It's always a long road to Indy.
The Big Ten football season kicks off on Thursday Aug. 30th when Minnesota hosts New Mexico State and Northwestern heads south to square off against the Boilermakers. Conference play will culminate on Dec. 1st when the division champions meet up at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Most everyone is aware that the conference's east division is shaping up to be one of the best in America with Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan all expected to contend. In the West, it's again looking like Wisconsin's to lose, but the Hawkeyes and Wildcats won't make things easy.
The Buckeyes topped the Badgers last year in Indy. Back in 2016 it was the Nittany Lions who reigned supreme over Paul Chryst. The East is very much up for grabs in 2018, and while Wisconsin is again the favorite, a number of tough road trips should present challenges. The Badgers will hit the road to play against Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Penn state, and Michigan.
There are several teams that most pundits feel could contend for a spot in Indy. We take a look at the biggest challenges facing each of them in 2018.
Ohio State Buckeyes • 2017 Record: 12-2 • Conference Record: 9-1
Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes were once again hit hard by the NFL Draft. The defensive line lost a number of starters, but the unit is expected to be one of the team's strengths this season; even with some limited depth at the ends. Elsewhere, the running game and returning starters at wideout should also prove to be strengths.
The biggest question facing the Buckeyes may very well be the play at linebacker. The injury to Tuf Borland only further complicated things for a unit that had a lackluster performance through much of 2017. Many are still questioning Bill Davis's coaching abilities, and the Buckeyes have to get better play out of the linebackers this season. First, someone will need to emerge as the depth chart remains very much a work in progress.
Penn State Nittany Lions • 2017 Record: 11-2 • Conference Record: 7-2
One of the top players in program history has a new home in New York, but the loss of Saquon Barkley isn't the biggest blow to the Penn State offense. With Miles Sanders expected to fill the void at running back, the bigger question likely surrounds the offense as a whole.
#MissState got a brilliant head coach in #PennState's Joe Moorhead. #MSU fans, want to know more about him? Read this: https://t.co/dg9PLNiXBS
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 29, 2017
Joe Moorhead gave Big Ten defenses headaches for two seasons, and the defensive coordinators certainly aren't complaining that Moorhead is now the head coach at Mississippi State. Passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Ricky Rahne is now running the show for the Nittany Lion offense. It will be interesting to see exactly how much Moorhead is missed.
Wisconsin Badgers • 2017 Record: 13-1 • Conference: 9-1
Wisconsin returns all five starts along the offensive line in what should be the conference's top unit in the trenches. Alex Hornibrook and Jonathan Taylor also return, so the offense appears to be in very good hands.
The biggest question facing the Badgers is on the other side of the ball. Eight starters are gone from a defense that finished No. 2 in the nation a season ago. The return of linebacker T.J. Edwards is great news for the folks in Madison, but defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has plenty of holes to fill; especially at defensive end and in the secondary.
Michigan State Spartans • 2017 Record: 10-3 • Conference: 7-2
The Spartans could be dangerous team in the East. Mark Dantonio returns 19 starters following a bounce-back 2017 campaign. It looked like the Michigan State defense of old at times last year as the unit checked in at No. 7 in the country. Outside of an abysmal performance in Columbus, the defense was stout for the bulk of the season.
Brian Lewerke is back at quarterback, and oddly enough his presence may be the team's biggest question mark. Lewerke is a redshirt junior in what will be his second season as the full-time starter. The potential is there, but at this point it doesn't feel like he's put it all together quite yet. His ability to take that next step may be the different between a middle-of-the-road season or one that could see the Spartans competing for the conference crown.
Michigan Wolverines • 2017 Record: 8-5 • Conference: 5-4
The new savior has arrived in Ann Arbor, and Shea Patterson seems like the favorite to be the starter under center. Don Brown had the country's No. 3 defense a season ago, and it's difficult to ever worry about a unit with Brown leading the way.
The passing game – and really the offense as a whole – has to be the biggest question facing the Wolverines. Whether it's Shea Patterson or Brandon Peters at the helm, the wide receivers are young and will need to take the next step in 2018. Tim Drevno is out as offensive coordinator and the offense will now be led by a combination of Pep Hamilton, Jim McElwain, and Ed Warinner.
The Wolverine offense finished a putrid No. 105 a season ago as they were manned by a spotty offensive line, inexperience at wideout, and disastrous play at quarterback.
Northwestern Wildcats • 2017 Record: 10-3 • Conference: 7-2
The Wildcats put together an impressive 2017 campaign that ended with an eight-game winning streak. The biggest question for Pat Fitzgerald is a pretty simple one: can senior quarterback Clayton Thorson bounce back from a torn ACL suffered in the team's bowl game?
Right now there's no clear answer at quarterback as the Wildcats are preparing four different players – including Thorson – to be the starter for week one. If Thorson is healthy, then Northwestern may be a team that can challenge for the West division. Otherwise it could be a long season for the offense.
Iowa Hawkeyes • 2017 Record: 8-5 • Conference: 4-5
The Hawkeyes have to replace two of the conference's top players from a season ago in linebacker Josey Jewell and cornerback Joshua Jackson. Losing two unanimous First-Team All-Americans is clearly a big blow to any defense, but given the situation at linebacker, the loss of Jewell is likely the bigger issue.
All three of Iowa's starting backers have to be replaced, and if Kirk Ferentz wants any chance of competing in the West, someone will have to step up to ease the blow of losing a trio of seniors.
