Big Ten Breakdown:
1. Wisconsin: Yes, I know the Badgers are always that team that does pretty well but can never get to that elite level. But I feel like they are primed to come out on top this year. They've got the best offensive line in the Big Ten, which should provide plenty of room to run for returning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay, and enough time for competent senior QB Scott Tolzien (who led the conference in terms of QB rating) to make the throws he needs to make. The defense lost a little bit up front, but they have a talented secondary and a bunch of players looking to make the next step to being potentially all-conference players. Back-to-back games against Ohio St. and at Iowa are going to define where they finish, but getting the Buckeyes at home and the Hawkeyes on the road is more advantageous in my opinion than the other way around.
2. Ohio St:
I just needed to get that out of the way before talking about this team, or it wouldn't feel right. And I wouldn't be acting in an unbiased manner. With this reality aside, unfortunately, the Buckeyes are once again looking strong. If Terrelle Pryor performs like he did in last season's Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes are not only going to win the Big Ten, but they very well could be in the National Championship game. The defense got a big boost when standout DE Cameron Heyward decided to return, and the offense is looking solid with big time players like WR Devier Posey and (curse him) Michigan transfer OL Justin Boren. However, Ohio State does have to travel to Wisconsin and Iowa (in addition to a tough non-conference game against Miami (FL)), so it will definitely be tough to run the table.
3. Iowa: A lot of people are thinking that Iowa has a strong chance of winning the Big Ten. While they are going to be a very talented team and play both Wisconsin and OSU at home, I'm not as high on them as others. They have no glaring weakness, and probably the best defensive player in the Big Ten in DE Adrian Clayborn, but they got lucky a lot last year. They barely beat teams like Northern Iowa and Arkansas St., and I'm also not completely sold on Ricky Stanzi as being a big-time QB. That being said, with a great conference schedule and Kirk Ferentz coaching, maybe pulling out win after win is just they way the Hawkeyes roll.
4. Michigan St.: Commence the hate-filled responses. To be honest, I was going to put Michigan in this spot before Troy Woolfolk went down with the probable season-ending ankle injury. But now that Woolfolk is out, both teams are incredibly similar. They both have horribly inexperienced/suspect secondaries, a solid front seven on defense, and an above-average offense. The difference between the two teams is that while I feel like Michigan has (and will always have) more potential to make a run at the conference championship, Little Brother currently has more experience on offense. QB Kirk Cousins is solid and has experience running the show, while the QB situation in Ann Arbor is still kind of a mess. But there is a big drop-off between Iowa and MSU.
5. Michigan: As I mentioned earlier, I don't really have much of an idea of what to expect from this team (for the third year in a row). I'm praying that they happily surprise me this year, because if this team doesn't go at least 7-5, Rich Rod is gone and another rebuilding process is likely. The talent is still there, as Michigan has still been able to sign Top 25 classes even with the past two disappointing seasons. The offensive line looks solid, and there is enough other talent on offense for the Wolverines to have one of the better offenses in the Big Ten. It really comes down to who starts at QB. At this point, most people are thinking it will be Denard Robinson in favor of Tate Forcier or freshman Devin Gardner. Whoever it is (PLEASE don't do the two-QB approach Rich Rod, it never works), they better be ready quickly with opening games agaisnt a talented UConn team followed by a trip to Notre Dame. But all of the offense's questions pale in comparison to the defense's. Our defense was the primary reason why we lost so many games last year, and our two best players from last years defense (first-round pick Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren) aren't here anymore. There is talent and experience on the defensive line and with the linebackers, but the secondary is a crapshoot. We could be starting true freshman/former walk-ons, and there is so little depth that offensive players are going to possibly need to switch positions. Hold your breath Wolverine fans, we will probably have quite a few shootouts in this pivotal year for the program.
6. Penn State: I know that the Nittany Lions are bringing back a ton of experience, but the fact that one of the new QBs still hasn't been able to separate himself from the pack WITH all the experience surrounding him makes me not too confident about the team's chances for big success this year. Evan Royster is one of the top running backs in the league, and there is experience at wide receiver with Derek Moye and on the line with center Stefan Wisniewski. But I think Darryl Clark is a much bigger loss for this team than people think, as he was probably the most well-rounded QB in the Big Ten last year. The new QB is going to have to get better in a hurry, as he starts off the season with a trip to Tuscaloosa and will have to travel to Iowa and Ohio State. Also, the defense lost a few key players, although it does bring back some talent such as DE Jack Crawford. Thus, I'm not as high on this team as others are.
7. Purdue: This team is the most unpredictable one to rank because I have no idea how former highly-touted QB Robert Marve is going to adjust to playing in the Big 10. But Marve definitely has some talent on this team that he can work with. Wide receiver Keith Smith is one of the best in the conference, as is defensive end Ryan Kerrigan. Combine these core pieces with the fact that the Boilermakers don't have to play Iowa and get Wisconsin at home, this team could finally go bowling again if things fall the right way. That game at Ohio State could get ugly though, as the Buckeyes will be looking for revenge after last year's shocker.
8. Indiana: The offense has the potential to be one of the top three in the Big Ten, with talented players all over the field such as senior QB Ben Chappell (though he needs to cut down on his picks), RB Darius Willis, and WR's Damarlo Belcher and Tanden Doss. But man that defense was awful last year, and it's not really looking that much better this year. The Hoosiers play a painfully easy non-conference schedule, so they could be going bowling, but because they have to play at Wisconsin and at Ohio State, I'm not as high on how they'll finish in conference play.
9. Minnesota: The Golden Gophers are trying to get one last bit of magic out of senior QB Adam Weber, but I'm not sure if that's going to be possible. Weber has been inconsistent the past two years, never really fulfilling the potential he showed in his promising freshman year. This is his last year to right the ship and bring the Gophers above mediocrity, but I think they might actually do worse than last year, where they made it to the Insight Bowl. They do get Ohio St. and Iowa at home, but they ramped up the non-conference schedule by playing USC (at Middle Tennessee St. is no gimme either). Finally, they lost their best player in WR Eric Decker, even though he was injured for most of last year. All these obstacles will make it tough for an inexperienced and inconsistent Gopher squad to make much noise.
10. Northwestern: As we get down to the bottom teams, I'm usually going to say less and less because they just aren't very good and don't need the same level of analysis. Northwestern lost starting QB Mike Kafka, who was a dynamic passing/running threat, from last year's team, and they better hope that new QB Dan Persa can stay on the field because they have no experience behind him. Also gone is stud DE Corey Wooton. There are still talented players like TE Drake Dunsmore and CB Jordan Mabin, but too many key pieces were lost for a school that is already limited due to the strong focus on recruiting academically and athletically gifted students. The schedule isn't that difficult though, so Northwestern could surprise some people.
11. Illinois: Should be a rough year for Illinois football teams this year. Gone from the Fighting Illini are the talented-if-not-underperforming duo of QB Juice Williams and WR Arrelious Benn. This leaves the Illini very inexperienced, especially after backup QB Eddie McGee was moved to WR. Now, they're left with redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase running the show, and he just doesn't have that many options to work with. There is some talent at running back with the duo of Jason Ford and Mikel Leshoure, but I think the fact that the team opens up Big Ten play with games against OSU, PSU, and MSU will make it tough for the Illini to get a real sense of momentum. By that point it might be too little, too late.
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