Much like a college student after taking a midterm exam, a team in the Big Ten conference is forced to move on to next week, regardless of the result of its last big test. With the season nears the halfway point, football coaches across the Big Ten conference recognize the fact that a lot can — and will — change in the weeks to come.

There are few better examples of this than Michigan State.

One of the season’s fast starters, the Spartans jumped out to a quick 4-0 record at the beginning of the season, only to lose the next two games in conference play.

"It's frustrating to lose, but you have to crawl out of bed the next day and get back to work," Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said.

With Ohio State establishing itself as an early frontrunner in the conference race, it is especially important the undefeated Buckeyes don't lose focus.

"It's fun to talk about, and it's fun to prognosticate, and all that … but we've got some of the best teams in the country out in front of us," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said.

"Consistency is the hallmark of greatness, and we're only halfway through the journey."

The journey Tressel referred to was made harder last year with the removal of a bye week during the season. Without a week to refresh, maintaining mental toughness becomes even more important.

Most coaches agreed mental toughness is taught to players during high school and then built on throughout their career, making finding the right players so important in the long haul.

"The key is, if you've recruited good people that takes care of itself," Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said.

While recruiting the right players is important to teams maintaining mental toughness, a lot of the battle happens through experience.

"When something negative happens, you have to push through it," Dantonio said. "There’s something to be learned from all the things that happen, week in and week out."

When teams let their guard down, even for one week, they are susceptible to be defeated by a supposedly inferior opponent. Often, these upsets spice up the season by thrusting to the forefront teams that few had given much thought.

That "Cinderella" this season has been South Florida. The 5-0 Bulls remind some of NCAA basketball tournament little-knowns that seemingly topple big-time programs yearly.

With a string of upsets to start the season, the question as to whether football should adopt a playoff format has become a hot-button issue in recent years.

Big Ten coaches, very much like their colleagues across the country, hold varying opinions on the issue.

According to Tressel, before a playoff system could be established, officials would have to take into account "the fact that adding more games to an already grueling schedule for college athletes" would be hard on student-athletes, especially considering all the other aspects of their lives.

Other coaches prescribe to the "if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it" line of thinking.

"I think first of all we'll have to see how this season works out, because in the past the BCS has done a good job matching two teams — that there is no question about," Carr said.

While Tressel and Carr were somewhat less straightforward about their opinions on the institution of a playoff system, other coaches made their views on the issue very clear.

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and Illinois headman Ron Zook took different sides on the topic.

While Bielema was clearly satisfied with the current BCS system, saying that there was nothing good that a playoff system could bring, Zook firmly disagreed.

"I've said from the very beginning since I got back into college football that I am a supporter of the playoff system," Zook said.

For now, however, postseason play in any form is still a long way away. To succeed, coaches recognize the necessity to focus only on the game immediately ahead of their teams.

"The main thing for any team or coach is to focus on where you are and where you want to go," Carr said.