Every week at IUSportCom, we will be taking a look around the B1G Leaders and Legends divisions and keeping you up to date with word from around the conference. Here we check out week three developments for the other members of Indiana’s Leaders division.

Illinois (2-0)

Ron Zook prepares this week to lead his team at home against #22 Arizona State in Illinois’ first night game of the season.

“This is a big opportunity,” he said, “to see how we match up against a really good football team from the Pac-12.”

“If we’re going to be involved in the Big Ten picture, we need to be in this game,” he continued. “We’ll show up, play hard and see what happens.”

The Illini enjoyed major contributions last season from sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and senior receiver A.J Jenkins. They will need their offensive production if they hope to keep up with the high-scoring Sun Devil offense, one of the better units in the country.

As for the other side of the ball, the defense will be facing its biggest test to date, in the high-octane Sun Devils and – according to Zook – “We’re excited for the challenge.”

Purdue (1-1)

The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off a disappointing game against Rice, as Carson Wiggs had a field goal blocked in the closing seconds to seal a 24-22 loss. Though the result is no doubt deflating, Danny Hope and the Boilermakers are looking forward to this weekend against Southeast Missouri State.

“We’re encouraged by the team’s potential to get better,” he said on Tuesday.

Hope also mentioned an intriguing strategic wrinkle that Purdue could pull out in the coming weeks before the B1G season begins.

“We’re happy about how (starting quarterback Caleb) TerBush is coming along, but we want to get (Robert) Marve on the field,” Hope stated matter-of-factly. “We were working on making a two quarterback system part of our offense… Marve’s talented and competitive and we want him in the game.”

If successful, incorporating two quarterbacks could be an interesting proposition and make the Boilers marginally more dangerous in conference play.

Penn State (1-1)

Joe Pa’s Nittany Lions are coming off a tough home loss to a more talented Alabama team, but aren’t dwelling on the defeat. Instead, Penn State’s focus is wholly devoted to this week’s road contest against the Temple Owls.

“They’re balanced, organized, physical, enthusiastic and well coached,” an obviously impressed Paterno said of Temple. “We’ll have our hands full.”

In addition to this weekend’s game, Paterno found time to address a recent report that college athletes in the revenue sports could be worth upwards of $100,000 to their universities. In spite of the revelation, Paterno sounded skeptical about (though not against) additional compensation for athletes.

Joe Paterno's balanced Penn State attack is looking to capitalize on a Big Ten championship

“They’re really not getting that bad of a deal,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not against a stipend if it’s watched closely, but not before people stop talking and come up with a concrete plan.”

As the longest tenured coach in college football, Paterno’s opinion is likely to hold some sway in the B1G, so his comments are important to keep in mind as the debate over paying college athletes continues.

Wisconsin (2-0)

The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t missed a beat after quarterback Scott Tolzien’s graduation, mostly because of the outstanding play of senior transfer Russell Wilson.

Wilson transferred to Wisconsin for his senior year after an outstanding career at North Carolina State came to an end when he was released from his scholarship after being drafted by the Colorado Rockies. Wilson has since decided to focus on football full-time. Bret Bielema recently praised Wilson for his ability to adapt to different situations.

“He’s a dynamic person,” Bielema said. “He adapted to the locker room at NC State, he adapted to a minor league locker room and he blends in here. He just fits.”

Wilson has made the offense a good deal more dynamic as well, causing Coach Bielema to good-naturedly lament his defense not having more time to catch its breath.

“We normally grind more on offense, but now we’re scoring quickly,” he said in a voice feigning disappointment. “I guess it’s a good problem to have.”

It is that, and thanks to their newfound explosive offense, the Badgers have their sights set on Pasadena.

Ohio State (2-0)

After suffering a scare at the hands of tiny Toledo, Luke Fickell’s Ohio State Buckeyes will face another definite challenge as they travel to Miami to take on the Hurricanes in a home environment that is always tough on the opposing team. Despite all of the controversy, roster changes and a new coaching staff, Fickell maintains that this year’s Miami team isn’t all that different from last season’s.

“They’re closer to last year’s team than a lot of people think,” he said. “They’ve got some good running backs and a strong offensive line that will pose a challenge.”

The big question in Columbus is if first-year Head Coach Luke Fickell can lead the Buckeyes through the Big Ten gauntlet.

Fickell knows that his team will be playing more than just Miami when they travel south to Coral Gables; distraction will be a big opponent this week.

“Some guys on the team are from there, and they’re excited to go home,” Fickell explained to the press. “But we’ll find out this week how well we handle distraction.”

One of Ohio State’s most talented players, true freshman Braxton Miller, will also be interesting to watch, as his role this week has yet to be defined.

“The plan is for Joe (Bauserman, the senior) to start,” Fickell said. “But we have a plan for Braxton and he’s going to play as well.”

Whether Fickell and the Buckeye coaching staff are playing close to the vest for strategic advantage, or because they really aren’t sure how much Miller will play, how they handle their quarterback situation this week will be the most intriguing development for Ohio State.