College Football 2018 Conference Previews -- Big Ten

BIG TEN

OVERVIEW

Ohio State's Urban Meyer (Larry Brown Sports)

 
 Fans of the Big Ten will be as thrilled and as mystified in 2018 as they would be by a great detective novel. There is a ton of intrigue and a mountain of uncertainty before settling for a somewhat expected ending.
  Ohio State won't cede its throne easily, though there is a bit of concern about a rebuilt secondary and a new man under center. Dwayne Haskins has the keys to the Buckeyes ride now, and the coaches are optimistic that he will give the passing game a dynamic addition. But look for OSU to ride its talented 1-2 tailback punch of JK Dobbins and Mike Weber to success. The defensive line is one of the best anywhere, and the schedule is mostly manageable. Penn State coach James Franklin has been a tireless recruiter in his time in State College, and that could finally pay off as he has his most talented team -- but a demanding schedule. With Trace McSorley, the league's best quarterback, showing the way, and an aggressive, athletic defense -- not to mention getting OSU, Michigan State and Wisconsin at home -- Penn State could be an outside threat for the College Football Playoff. Michigan needs to make hay now, and fortunately for Jim Harbaugh it's his most talented team. There may finally be a quarterback that can put pressure on a defense in Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson. The defense will once again be lethal, with elite players at each level. Michigan State needs to become a bit more offensive minded it really want to challenge for East Division supremacy. Quarterback Brian Lewerke is an excellent field general but isn't asked to win games. That may change this year if the defense doesn't live up to expectations.
 It's still Wisconsin and all of the others in the West, but the gap is closing thanks to the infusion of new coaching blood at Nebraska (Scott Frost) and second-year bosses at Purdue (Jeff Brohm) and Minnesota (PJ Fleck). The Badgers feature, as usual, a mammoth offensive line and ground game led by Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor. Wisconsin will grind foes into the ground and may be more deliberate this season as a typically stout defense returns just four starters. One of the old guard coaches -- Pat Fitzgerald -- has Northwestern primed as Wisconsin's biggest divisional threat. If quarterback Clayton Thorson is healthy after an ACL injury suffered in last year's bowl game, the Wildcats should be fast out of the gate. They open on the road with Purdue, so will need to be focused from the get-go. Iowa has its typical blue-collar team, though the combo of quarterback Nathan Stanley to tight end Noah Fant will be heard more than a few times this fall. The defense may drop just a notch as only six starters return. Purdue could be a better team this year but it might not be reflected in the record as it tackles Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, as well as a non-league test with Missouri. The offense returns nine but the defense has only four returnees, though linebacker Markus Bailey is an all-league talent. Frost's homecoming to Lincoln could be bumpy, but expect Nebraska to win a game it shouldn't -- and lose one it shouldn't. A quarterback back that will extend into fall camp isn't the best thing, but the defense should be good with eight starters back and new, more aggressive coordinator in Erik Chinander, Frost's DC at UCF.

RISING: Nebraska
FALLING: Minnesota
BOWL TEAMS (9): Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Iowa, Purdue, Nebraska

BIG TEN PROJECTED STANDINGS 
EAST
1 Ohio State (12-1, 8-1)
2 Penn State (10-2, 7-2)
3 Michigan (10-2, 7-2)
4 Michigan State (9-3, 6-3)

5 Maryland (6-6, 4-5)
6 Indiana (5-7, 3-6)
7 Rutgers (4-8, 1-8) 
WEST 
1 Wisconsin (10-3, 7-2)
2 Northwestern (8-4, 5-4)
3 Iowa (7-5, 4-5)
4 Purdue (6-6, 4-5)
5 Nebraska (6-6, 3-6)
6 Minnesota (5-7, 2-7)
7 Illinois (4-8, 2-7)

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Ohio State over Wisconsin

ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Trace McSorley/Penn State
RB Jonathan Taylor/Wisconsin
RB JK Dobbins/Ohio State
WR Stanley Morgan Jr/Nebraska
WR Felton Davis/Michigan State
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones/Michigan
TE Noah Fant/Iowa
OT David Edwards/Wisconsin
OT Michael Dieter/Wisconsin
OG Beau Benzschawel/Wisconsin
OG Michael Jordan/Ohio State
 C  Tyler Biadasz/Wisconsin
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DE Nick Bosa/Ohio State
DE Rashan Gary/Michigan
DT Dre'Mont Jones/Ohio State
DT Aubrey Solomon/Michigan
LB TJ Edwards/Wisconsin
LB Devin Bush/Michigan
LB Paddy Fisher/Northwestern
LB Joe Bachie/Michigan State
CB Lavert Hill/Michigan
CB Justin Layne/Michigan State
 S  Jordan Fuller/Ohio State
 S  David Dowell/Michigan State
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
 K  Rafael Gaglianone/Wisconsin
 P   Drue Chrisman/Ohio State
KR Parris Campbell/Ohio State
PR J-Shun Harris/Indiana

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB Brian Lewerke/Michigan State
RB Karan Higdon/Michigan
RB Miles Sanders/Penn State
WR JD Spielman/Nebraska
WR Binjimen Victor/Ohio State
WR Juwan Johnson/Penn State
TE Cole Herdman/Purdue
OT Ryan Bates/Penn State
OT Alaric Jackson/Iowa
OG David Beedle/Michigan State
OG Ben Bredeson/Michigan
 C  Kirk Barron/Purdue
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE Chase Winovich/Michigan
DE Chase Young/Ohio State
DT Mick Stoltenberg/Nebraska
DT Jacob Robinson/Indiana
LB Khaleke Hudson/Michigan
LB Markus Bailey/Purdue
LB Thomas Barber/Minnesota
LB Koa Farmer/Penn State
CB David Long/Michigan
CB John Reid/Penn State
 S  Darnell Savage/Maryland
 S  Jacob Thieneman/Purdue
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
 K  Quinn Nordin/Michigan
 P   Blake Gillikin/Penn State
KR Rodney Smith/Minnesota
PR DeAndre Thompkins/Penn State

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Trace McSorley/Penn State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nick Bosa/Ohio State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Pat Fitzgerald/Northwestern
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: LB Micah Parsons/Penn State

Defense Takes Center Stage In Big Ten Showdown

Saturday's Big Ten battle between No. 24 Michigan and fifth-ranked Wisconsin isn't only a showcase for two of the best defenses in college football, but also a chance at legitimacy for both sides.

The Wolverines (8-2, 5-2) haven't been bad this season, losing only to ranked foes Penn State and Michigan State, but they have fallen short of the league's Eastern Division crown for the third time in three years of leadership from Jim Harbaugh. A win over the Badgers could change the perception of Michigan from that of a good team to a legitimate up and coming force, and could also make next weekend's rivalry showdown with Ohio State bigger than it already is.

Michigan LB Devin Bush is a leader for one of the top defenses in America (Detroit Free Press)

Michigan is ranked third in the nation against the pass and third in total defense, with athletes at every level of the stop unit. It will need to bring those athletes if it wants to knock off a physical Wisconsin squad that loves to run the football. Freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor is fourth in the country in rushing at 152.5 yards per game, with 12 touchdowns. Stopping him will be the main task for Michigan, but that could be easier said than done.

Active linebackers Devin Bush, who leads the team with 82 stops, and Mike McCray Jr., with 60 tackles, will fill the gaps and go after Taylor, who has fumbled four times this season and is occasionally loose with the football. It will be a clash of wills as physical meets physical.

"Very physical team," Harbaugh said. "Very, very physical on offense. Very good quarterback, very good running back. Really good in the lines on both sides, and skill positions as well. Talented players and very tough schemes to prepare for.”

Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook has been solid, ranking 12th nationally in efficiency and completing 64.1 percent of his passes -- most of them to talented tight end Troy Fumagalli, who has a team high 33 catches and three touchdowns. He is a security blanket for Hornibrook, who has a tendency to make poor decisions. His 12 interceptions are the most of any top 50 quarterback, and hasn't helped the Badgers turnover issues. Wisconsin ranks 105th in turnovers lost, something coach Paul Chryst knows could be a real issue against Michigan. Wisconsin will be without top receiver Quintez Cephus, who is out for the year with a leg injury, and could rely even more than usual on Fumagalli.

"You try to make sure someone isn't trying to do too much," Chryst said. "There are times when it's good and you pull the trigger and there are times when you've just got to move off of it. I just think it's trying to make things more simple for him."

Penetrating Wisconsin's top-ranked defense, which allows just 247 yards per contest, could be a major chore for the Wolverines, who rank 94th in total offense. The change to redshirt freshman Brandon Peters has given the offense a boost in recent weeks, however, averaging over 400 yards of offense and scoring at least 33 points in each of the last three games.

"They're strong," Chryst said. "There are really good players and it's a really good scheme. They're executing and playing fast."

Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor paces the Badgers physical offense (USAToday)

Peters has a nice arm, but Harbaugh would still prefer he manage the game more than take it over. The Wolverines have been able to lean on a reliable ground attack, led by Karan Higdon, who has 854 yards and 10 trips to the end zone. He sprained an ankle last week against Maryland and is questionable against the Badgers, and if he is able to go it would bring a real power component to the table. Wisconsin simply does not give up points, allowing 14 touchdowns all season and holding all but one opponent to 17 points or fewer. If Higdon is out, the rushing chores would fall to Chris Evans, who has 569 yards and six touchdowns.

Michigan's ground game has amassed 865 yards the last three weeks, scoring 11 touchdowns and averaging 6.9 yards per carry. That could be difficult to replicate against a Wisconsin defense that is fundamentally sound and more athletic than people think. Four players have over 40 tackles, with linebacker Ryan Connelly leading the way with 55. Fellow linebacker Garrett Dooley paces the squad with 9.5 tackles for loss and also is tops in sacks, with 6.5. It is a real team effort in Madison, which is why Michigan could be up against it offensively.

The Wolverines have become productive since moving away from zone blocking and to more of a power attack up front. That success has Harbaugh optimistic.

"I feel like our execution has been improving," Harbaugh said during the Big Ten teleconference on Tuesday. "I feel like our effort has been improving and the way we finish has also been improving."

 Wisconsin had four turnovers last week against Iowa, including two interceptions returned for scores, and has had multiple giveaways in three of the last five contests. If Michigan hopes to find the end zone, it might be wise to force a few turnovers.

"You've got to know what you're doing and understand the different ways that they defend you," Chryst said. "You've got to be on, and the smallest details matter."

Wisconsin (10-0, 7-0) is looking to polish up a resume that at the moment is devoid of a signature victory. The Badgers are ranked fifth by the College Football Playoff committee, but have only one win against a top 25 team and sport a strength of schedule of 67. No team with a SOS lower than 55 has ever made the playoff field, so notching an impressive pelt such as Michigan would help the cause.

The visitor has won just once in the last eight meetings, and Michigan hasn't tasted victory in Madison since 2001. Michigan won 14-7 in Ann Arbor last season, the first meeting with Wisconsin since 2010.

CFF 2017 Rankings -- 10-5