A year after compiling the most losses in a football season in Michigan history - nine - the Wolverines’ climb from the netherworlds of the Big Ten can start Monday in Chicago.

The Big Ten has its yearly preseason football media meetings over a two-day span, releasing the preseason media poll and preseason Players of the Year, among other things.

Figure to hear the classic cliche "It is what it is" several times, along with how much better the chemistry and off-season workouts were this year than any other year the senior players speaking had been there. Because, well, that's what every class of seniors say.

Don't expect Michigan to be anywhere near the top of either of the preseason lists. Figure Ohio State and Penn State will occupy the top of the Big Ten poll and Michigan State's Greg Jones likely will figure in somewhere on a Player of the Year list.

As honors are released and coaches and players speak during the two-day media festival, keep yourself logged at annarbor.com for live updates about Michigan and all the other Big Ten teams along with Twitter updates from @davebirkett and @mikerothstein, our two reporters on the scene.

For Dave Birkett, our lead football writer, it's a return to the Big Ten after a hiatus covering the Detroit Lions. Michael Rothstein, our other football writer and lead basketball writer, is a rookie to the Big Ten meetings but is used to the similar experiences from college conferences across the country.

The Big Ten Network will provide coverage for four hours beginning at 11 a.m. Monday. Coverage on ESPNEWS also begins at 11 a.m.