Matt McGloin, competing with JC transfer Tyler Ferguson along with walk-ons D.J. Crook and Austin Whipple this spring.

Everyone associated with the Iowa football program would love to forget the 2012 season. It was a struggle all around, in pretty much every facet, as the Hawkeyes finished 4-8 and missed out on a bowl game for the first time since 2007. Can this year’s new-look team get back to the postseason? BTN.com’s Tom Dienhart and Brent Yarina offer their thoughts in this post.

The way Northwestern finished the 2012 season, culminating in the program’s first bowl win since the 1948 Rose Bowl, coupled with the fact it returns much of its skill position talent, expectations are quite high in Evanston. In fact, some are wondering if the Wildcats – yes, the Wildcats – have what it takes to play for their first Big Ten title since 2000. Do they? BTN.com’s Tom Dienhart and Brent Yarina discuss in this post.