10 Big Conference Calls

With Big 10 Media Days behind us it's time to really focus on football season. This episode dives into Northwestern and Iowa, a pair of teams with sights on the B10 West title. Daniel chats with Benjamin Rosenberg (0:44) with the Daily Northwestern and David Eickholt (10:53) with Hawkeyes on 24/7! It's Episode 28 of Big 10 Conference Calls

Who doesn't love a good schedule deep dive? Over the next seven weeks Daniel will be chatting with two experts per show dissecting all 14 Big Ten football schedules. Our first episode starts with Minnesota and Illinois. Matt Jessen-Howard (0:46) of Minnesota Rivals talks about the revenge tour for PJ Fleck. Then Isaac Trotter (11:19) of Illini Inquirer, 24/7 sports, takes the temperature of Lovie Smith's hot seat. It's Episode 27 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

One final week of basketball previews before we focus on nothing but Big Ten football for months and we know you're excited! Daniel starts with one of the last teams to make the Big Dance last year as BuckeyeGrove.com reporter Kyle Lamb (0:45) talks about the high expectations for 2019-2020 in Columbus. Then Ben Jones (5:08) of StateCollege.com breaks down a strong 2nd half of last year for Penn State and trying to replace a star. Finally, Nathan Denzin (9:16), reporter for the Daily Cardinal gives an offseason update from Madison! It's Episode 26 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

You can't talk about Michigan State without mentioning Michigan, so we cover both basketball offseasons here in addition to some Hawkeye talk! Daniel starts with MLive.com reporter Kyle Austin (1:06) to talk about the reloaded Spartans, then Anthony Broome (6:18) of Maize N Brew gives his opinion on Juwan Howard and his staff, and their non-conference schedule. Finally, Hawkeyes on 24/7 reporter David Eickholt (12:53) talks about some Iowa injury concerns and their brutal pre-conference slate. It's Episode 25 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

This episode is all about basketball once again, but we want to say good luck to Michigan baseball playing for a national championship this week in Omaha. Daniel starts with IlliniInquirer.com's Isaac Trotter (1:06) describing what it takes for Illinois to get back to the Big Dance. Then Matt Jessen-Howard (6:21), the publisher of Minnesota Rivals, breaks down how Goldy can fill the shoes of Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy and reach the tourney again, and finally Drew Davis (11:32) of peegs.com talks about IU's losses and their Big Ten-ACC Challenge opponent! It's Episode 24 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

We keep rolling along with Big Ten basketball check-ins as the pre-conference schedules are nearly all set. Daniel starts with Rutgers reporter for NJ Sports Brian Fonseca (1:34) as Rutgers had a surprise transfer from one of their captains. Then Chris Heady (6:26), Nebraska reporter for Omaha World-Herald, gives his opinion on new head coach Fred Hoiberg. It's Episode 23 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

June means college basketball schedule season! So the next few weeks we'll be talking about the Big East and ACC foes that the Big Ten teams will be facing! This episode starts with Emily Giambalvo (1:14), the Maryland reporter for the Washington Post, as the Terps have just added a new assistant coach to go with a pair of returning studs. Then GoldandBlack.com's Brian Neubert (7:35) talks about the UVA-Purdue rematch and replacing Carsen Edwards. Finally, Louie Vaccher (14:45) of WildcatReport.com It's Episode 22 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

Nothing like some baseball on a warm summer’s day! It was a wild, wacky weekend around the nation for top seeds in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. This episode is all about it! Daniel starts with the beat writer of the team still standing: Michigan. Zach Shaw (1:40) previews the pivotal do-or-die regional final with Creighton. Then Neuhoff Media’s own Kyle Charters (7:42), co-host of ‘The Big Baseball Podcast’ talks about Michigan, IU, and Ohio State’s weekend showing. And finally, 11.7 baseball podcast host Ben Upton (14:03) rates this weekend among the many regionals he’s experienced. It’s Episode 21 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

As we say goodbye to May, we look forward to summer. With summer comes the College World Series, and this episode is all about Big Ten Baseball!! 5 teams are going dancing, with 8 spots up for grabs in Omaha. Daniel talks to IN sportwriters Hall of Famer Andy Graham (1:51) about Indiana's regional, then chats with Husker Online's Mike Wheeler (8:37) about Nebraska unusual draw, and finishes with Illini Inquirer's Isaac Trotter (15:54) about the conference top team (RPI-wise) and their regional! It's Episode 20 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

Was it the craziest weekend in NCAA Softball history? Surely regional weekend history, and at the end of it there are two Big Ten teams still dancing. Daniel has special guest Jen Schroeder (1:00), ESPN co-host of Bases Loaded and former UCLA Bruin, break down the craziness that was a record eight Game 7's. Then the two teams that are moving to the supers. Representing those teams are Benjamin Rosenberg (9:12), of the Daily Northwestern and Softball America, and Paul Hodowanic (15:45), sports editor for the Minnesota Daily News. Buckle up for a roller coaster finish to this softball season, this is Episode 19 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

The student-athletes are done with the semester and ready for summer, so we wrap up the spring football season covering the final three teams that we haven't yet: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State. The Wolverine Lounge writer Daniel Dash (0:56) describes the hype surrounding Michigan entering 2019, Jared Schwartz (5:29) of the Daily Cardinal takes us through the muddy QB situation in Madison, and John McGonigal (9:20) the football beat writer for the Centre Daily Times gives an update on the strength of the PSU Defensive Line. It's Episode 18 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

We take a break from spring football to give recognition to one of the most dramatic finishes in Big Ten softball history. The Michigan Wolverines have taken the title for the 11th time in 12 years, but they needed some help from Minnesota against undefeated Northwestern. From the Daily Northwestern, Sophia Scanlan (1:04) walks us through the heartbreaking finish for the Wildcats. Daniel Dash (5:44), softball beat writer for The Michigan Daily tells us how Michigan won the title yet again, and the sports editor of the Minnesota Daily, Paul Hodowanic (10:50) looks ahead to the Big Ten softball tournament in Bloomington this weekend. It's Episode 17 of the 10 Big Conference Calls!

We continue our look into each Big Ten spring football game as we highlight some unorthodox seasons. Starting with Maryland, as the Terps dealt with heartbreak in 2018. Emily Giambalvo (0:52) of the Washington Post breaks down their spring game that took place this past weekend. Then David Eickholt (5:44) of Iowa's 24/7 team goes over a rebuilt offense, and Louie Vaccar (10:03), the editor of Wildcat Report, walks us through what it would take for a repeat conference division title for Northwestern. It's Episode 16 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

We are deep into spring football, and this episode features Minnesota, Rutgers, and Michigan State. All teams talking about their quarterbacks! Minnesota Rivals publisher Matt Jessen-Howard (0:56) talks expectations for Goldy, Scarlet Nation writer Brian Fonseca (5:03) takes us to a world of imagination and hypotheticals for the Knights and MLive reporter Matt Wenzel (10:38) outlines what Sparty needs to do to reclaim past glory. It's Episode 15 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

Things are getting fun now! Nearly a dozen spring games in the books, and we are talking Indiana, Ohio State, and Nebraska on this episode. Starting things off is Matt Weaver (1:28), peegs reporter in Bloomington. Then Kevin Noon (6:11) talks Justin Fields and life after Urban Meyer for the Buckeyes, and Sean Callahan (11:28) talks up Nebraska ahead of a promising 2019 slate. It's Episode 14 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

Goodbye winter, hello spring football. There's already been one game so we chat with GoldAndBlack.com's Tom Dienhart (1:27) about Purdue's spring game and their needs. Then we preview Illinois' with Doug Bucshon (6:42), of Rivals, including a discussion into the addition of beer at football games in Champaign! Finally, I couldn't not highlight the tremendous season by Megan Gustafson and the Hawkeyes' run to the Elite Eight. Jordan Zuniga (10:58) of the Daily Iowan was there for it all. It's Episode 13 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

It's called Madness for a reason right? And as we turn the calendar to April, we aren't done talking March Madness. Coming off one of the most memorable 2nd weekend's of this glorious tournament, Daniel breaks down both Michigan State and Purdue's games with Dustin Schutte (1:27), the managing editor at Saturday Tradition, then zeroes in on Sparty with MLive reporter Kyle Austin (6:50), and Purdue's historic night with Rebecca Schneider (11:18), the sports editor for the Purdue Exponent. It's Episode 12 of 10 Big Conference Calls!

One week of March Madness in the books, and the Big Ten is making history again with the most opening round victories since the Big East of old... Three B1G teams are still dancing, and we talk to experts from all three: Michigan, Michigan State, & Purdue. Anthony Broome (1:30), the managing editor of Maize N Brew, walks us through Michigan's dominant weekend. Lansing State Journal reporter Mike DeFabo (6:25) discusses Tom Izzo and that first round scare against Bradley, and AP reporter Atreya Verma (10:44) expresses his surprise that Purdue dominated Villanova. It's Episode 11 of the 10 Big Conference Calls!

The best time of the year is upon us! A record 8 Big Ten teams are dancing, and Daniel chats with three reporters to hear their opinions of Iowa, Ohio State, and Wisconsin's road to the Final Four. Kevin Noon (1:34) of BuckeyeGrove.com talks #11 Ohio State's delight to be dancing, Sean Bock (6:33) of HawkeyeNation.com is worried about #10 Iowa's slate, and Jake Nisse (11:35) of the Daily Cardinal breaks down #5 Wisconsin power 5 opponent. It's Episode 10 of the 10 Big Conference Calls!

The regular season is a thing of the past, but man it went so fast! Purdue and Michigan State are co-champs, so we got experts from each of their camps. Bracketologist becomes a widely used word around this time of the year, and Chris Dobbertean (1:04) of SBNation gives his Big Ten breakdown and predicts who to fear. MLive.com's Kyle Austin (6:19) talks Cassius Winston and the Spartans, then Brian Neubert (10:57) of Gold and Black explains how Purdue fans shouldn't be disheartened. It's Episode 9 of the 10 Big Conference Calls!