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CHICAGO — Penn State coach James Franklin is scheduled to take the podium at 10:30 a.m. at Big Ten media days as the Nittany Lions prepare for training camp next week.

Franklin will be joined today by Minnesota’s Jerry Kill, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Rutgers’ Kyle Flood, Nebraska’s Mike Riley, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Purdue’s Darrell Hazell.

Penn State seniors Anthony Zettel, Jordan Lucas and Angelo Mangiro are also in tow with Franklin and all will be speaking to the media.

Follow along with live coverage from Chicago here at timesleader.com as well as on Twitter.


Franklin takes the stage

For once, James Franklin said, it’s nice for Penn State to head into a season “with nothing floating over our heads.”

More precisely, perhaps, the Nittany Lions’ problems are much more conventional in 2015.

Instead of sanctions and scholarships, it’s more about the offensive line and protecting quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

“Like last year, our concern isn’t with Christian Hackenberg, it’s about all the pieces around him,” Franklin said.

The Lions will actually be able to field an actual two-deep on the line in training camp with the progress of four redshirt freshmen and the additions of transfers Paris Palmer (Lackwanna College) and Kevin Reihner (Stanford via Scranton Prep).

“I think they have a chip on their shoulder,” Franklin said of his offensive line. “They will be better because of (last year’s) experience. Same with Hackenberg. The toughness is really going to help them.”


New day in Nebraska

Mike Riley and his wife were expecting to remain in Oregon for the rest of his coaching career.

But when the call came from Nebraska last winter, things changed.

“We just looked at each other and said this is something we should talk about,” said Riley, who left Oregon State as the program’s all-time wins leader. “This is a great place. We had time for one more big adventure.

“So here I am in Chicago with a new tie.”

A polar opposite emotionally from predecessor Bo Pelini, the pleasant Riley did say that the toughest thing will be adjusting to Nebraska’s traditional huddle-based offense because the Cornhuskers don’t have the personnel right now to run a no-huddle spread.

“That’s the scary part about transitioning,” Riley said. “At Oregon State, you could go out in spring practice and you could get started easily. Starting over with a huddle is kind of eye-opening. We just have to be careful in what we expect to do.

“But I’m personally excited about being in a new conference. We’re gonna be starting fresh. In my world, going to new places, new stadiums will be really a lot of fun.”


Milestone for Fitzgerald

It wasn’t meant to be a special welcome when the lights in the main room at the event accidentally went down as Pat Fitzgerald took the podium. But it is a special year for the Northwestern coach.

“It’s shocking, amazing, almost surreal to be here for my 10th year,” said Fitzgerald who is actually one of the deans of the conference coaches behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz.

It’s also the 20-year anniversary of the Northwestern Rose Bowl squad that Fitzgerald played on as a standout linebacker.

As for his current team, Fitzgerald said he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback from his three candidates of Zack Oliver, Matt Alviti and promising freshman Clayton Thorson.


Year 2 begins for Rutgers

This year, Kyle Flood didn’t make a point of referring to Penn State as “the team from Pennsylvania.”

The Rutgers coach wasn’t about to stir things up too much, noting that the game at Penn State isn’t until Week 3 and didn’t want to put too much extra emphasis on it right now.

“I think (rivalry) has to happen organically,” Flood said. “You can’t create it.”

That said, he feels the elements are there for it to grow, citing geography, recruiting and competitive games.

Rutgers just missed beating the Nittany Lions last fall but did knock off Michigan at home as well as winning a bowl game for a fairly successful debut in the conference.

“The Big Ten East is the most competitive division in college football,” Flood said. “We’ll get our share. If you go out and do a good job, you’ll get all the attention you deserve.”


Anticipation in Ann Arbor

Michigan made one of the biggest hires in recent years when it landed Jim Harbaugh in the offseason. He has an interesting clean-up job ahead of him at his alma mater, which unceremoniously booted Brady Hoke as well as athletic director Dave Brandon after a depressing stretch for fans.

After several years in the NFL leading the San Francisco 49ers, however, Harbaugh isn’t focused on being well-liked or on fans’ emotions.

“I’m not trying to be popular or anything,” Harbaugh said. “Anyone who is popular is bound to be disliked. Just coaching football.”

He did, however, win some points with Chicago natives by mentioning that he dropped in on his old coach, Mike Ditka, and picked up a Bears Ditka jersey at his restaurant, pulling it out of his bag to display it at the podium.

As for the 2015 Wolverines, he likes how things have started.

“You learn a lot just by observing,” Harbaugh said. “I feel like I’ve been doing that and I feel like our team is getting better. I really do.”


Tough task for Gophers

A year removed from winning Big Ten Coach of the Year, Minnesota’s Jerry Kill is looking for an encore.

But even with most of the league’s heavy hitters in the other division, the Gophers aren’t generating much buzz in the preseason as a contender in the West.

“I’ve never really worried about where we’re picked,” Kill said. “I’m always worried about the end of the year and where you’re at. We keep improving. Keep getting better. Last year I said we’d have a better team. We believe we’ll be more athletic.”

Minnesota has won eight games in back-to-back years under Kill, the first time the program has pulled that off since 2002.

Getting back there won’t be easy as the Gophers actually play the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country this fall. And they open up against No. 2 TCU in Minneapolis on a Thursday night. They visit defending champ Ohio State in November.

“How do you get over the hump?” Kill said. “Gotta recruit better players.”

Kill also gave a positive update on his health after long dealing with problems related to seizures that forced him to briefly step away two seasons ago.

“I’m doing great,” he said. “I’ve been seizure-free now for over a year and a half. I feel great. I’m doing good.”

James Franklin addresses reporters during Big Ten football media days in Chicago on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Big-Ten-Media-Day-Foo_Sopr-2.jpg.optimal.jpgJames Franklin addresses reporters during Big Ten football media days in Chicago on Friday. Paul Beaty | AP photo

By Derek Levarse

[email protected]

Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse

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