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Buckeyes, Sparty and Iowa take center stage on Day 2 of B1G media days
- Updated: July 26, 2016
Jul 24, 2016
CHICAGO — The Big Ten has assembled for its annual kickoff event, finally signaling the end of the offseason wasteland and the imminent return of football.
Training camps are still a few days from opening around the league, but every coach and a handful of players from each team will help set the scene with the help of the assembled media. Here’s what to anticipate on the second of two days of festivities.
Who’s here?: Half the teams in the conference appeared Monday, and the rest of the Big Ten members will close out the two-day event by taking their turns at the podium at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa and Ohio State round out the lineup, with each coach scheduled for 15 minutes on the main stage, beginning this morning at 8 CT. The event will feature College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock, conference director of officiating Bill Carollo and BTN president Mark Silverman as speakers before commissioner Jim Delaney provides his state of the league address.
Urban Meyer has a lot of talent to replace, but he has J.T. Barrett returning at quarterback. Greg Bartram/USA Today Sports
Who’s the main attraction?: There is no need for the league’s biggest rock stars to jockey for the spotlight. The Big Ten wisely split up rivals Michigan and Ohio State, which leaves the stage clear for Urban Meyer on Tuesday after Jim Harbaugh’s appearance Monday. Wherever Meyer goes, he draws a crowd, and he’ll be in demand for a variety of reasons. For starters, he has recently shown a greater willingness to use his status as a three-time national champion to speak about issues ranging from recruiting rules to families traveling to the College Football Playoff in an effort to improve the game and the student-athlete experience. On top of that, there are plenty of on-the-field storylines to dive into with the Buckeyes heading into Meyer’s fifth season with the program, most notably how he’ll replace all the talent that left for the NFL and the Heisman Trophy candidacy of his returning quarterback, J.T. Barrett.
What to watch: Kirk Ferentz arrived in Chicago at this time a year ago and answered questions about mediocrity, sagging attendance and how hot his seat was getting. Twelve months later, the Iowa coach is at the complete other end of the spectrum and should enjoy his visit to the Windy City way more this time. But with a West Division title and an undefeated regular season come greater expectations, and it will be interesting to see how the Hawkeyes handle the pressure as they gear up for training camp next month. Ferentz hardly ever seems fazed by the good or the bad. With a Thorpe Award in tow, Desmond King is a superstar and a big draw for the cameras and microphones. Quarterback C.J. Beathard is a known commodity …
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