Quick Hitters from the Big Ten Meetings

It's not often that substantive news comes out of the Big Ten meetings, as the coaches find creative ways to not answer questions. This year was no different, but a few interesting tidbits were confirmed during the media sessions:

*The trouble tenure of uber-prospect safety Gene Clifford has finally come to a close. Clifford was granted his release and is reported transferring to Tennessee State for a fresh start. A top 100 player in 2007 and a star at the U.S. Army All-American game, Clifford had fans dreaming of the next Mike Doss and Donte Whitner. Instead, they got the next Ira Guilford, as Clifford was frequently in trouble for violating team rules.

*The media guide may have inadvertantly let fans know which players are in the dog house. WR Ray Small, who was supposed to be the second coming of Ted Ginn Jr., didn't receive his own page and was listed by the walk-ons. Coach Tressel dismissed the issue as a "mistake" that he was unaware of, but Small's breakout window may be closing. Also looking to get back in the coaches good graces is CB Donald Washington, who was listed as a second-teamer behind Chimdi Chekwa. Washington has had a few minor incidents, and it's possible that he might miss time during the scrimmages, err, games against Youngstown State and Ohio.

*Terrelle Pryor is sort of a big deal. The media couldn't contain themselves about Pryor asking Coach Tressel and everyone else about his possible impact. Everyone's anxious to get a look at the nation's #1 incoming freshman, and Tressel sang his praises fore talent, character and work ethic. On the other hand, the coaches that missed out on Pryor were less than enthused. Penn State's Joe Paterno called a question about Pryor "dumb", and The Rod used his standard line about only talking about Michigan players. How much action Pryor sees will be a hot topic when the season kicks off. I'm most interested to see if his playing time is telegraphed involvement, or whether the coaches can truly integrate him into the offense.

*The topic of conference strength was discussed at length, as Ohio State continues to reap the benefits of getting bludgeoned in back-to-back title games. The coaches acknowledges they needed to start winning the high profile games to turn around the national perception. None will be bigger than Ohio State's September 13 trip to star-studded USC.