Big Ten at Ten 8.27.12: The Final Countdown

I'm giddier than a school girl right now. College football officially kicks off in three days when South Carolina takes on Vanderbilt at 6PM CT on ESPN. There are a couple other games on over the course of the night but the REAL awesomeness starts at 9:15PM CT when Mike Leach and Washington State take on BYU. That game is also on ESPN. Little known fact: Minnesota plays UNLV at 10PM CT on the CBS Sports Network. Yes, that's happening too.

An absolutely indispensable website for the season is the TV schedule provided by LSUFootball.net. The schedule has every game, no seriously every game, listed and tells you what network it is on. I suggest you bookmark it immediately.

A few Big Ten sites have set up their preseason BlogPolls. Maize n Brew's poll has USC at #1 and Michigan State as the best team in the conference. The Crimson Quarry has Bama at #1 and Wisconsin as the best in the Big Ten. Also, note that John has never voted for his own team. Sad. Land Grant Holy Land has Texas (WHAT?!) as the best team in the nation and Ohio State (WHAT?!) as the best team in the conference. Finally, Fight For Iowa has Bama as the best team in the land and Sparty as the best team in conference.

For the 2012 season we'll have the traditional features here at OTE: bowl projections, power polls, potlucks, obligatory predictions competition and game threads. We'll continue the Big Ten at Ten (and it should resume actually being at 10AM) and aim to have a couple of freestanding articles for your favorite team throughout the week.

Also, because it's the final countdown to football season it's obligatory that you watch this video:

Links after the jump.

Team Links:

• Ready or not, here comes Tim Beckman.
• Photos of the Illini's latest practice.
• A Lion Eye profiles running back Josh Ferguson and knocks down a few Illinois myths for game week.
• Indiana has landed a verbal commitment from defensive tackle Jacobi Hunter.
• Tre Roberson, whose name I always swore was Robinson, is Indiana's starting QB.
• The Crimson Quarry previews the Hoosier receivers and tight ends.
• Hawk Central catches up with Chuck Long, who is now a volunteer receivers coach at Norman High School.
• BHGP previews Iowa's running backs. At least, the running backs who are currently on the roster for now.
• Michigan players vote Denard Robinson and Jordan Kovacs as team captains.
• Michigan coaches discuss the anatomy of their success.
• Fitz Toussaint is still not cleared to play despite being #1 on the depth chart.
• MGoBlog previews Michigan's quarterbacks.
• Boise State head coach Chris Peterson usually roots for Mark Dantonio.
• Michigan State received two commitments over the weekend in defensive end Demetrius Cooper and offensive tackle Dennis Finley.
• The Only Colors previews Michigan State's defense.
• MLive has the Spartans going 11-2 and playing in the Rose Bowl.
• The Daily Gopher asks how good defensive lineman Ra'Shede Hageman can be.
• Defense is a tradition for Nebraska's week one opponent, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
• Corn Nation interviews LGHL.
• Big Red Today looks back on some of Bo Pelini's statements and "analyzes" them. Slow news day.
• Sippin' on Purple profiles sophomore wide receiver Tony Jones.
• Northwestern's depth chart for the Syracuse game has been released.
• LHGL looks back on Ohio State's coaches.
• The Buckeye Battle Cry is anxious to kick off 2012.
• Ohio (not Ohio State) embraces the opportunity to play at Beaver Stadium.
• Penn State's offense is a mystery heading into their season opener. There's no mystery. I think everyone knows what they're getting with McGloin.
• Speaking of McGloin, Penn State released an updated depth chart.
• Penn State will no longer play Sweet Caroline due to the "touching you, touching me" lyrics. This is not a joke. It just sounds like one.
• PSU linebacker Gerald Hodges is the 5th best player in the Big Ten, per the ESPN B1G blog.
• Hammer & Rails profiles wide receiver Gary Bush and linebacker Antwon Higgs.
• Madtown Badgers looks back on their pre-camp thoughts on Wisconsin's wide-receivers.

Conference Links:

• The BTN and Dish Network can't seem to come to an agreement. Conveniently, their deal ends on August 31st.
• WhatIfSports simulates the 2012 Big Ten season. No one is happy with the results. Except maybe Indiana.
• ESPN B1G blog previews week 1.
• Maize n Brew projects the Big Ten Legends. You'll notice a little trolling in the poll section.
• MGoBlogs latest Big Ten recruiting rankings.
• The Centre Daily previews the Big Ten leaders.
• On Tuesday and Wednesday at 7PM CT, the BTN will air shows previewing both Big Ten divisions.
• ESPN B1G blog week 1 bowl projections and power rankings.
• The Only Colors with a defensive scatterplot. I hate scatterplots so I didn't look much into it.

To conclude, I'd like to lambaste the SOB who joined the OTE Fantasy Football League and backed out just prior to the draft. You're a jerk. We're now looking for one more player to make the league complete so that the autodraft can be scheduled. Go there and join (that link should get you to the join page, if not, search for OTE Fantasy in the league directory). No, you win nothing. All you win is bragging rights. Also, don't forget that Hilary has a league going so there's plenty of football opportunities.