Big Ten football getting bigger ... and better

And why not think big? The conference is coming off one of its best seasons in years. The Big Ten acquitted itself well in the postseason, forging a 4-3 record that included wins in the Rose (Ohio State over Oregon), Orange (Iowa over Georgia Tech), Capital One (Penn State over LSU) and Champs Sports Bowls (Wisconsin over Miami). That's a far cry from the year before, when the league went 1-6, with Iowa's win over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl the only positive.

The Big Ten has three teams that merit a preseason top-10 ranking: Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin. And the Buckeyes look like the best, which is why Ohio State may play for the national championship for the third time in the past five seasons.

Tom Dienhart