Big Ten links: Stipends, Ezekiel Elliott's Heisman chances & much more

The subject of a stipend or cost-of-attendance figures is hot. And it looks like Penn State will have the highest stipend in the Big Ten. Check out this video of James Franklin talking about it. Could having the highest stipend in the Big Ten be a recruiting tool for Franklin?

David Jones of Pennlive.com breaks all of the stipend business down well right here.

Jones wonders this: Will friendly state legislatures and a possible lack of federal oversight allow some football-crazed areas to jack up the figures to absurd levels? Franklin has coached in the SEC and knows the culture, so he was the perfect man to ask.

"From what I'm told, it's really hard to do that because the cost of attendance [figures] are federally and state-mandated. I've only done a limited amount of studying it.

"But I don't see how that could change. Because the NCAA, the states and the conferences would step in at that point, if you start seeing numbers being manipulated. I would hope that's the case."

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Hard to argue with the notion that Ohio State?s Ezekiel Elliott is a front-runner (if not THE front-runner) for the Heisman. Who may compete with Elliott? Bill Landis of Cleveland.com is breaking it down.

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This is pretty neat: Keith Sargeant of NJ.com has taken a detailed look at how Rutgers? quarterbacks have been rated through the years.

Who was the most ballyhooed? That distinction goes to Tom Savage, the nation's No. 8 pro-style passer (according to Rivals.com) who turned down approximately two dozen major scholarship offers to sign with Rutgers in 2009.

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Michigan State?s offensive line is supposed to be one of the best in the nation. Just ask Phil Steele. Hey, I?m not gonna argue with Phil.

Mike Griffith of Mlive.com says All-American Jack Allen and projected first-round draft pick Jack Conklin anchor the line at center and left tackle, while right guard Donavon Clark is a third-year starter. Sophomore Brian Allen earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors last season splitting time with departing senior captain Travis Jackson at left guard, while Kodi Kieler started eight games at right tackle.

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New Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has embraced satellite camps like few others. And, Big Ten ADs don?t have an issue with the camps. Stuff like oversigning is more of a problem.

"I think that's an ACC/SEC issue (to worry about)," Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said Tuesday afternoon at the league's spring meetings. "It's not real high on our list of items (to worry about). Why should it bother us? I'm being honest with you. Maybe I'm not close enough to the issues being raised by my colleagues in the ACC and the SEC.

"But if someone wants to spend their money and that's how they want to spend their recruiting dollars … I say, what's the problem?"

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How is Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky prepping for the NBA draft? Check out this video and Kaminsky will tell you.

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Tom Oates of Madison.com says the shot clock isn?t the problem with college basketball. It?s player development.

Oates notes that instead of tinkering with an already great game by doing things such as reducing the shot clock, the people who run college basketball should make it a priority to get summer basketball under control and forge a new model for developing players in this country.

He makes a lot of sense.

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This is nice: A report in the Champaign News-Gazette says Illinois will hire former QB Nathan Scheelhaase as director of alumni and former player relations.

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Kevin Trahan of InsideNU.com wonders if Northwestern had the strangest year in college football in 2014. I can be convinced.

Wins like this: 29-6 at Penn State, 20-14 vs. Wisconsin, 43-40 at Notre Dame.
Losses like this: 31-24 vs. Cal, 23-15 vs. NIU, 48-7 at Iowa, 10-9 vs. Michigan, 47-33 vs. Illinois.
Strange, indeed.

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