From: Cleveland.com –

Big Ten football media day has come and gone, and the pundits have put the pressure of expectations on Ohio State.

They pick the Buckeyes to win the conference and quarterback Terrelle Pryor as Big Ten offensive Player of the Year. And, writes Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch, schools and coaches are hoping Ohio State will help restore the Big Ten’s somewhat diminished reputation as a power conference.

Writes May:

“I think everyone in this league wants to see Ohio State do well once again outside the conference,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said. “Obviously, it’s going to be a big game in September when they play Southern Cal.”

That’s an understatement. The outcome of the Sept. 12 game in Ohio Stadium will determine just how seriously people across the country take the Big Ten the rest of the season. No other nonconference game involving a Big Ten team comes close, in terms of marquee value. And no other game comes close in terms of a barometer, since the Trojans waxed the Buckeyes 35-3 last year in Los Angeles before slapping around Big Ten co-champion Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl.

Also from the Columbus Dispatch, Ken Gordon writes about Buckeye reaction to Pryor being projected as the league’s offensive MVP, and Gordon’s blog on the Big Ten meeting.

Writes Gordon about Pryor’s selection:

Even Pryor’s coach and teammates were surprised.“You know, I really was,” coach Jim Tressel said. “I got to thinking, ‘Man, there’s a lot of good guys coming back in this league — Darryl Clark and Juice Williams have been around here for a long, long time.’

“I guess it’s a good reminder of the respect they have for (Pryor’s) ability.”

Tight end Jake Ballard said, “That just shows you what high expectations people have for Terrelle.”

About USC: No surprise that Ohio State should be picked to win the Big Ten, Bob Hunter writes for the Columbus Dispatch, but so much rides on the Sept. 12 home game against Southern California. USC trounced OSU, 35-3, last September.

Comments Hunter:

It’s sad to say, but the success of the Buckeyes’ season again seems to center on one big nonconference game against Southern California, this one at home. If OSU loses, then everybody will again say that no matter how spectacular the Buckeyes look the rest of the season, it’s all a mirage based on a weak Big Ten.Given OSU’s close call against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl, that isn’t totally fair, but fair or not, it’s pretty much the way it is.

School up north: Buckeye rival Michigan had its worst record ever, 3-9, last season. It was the first year for Rich Rodriguez as the Wolverines’ coach. Pat Forde of ESPN.com writes about the situation in Ann Arbor, including:

(Rodriguez) was hired to delicately uproot the Wolverines from their successful stasis and propel them into the 21st century — implement a modern offense, but don’t tinker too much with the Michigan Way, please. After one difficult year, the doubters have multiplied, even if the coach remains a resolute believer.“If we’re not in a bowl game, we’re all going to be ticked,” Rodriguez said. “If we’re not competing better every single game, we’ll all be upset.”

Adjustment: There’s a move in the Big Ten to extend the regular season deeper into the fall, cutting the down time between the finale and a bowl game. Ohio State, in particular, has had extraordinarily long lapses between playing the traditional Michigan game to close the regular season, and its national championship game appearances.

Reports Adam Rittenberg for ESPN.com:

Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two Big Ten teams with bye weeks this fall, as the league plays its final season without open dates. Starting in 2010, the regular season will end after Thanksgiving, bridging the gap between the bowls by a week.(Michigan coach Rich) Rodriguez had a shorter bowl prep during his time at West Virginia and hopes the Big Ten will follow suit. Michigan and Ohio State play their traditional pre-Thanksgiving game Nov. 21, but that will change in future years.

“Having six weeks as opposed to four weeks before you play another game does make a [negative] difference,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a difference in execution and rhythm and just playing the game. … So I think it will help.”

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