Iowa and Wisconsin each could win the West Division if they get marginal improvement from quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Graham Mertz.ĭefending champ Michigan should rightfully feel disrespected, but Ohio State returns too much sizzle on offense - plus a defense we see upgrading significantly under Knowles - not to occupy the top spot. McCarthy the answer in Ann Arbor? Minnesota's Tanner Morgan reunites with playcaller Kirk Ciarrocca. Will Michigan's Cade McNamara keep his job, or is J.J. ![]() Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa has steadily improved and will throw to a gifted group of receivers. Penn State's Sean Clifford has records but wants to cement his legacy with a title run as a senior, while Michigan State's Payton Thorne set a team record for touchdown passes in his first season as the starter. Purdue's Aidan O'Connell has a good case after completing a team-record 71.8% of his passes last season. Starting quarterbacks return at all the projected Big Ten division contenders, but there are questions about who will join Ohio State's Stroud on the elite tier. ![]() Which quarterbacks will step up to propel their teams? This fall, the Wolverines get a chance to show they will be regular CFP contenders - and a problem for their archrivals.ģ. Still, Michigan isn't a popular pick to repeat, as it lost two first-round draft picks (Aidan Hutchinson, Daxton Hill) and a second-round pick (David Ojabo) on defense, plus coordinator Mike Macdonald. They return quarterback Cade McNamara, explosive running back Blake Corum, a host of receivers and several pieces from the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line. Last fall, the Wolverines beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011, won the Big Ten outright for the first time since 2003 and reached their first-ever CFP. Michigan finally has reference points for what it can achieve, both in the Big Ten and nationally. Ohio State has enough talent and motivation after last year to reach SoFi Stadium on Jan. Coach Ryan Day wisely hired coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to improve a defense that didn't consistently threaten opponents. Stroud returns alongside top wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back TreVeyon Henderson and a host of other playmakers. Ohio State has a title-worthy team, led by an offense that could score at will. While they've continued to dominate the Big Ten, they have just one CFP victory - and only three playoff appearances - since winning it all. When Ohio State won the inaugural CFP eight years ago, the Buckeyes looked likely to pile up titles. Will Ohio State end its national title drought? ![]() The West Division should be very competitive as top contenders Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Purdue return quarterbacks and other key pieces.ġ. Michigan State also aims to reload after a top-10 finish, and Penn State enters a key season after struggling since 2019. Michigan isn't getting as much respect as the defending league champ, but coach Jim Harbaugh's team returns a lot on offense and should start strong. Anything short of a national championship - and perhaps a Heisman Trophy for quarterback C.J. Although the Buckeyes missed the CFP and saw their Big Ten title streak end at four last season, they are the overwhelming favorites to win the league. Ohio State has been the only Big Ten program to win a national title during the College Football Playoff era, and the only one to win a playoff game. National championships? That's a different story. The league has proven it can compete with the SEC in revenue and realignment. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserīig Ten college football preview: Breaking down the conference's best storylines, games and moreĬollege Football, Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Purdue Boilermakers, Maryland Terrapins, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Northwestern Wildcats, Indiana Hoosiers, Rutgers Scarlet KnightsĪfter a summer of significant news - the expansion additions of USC and UCLA, followed by a record new media rights deal - the Big Ten swaggers into the season.
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