Jim Delany is sticking around for a little while longer.

Adam Rittenberg reports that ESPN has confirmed with the Big Ten that the longtime commissioner had his contract extended in 2011, which will carry through June 30, 2018. Way to keep things quiet for so long in this media-crazed world we live in.

According to the report, the league's Council of Presidents/Chancellors approved the extension, but the conference decided not to make a public announcement.

His contract was scheduled to come to an end on June 30 of this year.

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The Big Ten previews continue as the month of June rolls on, bringing long days and hot stormy weather (and the Phil Steele magazine, at long last). Week 1 usually provides no more than one or two big games for the conference to focus on, and 2013 is no exception.

However, an undefeated season must start with a first step, and the directional schools of Michigan, Illinois and New York will be those first steps this August. There may be no game with the flash of Michigan State—Boise State, or the star power of Alabama—Michigan, but that does not mean there will be all easy games on the schedule.

In fact, the Big Ten might just lose more than the two games that the conference lost in the opening weekend last year (Penn State to Ohio, Michigan to Alabama). Let's take an early look at how the teams will fare in the opening weekend to close the month of August and bring back college football.

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Jabrill Peppers, 5-star recruit and Michigan commitment, showed off the speed and skill that Wolverine fans can't wait to see at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in South Plainfield, N.J.

According to a report from Jim Lambert of NJ.com, Peppers won the 100-meter and 200-meter races, finishing with times of 10.80 in the 100 and 21.13 in the 200 respectively.

Lambert reports that Peppers broke a Bergen County record with his 200-meter time and it was the No. 4 time in state history, but the Michigan recruit didn't seem satisfied, per Lambert:

If Michigan or college football recruiting fans need any more proof that Peppers is the real deal, look no further than that quote.

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Mark Hollis, athletic director at Michigan State, recently spoke with the Detroit Economic Club about the prospects of Michigan and Michigan State playing under the lights. MLive.com reported that the athletic director is at least open to the possibility, stating:

It is not a definite no, for the 2014 season, but it also is not a definitive yes for the 2014 contest. A contest that is slated to be held in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, a home game for Hollis' team. It is a game that Sparty should not only be open to, but should be looking to embrace.

Not just for themselves, but for the Big Ten as a whole.

On the micro-level, that night game would be a big-time power play for Mark Dantonio and his staff. A packed stadium against a bitter rival is the best place to bring recruits in for a visit. The atmosphere is electric, and with Brady Hoke beating down the doors on the recruiting trail, any advantage the Spartans can get is a plus.

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Michael O'Connor is the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the 2014 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and he's ready to decide where he wants to play football at the college level.

Derek Tyson of ESPN.com reports that even though O'Connor hasn't narrowed down an interest list (at least according to ESPN), he's ready to make his decision:

O'Connor explains his feelings on the recruiting process, per Tyson, and he appears ready to get it over with:

Even though ESPN says he doesn't have a leader, at the moment, it would appear as if Penn State has a good shot to land his commitment.

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The Big Ten is about as watered down as it gets for a BCS conference. There isn't as much balance as there is in other conferences, as it has the feeling of being Ohio State and then everybody else.

 It actually wouldn't be surprising to see even a few Michigan graduates picking the Buckeyes to walk away with the Big Ten title.

This forces us to throw a few bold predictions out there for the first month of the season. Instead of going with the norm and jumping on the bandwagon, let's spice things up a little bit and give some of the other teams a chance.

There are plenty of good games to pay attention to in this conference early in the season. So, let's check out some of the bizarre stuff that will take place.

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Wisconsin worked mighty hard for the better part of two decades to solidify its place near the top of the Big Ten. Although not the cornerstone of the conference, the Badgers have been a fixture in the title race and a player on the national stage..

Now, with expansion in 2014 and the resulting new divisions, Wisconsin is looking at the fallout and wondering how it drew this hand. Sure, the Badgers end up in the West division where the path to a title is quite clear, but they also miss out on yearly dates with the three biggest draws in the conference: Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

After the home game against Penn State this season, the Badgers will not be seeing any of the three until 2016 at the earliest. And they have to hope it is a home game. If not, the fans in Madison can tack on another year without seeing the Wolverines, Buckeyes or Nittany Lions.

Throw in Michigan State, a school with which the Badgers recently have had a rivalry, and four of the Big Ten's six most appealing properties will be on at least a two-year break from visiting Madison.

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Last season, only 10 teams were eligible for the postseason, but that did not stop the Big Ten from filling seven of eight bowl slots. Although the conference missed out on having two BCS bowl games for the first time in a few years, that allowed for better matchups in the bottom-tier bowls.

As usual, the difficult bowl slate did the Big Ten in, as the conference only managed two wins in those seven games. Northwestern and Michigan State brought home wins, and both of those teams are hoping to catapult this momentum into better 2013 seasons.

As we continue our 2013 season previews, let's take a first look at the Big Ten bowl projections for next season.

There are a few rules and assumptions made in selecting these games:

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