Big Ten Football: Danny O'Brien Visiting Wisconsin and Penn State

Former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien, who announced his intentions to transfer after being benched by new head coach Randy Edsall last season, may be en route to the Big Ten.

O'Brien, who was the 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year, quickly found himself out of favor after Randy Edsall took over the Maryland program, and was benched twice after struggling at the helm of the program.

One area where O'Brien didn't struggle, however, was the classroom, and that's one main reason why the Big Ten is on his radar. O'Brien earned enough credits to graduate after this semester, so despite only being a fourth-year junior, he'll be able to use the graduate transfer exemption to avoid losing a year of D-I eligibility.

That's good news, because there are two high-profile Big Ten programs that need immediate help at quarterback, and O'Brien's visiting both of them.

O'Brien reportedly visited Penn State last week, according to the Daily Collegian, and he personally told BadgerNation.com that he would be visiting Wisconsin this coming weekend.

He's also got a visit to Ole Miss lined up according to CBS' Bruce Feldman, and there's no telling what other schools may join the mix as O'Brien (potentially) expands his search for the right school in the coming weeks or even months.

The fact of the matter is, though, that if O'Brien comes to the Big Ten, he's stepping into what's essentially a 50-50 shot at a Big Ten Leaders Division title. There are only three programs that would plausibly win that division in 2012: Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State.

You may have recognized the last two as the schools that O'Brien is visiting, since they're in such dire need of help at quarterback.

If Penn State or Wisconsin don't get a better arm, they're probably not going to beat out Ohio State. Put Danny O'Brien at the helm of one of those programs, though, and all of a sudden we've got ourselves a division race.

(Ole Miss, meanwhile, won't be winning the SEC West title this year even with Peyton Manning at QB. Just saying.)

As to whether Wisconsin or Penn State would be a better fit for O'Brien, that's obviously his call to make, but both offer quite a bit of incentive. O'Brien brings elements of the styles of Scott Tolzien and Russell Wilson, who both thrived under Bret Bielema to the point of making the Rose Bowl. Montee Ball's return means O'Brien can ease into the offense before taking over as the focal point his senior year.

Meanwhile, at Penn State, Bill O'Brien (no relation) was one of the premier offensive coaches in the NFL last year, guiding the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl as their offensive coordinator. He's young, talented, and could desperately use a quarterback who's better than Matt McGloin or Rob Bolden.

Yes, that's a low hurdle to clear, but if Penn State puts up even one more touchdown per game next season (PSU averaged about 19 ppg in 2011), the Nittany Lion defense should be dominant enough to get their team back to at least nine wins and perhaps more—and a shot at the Leaders Division crown.

O'Brien is in a win-win situation in the Big Ten. Wisconsin and Penn State are both hoping he recognizes that.