The countdown to college football has flipped from the metric of weeks to the metric of hours.

It’s game week in the Big Ten, and teams are responding accordingly. Coaches are making their final adjustments and completing their depth charts, players are in game mode, and the hype from fans has no end.

There’s a lot going on in the football world right now, and consequently, it’s hard to keep track of the news around the conference. The Daily Iowan has the biggest news around the Big Ten covered. 

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Indiana names starting quarterback, other schools to follow

When there’s hardly anything to talk about in the summer months, college football fans cling to pending position battles. With only mere days until the season, Big Ten programs are announcing who the starters will be in marquee positions come opening day.

Indiana head coach Tom Allen announced Monday that Mike Penix Jr. – a redshirt freshman from Florida – will be the team’s starting quarterback this weekend. Penix effectively replaces last year’s starting quarterback Peyton Ramsey with the move.

“[The decision] was more of what I believe Mike can be,” Allen said. “And so we just let these guys compete, and it was very, as we said all along, it was very close…Peyton understands his role, and the way he handles that and responds to that is critical, and he and I have had a good heart to heart about that.”

Ramsey passed for 2,875 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago but will not make the start for the Hoosiers against Ball State this weekend.

“I’m telling you, it was not some easy decision,” Allen said. “It was a lot of discussions and going back and forth. But you got to follow your gut, follow your heart, and don’t look back.”

Indiana isn’t the last team to figure out its quarterback situation. Maryland, Northwestern, and Rutgers all still need to make starting quarterback decisions in the coming days.

Northwestern geared up for No. 25 Stanford

Most of this weekend’s Big Ten games come with Group of 5 opponents, but Northwestern has a whole different beast on its docket. The Wildcats travel to Stanford to take on the No. 25 Cardinal in an afternoon game on Saturday.

The defending Big Ten West Champion has yet to name its starting quarterback, but the hype surrounding Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson continues to grow. Johnson – a former five-star recruit out of Brownsburg, Indiana – was the No. 1-ranked recruit out of his state, according to 247Sports. Overshadowed by the Clemson quarterback duo Trevor Lawrence and Kelly Bryant, Johnson transferred to Northwestern for a fresh start.

For most of the conference, this weekend’s games will not be a good scope for the rest of the season. The same cannot be said for Northwestern, which has a big immediate challenge and will learn much about itself come Saturday.

“To go on the road, to play a great Stanford team is going to be a daunting task,” Wildcat head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “It’s nothing new. Last year I stood up here and we had to go on the road and play at Purdue. It’s nothing new for us to have a challenge in the opener.”

Although Stanford lost its 2018 Heisman-contending running back Bryce Love to the NFL Draft, it returns its starting quarterback, K.J. Costello, a dark horse Heisman candidate for many. He amassed 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air a year ago.

Northwestern will have its hands full this weekend, but the early-season challenge can only help the team come conference play.