A busy spring in the Big Ten culminated with the final installments of practices and intrasquad scrimmages across the conference. Plans for each program varied but each did its best to use the 15 practices allotted by the NCAA to take necessary steps forward ahead of the 2017 season.
The East Division's top-3 teams all made BCS bowls last winter and once again appear like the titans on that side of the conference. None of them won those games, however, as Penn State fell to USC in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State lost to eventual national champion Clemson in the College Football Playoff and Florida State edged Michigan in the Orange Bowl.
Interestingly enough, the Nittany Lions, Buckeyes and Wolverines were the only teams on that side of the Big Ten to finish with winning records in 2016. The East Division is perceived to be the stronger of the two and is on a national scope but its top three squads all entered the offseason on a losing note. In fact, every team did in the East did — Indiana and Maryland also lost their bowl games, while Michigan State and Rutgers both fell in their regular season finales to cap dismal seasons.
Let's check in on all seven teams from the East for their biggest concerns with spring drills in the books. What has each team worried moving forward?
Penn State Nittany Lions
The defending Big Ten champions return a horde of starters on offense, led by 2016 Silver Football winning running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorely. One of the conference's most electric offenses lost its top receiver to the NFL in Chris Godwin but returns tight end Mike Gesicki and DaeSean Hamilton, among others.
The other side of the ball is where the concerns arise. Top pass rushers and sack leaders Evan Schwan (graduation) and Garrett Sickels (NFL Draft) are no longer lining up for James Franklin and Co. Shane Simmons, Shaka Toney, Torrence Brown and Shareef Miller are all options to replace them but lack experience compared to their predecessors. Additionally, two more defensive ends are set to arrive this summer. The spring ended without a clear two above the others and with how injuries decimated the linebacking corps last season, the pass rush remains the top priority for line coach Sean Spencer and co-coordinators Brent Pry and Tim Banks.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Urban Meyer's offense showed noticeable improvements throwing the deep ball in the spring game. New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day still have a long way to go to get J.T. Barrett and the passing attack — is Parris Campbell really the guy to replace top playmaker Curtis Samuel? — back operating at the level it did when the Buckeyes won the national championship in 2014. But let's not forget that Ohio State lost three starters in its secondary. Again.
Kerry Coombs and Greg Schiano shelled out three of the first 24 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft last month — Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley — a year after Vonn Bell and Eli Apple went in the first two rounds. Tyvis Powell didn't get drafted in 2016 but made the Seattle Seahawks and now plays for the Cleveland Browns.
Left behind is returning starter Damon Webb at safety, someone Schiano said took major steps this spring. Denzel Ward is in place at one corner spot, who Coombs hasn't been shy about praising this spring. Is Erick Smith or Jordan Fuller the guy at the other safety spot? Will any of the three freshmen early enrollees or junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield take hold of the corner job? Ohio State picked off 21 passes and returned seven of them for touchdowns in 2016. Can the replacements for those three starters carry the torch?
Michigan Wolverines
The Jim Harbaugh Train carried Michigan to Rome for a week of "great educational, cultural and international football experience." While that provided a show in its own right, the Wolverines deal with a bit of what Ohio State did a year ago with so many starters gone.
Eleven Michigan players were selected in the 2017 NFL Draft to lead all schools and the Wolverines must replace 10 (!) starters on defense. Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling — they're all gone, as well as others. Don Brown is a mastermind but must wade through the inexperience in the hope of establishing some depth. Like Ohio State, Michigan wins defensively with stout corners playing press coverage and a front seven that creates pressure on the quarterback. Are there players readily available on the outside to step in for Lewis and Stribling? Harbaugh has recruited well in the secondary but stay tuned.
Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana's calling card under Kevin Wilson was offense, offense and more offense. There is a reason Urban Meyer hired him as Ed Warinner's replacement after all. With Wilson gone from Bloomington, though, defensive-minded Tom Allen faces the question of whether or not he can coach a unit that can score points. And, he has to do it without numerous key pieces from its 2016 offense.
Devine Redding left for the NFL and first-team All-Big Ten offensive lineman Dan Feeney graduated. Backup quarterback Zander Diamont ended his playing career, while Ricky Jones and Mitchell Paige saw their eligibility expire. Nine starters, including stud linebacker Tegray Scales, are back for Allen on defense. But is big-bodied Tyler Natee the answer at running back? What about Mike Majette or Devonte Williams? Both played sparingly last season.
Allen needs to find an answer in his ground game and show he can coach offense to take some pressure off of Richard Lagow. Until he — or newly hired offensive coordinator Mike DeBord — proves he can put his team in a position to score points, that will remain a concern for the Hoosiers.
Maryland Terrapins
So, who is going to play quarterback for D.J. Durkin?
Oft-injured Perry Hills finally graduated and his problematic shoulder caused Maryland's new head coach to play matchmaker with Tyrrell Pigrome, Caleb Rowe and even freshman Max Bortenschlager. All four quarterbacks started at least one game for the Terrapins in 2016.
Rowe graduated too and Pigrome is more of a threat with his legs than arm. Durkin signed four-star Kasim Hill in his 2017 recruiting class so the options to replace Hills are young and inconsistent. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell helped Hills and Co. cut down on their interceptions (Maryland threw 29 in 2015 and just nine last year) but the youth movement at the position is a stark concern ahead of training camp.
This feels like it happened eons ago.
Michigan State Spartans
Mark Dantonio's club is the only one on this list to have concerns regarding something that happened off the field instead of anything to do with personnel, scheme or recruits. Although the issues surrounding the three separate investigations into sexual assault claims involving four players will have an affect on all of those things, one way or another.
It has led to the suspensions of some players and one staff member. Additionally, defensive end Demetrius Cooper was accused last week of violating conditions of his bond agreement stemming from an October incident in which he spit at an officer when he was found in possession of alcohol. After a 3-9 campaign where Michigan State's lone conference win came against Rutgers, things look pretty bleak in East Lansing.
“We went through an offseason that many people wouldn't make it through,” safety Grayson Miller said recently, according to mlive.com.
No kidding. Can Dantonio right the ship and get his team back?
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Oh, Rutgers. Where do we begin with you?
Drew Mehringer, perhaps the best young mind on Chris Ash's staff, left after the 2016 season to join Tom Herman at Texas. As a result, Rutgers will have its eighth offensive coordinator in eight years. Think about that.
Ash hired former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill to coordinate his offense, which loses three starters on the offensive line and quarterback Chris Laviano. Don't forget the team's best playmaker, Janarion Grant, broke his ankle last season.
Rutgers gets 10 starters back on defense but Ash's greatest concern sits on the other side of the ball. The Scarlet Knights averaged just 15.7 points per game in 2016, second fewest in the country.
Check back Friday morning for the biggest storylines for teams in the Big Ten's West Division.
