The Big 10 conference consistently produces top teams each season. Although the national media loves to praise the SEC, the Big 10 produces just as exciting match ups. The Big 10 had a successful season last year, finishing with 6 teams in the final AP Top 25 Rankings (the most out of any conference, proving the SEC isn’t the best) and sent a team to the college football playoffs. In the final AP poll, Ohio State was 3rd, Penn State was 9th, Minnesota was 10th, Wisconsin was 11th, Iowa was 15th, and Michigan was 18th. Ohio State, the winner of the East, beat Wisconsin, the winner of the West, in Indy to win the Big 10 title. This season the Big 10 is expected to be dominate again, and most expect the league to send a team to the college football playoffs. Below I will break down how each team in the east looks coming into the season and my predictions for the conference standings.
In Ryan Day’s debut season, the Buckeyes had a perfect regular season record, and lost by six in the national championship semifinals to Clemson. Justin Fields, the transfer from Georgia, had a breakout season and put up impressive stats. He threw 41 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions. He is expected to grow even more this season, and is an early favorite for the Heisman. Last season, Fields had an explosive offense to work with, however, much of the offense will be gone next season as running back Dobbins was drafted along with top receivers Hill and Victor. In a normal season Fields would have had spring practice to adjust to the new offensive players, but with Corona, he was unable to do so. Fields is a very talented qb, and the offense is gaining new talent, so after adjustments are made, the OSU offense should be fine.
Ohio State also has to rebuild much of its defense. Eight of the top nine tacklers from last season are gone and the secondary lost most of its starters. They do have talented players who have the potential to step up and many new freshman who can as well. Last season the defense was ranked number one in the country, but heading into the 2020 season, the amount of turnover makes me think they will not be the top defense in the country.
Ohio State does have a top five recruiting class and lots of talent already on the team, so they should be able to be one of the best teams in the country again. Not winning the Big 10 title and making the playoffs would be considered a disappointment to many in Ryan Day’s sophomore season. Ohio State will have a test early in the season when they travel to Oregon, but Oregon is experiencing lots of turnover themselves, so Ohio State should be able to take advantage of what Oregon is going through that early in the season and get the win in Eugene. The rest of their conference is easy and they begin league play with some of the easier teams. Their biggest test will be at Penn State in October. The Michigan game is also huge, but they have that at home. I would not be surprised if Ohio State goes undefeated again during the regular season.
Despite finishing 11-2 and winning a New Year’s six bowl last season, Penn State’s season still felt like a little bit of a disappointment, as they still couldn’t beat OSU and failed to reach the big 10 title game once again. If Penn State wants to take the leap this year and finally be a playoff contender, the redshirt junior quarterback Sean Clifford (he graduated from St. X) needs to step up. Clifford was not a bad qb last year, but he showed weaknesses in big games that often cost the team. For example, in their loss to Minnesota, he started and ended the game with an interception. Clifford will have a new offensive coordinator this season, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts. Clifford needs to improve his skills in the pocket and make better decisions during big games.
Penn State should see improvement in their secondary, as the corners should have more experience and less injuries this season. The safety position may still be lacking, but Wade had a decent season last year and may be able to build on that. Penn State has a lot of returning talent on their roster, and they have a high recruiting class. This seems to be one of the best classes James Franklin has to work with, and some think it could be the year Penn State finally takes the step to the Big 10 title game and the playoffs. If they want to do so, they will need to beat OSU, who they will play at home in October. Although Penn State has lots of talent, they lack the big time star to make them great.
Heading into the 2020 college football season, there are many unknowns for Michigan. The biggest question is who will be the starting quarterback. With Shea Patterson gone, the battle for the starting QB is between Dylan McCaffery (Christian McCaffery’s brother) and Joe Milton. Both have played snaps in past seasons showing both their potential. McCaffery is an efficient runner, but he has not shown much arm strength. Milton is the opposite, he has shown to have good arm strength but has not shown running skills. With no spring practice for a quarterback race, I believe that Michigan will begin the season using both pretty equally to determine who the starter will be later in the season. Michigan loses four of the five offensive line starters, but they have many people on the team who should be able to step into those openings. The Wolverines have a depth of running backs they can filter through. Nico Collins decided to return for his senior year so Michigan will have a veteran wide receiver who can lead the young group of wide receivers coming up.
The defense does not have as much turnover as the offense does, as many players are returning. Most of the linebackers return and the safeties do as well. The corner back spots are up for grab, and Michigan has many players that will battle it out to win the starting position.
From the outside looking in, Jim Harbough seems to have had a successful five years at his alma matter. He has had three ten win seasons and has had top five rankings, however, he has failed to beat rival OSU and the offense has failed to be explosive. He also has struggled in games against ranked teams. This season could be make or break for Harbough if Michigan fails to finally beat Ohio State or any ranked team for the matter.
Michigan State is entering the season with a new coach, Mel Tucker. Tucker coached at Colorado the past three seasons and did a good job, getting them into the top 25 a few times. Last season MSU struggled, finishing the regular season 6-6 and barely making a bowl game. There will be a complete turnover this season, with a new coach, offensive, and defensive coordinators. Hopefully the new staff can make the offense more exciting and get the young group of players back to competing for the top of the Big 10 in the coming years.
The offensive line was riddled with injuries last year, but almost all the starters from last season return, so if they can stay injury clear, the experience could help to make a better offensive line. Matt Allen is the veteran quarterback, but he has had trouble staying healthy. He will not have many familiar targets, as MSU loses their three top receivers. They have some talented players who can possibly step into the role, but none of those players have much experience. The rush game also struggled much of last season, and there is no indication that it will be much better this year.
Despite a disappointing 2019 season, the defense was actually very steady. They finished 18th overall in the nation. Unfortunately for MSU, they lose almost all the starters on that defense. Mel Tucker is a former defensive coordinator, so it is expected that he will put an emphasis on making sure the defense is strong. If MSU can find a way to rebuild their whole defense, it will help to better the team.
This seems like it will be a rebuilding year for MSU, and I expect them to either miss the bowl game or finish 6-6 to barely secure their spot in one. MSU plays a touch schedule, and without spring practice, they will have to adjust to an all new staff during the summer right before the season starts.
Last season was a breakthrough season for Indiana football. They had their first eight-win season in over twenty years and made it to a bowl game (which they lost by completely crumbling in the fourth quarter to Tennessee). Tom Allen hired a new offensive coordinator from within who he hopes will help IU build on their 2019 season. There was no spring practice for a QB competition, so going into the season the obvious choice for the starting spot is Michael Penix. Penix showed great potential at the beginning of last season, but suffered a season ending shoulder injury. He will have three top targets back to throw to, and although some receivers are gone, there is plenty of new talent coming in. IU also has two solid running backs returning. The offensive line doesn't have much change and is expected to be similar to last seasons: not amazing, but good enough to get by.
The IU defense was not bad last season, but it really struggled against the top teams. There is not much turnover for the defense, so the defense as a whole should improve as the starters have more experience. However, if IU wants to compete with the top teams in the league, the defense will need to take a step up. It will be important for the defense to be able to get to the quarterback, something they struggled with last season.
The 2020 football season, if it happens, appears to be very promising for the Hoosiers. If Penix is able to stay healthy, he can lead an explosive offense that can counter out an average defense. Anything less than a bowl game appearance will be a disappointment. They open at Wisconsin which will be a tough game, but they should win their next six games. Penn State will be a challenge, but it is at home and last year they almost beat them in Happy Valley. IU has to play at OSU and Michigan, which they will likely lose, but the rest of their conference games are very winnable. I could see IU having a nine win season and finishing in the top three in the division.
Rutgers finished last season 2-10 overall, and I don’t expect them to get much better this season. Greg Schinao is back at Rutgers after leading them to some success during his time there between 2001 to 2011. He has hired new coaches, but because of Corona, the team has not been able to work with them in person. During the past few seasons, Rutgers has failed to have any impact players. Schinao tried to get a few from the transfer portal, but those players alone are not enough to fix a struggling program.
A big question going into the season is who will lead the offense. There seems to be three main options for quarterback going into the season, and all three are fairly mobile. However, all three QBs that Rutgers has to work with had a very hard time getting an offensive rhythm going when under center last season. This is a major problem because Rutgers does not have any good running backs who can make up for this and none of their receivers have shown great potential. The defense is also not projected to be good this season. The defense needs to improve in all areas.
Maryland finished last season with a disappointing 3-9 record after starting the season ranked in the top 25. This year will be coach Locksley’s second season, and he hopes to improve from 2019. Maryland has quite a few candidates for quarterback, including transfer Taulia Tagovailoa and it will be a battle for the starting position. Maryland also loses their top two receivers from last season. They have some talented freshman coming in, and the offense would really benefit if they are able to make a mark on the offense.
The Maryland defense lost all kinds of players, so the young members of the defense will need to step up. The defensive line is very depleted of players with experience, and could be a huge problem for Maryland this season. The cornerback is also a position of weakness, as no starters from last season return. The defense will need young players to step up big time to improve from last season.
My Prediction for the Final Standings:
Ohio State
Penn State
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan State
Maryland
Rutgers
Biggest conference game of season:
Ohio State at Penn State
This game will be played in late October and it would not be surprising if both teams came into it undefeated. Ohio State’s main test before this game will be at Oregon and Penn State will have played at Michigan, but OSU and Penn State are the favorites in those games. It is likely both teams will be ranked in the top 10, but this game would not only be a matchup between two top-ten teams, it will also likely be for the top of the division. If Penn State is going to beat out OSU for the top of the east, this would be the perfect year to do it, with the game in Happy Valley.
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