Football news from around the Big Ten

It's almost two months until Ohio State starts preseason football practice.

Things are pretty quiet around OSU. But, as any Ohio State fan will tell you, it's never too early to start thinking about football season.

So, if you're in need of some football talk in the middle of baseball season, here's a look at what's been going on around the rest of the Big Ten between the end of spring practice and now:

Illinois

Coach Ron Zook, a flying enthusiast, spent two days on the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis recently.

Zook has been flying since he took lessons at age 13.  He made his first solo flight when he was 16 years old.

Indiana

Indiana might have to replace the five-year-old artificial turf at Memorial Stadium after a recent storm damaged it.

High winds drove a large amount of water under the turf, causing a 10-inch deep sinkhole under parts of it. "Part of the turf just collapsed, like one of those landslides you see in California, where the foundation just goes out from under it," athletic director Rick Greenspan said.

Iowa

In-state rivals Iowa and Iowa State have extended their football series through 2017. Iowa leads the series 36-17.

"Like anyone ever thought it was going to die," Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said about the series after the extension.

Michigan

The Wolverines aren't getting too many people excited about next season, but one Las Vegas betting service recently gave only nine teams a better chance than Michigan of winning the BCS championship game.

According to Bodog, Michigan is a 30-1 shot to win the BCS game. Southern California is the favorite at 3-1. Ohio State, Florida and Georgia were all rated at 6-1.

Michigan State

The Spartans' latest verbal commitment for its 2009 recruiting class came from an Ohio player, receiver Patrick White, of Pickerington Central. He also was recruited by Oregon, Louisville, Kansas, Indiana and Cincinnati.

Minnesota

Sam Maresh, the Gophers' top 2008 recruit, will undergo heart surgery on June 26 that could end his football career.

The surgery will replace Maresh's aortic valve. The linebacker was ranked among the top 250 recruits in the country and was a three-time state champion in wrestling.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster called him "the most important football player in this recruiting class" on signing day in February.

Northwestern

Former Notre Dame linebacker Aaron Nagel is transferring to Northwestern, where his brother Brett is one of the incoming recruits. Aaron Nagel did not get any playing time in 2007 at Notre Dame and was listed No. 3 at outside linebacker this spring.

Penn State

Linebacker Sean Lee continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired right knee. Lee, who was No. 2 on the Nittany Lions in tackles last season, will not play this year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus during spring practice.

Purdue

When he was drafted in the first round by the New York Jets, former Boilermaker tight end Dustin Keller, promised his mom that his first big purchase would be for her. He delivered on Mothers Day.

As Keller and his four brothers and their mom walked out of church on Mothers Day, he pointed to a silver BMW parked on the street and asked her how she liked it. Then he produced the keys and gave them to her.

Wisconsin

Fresno State apparently was determined to have Wisconsin play in Fresno on Sept. 13. The California school reportedly turned down a guarantee of more than $1 million from a promoter not associated with the University of Wisconsin to move the game to Green Bay's Lambeau Field.  Fresno State, it seems, wanted no part of leaping to Lambeau.