With a host of spring games scheduled for this weekend and next, the Big Ten scheduled teleconferences for both the East and West Divisions this week.
The West started things Wednesday afternoon. The seven coaches from that side of the conference and one player from each program fielded questions from the media. Below are updates from the call.
East Division members are scheduled to hop on the call Thursday.
Wisconsin Head Coach Paul Chryst
- Chryst thinks his offensive line is taking the proper steps forward this spring to be better than it was last year, even though it was young: "It's a natural progression and I see it."
- Chryst said Dan Voltz could play center or guard this fall at Wisconsin, but it still to be determined: "Our goal is to get the five best offensive linemen on the field." Voltz has played both in his career.
- Chryst said Wisconsin did not planned to name a starting quarterback this spring between Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook to replace Joel Stave and that stance remains the same.
Wisconsin Linebacker Vince Biegel
- On Wisconsin's new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, Biegel said the Badgers will keep their 3-4 scheme the same. There is different verbiage, however.
- On replacing 2015 Jack Lambert Award winner Joe Schobert, Biegel acknowledged the hole Schobert's absence creates on the defense. Biegel did mention T.J. Watt as someone who has stepped up immensely this spring to fill Schobert's spot.
- Biegel said the chance to play Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in addition to the Big Ten schools is why he committed to Wisconsin, so he and his teammates are excited to have another conference game this season for the first time ever. The Badgers host the Buckeyes Oct. 15.
Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
- Fitzgerald noted the advantage some schools will face hosting five Big Ten games as opposed to four with the added conference game in 2016: "Looking forward to see how that unfolds."
- Fitzgerald said he remembers the coaches voting unanimously against adding an extra conference game, so as to keep an equal four home and away games. It does however, make travel easier on his team since teams will stay in the Big Ten region instead of potentially going elsewhere for a non-conference game.
- Redshirt sophomore Clayton Thorson is a "totally different quarterback" this spring, Fitzgerald said. It helps to know that he is the guy at the position: "Clayton had a great first chapter in his career and I just look forward to seeing him continue to grow."
- Does Fitzgerald believe linebacker Anthony Walker has a chance to be Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year? "Absolutely... he's got an opportunity to be the best we've ever had."
Northwestern Linebacker Anthony Walker
- Walker said he felt his team had a "massive chip" on its shoulder during spring practice because it wanted to erase the memory of its bowl game. The Wildcats lost to Tennessee 45-6 in the Outback Bowl.
- Walker said he looks to Fitzgerald often in his development as a linebacker and a leader for his team: "I'm just excited to be in the position we are in because we have a great opportunity this season."
Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley
- Riley said the second year of a coach at a new job is probably like a player entering his sophomore year: Much more comfortable.
- On a larger scale, Riley said establishing a trust and culture to the whole program and a better understanding of how things operate happen even more in Year 2 than in Year 1.
- Riley said the satellite camp ruling will probably be revisited. He was an advocate of satellite camps: "I don't think we're done talking about it. I think if it's something that can be seen as a benefit for young people, we should have those kinds of things."
Nebraska Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
- Armstrong said spring this season has been much better than a year ago at Nebraska, because they're not having to adjust to a new offensive scheme since there is not a coaching transition.
- "Having the same guys out wide, a lot of seniors, I think that's what we have going for us going into this offseason that we didn't last year." — Armstrong
Purdue Head Coach Darrell Hazell
- Hazell said this spring has been about learning the new systems in place brought by the additions to his staff: "We want to simplify things so guys can play faster."
- Hazell called it "essential" for Purdue to have an idea who the starting quarterback is between David Blough and Elijah Sindelar out of spring practice. Blough has taken majority of the reps with the first team, Hazell said.
Purdue Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley
- Bentley said Purdue's defense has not implemented all the new things with new coordinator Ross Els yet, but the base concepts are the same from last year.
- Purdue returns more starters than any other school in the Big Ten. Bentley: "That is huge for us with the familiarity and having people in the same spots as last year."
Illinois Head Coach Lovie Smith
- Smith said he and his staff are doing the best it can to "catch up." Illinois hired him March 7.
- Smith said the biggest difference between working in the college football and the NFL is recruiting: "The football things are pretty much the same, but recruiting is an every single day thing."
- He also noticed adjusting to set practice times because of how class schedules dictate when his team is available for workouts.
- West Lunt has provided Illinois some veteran leadership during the staff transition, Smith said: "We've need that."
- Smith said he was able to get the assistant coaches and support staff he wanted at Illinois because of the way new athletic director Josh Whitman allocated funds: "Josh being a football guy, he understood what we needed."
- Smith said the No. 1 recruiting area Illinois will have under him is its own state.
Illinois Quarterback Wes Lunt
- Lunt said the new staff at Illinois has been "awesome" and have done well to be open with him and the adjustments they plan to make with the offense.
- Lunt did admit the most difficult thing with the new offensive scheme is just the different calls and terminology that comes with it. Also the fact Illinois is using a huddle.
Minnesota Head Coach Tracy Claeys
- Claeys believes Minnesota will have one of its best teams this fall with the personnel it has returning to the fold from last year.
- Minnesota improved on running the football this spring, Claeys said: "That was our top priority, to become more physical up front."
Minnesota Defensive Back Damarius Travis
- Travis said the 2016 team has "a lot of talent" on its roster, so now the onus is on developing it to be game ready by the time of its season opener.
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz
- Ferentz: "As it typical in spring ball, it's not really pretty ... we have a lot of work that needs to be done as we try and finish up the spring."
- Ferentz said he hasn't felt like he needed to do much rebounding with his team even though it lost the Big Ten Championship Game and then the Rose Bowl. On the title game: "It was a helluva game, you hate to have to see a team walk away from that with a loss."
- On the Rose Bowl loss to Stanford: "We didn't play our best, there was no doubt about that. It's allowed us to re-evaluate how we handled bowl trips and other things."
- Ferentz said his biggest worry for his team in 2016 is replacing 21 departed seniors.
- Ferentz said he feels for former player Drew Ott, who had his appeal for a medical redshirt denied by the NCAA earlier Wednesday. Ott will instead head to the NFL Draft: "I disagree with the decision."
- Ferentz added that Ott's toughness "cost him," because he played through an injury most wouldn't have in 2015 and "got penalized for it."
- On satellite camps, Ferentz said he hopes the new ruling is revisited: "The whole satellite camp thing didn't really start getting noticed until three years ago or so."
Iowa Quarterback C.J. Beathard
- Beathard said he and his team moved past the loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl shortly after it happened, but are using it as motivation this spring: "It stung for a little while, but the only thing you can do in that situation is get over it and move onto 2016."
- Beathard called Ott "one of the hardest workers" he's ever been around: "It sucks that he isn't going to be around here anymore."
