In a smash-mouth league where yardage tends to be tough to come by, there hasn't been much middle ground this fall. While Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin are dueling for no-show of the year, Iowa and Minnesota have broken through for big gains, and never mind that they have yet to face some of their toughest opponents.

In what might be the most important development for the Big Ten, which has taken a beating lately in comparison with other power conferences, Ohio State is showing signs it will be the national-championship contender the conference has lacked for some time.

Irish Waking Up National Title Talk

After several seasons of angst, on and off the field, the Golden Dome is aglow again. Notre Dame, under master polisher Tyrone Willingham, has removed the tarnish, and put itself in position to compete for the national championship. Elsewhere among the independents, South Florida also has a lot to be proud of. The Bulls are coming off back-to-back victories over Southern Miss and East Carolina, two traditional powers in Conference USA, which South Florida will join -- and contend immediately in, it appears -- next season. While Connecticut, Navy, Troy State and Utah State all have had more disappointments than successes in the first half of the season, they also have had some good moments. UConn had back-to-back wins early. Navy won its first game under its new coach, ending a 10-game losing streak. Troy State was surprisingly competitive in losses at Nebraska and Mississippi State. And Utah State edged New Mexico and nearly dropped BYU. Biggest surprise: Notre Dame. Given their situation, seven wins would have been a good total for the season. And yet here they are with seven wins, and they have five more chances to win. Biggest disappointment: Troy State. The Trojans, coming off an impressive 7-4 season, haven't clicked as well as they would have liked this fall. Midseason MVP: Carlyle Holiday. The Notre Dame quarterback doesn't have individual numbers and he doesn't direct a particularly imposing offense. But he's the linchpin in what has been an Irish start that destined for a place in Notre Dame lore. Midseason Coach of the Year: Tyrone Willingham. If he keeps this magic up, they won't just give him coach-of-the-year awards. They'll name one after him. Bowl bound: Notre Dame. And the Irish are in good position for a BCS bowl bid, if not a slot in the national championship game. -- Herb Gould

The talent-laden Buckeyes have some formidable hurdles left, notably Penn State and Michigan. But they are jelling into a powerhouse, with true freshman Maurice Clarett as their poster boy. Clarett is putting up Heisman-worthy numbers, and the Buckeyes -- after a few sub-par seasons, by their lofty standards -- are flexing their muscles. Junior quarterback Craig Krenzel, who still has to prove he can be successful under big-game pressure, is the main question. But he's handled everything so far.

Iowa will find out where it stands at Michigan this week. But win or lose, the Hawkeyes are poised for a banner year. Save for a blown lead in their lone loss, 36-31 at home to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes would be flying even higher. Credit a rugged offensive line, the emergence of running back Fred Russell and an opportunistic defense.

The schedule has been Minnesota's friend in its 7-1 start, its best since its last Rose Bowl trip in 1961. But the young Gophers, who face ranked teams the next three weeks, already have accomplished plenty for a school that has had only one winning season since 1990.

The jury is still out on traditional powers Michigan and Penn State, which are off to solid starts but face key tests that will determine whether they live up to their usual high standards.

Among the teams that are taking more hits than they're giving out, it isn't surprising that Northwestern has reverted to its traditional doormat status. Nor is it shocking that Purdue, which found ways to win when it had stellar Drew Brees at quarterback, is finding ways to lose. As for Indiana, a big win over Wisconsin provided temporary relief in what remains a rebuilding year.

That leaves under-achievers Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin, who can't seem to put anything together. The Illini showed early on, in a 1-3 non-conference record lowlighted by a 38-31 home loss to San Jose State, that last year's 10-2 march was a case of the stars aligning magically over Central Illinois for one glorious autumn.

Then it was the Spartans' turn. One surprising loss (Cal) led to another (Notre Dame) and the next thing you knew, Michigan State, which had been expected to challenge for the conference championship, had lost four of five despite an abundance of talent, including record-setting wide receiver Charles Rogers.

If there's a coach on the hot seat in the Big Ten, it has to be Bobby Williams. The issue is delicate because Williams is one of the nation's four African-American head coaches. But don't be misled by the rah-rah stuff. College football is big business. And with the Spartans in disarray, the bottom line is the bottom line.

Illinois' failure to step up merely shows that it, like Purdue and Northwestern in recent years, can catch lightning in a bottle occasionally. But over the long haul, there are good reasons Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State are perennial contenders. Start with superior recruiting bases and cash-infusing giant stadiums that are filled every week.

That leaves Wisconsin as the Big Ten's final disappointment. The Badgers were supposed to be solid thanks to a punishing running game, an experienced quarterback and a defense that couldn't help but improve after struggling last year. Wisconsin dodged some bullets in a 5-0 nonconference start, but a shocking loss at Indiana, sandwiched between home losses to Penn State and Ohio State, has reduced the Badgers to a salvage mission.

What it adds up to is a conference that's closer to the bottom of the power-conference pecking order than the top. But if the Buckeyes to keep rolling, they could take some heat off of a league that has been taking a lot of hits nationally the last few years.

Biggest surprise: Iowa. Kirk Ferentz, who's doing a fine job of molding a unit that gets the most out of its talent, has built around a veteran offensive line, and found a running back in Fred Russell. The most encouraging part for the Hawkeyes is that their talent base figures to improve in the coming years. That, combined with an excellent coaching staff, could keep Iowa rolling.

Biggest disappointment: Michigan State. After going 3-5 in conference play in last year's injury-riddled campaign, the Spartans were supposed to be much improved, with the wounded returning to join with experienced youngsters who had been pressed into action early. It hasn't worked out that way, despite having a receiver, Charles Rogers, who's one of the nation's top players. Michigan State, coming off a humiliating 28-7 home loss to Minnesota Saturday, still can get some things done. But it will need a major regrouping after losing four of its last five.

Midseason MVP: Maurice Clarett. Ohio State's freshman runner hasn't merely lived up to his considerable hype. He has exceeded it. If not for the traditional bias against freshmen, he'd be in the thick of the Heisman chase. And he's already the subject of talk that he might test the NFL's rule barring players from turning pro less than three years out of high school.

Midseason Coach of the Year: Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes don't measure up when it comes to recruiting-class rankings. Some of their best players, in fact, are walk-ons. But they measure up fine on Saturdays, and that's a credit to former NFL offensive-line coach Ferentz, who has made Iowa solid in the trenches and found enough coachable skill players to put some oomph in an Iowa program that had lost its edge in Hayden Fry's final years.

Bowl bound: In the Bowls-R-Us Big Ten, there are seven bids available thanks to tie-ins. The question is whether the Big Ten can qualify seven teams for postseason play. Four teams -- Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota -- already are bowl-eligible. A fifth, Penn State, is a lock to join them. And a sixth, Wisconsin, has a good chance to limp in and join them despite an 0-3 start in Big Ten play.

The leading candidate for the seventh bid is Michigan State. The Spartans, who are 3-4, need to win three of their remaining five games. The trouble is, after stumbles in unexpected places, they'll need to get their act together against a schedule that could be troublesome for a struggling team.

Purdue also has an outside shot, but needs to win three of its last four. Northwestern, Michigan State and Indiana are possibilities, but with Ohio State also left, the Boilermakers can't afford the miscues that have hindered them in their 3-5 start.

Around the Big Ten

Illinois
The Illini weren't supposed to have enough to defend their Big Ten championship. But with 14 starters back, they were expected to finish above .500 and keep the momentum going. Instead, they have followed last year's surprising championship with this year's surprising struggles. The defense has been shredded regularly and quarterback has been a two-headed monster.

Midseason MVP: Brandon Lloyd. The redshirt junior receiver, who's now leaning toward not turning pro after this season, has been one of the few bright spots for Illinois. Despite attracting considerable defensive attention, Lloyd leads the Big Ten in receptions (6.3 a game) and is second in receiving yards (114.4).

What's next: After digging a hole against what shaped up as a manageable nonconference schedule, the Illini figure to have trouble digging out in their remaining conference games, and building for the future also has been unsettled. The waffling between junior quarterbacks Dustin Ward and Jon Beutjer has made it difficult for either to gain experience for next season. And a season-ending injury for sophomore tailback Morris Virgil (broken fibula) also takes away what could have been some important seasoning for 2003.

Indiana
A rousing rally to beat Wisconsin on Oct. 12 has brightened what shaped up as a long transition year under new coach Gerry DiNardo. The Hoosiers are still undermanned in talent and depth, but the Badger win, even if Wisconsin is struggling, gave hope and legitimacy to a new coaching staff at a school that hasn't been competitive in years.

Midseason MVP: Gibran Hamdan. The senior quarterback, who began the season No. 2 behind Tommy Jones, obviously is not the future. But he's given beleaguered Indiana a present.

What's next: Now that it has shown it can be competitive this fall against Big Ten teams, Indiana has some opportunities to pick up some more wins in its final five games. Several are against struggling programs. The key for IU is to build a momentum base for recruiting.

Iowa
The Hawkeyes aren't dazzling. But they're playing solid, confident football. And when they have problems in one phase of the game, they are doing things well enough in other areas to overcome them. As a result, they are off to their best start since 1991, when they finished 10-1-1

Midseason MVP: Brad Banks, in a close call. Fred Russell, who's second in Big Ten rushing, has been a pleasant discovery, and Iowa has plenty of other quality contributors on both sides of the ball. But Banks is pushing the right buttons, as evidenced by his tidy 15 touchdown passes with only four interceptions.

What's next: The Hawkeyes will find out how far they can go at Michigan Saturday. That's their last scheduled game against a ranked team, so they could go all the way to Pasadena if they pass the Wolverines test. Iowa does not play Ohio State, the Big Ten's other conference unbeaten.

Michigan
The Wolverines aren't dominant. Four of their wins have come by a total of 10 points. But winning close games isn't necessarily a bad sign as long as you keep it up. The defense isn't imposing as expected; it has been vulnerable to big plays. But it is still very capable, and Michigan has a lot of athletes on offense, athletes who can beat less talented opponents.

Midseason MVP: John Navarre. Like it or not, and many Michigan fans don't, the Wolverines' often-criticized QB will determine how much Michigan accomplishes this fall. He's not going to bowl anybody over alone, but he has quality help around him. And his 14 touchdowns and four interceptions are the sign of a quarterback who can keep his team out of trouble.

What's next: Michigan has a lot of football to play, beginning with Iowa Saturday. The Wolverines also have their instate rivals, the underachieving Spartans, who are capable of being a spoiler, and the annual season-ender with Ohio State. Toss in a trip to Minnesota, which is playing well, and underachieving Wisconsin, and Michigan, which has been winning close, can't afford many mistakes.

Michigan State
What was supposed to be a big year has turned into a big bust. The first cracks showed against Cal, and never mind that the Golden Bears are much improved. The Spartans then blew a chance to beat Notre Dame, which scored the game-winning touchdown when two Spartans defenders bumped each other in a play that typifies MSU's struggles. Despite a talent-laden roster, Michigan State has come apart, losing four of its last five.

Midseason MVP: Charles Rogers. Through all the turmoil, the junior from Saginaw, Mich., who's headed for big things in the NFL, has kept doing what he does. Rogers caught touchdown passes in 14 consecutive games, an NCAA-record, before hitting the wall the last two games as teams loaded up on him. Rogers leads the conference in receiving yards (123 per game) and is second in receptions per game (6.14).

What's next: The Spartans still have time to accomplish some things. Even trips to Michigan and Penn State, which look ominous now, are within their grasp if they start playing up to their preseason hype. They must be considered a longshot to turn things around, considering the way things have gone so far. But they still have a talented roster. And if they don't get their act together, the repercussions will linger beyond this season. That ought to be motivation.

Minnesota
Dealt a winning hand by their own soft nonconference scheduling and catching some struggling opponents in their early Big Ten games, the Gophers have played their cards right. Their 7-1 start is their best since 1961, their last Rose Bowl trip. What's especially encouraging for the future is that Minnesota is hardly playing any seniors, which gives it a chance to keep this year's success going.

Midseason MVP: Asad Abdul-Khaliq. The junior quarterback has grown on the job. He's mobile and mature, and his numbers show it. Abdul-Khaliq has thrown 14 touchdown passes and only four interceptions, and the problems he creates have opened up running lanes for Terry Jackson II and Thomas Tapeh.

What's next: The Gophers' final four games will be a major step up in weight class. Their next three opponents -- Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa -- are a combined 21-2, and their final game, at Wisconsin, is always an intense rivalry meeting. The key will be to play well, gain some experience and see what happens.

Northwestern
Injuries have exacerbated their problems, but the problems are many. The defense is a certifiable disaster area, adding to the burden on an offense that has worn down. The Wildcats are 116th out of 117 teams in the nation in total defense, allowing 516.1 yards a game, and have held only two opponents under 39 points. The offense has done better, but the broken leg that knocked freshman Brett Basanez out for the season at Minnesota on Oct. 10 was a tough one. The Wildcats have returned to sophomore Tony Stauss.

Midseason MVP: Jason Wright. The junior from Diamond Bar, Calif., is averaging 98.2 yards a game, sixth in the conference, and has provided a bright spot in an otherwise-difficult season for Northwestern.

What's next: The Wildcats still have three home games left against sub-.500 teams -- Purdue, Indiana and Illinois. They'll try to pull out some wins while gaining experience for the future. But the lesson learned is that a team like NU can't lose players like quarterback Zak Kustok and running back Damien Anderson, plus a corps of outstanding linebackers, and remain competitive.

Ohio State
Second-year coach Jim Tressel -- who knows about winning championships from his days at Youngstown State, where he won four Division I-AA crowns -- has the Buckeyes in contention for their first national championship since 1968. They still face many potential stumbling blocks, including home dates with Penn State and Michigan. But the buttoned-down Tressel has molded a poised, balanced team that knows how to put its many gifted athletes in position to break down opponents, on both sides of the ball.

Midseason MVP: Maurice Clarett. The freshman running back has done everything one could ask, and never mind that he was a high-school stud a year ago. Clarett is fourth in the nation in rushing (140 yards a game) and third in the nation in scoring (12.9 points a game).

What's next: The Buckeyes have had some narrow escapes, at Cincinnati 23-19 and at Wisconsin 19-14 on Saturday. Now, their toughest remaining games will be at home. The key will be to keep doing what they have been doing while handling the pressure that builds to keep a perfect season unblemished.

Penn State
Joe Paterno, who has had some legitimate gripes about officiating, has been in the spotlight for whining as well as winning this fall, but that's a big improvement from the last two falls, when losing was the issue. The Nittany Lions -- who have opened up their offense and steeled their resolve -- are two overtime losses, to Iowa and Michigan, away from being unbeaten. They're positioned well for a quality bowl bid, and they have put a lid on talk that it might be time for their 75-year-old coach to retire.

Midseason MVP: Zack Mills. The mobile lefthanded sophomore has ignited Penn State's offense, making plays and creating opportunities for the Nittany Lions' other skill players. Under Mills' savvy leadership, running back Larry Johnson and wideout Bryan Johnson, have had opportunities to shine, and they have helped Mills make the Penn State offense potent.

What's next: Penn State will determine the parameters of its season at Ohio State this week. The two overtime losses leave the Nittany Lions with only a glimmer of a chance to sneak into a share of the conference title. But after the Buckeyes, none of Penn State's remaining Big Ten opponents have winning records. The Nittany Lions also have a nonconference meeting left with Virginia before heading off to their first bowl trip in three years.

Purdue
The Boilermakers have lost their five games by a total of 22 points, including three by a mere eight points. But they also have made enough mistakes that no one outside of Boilermaker Pete can ignore the pattern. Joe Tiller, an innovative spread-offense leader, doesn't look as clever these days. In their second season without Drew Brees, the Boilers are still looking for some stability at quarterback, and never mind the next great Purdue QB.

Midseason MVP: John Standeford. Through two quarterbacks and a season of near-misses, the junior receiver has remained a hit. Standeford is third in the league in receptions (5.62) and receiving yards (109.4), and has caught eight touchdown passes.

What's next: Tiller needs to settle on a quarterback. Sophomore Kyle Orton, who bumped Brandon Hance at midseason last year, has been bumped this fall by true freshman Brandon Kirsch. The changes have hindered what used to be a high-flying offense, and special-teams disasters have greased the way for Purdue's struggles. The Boilers can still slip into a bowl by winning three of the last four, which looks possible thanks to the schedule. But the 24-21 home loss to Wake Forest, which resulted in the public disciplining of four Big Ten officials, has taken away any cushion they might have had.

Wisconsin
Going into the season, the Badgers' prospects looked rosy, if not Rose Bowl-y. They had a standout runner, Anthony Davis, and another imposing offensive line, which Barry Alvarez said might be his best. Their defense, which had struggled last fall, figured to be improved. They had two experienced quarterbacks, Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi, who seemed capable enough, especially because All-Big Ten wideout Lee Evans was expected back from a major knee injury by midseason. But Evans never returned, shut down for good this week because he needs more time to recover from offseason ACL surgery, and the same could be said for Wisconsin. After going 5-0 despite problems in nonconference play, the problems have become glaring in their 0-3 conference start.

Midseason MVP: Anthony Davis. Even if he hasn't built on last season, when he finished fifth in the nation in rushing as a freshman, that's more a reflection of Wisconsin's multitude of other problems.

What's next: The Badgers, who are playing 13 regular-season games, still look capable of slipping into a bowl bid. But it's unlikely to be a glamourous trip for a team that has seen its Big Ten championship hopes disappear from view.

Around the Independents

Connecticut
Another frustrating loss, to Temple 38-24, dropped the Huskies to 2-5 and saddled them with a three-game losing streak. The 48-14 loss to top-ranked Miami went true to form. But UConn had chances to win in the loss to Temple and a 24-21 overtime loss to Ball State, a sign that it is still growing into its Division-IA role.

Midseason MVP: Terry Caulley. The 5-7, 178-pound freshman is averaging 105 rushing yards a game and has scored four of the Huskies' nine touchdowns.

What's next: UConn knows nothing's going to come easy, but it figures to have some reasonable matchups in its next four games -- against Vanderbilt, Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Navy -- before finishing up at Iowa State.

Navy
The Midshipmen (1-6) have failed to follow up on their emotional opener, a 38-7 upset win at SMU. New coach Paul Johnson is frustrated along with his team's mistakes, but Navy is digging in its heels, determined to get better.

Midseason MVP: Quarterback Craig Candeto leads the team in rushing (79.6 yards a game, eight touchdowns) as well as passing (79.1 yards a game, two touchdowns).

What's next: Navy has one more chance to improve, at Tulane Oct. 26, before its annual meeting with Notre Dame on Nov. 9. The Midshipmen also are intent on peaking for their season finale, the Army-Navy game at East Rutherford, N.J., which already is sold out.

Notre Dame
Hats off to Tyrone Willingham, who has the Fighting Irish a perfect 7-0, a record that seemed out of reach for Notre Dame when it began its first campaign under its new coach. Sure, the luck of the Irish has played a role in several close contests. But so has the pluck of the Irish, who have have used remarkable defense and special teams to overcome some dubious offensive efforts.

Midseason MVP: It's open to debate because there have been so many heroes on defense, and Arnaz Battle has been rock-solid at receiver. But the pick here remains quarterback Carlyle Holiday, who's learning on the job, and learning well enough to keep Notre Dame winning.

What's next: ND faces its biggest test at Florida State Saturday. If the Irish can deal with the Seminoles, who came within yet another missed field goal of knocking off top-ranked Miami, they will put a lid on questions about whether they are as good as their No. 6 ranking. After Florida State, Notre Dame's toughest remaining game will be at USC on Nov. 30.

South Florida
The Bulls (5-2), who are on a roll, are showing they're going to be a handful when they begin Conference USA play next fall. They followed up last week's 16-13 home victory over Southern Miss with a 46-30 win at East Carolina. That's a pair of victories over two of C-USA's better programs.

Midseason MVP: Quarterback Marquel Blackwell threw for 321 yards and a school-record five touchdowns at East Carolina. For the season, Blackwell is averaging 231.6 passing yards and has thrown 11 touchdown passes.

What's next: The Bulls have two more Conference USA opponents to play. They will host Memphis Nov. 9 and travel to Houston on Nov. 23. In another intriguing matchup, they'll play host to unbeaten No. 22 Bowling Green on Nov. 16.

Troy State
The Trojans (2-6) are hitting the wall. They put up a late touchdown to avoid being shut out in their 24-7 loss at Marshall, but were defeated for the fourth time in five games.

Midseason MVP: Quarterback Hansell Bearden has passed for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

What's next: Beginning with this week's homecoming game against Florida Atlantic, Troy State has some chances to finish with a flourish. The Trojans also travel to Arkansas, face Florida A&M in Mobile, Ala., and wind up their season at home against Utah State.

Utah State
The Aggies (2-5) celebrated the news that they will compete in the Sun Belt Conference next season by knocking off New Mexico 45-44. It was Utah State's first win over a Mountain West Conference school in 15 games in six years, and an indication of how their season has gone: Lots of scoring, but lots of points allowed.

Midseason MVP: Kevin Curtis, who led the nation in receptions last season (100), has caught 44 passes, 15th in the nation, and pulled in 763 receiving yards.

What's next: The Aggies, who are in their second season as an independent since the Big West Conference curtailed football competition, are excited to be joining the Sun Belt Conference. "The university is taking a major step forward," school president Kermit L. Hall said. "We believe it is imperative to establish our competitive quality given the changes in the NCAA, and joining the Sun Belt is the very best opportunity to do so."

Herb Gould covers college football for the Chicago Sun-Times.