Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, February 12, 2016
Nice win for Indiana over Iowa last night after the clunker loss at Penn State last weekend. The Big Ten race is now a cluster with three teams tied atop the standings with two conference losses: Iowa, Maryland and Indiana. This win was huge the Hoosiers? NCAA resume, as it lacks many quality wins. And the triumph gives IU some mojo for a challenging stretch run.
Games remain at Michigan State, vs. Purdue, at Iowa and vs. Maryland.
Here's the weekend schedule. The stretch run is on.
In other hoops news, some players don't appear to like the Under Armour basketballs. Huh.
***
The NCAA is proposing new video reviews of targeting fouls.
The NCAA football rules committee proposed giving replay officials more authority to overturn incorrect targeting fouls and to call targeting penalties when they are missed on the field. The committee also agreed to allow conferences to experiment with NFL-style centralized video replay review systems in 2016.
***
Penn State?s late-season schedule is favorable to allow for a strong finish. And a strong finish would be nice for a program that seemingly has a promising future.
A postseason bid is a possibility. StateCollege.com notes that the past three seasons, seven different teams have made the NIT field with 16-plus wins. Sitting currently at 12-12 on the year, Penn State has at least eight games remaining and more than half of them are winnable.
***
Nebraska is in the market for a d-line coach. Who could it be?
Mike Riley said Nebraska wants to hire a candidate quickly but also to perform due diligence.
"It's a hard decision to make a change, and then it's a hard decision to make sure you get the right personnel in place," Riley told Omaha.com. "The one comforting thing is we have really good candidates right now, zeroing in and making sure we get the right guy for the staff."
Omaha.com says to keep an eye on UCLA defensive line coach Angus McClure, who served on former NU coach Bill Callahan's Husker staff in 2004 and 2005 as a graduate assistant.
***
The Illinois defense made some nice improvements last year. Credit co-defensive coordinatior Mike Phair, who arrived from the NFL. Now, Phair is the sole DC with Tim Banks gone. And, he has some tweaks in store for the Illini defense.
Illinois is turning back into a more traditional 4-3 defense compared to the 4-2-5 look it has operated the last four seasons, getting rid of the hybrid defensive end/linebacker position (LEO) and hybrid linebacker/defensive back position (STAR) that Illinois has used.
Now, is the personnel OK? This team has some holes to fill on the front seven.
***
This is an interesting take from InsideNU.com: Is staff continuity holding back Pat Fitzgerald?s Wildcats?
Josh Burton writes that the current upward trajectory of the program can only carry it so far. What Northwestern needs to take the next step are assistant coaches who excel, so much so that they catch the eyes of other schools. Some continuity might need to be sacrificed along the way. Interesting.
***
There will be a changing of the guard at Purdue in July 2017 with the retirement of A.D. Morgan Burke, the longest tenured AD in the Big Ten who has been on board since 1993.
Burke has improved facilities during his 23-year run. But, this may be his biggest feat: He made sure the budget was always balanced and has run the athletic department in the black.
***
Here is a good Q&A with new Maryland coach D.J. Durkin.
***
NIT bracketology? Why not? For Northwestern, it is apt. This program?s NCAA dream for this season is all but dead. But, the NIT is a possibility. But the Wildcats need a good win ? or two.
***
Good podcast from Cleveland.com on Ohio State football. Should the Buckeyes be the favorite in 2016?
Without a doubt, Ohio State should be the favorite in the fall, despite the losses on defense and at the skill positions on offense. This program is still loaded.
***
Email Tom Dienhart using the form below.
And if you want to leave a comment on this post, use the box below. All comments need to be approved by a moderator.