(Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)
The year 2006 ended with an epic clash between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan in Columbus.
But in a year's time, OSU was defeated after being a heavy favorite in the National Championship Game, UM lost to Appalachian State, and the conference continued its losing streak to USC.
A once proud conference suddenly became crestfallen, lowered by some ESPN analysts to the level of Conference USA.
Growing up in Big Ten country, it pains me because the conference has a rich history and tradition. So many great coaches including Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and Hayden Fry hail from the Midwest.
But there is no doubt that in the eyes of many observers, especially those in the SEC and Los Angeles, the conference as a whole is down.
The Big Ten took another hit in 2008 after a 1-6 bowl record.
How did all of this happen so fast?
Here's a look at some of the main storylines that have been issues for teams in the Big Ten, and what has been done to reverse these trends in recent years as well.
Recruiting Issues
The best programs in the country have a need for restocking the cupboards year after year with new talent.
Programs like USC have been revitalized because they have recruited amazingly this decade. Conversely, programs like Nebraska, for example, have not done so well recently.
For a period from 2005-2007, according to Rivals.com, only twice has a Big Ten team drawn a recruiting ranking within the top 10. By comparison, the last two years saw Ohio State in the top five of Rivals' recruiting rankings for both years.
And in 2009, the Big Ten only had 28 players drafted, nine less than the SEC, and the fewest players (six) drafted in the first two rounds among BCS conferences.
The aforementioned period has relevance because players from those years have been upperclassmen in the recent seasons.
Since then, coaches like Ron Zook and Rich Rodriguez, good recruiters themselves, have brought much more talent up north.
Ohio State and Penn State have also made great strides in the recruiting fields, and even Michigan State is catching on.
Overall, there seems to be a small improvement on the talent coming up to the Midwest, and time will tell if that translates to improved play.
Inconsistent Quarterback Play
In the most recent NFL draft, only one Big Ten QB was drafted, Curtis Painter of Purdue.
Even though most of the top QBs in the conference are dual-threats, the conference lacks a true great passer with elite ability, at least right now. That could easily change, of course.
Going back to recruiting, three of the ESPN Elite 11 quarterbacks from the class of 2010 have committed to Big Ten schools: Chandler Whitmer to Illinois, Devin Gardner to Michigan, and Robert Bolden to Penn State.
The most important position in all of sports is so crucial to team success, and a team like Wisconsin who had inconsistent QB play last season suffered.
No doubt play at the position should be solid this season, with Daryll Clark, Juice Williams, Ricky Stanzi, and Terrelle Pryor all returning to start. And it will take the spectacular to raise eyebrows about the quarterback position in the Big Ten.
Weak Scheduling and the Bowl System
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