Big Ten Notebook: How should Michigan replace Notre Dame on the schedule?

Penn State's Bill O'Brien gave a short but telling answer on Tuesday when asked how he felt about Illinois coach Tim Beckman, and other news around the Big Ten.

By Mike Singer

Sep 26, 2012 at 10:24 am ET • 2 min read

Yahoo columnist said that for the huge salary Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is being paid, the Hawkeyes need to do better than a 2-2 record. (US Presswire)

News and notes from around the Big Ten:

The best individual matchup heading into this weekend’s games is between Braxton Miller, the top dual-threat quarterback in the conference, and Max Bullough, the leader of the Spartans’ linebacker corp. “This is pure strength on strength,” Tom Dienhart of the Big Ten Network wrote. He also previewed the rest of the weekend’s games. You may be surprised to see which game features the best quarterback matchup.

Penn State coach Bill O’Brien did everything he could to avoid the subject of Illinois’ questionable recruitment of his players on Tuesday's Big Ten teleconference, but he said a lot, without saying much at all. Fighting Illini coach Tim Beckman had said that the two had resolved their differences but when pressed on it, O’Brien tersely replied, “I think I met him at the Big Ten media days. That’s about it,” reported Rich Scarcella of the Reading Eagle.

Urban Meyer said that he is “very alarmed” at the fact that the Buckeyes are dead last in the Big Ten in total defense, allowing 394 yards per game, reported Brandon Castel of Ozone.net. Meyer addressed a number of lingering issues leading up this weekend’s matchup against Michigan State, including the health of RB Carlos Hyde as well as his opinion on Spartans leading tackler LB Max Bullough. The most interesting point to come out of Tuesday’s teleconference was how many true freshmen Meyer has played so far this year. The Buckeyes have played 15 true freshmen, the most in the country.

How should Michigan replace Notre Dame, which canceled its series from 2015 to 2017 due to the Irish’s scheduling obligations with the ACC? After scouring various nonconference schedules, Ralph Russo of the AP has six suggestions to bolster the Wolverines’ resume. Coach Brady Hoke has said that playing patsies won’t cut it, especially since the playoff system takes into account quality of opponent.

Yahoo’s Pat Forde took a stab at the monetary side of college football, picking apart such hot button topics as Ohio State president Gordon Gee’s bow-tie bill ($ 64,000), Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz’s salary ($ 3.8 million), and the woeful state of the Big Ten in general.

For more Big Ten coverage, follow Mike Singer and Dave Carey @CBSSportsBigTen.