With the season around the corner our college football previews roll on, this time to the BIG Ten. It’s an exciting time in the conference as it welcomes some new faces from out west, four to be exact. USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon have joined the fray, pushing the head count to 18 teams. Is bigger better for the Midwest? Let’s find out.

Standings Prediction

1. Oregon Ducks
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
4. Michigan Wolverines
5. USC Trojans
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers
7. Rutgers Scarlett Knights
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
9. Wisconsin Badgers
10. Indiana Hoosiers
11. Washington Huskies
12. Purdue Boilermakers
13. Michigan State Spartans
14. Maryland Terepins
15. Minnesota Golden Gophers
16. Northwestern Wildcats
17. Illinois Fighting Illini
18. UCLA Bruins

Three Teams to Watch

Nebraska

Nebraska comes into this campaign with lots of intrigue surrounding them. For the first time in a long time there’s hope surrounding “Big Red,” thanks in large part to the coaching prowess of Matt Rhule. The man in charge remains one of the pre-eminent program builders in recent years, a relic of a bygone era in the modern game. This iteration of the Huskers boasts much more talent, but now needs to break their losing culture. At every stop in Rhule’s college career, his team has taken at least a 6 win jump in year two. Can he do it again in Lincoln?

USC

If Nebraska is intriguing for positive reasons, the Trojans of USC are interesting because there are a lot of unknowns. The men of Troy arrive in the Big Ten after a disappointing final year in the PAC 12, and are looking to bounce back. Their schedule is no walk in the park and they’ll have to compete with some weather they may not usually see when they come east. But signal caller Miller Moss brings tons of talent and he’ll be asked to help get this team over the hump this year. It feels like boom or just this year for SC.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has long been a power in the Big Ten, but had fallen on hard times, leading to the hire of head coach Luke Fickell. Fickell’s first season in the state capital had some ups and downs, ultimately leading to a 7-6 finish. The offense struggled last year and it will now be led by a new QB, former Miami signal caller Tyler Van Dyke. The Badgers could take a jump in year two, but have a tricky schedule, with home games against USC and Alabama early on.

The Hot Seat

Ryan Day, Ohio State: No coach in the country is under more pressure than Ryan Day. The Buckeyes have underwhelmed the last few years and it feels like Ryan Day is primed to answer for it. His losses to Michigan are killing his credibility and it feels like his roster is regressing around him. Day has achieved some big things in Columbus, but not beating the Wolverines will get you fired. Don’t take my word for it, take John Coopers.

Mike Locksley, Maryland: For years now we have heard that Mike Locksley is on the verge of turning the Terps into a winner. Yet it hasn’t come together for Maryland, and it doesn’t feel like it’s about to. Former NC State QB MJ Morris needs to deliver on his once well known promise to give this team a fighting chance of doing anything. If he doesn’t it feels like curtains for the boss.

Lincoln Riley, USC: As I already mentioned Lincoln Riley is really under pressure in LA. The Trojans need to bounce back in a big way this year, though it won’t be easy with a tougher slate ahead of them. There are plenty of questions surrounding the roster so it’s hard to know what they’ll look like. They could find themselves in the playoff…or helping Lincoln on the coaching carousel.

One Question for Each Team

It’s time for Dan Lanning to get it done

Oregon – Can the Ducks win the big one? Oregon has long been one of the top title contenders in the country, but they always fall short in one way or another. For all their talent they trip over themselves against fellow contenders, and it’s time for that stop. Dan Lanning and transfer QB Dillon Gabriel are surrounded by talent, but they have to come through on the big stage to take the next step.

Ohio State – Can Will Howard lead the way? Ohio State invested heavily in the portal this year, especially at the QB position adding veteran Will Howard from K-State. Howard has arrived to mixed reviews in Columbus, especially after reports have made clear he wouldn’t have won the job in Manhattan either this year. If the Buckeyes can’t get a lot out of number 18, their bolstered run game and solid defense will go to waste, much like last year.

Penn State – Is this Drew Allar’s Year? For several years now Penn State has been an “almost team.” They have tons of talent on both sides of the ball, but seem to always come up short. Mostly due to their lackluster offense hurting them against top teams like Ohio State and Michigan. Highly touted QB Drew Allar has failed to find consistency so far in his career and now this year he will be asked to make the difference in tandem with PSU’s electric run game. Perhaps new OC Andy Kotelnicki’s offense can turn Allar loose, he needs to after all, their playoff hopes on young man.

Michigan – Who’s under center? Michigan is playing a game of musical chairs right now in the QB room. Jack Tuttle, Jayden Denegal, Alex Orgi and Davis Warren are battling it out for the starters job and none of them seem to be taking the job and running with it. For a team that lost the bulk of its roster from last year’s championship team, it’s not a great position to be in. Whoever takes over will work behind a shell of last years brilliant o-line, which may begin the Wolverines downfall in 2024.

USC – The defense can’t be worse…right? Last year, amongst some other issues, USC horrific defense helped cause their downfall. The Trojans were unable to mount much of an effort on that side of the ball and are looking to improve following the firing of DC Alex Grinch. D’Anton Lynn is in charge of the unit now in LA and will be expected to make a difference. If his eleven can step up, then a playoff spot could be on the cards for SC.

Nebraska – Is Dylan Raiola the guy? As we mentioned earlier, the Huskers revival feels like it’s getting close, but to seal the deal they need a game breaker on offense. That game breaker may just be Dylan Raiola, the freshman recruiting sensation and Patrick Mahomes look alike is expected to lead the program to the future. Expectations are high for him, perhaps higher than any other young player in the game. It’s a lot of pressure…but pressure is a privilege.

Rutgers – Does Schiano have the horses? Greg Schiano’s second tenure in Piscataway feels like it is trending in the right direction. But the question remains, does he finally have the players to make a difference? Talented running back Kyle Monangai will lead the offense with the help of transfer quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. If these pieces can come together it feels like the Knights can go bowling after beating up a soft schedule.

Iowa – Can the offense be passable? Much like USC’s defense, Iowa’s 2023 offense cost them any real shot at success. Transfer QB Cade Macnamara struggled to lead the offense and wound up getting hurt. He enters 2024 under a new OC following Tim Lester replacing Kirk Ferentz’s son in the same role. The Hawkeyes return eight starters on defense, so if this offense can do anything, a spot in the conference title game could be in the cards.

Wisconsin – Can Van Dyke meet his potential? We mentioned the Badgers earlier as a team to watch in 2024. It feels like they have the potential to be really good or really bad. That begins and ends with transfer QB Tyler Van Dyke who has always been highly touted but never consistent. If the big righty can even out his game, the Badgers could make some real noise. It won’t be easy though against a tricky schedule that features a non-conference home game against Alabama.

Indiana – More than just a basketball school? The Hoosiers have always made Bloomington a basketball hot bed, but they’re looking to break through this year. Transfer QB Kurtis Rourke joins new head coach Curt Cignetti, who comes in with a history of tremendous success at James Madison. This won’t be an easy task but Cignetti is a program builder and they have a roster that won’t make them an easy out each Saturday.

Washington – Still a Winning Culture? That’s going to be the question surrounding Washington. The Huskies are coming off a magical ride to the Title game, and after falling short they lost almost everyone to the draft or portal, following head coach Kalen DeBoer’s departure for Alabama. They recovered well by hiring former Arizona coach Jeff Fisch and landing transfer QB Will Rogers. Rogers is a veteran gun slinger who should make the Huskies frisky against a big spread…even if that doesn’t translate to wins in year one.

Purdue – Competitive against a tough slate? The Boilermakers come into 2024 without talented D-end Nick Scorton, who transferred to A&M. The offense is short on explosive players, and the schedule isn’t easy at all. The trick for third year coach Ryan Walter’s is keep this team competitive despite more expected setbacks. West Lafayette at night is no joke though, so their opponents shouldn’t take them lightly.

Michigan State – Can Smith save Sparty? Probably my favorite hire of the offseason comes from Sparty, as former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith takes over as head coach. This once great program has become a laughing stock and is in desperate need of repair. Smith turned a loser in Oregon State into a viable conference title threat, and he’ll have far more resources in East Lansing. This revolution begins with freshman transfer QB Aiden Chiles, who needs to show some flash for Sparty to compete this season.

Maryland – What does MJ Morris have left? Once upon a time MJ Morris was a highly sought after college prospect, but since then his stock is fallen dramatically. This may be his last chance in the big time so he needs to make it count to save his and Mike Locksley’s job.

Minnesota – Is it hockey season? No, seriously is it?

Northwestern – Repeat Success? Last year David Braun’s Wildcats went an extremely surprising 8-5. Now for a follow up act he’ll try and make it stand up in year two, as they play their games in their new lakeside compact home while they build a new stadium. Betters beware, November Saturdays on Lake Michigan are inhospitable to say the least.

Illinois – Is this it for Brett? Brett Bielema has had a great run of success as a coach at multiple programs. That includes his current home Illinois, but one has to wonder if this could be the end of close to it for him in Champagne. He’s just two years removed from a strong year but perhaps it’s time to hang it up.

UCLA – Does anyone care? You may laugh at the question but it’s a serious one. UCLA is low on enthusiasm, low on fan buzz and seemingly dead as a program. Chip Kelly had things rolling for a brief moment but aside from that things are bleak right now for the Bruins. Even former star player DeShaun Foster who is now the man in charge didn’t seem interested in much of anything at Big Ten media day.

Playoff Predictions

Much like Mike felt regarding the SEC, I think three teams will make the playoff from the Big Ten. I like Oregon to win the conference, with Ohio State and Penn State joining them at the dance. While this conference has some frisky teams, I don’t see a strong crop of real contenders.

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