Even with the drama that has surrounded the program in the weeks leading up to the season, Ohio State is still widely considered to be a frontrunner in the competition for the Big Ten crown and a College Football Playoff berth.
What was already true before all of that drama, though, and still true now, is that the Buckeyes are going to have overcome tough competition to defend their conference title.
This year’s preseason Coaches Poll, as released by USA TODAY earlier this month, includes five Big Ten teams in the top 14. Four of those five teams play in the Big Ten East, and the other – Wisconsin – could have its strongest team yet in the College Football Playoff era.
And while it would come as a surprise if anyone outside of those five teams ultimately won the Big Ten, there are several other teams in the conference who could be good enough to put the conference’s top teams on upset alert when they play them.
We now what a look at where all 14 Big Ten teams could stack up in the conference this year, followed by a look at what Ohio State will need to do to rise to the top of the pack once again.
Conference Championship Contenders
Ohio State
No matter what Ohio State ultimately decides in its investigation of Urban Meyer, the reigning Big Ten champions will still be a team to beat in the conference. Either way, the Buckeyes will still have a roster that appears to be the most talented in the conference. Dwayne Haskins is unproven as a starting quarterback, while questions remain on the offensive line and at linebacker and in the secondary, but the Buckeyes have the pieces they need to potentially be elite on both sides of the ball.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Dwayne Haskins, RB J.K. Dobbins
Defensive Players to Watch: DE Nick Bosa, S Jordan Fuller
Michigan
In what could be a make-or-break year for Jim Harbaugh, Michigan could be poised to make its strongest challenge for a Big Ten title since Lloyd Carr was coaching the Wolverines. Shea Patterson projects a big upgrade over the mostly inept quarterback play in Ann Arbor last year, but the Wolverines’ strength will be their defense, which returns nine starters and has enough talent to be the best in all of college football.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Shea Patterson, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Defensive Players to Watch: DE Rashan Gary, LB Devin Bush
Devin Bush (10) and Rashan Gary (3) lead a Michigan defense that makes the Wolverines serious Big Ten contenders. Brad Mills – USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State
The Spartans are one of the most experienced teams in all of college football, with 10 returning starters on offense and nine returning starters on defense. They don’t have the star talent that Ohio State and Michigan do, but Mark Dantonio typically gets the most out of his roster. Their veteran presence should take them a long way, and they don’t have any major roles, making them a legitimate threat to challenge for the Big Ten East crown.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Brian Lewerke, WR Felton Davis III
Defensive Players to Watch: LB Joe Bachie, S David Dowell
Penn State
Penn State has been Ohio State’s top competition for the Big Ten East title for the past two seasons, defeating the Buckeyes to win the conference in 2016 and narrowly losing in an Ohio Stadium thriller in 2017. The Nittany Lions could take a step back in 2018, with superstar running back Saquon Barkley gone on offense and only two returning starters on defense, but third-year starting quarterback Trace McSorley has enough talent around him that Penn State should continue to be a tough out.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Trace McSorley, RB Miles Sanders
Defensive Players to Watch: DE Shareef Miller, LB Koa Farmer
Wisconsin
While the Big Ten East has four real contenders for its division crown, Wisconsin looks like a clear favorite in the Big Ten West. This year’s Badgers, though, could be the tougher to beat than the teams that have lost three of the last four Big Ten Championship Games. Led by star running back Jonathan Taylor, an offensive line that should be the best in the country and a defense that also has its share of stars, the Badgers have a real shot to run the regular-season table again.
Offensive Players to Watch: RB Jonathan Taylor, RT David Edwards
Defensive Players to Watch: LB T.J. Edwards, S D’Cota Dixon
Teams To Watch
Iowa
If you’re an Ohio State fan, you don’t need a refresher course on the dangers of playing Iowa. Once again, Kirk Ferentz’s squad doesn’t appear to be at the caliber where it should seriously challenge Wisconsin for the Big Ten West title, but could still good enough to sneak up on anyone – especially at Kinnick Stadium, where they host Wisconsin in each team’s first conference game of the year.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Nathan Stanley, TE Noah Fant
Defensive Players to Watch: DE A.J. Epenesa, S Amani Hooker
Nebraska
Scott Frost fever is running high in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Cornhuskers fans are expecting their new coach – who led UCF to an undefeated season and a faux national championship last year – to lead an immediate turnaround of a storied program that has struggled in recent seasons. The Cornhuskers don’t have a single quarterback eligible to play this season who has ever thrown a collegiate pass, and they will need an influx of talent to become a serious championship contender, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they push for a big upset or two this year.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Adrian Martinez, WR Stanley Morgan Jr.
Defensive Players to Watch: DE Ben Stille, CB Lamar Jackson
Northwestern
Like Iowa under Ferentz, Northwestern has typically been a middle-of-the-pack team under Pat Fitzgerald, but the Wildcats have gone 10-3 in two of the last three seasons. With an experienced starting quarterback in Clayton Thorson and a solid defense, the Wildcats aren’t likely to make a serious push for the Big Ten West title, but should be competitive with the capability of pulling off an upset win or two in a schedule that includes Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Clayton Thorson, WR Bennett Skowronek
Defensive Players to Watch: LB Paddy Fisher, LB Nate Hall
Purdue
Urban Meyer said it himself when asked about the Boilermakers at Big Ten Media Days: “Purdue’s a team to watch.” Coming off a 7-6 first season under Jeff Brohm, the Boilermakers look like a team on the rise, which make them another threat to pull off a big upset in a year in which they host both Ohio State and Wisconsin in West Lafayette.
Offensive Players to Watch: QBs Elijah Sindelar/David Blough, WR Jackson Anthrop
Defensive Players to Watch: NT Lorenzo Neal, LB Markus Bailey
Led by second-year coach Jeff Brohm and quarterbacks Elijah Sindelar and David Blough, Purdue has emerged as a team to watch in the Big Ten. Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports
Looking To Improve
Minnesota
Like Purdue, Minnesota has an energetic second-year coach in P.J. Fleck who has what it takes to build his program into a more serious contender in the Big Ten. But going into 2018 without a single quarterback who has played a collegiate snap and limited talent compared to the top teams in the conference, it seems unlikely that the Golden Gophers will pose a serious threat to the Big Ten’s elite this year.
Offensive Players to Watch: RB Rodney Smith, WR Tyler Johnson
Defensive Players to Watch: LB Carter Coughlin, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Indiana
There’s a huge gap between the top four teams in the Big Ten East and the bottom three, but Indiana appears likely to be the best of the rest. They lost some of their best players from last season on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Simmie Cobbs and linebackers Tegray Scales and Chris Covington, but graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins (from Arizona) is an intriguing dual-threat quarterback who could make the Hoosiers offense more dangerous in 2018.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Brandon Dawkins, RB Morgan Ellison
Defensive Players to Watch: S/LB Marcelino Ball, S Jonathan Crawford
Maryland
The Terrapins looked like a stronger candidate to be a team on the rise until this past weekend, when third-year head coach DJ Durkin was placed on administrative leave. They have a pair of talented quarterbacks coming off of knee injuries in Kasim Hill and Tyrrell Pigrome, and some intriguing talent on defense – including Auburn transfer defensive end Byron Cowart and Illinois transfer linebacker Tre Watson – but with Durkin’s job potentially in greater jeopardy than Meyer’s, a significant move up the conference ladder appears unlikely for Maryland.
Offensive Players to Watch: RB Ty Johnson, WR Taivon Jacobs
Defensive Players to Watch: DE Byron Cowart, LB Tre Watson
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights had lost 16 straight Big Ten games before they finally broke through to win three games in four weeks against Illinois, Purdue and Maryland last season. Former Ohio State assistant coach Chris Ash appears to have the program slowly inching its way toward being competitive, and true freshman quarterback Artur Sitkowski is one of the most intriguing recruits Rutgers has landed in years, giving the Scarlet Knights offense a potentially big upgrade. Still, it would be a major surprise if they upset any of the conference’s top teams this year.
Offensive Players to Watch: QB Artur Sitkowski, TE Jerome Washington
Defensive Players to Watch: LB Trevor Morris, CB Blessuan Austin
Illinois
While Lovie Smith and the Illini have gained some momentum on the recruiting trail, landing commitments from a pair of top prospects in the 2019 class in quarterback Isaiah Williams and cornerback Marquez Beason, they are in desperate need of momentum on the field, having won just five total games in the past two years. They return eight starters on each side of the ball, so they should be better, but they’re still a long way from being seriously competitive in the conference.
Offensive Players to Watch: WR Ricky Smalling, TE Louis Dorsey
Defensive Players to Watch: LB Del’shawn Phillips, S Bennett Williams
Ohio State Outlook
Wisconsin is ranked seventh, Penn State is ranked ninth, Michigan State is ranked 12th and Michigan is ranked 14th in the preseason Coaches Poll.
If Ohio State is going to win the Big Ten this year, the Buckeyes might have to beat all four of them.
Road games at Penn State on Sept. 29 and at Michigan State on Nov. 10 loom as major tests for the Buckeyes that could have division title implications on the line for both teams. If the Buckeyes can navigate their way through those games, though, it’s very possible the conference championship could be decided when Ohio State hosts Michigan for its annual rivalry game on Nov. 24.
If the Buckeyes can beat all three of those teams – which could be required to win the division, as a head-to-head loss to any of them could make all the difference – it’s likely they’ll face Wisconsin with the conference title on the line once again in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Dec. 1.
Potential trap games in the conference schedule loom on Oct. 20, when the Buckeyes travel to Purdue, and Nov. 3, when they host Nebraska. In all likelihood, though, their fate in the Big Ten East division race – and their chances of competing for the conference crown and potentially a playoff berth – will be determined by how they fare against the Wolverines, Spartans and Nittany Lions.
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Photo: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports
