Big Ten Notebook: Spartans' game at Central Michigan a boost to economy

Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead will travel with the team to UCLA this weekend. His recovery is ahead of schedule after sustaining a knee injury last week vs. Southern Mississippi. (US Presswire)

Big Ten news and notes:

• Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he would try to limit Braxton Miller’s rushing attempts by employing screen plays for his dynamic sophomore quarterback but it’s up to Miller to pitch the ball.  “One of the plays [last week] I was supposed to pitch it, and the guy tricked me, so I kept it to make a better play,” Miller said to Doug Lesmerises of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Miller ran for 161 yards last week vs. Miami (Ohio) but left the game twice with cramps. “I think it’ll be better for my body if I ran a bit less,” he said. 

• Michigan didn’t face a typical offense last week against Alabama and it won’t face a standard one this week, either, as Air Force travels to Ann Arbor on Saturday. “It’s mass chaos,” defensive end Craig Roh said to Mark Snyder of The Detroit Free Press. Air Force's triple-option offense isn’t new to coach Brady Hoke, who twice schemed against it while coaching San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference. 

• When Michigan State scheduled to play at Central Michigan in 2009, the MSU athletic department did it with the knowledge that between Spartans and Wolverines home games, the teams generated $11.8 million for the state. The economic boost Michigan State could provide to Mt. Pleasant, where Saturday’s game vs. Central Michigan will take place, played a huge role in the “Celebrate the State” series, Joe Rexrode of The Detroit Free Press reported. Central Michigan is expected to make $6 million in revenue on Saturday, double an average home game. 

• In accordance with Big Ten rules, Nebraska is only allowed to bring 70 players when it travels to UCLA for Saturday's game. Coach Bo Pelini said the only freshmen that would make the travel squad were those that played in last Saturday’s game, reported Brian Christopherson of The Lincoln Journal Star. One of those will be Imani Cross, the freshman who rushed for 62 yards last week after Rex Burkhead injured his knee.  Burkhead will travel as well and is ahead of schedule, according to Pelini. 

• As if Penn State didn’t face enough internal turmoil, the Nittany Lions will travel to Virginia on Saturday to play its first road game since Joe Paterno was fired. Senior FB Michael Zordich said he expects the atmosphere alone to present unique challenges. “We have said since Day 1 when all this stuff broke out that road games are going to brutal for us,” reported Guy Cipriano of The Centre Daily Times. “It’s always fun not being liked when you are playing,” Zordich added. 

• Iowa senior defensive end Joe Gaglione finally had a game he could be proud of last Saturday against Northern Illinois. Gaglione has battled a sports hernia and shoulder surgery but recorded his first collegiate sack and forced a fumble last week in the 18-17 victory in Chicago. “I kept hard on my rehab. It paid off,” he said to Ryan Suchomel of The Des Moines Register.