It was Rich Rodriguez’s first visit to Big Ten media days, and Joe Tiller’s last. Here are some thoughts from Michigan’s incoming coach, Purdue’s outgoing coach (in more ways than one) and all others in between:
Ron Zook, Illinois
Season outlook: Picked for third, Illinois has higher expectations. “I really like the way the senior class like [linebacker] Brit Miller has said, ‘We’re not going to be the class that people say let it go backward.'”
Funniest quote: Zook on Purdue and Tiller: “To be honest with you, I’m glad we don’t play them this year.”
To sum it up: “The defensive front … is excited to prove it’s as good as there is in the Big Ten.”
Bill Lynch, Indiana
Season outlook: “We’re coming off our first winning season (7-6) in a number of years, so we feel like there’s a lot of confidence on campus.”
Funniest quote: Asked how many times he watched the tape of the Insight Bowl 49-33 loss to Oklahoma State: “Too many.”
To sum it up: “We want to ‘Play 13’ (the e-mail sign-off for the late coach Terry Hoeppner), but we want to win that 13th as well.”
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Season outlook: “We’re a young football team. We’re counting on a lot of players to improve. … [Quarterback] Jake Christensen, we’re counting on him to be more mature and increase his production.”
Behavior modification: “We’ve examined everything we can. We ask people to judge this roster based on what they do. I’m very confident this year will be different.”
Funniest quote: On seeking to hire a life-skills adviser: “We’re not looking to hire Dr. Phil. I don’t think we could afford him and I don’t think he’s available.”
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
Season outlook: “I’m not a pessimist or an optimist. I’m a realist. We lost some of the best players who have ever played at Michigan on offense.”
Tumultuous summer: “I was afraid to open up a [news]paper and see what’s next.”
Funniest quote: After Tiller called Rodriguez “a guy in a wizard hat selling snake oil” over the signing of wide receiver Roy Roundtree: “I’ve been working on my new snake-oil concoction and I want to give it to Joe.”
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Season outlook: “We’re on first base, trying to get to second.”
How I spent my summer vacation: Trying to figure out a way to replace game-breaking receiver Devin Thomas. “Can we get the same production out of one particular person? That’s tough.”
To sum it up: “I think if you don’t talk about championships within your football team and in your program, you’re doing your players a disservice.”
Tim Brewster, Minnesota
Season outlook: “We’ve committed to being a better defensive football team.”
How I spent my summer vacation: “I fished for walleye for a few days. But when you have a cell phone, you never really get away.”
Ouch: “We had a 1-11 season. … I’ve traveled the state of Minnesota and I feel the state’s pain.”
To sum it up: “We feel like we’ve added some players who are going to be difference-makers.”
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Season outlook: “Back in 1993, if we had had six wins, we would have had a parade down Central Street and a purple party here in Chicago. Things have changed and I’m excited about that. I believe we’re poised to take another step this year.”
Funniest quote: “I thought that I didn’t sleep a lot, and now I look at [new athletic director Jim Phillips] as a great role model for sleep deprivation.”
Jim Tressel, Ohio State
Season outlook: The media selected the Buckeyes as the league’s preseason favorite. “[The poll] hasn’t been very accurate in the past, which is kind of frightening.”
Familiar faces: The Buckeyes have a league-high 52 returning lettermen and 20 starters, including running back Chris “Beanie” Wells and linebacker James Laurinaitis, who were chosen preseason offensive and defensive players of the year. “There’s a little challenge to make sure that training camp is not same old, same old. We’ll challenge them intellectually, we’ll challenge them physically.”
Bold prediction: “If I were a betting man, I’d say [Joe Paterno] would be back in 2009.”
Joe Paterno, Penn State
Season outlook: The Nittany Lions are unsettled at quarterback between senior Daryll Clark and sophomore Pat Devlin. “I’m not interested in making an easy decision. I’m interested in making a good decision.”
Will he retire after the season? “I get a little tired of answering that. I’m having a lot of fun. I don’t want to get out of it and yet I don’t want to get too stupid to where I can’t leave [the program] the way I want to leave it.”
Funniest quote: “Am I going to go to some guy (Tiller) for advice who sits on his rear end and fishes? You have to be crazy!”
Joe Tiller, Purdue
Season outlook: “We had 15 players we are counting on being starters who missed all or the majority of spring practice.”
Funniest quote: Tiller zinged the blogosphere for any perception that the Big Ten is down. “When you have a lot of people expressing themselves who don’t know if they’re afoot or on horseback, you tend to get some comparisons that are out of whack.”
To sum it up: “This will be [season] No. 44 for me. I’m probably as excited about this year as I was at No. 1.”
Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
Season outlook: The Badgers return 17 starters but need to settle on a starting quarterback between senior Allan Evridge and junior Dustin Sherer. “I’m not in a hurry [to decide].”
Don’t believe the hype: The media rated the Badgers second in the conference. “The preseason publications are great, but I like the postseason publications much better.”
Funniest quote: “It’s good to be at a Michigan press conference,” Bielema said after two straight questions about Rodriguez.
