“It’s no secret that over the past few seasons, the Big Ten’s reputation has been beaten and battered like one of Muhammad Ali’s old punching bags.
“Embarrassing defeats in bowl games, maddening blowouts in the NCAA Tournament, and other feats of futility have left scars on the reputation of what used to be extolled as arguably the nation’s premier conference on both the gridiron and hardwood.
“After another ho-hum football season that saw Ohio State get railed by Southern Cal, Michigan tumble against Toledo and Illinois get shattered against Western Michigan, many die-hards thought the conference would have to wait another year to regain its swagger.
“Turns out, it doesn’t have to wait at all. …
“Illinois (10-1) looks to have revived its moribund program after a two-year nosedive, while Penn State has arguably the best threesome in the conference in Jamelle Cornley, Stanley Pringle and Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Talor Battle. …”