College football is officially back, which means the race for a Big Ten title is technically anyone’s to win (yes, even you, Purdue). There is no shortage of intriguing storylines heading into the year. Can Jim Harbaugh lead Michigan to its first conference title since 2004? Will Ohio State be able to stay in the national title picture despite only returning three starters? Can Michigan State win back-to-back Big Ten titles for the first time in 50 years? Will Iowa prove that 2015 was no fluke? Which team will capture the conference crown and earn the right to be steamrolled by Alabama in the College Football Playoff? All those questions and more will begin to be answered when Big Ten football gets back into full swing this weekend.
1. Michigan Wolverines
This could be it. The year Khaki Jesus leads Michigan back to the Promised Land. Jim Harbaugh continues to grab more headlines than any coach in all of college football, but there’s a reason for the hype. Harbaugh and his coaching staff are beginning to stockpile talent and the Wolverines are going to have a formidable defense this season. Plenty of questions on offense remain and Michigan has a daunting conference schedule, which includes road games against Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State. So will the Wolverines be able to win their first Big Ten title since the Lloyd Carr era and find themselves in the College Football playoff conversation? My money is on Khaki Jesus smiting the non-believers.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Most teams that only return three starters from the previous season would be expected to take a major step back. Then again, most teams aren’t coached by Urban Meyer. Plus, it also helps that one of those returners is quarterback J.T. Barrett, who just might be the best player in the entire Big Ten. This a roster loaded with former four- and five-star recruits guided by one of the best coaches in all of college football. The Buckeyes will be contending for yet another Big Ten title and I honestly could have just flipped a coin to decide where to put Michigan and Ohio State in these rankings.
3. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State may have gone 36-5 over the last three seasons, but it still feels like everyone is overlooking the Spartans once again heading into 2016. Replacing quarterback Connor Cook is no small task, but new starter Tyler O’Connor, who was serviceable in Michigan State’s win over Ohio State last year, could be up to it. The defending conference champions also have the good fortune of getting to face both Michigan and Ohio State in East Lansing. The Spartans have taken a backseat to the Wolverines and the Buckeyes in discussion of favorites to win the Big Ten, but I doubt head coach Mark Dantonio would have it any other way.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes
I wouldn’t count on the Hawkeyes running the table again in the regular season, but they still should be considered the team to beat in the Big Ten West. Most of the starters from last year’s 12-2 team are back, including quarterback C.J. Beathard and cornerback Desmond King. A heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game and a blowout loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl was an unfortunate end to an otherwise phenomenal season. But perhaps that will just put a chip on the Hawkeyes’ shoulders in 2016.
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Cornhuskers did win three of their final four games in 2015, but head coach Mike Riley has something to prove after going 6-7 in his first season in Lincoln. The good news is Nebraska’s seven losses came by a combined 31 points, so the team wasn’t really as bad as its record indicated. With Tommy Armstrong back at quarterback, the Cornhuskers should be solid on offense. If they can find consistency on defense, they are good enough to contend in the Big Ten West. A division title would be a nice tribute to punter Sam Foltz, who was tragically killed in a single-car crash in late July.
6. Wisconsin Badgers
Quite frankly, the Badgers could be one of the best teams in the Big Ten. The defense brings back several key starters and should be fine despite defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s departure. On offense, running back Corey Clement could be poised for a breakout season after a rough 2015 and the offensive line should be better (even with Dan Voltz’s surprise retirement), which would make life a lot easier for new starting quarterback Bart Houston. But man, oh man is that schedule a doozy. Besides the season opener against LSU, Wisconsin opens up its Big Ten slate with Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa, with the game against the Buckeyes the only one of those to be played in Madison. A record better than 8-4 would be quite an accomplishment for Paul Chryst & Co.
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Do not be the least bit surprised if the Gophers represent the Big Ten West in Indianapolis come December. Much like other teams of recent years, defense will be Minnesota’s strength in 2016. The offense has plenty of question marks and seems to lack many obvious playmakers, but the team’s schedule looks fairly manageable (no Michigan, Michigan State or Ohio State definitely helps). The play of redshirt senior quarterback Mitch Leidner may very well be the determining factor in how far the Gophers can go in Tracy Claeys’s first full season as head coach.
8. Northwestern Wildcats
Yes, the Wildcats are coming off the fourth 10-win season in school history. But can they attain that level of success for a second consecutive year? The defense, anchored by Anthony Walker Jr., should be stellar once again. But the progression of quarterback Clayton Thorson and running back Justin Jackson, and how the team navigates October road games against Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State will determine whether or not Northwestern can contend for a Big Ten West title.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions
It’s not quite a make-or-break year for head coach James Franklin, but he definitely has something to prove this season. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg is gone to the NFL and the offensive line still might end up being as sturdy as wet paper, but there is plenty of talent on both sides of the ball for new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, especially running back Saquon Barkley and co-defensive coordinators Brent Pry and Tim Banks. The Nittany Lions aren’t quite ready to contend in the stacked Big Ten East, but fans would surely be disappointed with a third straight 7-6 finish.
10. Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers made a major breakthrough last season by making a bowl game for the first time since 2007 and just the second time since 1993. But the question still remains whether or not they can do it again. Even though Indiana lost quarterback Nate Sudfeld to graduation, head coach Kevin Wilson has proven that he can put together an effective offense year in and year out. However, it’s up to new defensive coordinator Tom Allen to try and cobble together a respectable defense at a program that hasn’t held opponents under 30 points per game since 2009.
11. Maryland Terrapins
Maryland tapped Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin as its new head coach back in December, which has already paid dividends on the recruiting trail. As long as the Terrapins don’t continue to turn the ball over at an alarming rate—they ranked dead last in the FBS with 36 turnovers in 2015—they have the potential to make respectable strides this season. That being said, this definitely won’t be a one-year fix for Durkin and his coaching staff.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois made one of the most intriguing coaching hires in all of college football this past offseason, bringing in former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith to take the reins of the program. While this hire could turn out to be solid in the long run, even if Smith hasn’t coached at the collegiate level since 1995, the lack of offensive playmakers and roster turnover on defense will likely keep the Illini from a bowl game in 2016.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers made a really fantastic hire by selecting Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash as the program’s next head coach. On paper, the Scarlet Knights actually look pretty decent on defense and could overachieve this year. But they’re still probably a couple years away from having all the pieces to be a true threat with an Ohio State-style spread offense. The ceiling for Rutgers in 2016 is not finishing last in the Big Ten East.
14. Purdue Boilermakers
In a fair and just world, college football would have a relegation system and the Boilermakers would have been banished to the MAC three years ago. Instead, Purdue enters Year 4 of the Darrell Hazell era looking to somehow make something akin to progress in the Big Ten West. Hazell, who has gone 6-30 with the Boilermakers, tried a coaching staff shakeup during the offseason. Will it help pull them out of the division cellar? Probably not.
