Seems Rutgers has a new starting QB | Big Ten notes

Rutgers coach Chris Ash declared an open quarterback competition for the starting job on Monday, according to nj.com. By Tuesday, there was a clear front-runner. And it wasn't Kyle Bolin, who started the first five games of the season.

Redshirt junior Giovanni Rescigno emerged in the lead, taking snaps with the first-team offense at practice Tuesday. The Scarlet Knights are 1-4 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten.

Offensive coordinator Jerry Kill "talks to us and lets us know what's going on," Rescigno said, according to nj.com. "Competition is going to make all of us better. The ultimate goal is for the team to have success. That's what we all want."

No. 9 Ohio State will have two more weapons on defense against Nebraska this weekend with the return of nose guard Michael Hill and defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Hill, a fifth-year senior, missed the first six games of the season due to a suspension for an undisclosed reason.

The Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0) also expect Jones, a defensive tackle, to play against the Cornhuskers (3-3, 2-1) after missing the last two games because of a leg injury.

The top team of the Big Ten West is beaten up after facing Nebraska last week. According to Wisconsin's weekly preliminary injury report, released Monday, six players are listed as questionable to play against Purdue this weekend.

Among those are running back Chris James (left leg) and safety Patrick Johnson (right arm), who were injured last Saturday and didn't return to the game, according to SB Nation. Defensive end Chikwe Obasih and wide receiver George Rushing are both out with left leg injuries.

Indiana is the only thing that stands in the way of the Michigan-Penn State white-out game next Saturday. And based on the Wolverines' performance last week, a favorable outcome doesn't look too promising.

Michigan fell from the unbeaten ranks with five turnovers in Saturday's 14-10 home loss to Michigan State. The offense will have to be more consistent and work on ball security to match up against conference opponents down the stretch.

And that's exactly what it worked on this week. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Wolverines went through their usual ball security drill during practice Tuesday, but it was more "intense" than usual, running back Chris Evans said.

"Even if you didn't have the ball, you felt like you had to do something," Evans said, according to the Free Press. "Even the trainers were holding the Gatorade bottles a little tighter."

After suffering a 62-14 defeat at Ohio State last week, Maryland (3-2, 1-1) is looking to bounce back in time for its 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Northwestern (2-3, 0-2) Saturday.

"There's obviously a lot of things we need to clean up and do better," coach DJ Durkin said in a conference call Tuesday. "We know we have a very well-coached, good football team coming into our stadium on Saturday. So preparations are in the works."

When Michigan State topped Michigan, Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke had a similar reaction to that of former Michigan State standouts Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook when they first beat the Wolverines.

"They were both just like Brian," coach Mark Dantonio said on a conference call Tuesday. "They were very excited, sort of felt an accomplishment, a completion. I think they both understood it was a team thing and everybody benefited, just like everybody benefits in any big win."