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Illinois Caravan 2012

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Photo by: Rick Danzl

Illinois coaches Tim Beckman and Matt Bolland at Danville Country Club on a stop of the Illinois Caravan Wednesday May 23, 2012.

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Three coaches made their first trip to the annual Big Ten media kickoff this week in Chicago. Here is a comparison of the three, courtesy of News-Gazette football beat writer Bob Asmussen:

TIM BECKMAN, ILLINOIS

Personality: Loud and proud

Fashion sense: All orange and blue, all the time

Sense of humor: Yes

Reminds me of: The late Randy Walker

Big Ten fit: Yes (Ohio State ties)

Quote of the day: “Being around college football for my whole life, rivalries are something that make college football so unique. And even in the Big Ten, I’ve been in those big rivalry football games, and I think it’s something that you breed through your program. We call (Northwestern) the team upstate. And I’m not scared to say that. That’s the school we’re going to call it. We’re going to make it a rivalry, and we’re going to make it a very, very important part of our football season.”

URBAN MEYER, OHIO STATE

Personality: Smooth operator

Fashion sense: Can't picture him in a sweater vest

Sense of humor: Well hidden

Reminds me of: A taller Jim Tressel

Big Ten fit: Yes (Ohio State ties)

Quote of the day: "How do I keep things in order, in check? I think humility is one, also understanding that we're a product of those around us, and it's never about the head football coach, it's about a bunch of players, which is most important, and second most important is a group of coaches."

BILL O'BRIEN, PENN STATE

Personality: Chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder

Fashion sense: Belichick in a suit

Sense of humor: Maybe at next year's event

Reminds me of: George Perles

Big Ten fit: Sure

Quote of the day: "I came from a league where there were 53 players on the roster, eight practice squad players and 45 players on the active roster, 21 on offense, 21 on defense, three specialists on game day. So, I'm pretty well aware of how to handle a roster of 65 scholarship players. So, we have plans in place. I'm not going to get into the details of those. They're already in the works. But I don't think that that's as bad as everybody says it is."