Ranking Power 5 Football Schedules for 2023

 

Schedules have been released for the 2023 college football season, which means it's time to rank the non-conference slates -- the only aspect a team truly controls. I usually ding a team for scheduling FCS foes, but it is becoming so pervasive that it's pointless to harp on it too much. Scheduling more P5 teams is a huge plus, though.

When choosing best non-conference game, a matchup can only be used once. So even though it includes teams from two Power 5 leagues, it will only be mentioned once. So don't be angry if it's listed in one place but not another. 

Of course, once the season begins all of this will change. The schedule that looked intimidating will turn out to be a dud, while the one that was laughed at will suddenly look formidable.

Here is a breakdown of all of the Power 5 conference non-league schedules:

                                                         ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

It's apparent that the league feels Notre Dame is a de facto member, even though it went back to its Independent status after the COVID season of 2020. Five ACC squads will play the Fighting Irish in 2023, including 2022 Irish victim Clemson. Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida, South Carolina and Cincinnati dot ACC schedules, which on the whole are not terrible. UConn appears on three ACC slates, while Old Dominion will face a pair of league teams.

 

Kudos to Florida State, which has LSU and Florida as bookends on its schedule, and a home contest against Southern Miss that may not be the cakewalk everyone expects.

BEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Notre Dame at Clemson

SNEAKY GOOD NON-CONFERENCE GAME

James Madison at Virginia

UNDERACHIEVERS NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Texas A&M at Miami

BRAINIAC NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Northwestern at Duke

 

1 FLORIDA STATE: vs LSU/Southern Miss/North Alabama/Florida

2 NORTH CAROLINA: vs South Carolina/Appalachian State/Minnesota/Campbell

3 PITTSBURGH: Wofford/Cincinnati/at West Virginia/at Notre Dame

4 CLEMSON: Charleston Southern/Florida Atlantic/Notre Dame/South Carolina

5 VIRGINIA: v Tennessee/James Madison/at Maryland/William & Mary

6 GEORGIA TECH: South Carolina State/at Ole Miss/Bowling Green/Georgia

7 LOUISVILLE: Murray State/vs Indiana/Notre Dame/Kentucky

8 VIRGINIA TECH: Old Dominion/Purdue/at Rutgers/at Marshall

9 MIAMI: Miami Ohio/Texas A&M/Bethune-Cookman/at Temple

10 WAKE FOREST: Elon/Vanderbilt/at Old Dominion/at Notre Dame

11 NC STATE: at UConn/Notre Dame/VMI/Marshall

12 DUKE: Lafayette/Northwestern/at UConn/Notre Dame

13 SYRACUSE: Colgate/Western Michigan/at Purdue/Army

14 BOSTON COLLEGE: Northern Illinois/Holy Cross/at Army/UConn

 

 

BIG TEN

Quite often the poster child of exemplary non-league scheduling, the Big Ten this year has really dumbed things down. Seven teams have scheduled FCS opponents, one has zero Power 5 foes and just one faces two teams from a Power 5 league. Bravo, Big Ten -- you've stopped pretending that you at least wanted to be challenged in the early portion of the season. Now it's simply a walkthrough.

BEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Ohio State at Notre Dame

SNEAKY GOOD NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Eastern Michigan at Minnesota

REALLY A BIG 12 NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Nebraska at Colorado

RIVALRY RENEWED NON-CONFERENCE GAME

West Virgina at Penn State (played every season from 1947-1992, but not since).

 

1 PURDUE: at Virginia Tech/Syracuse/Fresno State

2 MINNESOTA: Eastern Michigan/at North Carolina/Louisiana

3 IOWA: Utah State/at Iowa State/Western Michigan

4 WISCONSIN: Buffalo/at Washington State/Georgia Southern

5 OHIO STATE: Youngstown State/Western Kentucky/at Notre Dame

6 MICHIGAN STATE: Central Michigan/Richmond/Washington

7 NEBRASKA: at Colorado/Northern Illinois/Louisiana Tech

8 ILLINOIS: Toledo/at Kansas/Florida Atlantic

9 MICHIGAN: E Carolina/UNLV/Bowling Green

10 PENN STATE: West Virginia/Delaware/UMass

11 MARYLAND: Towson/Charlotte/Virginia

12 RUTGERS: Temple/Virginia Tech/Wagner

13 INDIANA: Indiana State/vs Louisville/Akron

14 NORTHWESTERN: UTEP/at Duke/Howard

 

BIG 12

Much like the Big Ten, the Big 12 isn't doing much to strain itself during the non-league portion of the schedule. Only two teams aren't facing an FCS foe, and many aren't even leaving their home state in September. There is the marquee matchup of Texas at Alabama, and a couple of other intriguing contests (Utah at Baylor, Colorado at TCU and West Virginia at Penn State and home to Pitt), but there aren't a whole lot of "wow, that's a doozy!" occasions on the 2023 slate.

Bonus points to new member Houston, which plays only in-state non-league games, and soon-to-be-departing staple Oklahoma, which makes the grueling two hour drive to Tulsa but otherwise has the comforts of home early in the season. Nice job, guys.

 

BEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Texas at Alabama

SNEAKY GOOD NON-CONFERENCE GAME 

Troy at Kansas State

BIG 8 REVISITED NON CONFERENCE GAME

SMU at Oklahoma

DO WE GET POINTS FOR THIS FLIGHT? NON-CONFERENCE GAME

UCF at Boise State

1 TEXAS: Rice/at Alabama/Wyoming

2 WEST VIRGINIA: at Penn State/Duquesne/Pittsburgh

3 BAYLOR: Texas State/Utah/Long Island

4 TEXAS TECH: at Wyoming/Oregon/Tarleton State

5 OKLAHOMA: Arkansas State/SMU/at Tulsa

6 TCU: Colorado/Nicholls/SMU

7 IOWA STATE: Northern Iowa/Iowa/at Ohio

8 KANSAS STATE: SE Missouri/Troy/at Missouri

9 CINCINNATI: Eastern Kentucky/at Pittsburgh/Miami Ohio

10 UCF: Kent State/at Boise State/Villanova

11 KANSAS: Missouri State/Illinois/at Nevada

12 HOUSTON: UTSA/at Rice/Sam Houston

13 OKLAHOMA STATE: Central Arkansas/at Arizona State/South Alabama

14 BRIGHAM YOUNG: Sam Houston/Southern Utah/at Arkansas

 

 

PAC-12

If the Pac-12 is going away -- and that looks to be the case given the panic that has set in among admins trying frantically to get a television deal -- at least it will go down swinging. 

 

Numerous league teams have taken it upon themselves to schedule premier out of conference matchups, so there will be plenty of chances for attention in 2023. Three teams have even decided to schedule only FBS teams, which is a victory itself. Utah and USC will be tested this season, and Coach Prime will also have time in the spotlight as his Buffs face CFP participant TCU right out of the box.

 

BEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME

USC at Notre Dame

SNEAKY GOOD NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Arizona at Mississippi State

WE AREN'T THE HOME TEAM? NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Cal at North Texas

AM I IN THE RIGHT LOCKER ROOM? NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Sacramento State at Stanford (Cards first-year coach Troy Taylor came from Sac State)

 

1 UTAH: Florida/at Baylor/Weber State

2 USC: San Jose State/Nevada/at Notre Dame

3 COLORADO: at TCU/Nebraska/Colorado State

4 WASHINGTON: Boise State/Tulsa/at Michigan State

5 UCLA: Coastal Carolina/at San Diego State/North Carolina Central

6 OREGON STATE: at San Jose State/UC Davis/San Diego State

7 ARIZONA STATE: Southern Utah/Oklahoma State/Fresno State

8 ARIZONA: Northern Arizona/at Mississippi State/UTEP

9 STANFORD: at Hawaii/Sacramento State/Notre Dame

10 OREGON: Portland State/at Texas Tech/Hawaii

11 WASHINGTON STATE: at Colorado State/Wisconsin/Northern Colorado

12 CALIFORNIA: at North Texas/Auburn/Idaho

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

While there definitely are some intriguing matchups in the SEC, most of it is the usual lower-rung cannon fodder that dots schedules each season. The obligatory FCS game -- almost always late in the season -- is still there, and there seems to be even more detail paid to putting Group of Five teams that finished near the bottom of their conference on the slate.

 

Special mention goes to Auburn, which has UMass, maybe THE worst team in FBS, Cal, which won four games last season and may not be much better this season, and New Mexico State, which is perennially bad but had a resurgence under Jerry Kill and won seven games in 2022. At least their FCS foe, Samford, was a top 10 team.

 

BEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME

LSU vs Florida State

SNEAKY GOOD NON-CONFERENCE GAME 

Ole Miss at Tulane

HEATED RIVALRY NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Kansas State at Missouri

LET'S SCHEDULE A NOON KICKOFF NON-CONFERENCE GAME

Hawaii at Vanderbilt

1 FLORIDA: at Utah/McNeese/Charlotte/Florida State

2 SOUTH CAROLINA: vs North Carolina/Furman/Jacksonville State/Clemson

3 MISSOURI: South Dakota/Middle Tennessee/Kansas State/vs Memphis

4 LSU: vs Florida State/Grambling State/Army/Georgia State

5 ALABAMA: Middle Tennessee/Texas/at South Florida/Chattanooga

6 MISSISSIPPI STATE: SE Louisiana/Arizona/Western Michigan/Southern Miss

7 TENNESSEE: vs Virginia/Austin Peay/UTSA/UConn

8 OLE MISS: Mercer/at Tulane/Georgia Tech/Louisiana-Monroe

9 GEORGIA: UT-Martin/Ball State/UAB/Georgia Tech

10 VANDERBILT: Hawaii/Alabama A&M/at Wake Forest/at UNLV

11 KENTUCKY: Ball State/Eastern Kentucky/Akron/at Louisville

12 ARKANSAS: Western Carolina/Kent State/Brigham Young/FIU

13 TEXAS A&M: New Mexico/at Miami/Louisiana-Monroe/Abilene Christian

14 AUBURN: UMass/at Cal/Samford/New Mexico State

 

 

BIG TEN ALL-LEAGUE SELECTIONS 2020

 

 

The end of the college football season is a sad time, because it means that we are almost finished withfootball, and have a long cold winter (and spring) ahead of us.

But it's also a time for passing out hardware, in the form of all-league teams. 

Plenty of players had the spotlight shining on them, so it was admittedly tricky trying to find the best of the best in each league. But through careful research, and all night film sessions, our committee of three came up with what we thought were the best choices in each conference. 

These selections may not match the ones unveiled by the conferences, but that's because much of that is name recognition more than stellar play. Digging deep behind the numbers is what's needed, and that's precisely what we have done here.

There were questions from the state about whether the Big Ten would even be viable, given its late start and lack of scheduling flexibility. Alas, it ended up postponing the most games of any Power 5 conference, and ended up voting to waive the six-game minimum to allow Ohio State -- which was the best team all season -- to represent the East in the league title game. The Buckeyes were led by quarterback Justin Fields, the best offensive player in the conference, and he led a contingent of OSU players on the two all-league units. Iowa defensive bulwark Daviyon Nixon was a terror inside, while surprising Northwestern dominated defensively, including the best freshman in the conference in Brandon Joseph. Indiana put together its best season in ages, thanks in large part to excitable coach Tom Allen.

1^ST TEAM OFFENSE                                                                               2^ND TEAM OFFENSE

QB Justin Fields/Ohio State                                                               QB Jack Plummer/Purdue

RB Mo Ibrahim/Minnesota                                                                 RB Trey Sermon/Ohio State

RB Tyler Goodson/Iowa                                                                      RB Jake Funk/Maryland

WR David Bell/Purdue                                                                         WR Chris Olave/Ohio State

WR Jahan Dotson/Penn State                                                           WR Ty Fryfogle/Indiana

WR Garrett Wilson/Ohio State                                                           WR Bo Melton/Rutgers

TE Jake Ferguson/Wisconsin                                                           TE Pat Freiermuth/Penn State

OT Alaric Jackson/Iowa                                                                     OT Peter Skoronski/Northwestern

OT Cole Van Lanen/Wisconsin                                                         OT Nicholas Petit-Frere/Ohio State

OG Kendrick Green/Illinois                                                               OG Cole Banwart/Iowa

OG Wyatt Davis/Ohio State                                                                 OG Mike Miranda/Penn State

 C Tyler Linderbaum/Iowa                                                                   C John Michael Schmitz/Minnesota                                 

1^ST TEAM DEFENSE                                                                              2^ND TEAM DEFENSE

DE Kwity Paye/Michigan                                                                     DE Jonathon Cooper/Ohio State

DT Daviyon Nixon/Iowa                                                                       DT Ben Stille/Nebraska

DT Haskell Garrett/Ohio State                                                           DT Jack Heflin/Iowa

DE Chauncey Golston/Iowa                                                               DE Shaka Toney/Penn State

LB Micah McFadden/Indiana                                                             LB Blake Gallagher/Northwestern

LB Pete Werner/Ohio State                                                               LB Antjuan Simmons/Michigan State

LB Jack Sanborn/Wisconsin                                                             LB Olakunle Fatukasi/Rutgers

LB Paddy Fisher/Northwestern                                                       LB JoJo Domann/Nebraska

CB Shakur Brown/Michigan State                                                   CB Tiawan Mullen/Indiana

CB Greg Newsome II/Northwestern                                               CB Shaun Wade/Ohio State

 S Jaquan Brisker/Penn State                                                             S Jamar Johnson/Indiana

 S Brandon Joseph/Northwestern                                                    S Nick Cross/Maryland

1^ST TEAM SPECIALISTS                                                                       2^ND TEAM SPECIALISTS

 K Charles Campbell/Indiana                                                             K Connor Culp/Nebraska

 P Adam Korsak/Rutgers                                                                   P Brad Robbins/Michigan

RS Aron Cruickshank/Rutgers                                                       RS Giles Jackson/Michigan

 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Fields/Ohio State                     

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Daviyon Nixon/Iowa                                

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Brandon Joseph/Northwestern

COACH OF THE YEAR: Tom Allen/Indiana

 

Can We Just Get Rid Of 2020?

When college basketball tournaments were canceled, we should have seen the warning signs. When baseball's Opening Day came and went without a single bat cracking, we should have seen the writing on the wall. When there was no Kentucky Derby or Indianapolis 500, it should have told us something.

Instead, we kept jumping for that dangling carrot known as hope -- hope that there would be college football this fall.

Today's announcements by the Big Ten and Pac-12 that they are postponing their seasons until the spring are the first in what could be many dominos to tumble. The MAC and Mountain West earlier made decisions to shut down, and most of Division II and Division III have done the same. Even though we could see the handwriting on the wall, we still clung to the notion that the "big boys" wouldn't do such a thing, that we would still have our fall Saturdays.

But it wasn't to be.

There is logic on both sides of the argument, so I won't pretend that the decision made by the leagues was an easy one. It's certainly not one I would want to be a part of. 

Fans see it as caving to fear, as cowardice -- despite medical experts sounding the alarms that a return to college campuses could make it much easier for players to contract COVID-19. There's also emerging data that long term effects include myocarditis -- which may have played a role in the death of otherwise healthy 27-year-old basketball player Michael Ojo. He was reported to have tested positive, but recovered. Reports said he died of a heart attack. Boston Red Sox ace Eduardo Rodriguez is sitting out MLB's season because he's dealing with a heart-related issue stemming from his bout with COVID-19. So there are real reasons to be leery of allowing teams to play.

Even so, you feel so bad for the players, who have been putting in time and effort to get ready for a 2020 season that was already going to be abnormal. When word came prematurely on Monday that the Big Ten had voted to cancel the season, players took to social media and got #WeWantToPlay trending. Fans retweeted and kept it going, to the point that it looked like the tide had shifted. Maybe the Big Ten WAS going to give it a go. 

But it wasn't to be.

Ohio State is one of a handful of Big Ten schools --- Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska being the others -- that hasn't had a single positive test since workouts resumed last month. The players see it this way -- if our protocols and practices have worked, why should we be penalized? Buckeyes coach Ryan Day came out strongly in favor of a fall season, saying "We cannot cancel the season right now. We have to, at the very least, postpone it and allow us a little bit of time to re-evaluate what's going on. That's the reason why we put this schedule together, to have some flexibility. If we need to take a deep breath, let's take a deep breath. We owe it to these kids to exhaust every single option we possibly can, and then we go from there."

He may not be wrong.

Why should the schools that have done everything right be penalized? Well, for one thing, the schools are worried about liability issues. Everything can be hunky-dory right now, but if Michigan plays Wisconsin and then we find out that both teams had players infected, those teams would need to shut it down immediately. And it would affect future opponents. And if a kid gets really sick, or, heaven forbid, dies? The backlash and monetary damage that school would suffer would be unimaginable. So I can see why the presidents did what they did. It doesn't mean I have to like it, though.

I do think the players and coaches stumping to play have a legitimate gripe, and their voices should have been at least heard. They are adults, they know the risks going in, and yet they still want to play. Hell, their parents want them to play. You'd think THEY would be the most apprehensive group out there, worried that their kids would test positive and then face who knows what kind of recovery time. Yet they were united in their desire to see their sons play football this fall.

But it wasn't to be.

Moving to the spring sounds good in principle, but it's just kicking the can down the road. The likelihood of games actually happening seems slim. And if they are played, it will take a game-day program to figure out who is playing because the big-time stars will most likely be preparing for the NFL Draft. The best course of action would be to just scrap the 2020 season altogether and look forward to 2021.

If the Big Ten and Pac-12 end up as the only Power 5 leagues to postpone -- which I don't believe will be the case -- the 2020 season will definitely have a bit of a "what if?" feel. There would definitely be some big time games, but to not have Ohio State or Penn State or Oregon -- or Oklahoma, should the Big 12 hop the fence it's currently sitting on -- would just be odd. And if the other three leagues play in the fall, what is the incentive for the Big Ten and Pac-12 in the spring? There won't be any bowl games or College Football Playoff to shoot for. So what, exactly, is the motivation?

The logistical hurdles involved in spring ball are numerous -- do seniors have their eligibility extended? If so, what do teams do with freshmen who wanted to report early? Those seniors, and underclassmen who go to the draft, free up the scholarships that the new guys get. If the seniors are still around, do the freshmen have to wait to enroll? Will the NCAA allow a one time easing of the 85 scholarship limit? And how do schools strapped for money pay for the extra full schollies? Hell, will the freshmen be eligible to play in the spring? A lot of uncertainty there.

There's also the matter of TV contracts -- college basketball dominates ESPN in the spring, and is also shown by CBS and Fox. ESPN has the NBA as well, so getting programming juggled around without pissing off someone will be tough. I know that college football would get the nod over March Madness in my house, but that may not be the case for everyone. 

The biggest concern would be compacting two seasons into nine months. If teams are playing March to May, they would have only June off before fall camps for 2021 open in July. Don't give me the "they can just push back the start of 2021" argument. I mean, they CAN, but there is no earthly reason to affect two seasons if you don't have to. There wouldn't be nearly enough recovery time between seasons, which means injuries would almost certainly increase. And that's why the league honchos saying that "player safety" is the reason for the postponement are being disingenuous.

They know that there are billions at stake if there is no college football. They know that many of their Olympic sports will have, at the least, scholarship reductions, and at the worst, be no more. Money is the big driver here, not player safety. The presidents are hoping the move to spring buys them some time -- time for a vaccine to be created, time for them to reconfigure their programs, time for them to just take a deep breath. They know that the immediate health of their university's sports hang in the balance, and they will do everything in their power to make sure that they don't go the way of the dinosaur. So, yeah, it's not about "player safety." It's about money.

However this all shakes out -- and my guess is that many, many college football fans will have a gaping hole in their Saturday schedules -- the impact will be felt for many seasons. It was the hope from this corner that we could get just a little semblance of normalcy, that we could cheer on our teams and revel in the chase for the title.

But it wasn't to be.

2019 Big Ten Preview

The page has been turned on the Urban Meyer era at Ohio State, but given the amount of the talent the Buckeyes have amassed in recent seasons it wouldn't be any kind of shock if this year's chapter has the same ending as last year's -- meaning another Big Ten crown and a Rose Bowl berth, at the very least.

Ohio State's Chase Young (Eleven Warriors)

Offensive guru Ryan Day, who molded neophyte starter Dwayne Haskins into a first-round NFL draft pick, takes over the whole show, and though he lacks experience as a top dog the Buckeyes did flourish during a three-game "audition" last season while Meyer was suspended. Day is cut from the Chip Kelly mold offensively and has gained high praise from those in the game, but the question remains whether he can handle the white-hot spotlight that comes with being head coach in Columbus. If the Buckeyes improve on a rare poor year defensively, and if the offensive line jells faster than expected then it could be a banner first season for Day. Maybe even as good as Meyer's initial year -- 12-0.

If Michigan is ever going to knock the Buckeyes off of their perch under Jim Harbaugh, this could be the year. A baker's dozen starters return, including eight on offense, and Josh Gattis comes in from Alabama to run the offense in a style that should fit QB Shea Patterson much better than Harbaugh's favored Pro style attack. There were some big losses on the defensive front, but DC Don Brown is one of the best in America and should have his troops ready to go. A tricky game with Army precedes a conference slate that finds the Wolverines hosting top rivals Ohio State and Michigan State, as well as a midseason tilt with Notre Dame. Road games with Wisconsin and Penn State could be tough.

It was a classic "not as bad as their record" season for Michigan State in 2018 as Sparty was decimated by injuries and lost to Arizona State, Nebraska and Oregon by a combined seven points. QB Brian Lewerke was not good (8-11 TD-INT ratio) but battled injury much of the season. Now healthy, he should be more like the 2017 version (20-7), especially with a solid receiving corps and completely intact offensive line. The defense will be its usual snarling self and will keep MSU in every game. Going to Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan could be daunting, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility for the Spartans to post double-digit wins.

Youth is the buzzword for Penn State, which is the main reason they are seen as a step behind the league's top three. The Trace McSorley era is history, so the pressure is on Sean Clifford to run the Nittany Lions, who had their lowest point total in three seasons last year. The defense has a chance to be really good thanks to Brent Pry's aggressive scheme, one that netted 47 sacks a year ago. Penn State must go to Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State but went 4-1 away from home in 2018 so maybe it pulls off an upset or two and challenges for the East Division crown.

Indiana will be a legit challenger if, and only if, the defense ever finds a way to stop opponents. After back to back years of improvement the Hoosiers allowed nearly 30 ppg in 2018 but do have seven players back on the stop side. There is talent in the backfield and receiving group, so whoever wins the quarterback job will have a nice array of talent to work with. First-year coach Mike Locksley inherits a Maryland team that lost its last four games to finish 5-7, but he has recruited well and gains the services of Virginia Tech QB Joshua Jackson. There may be some hiccups as the new system and culture are installed, but by the end of the season the Terps could be a tough out. It's kind of shocking that Chris Ash has survived into his fourth season at Rutgers, especially considering he has won just seven times and been winless in league play two of three years. A loaded schedule -- at Iowa, Michigan and Penn State and home against Ohio State and Michigan State -- offsets a more experienced unit and keeps the Scarlet Knights in the cellar again.

The Big Ten West could be the most wide-open division in college football in 2019, with as many as five teams having a legit claim to the crown.

A lot of hype has surrounded Scott Frost and Nebraska in year two, and though it went just 4-8 in 2018 it was a much better team by season's end. It lost to Northwestern by 3, Ohio State by 5, blasted Minnesota and upset Michigan State before falling by a field goal late against Iowa. The schedule is manageable as Nebraska misses Michigan, Penn State and Sparty, and hosts Ohio State. While it would be a huge shock for Frost to engineer an unbeaten turnaround in year two (as he did at UCF), eight or nine wins seems plausible.

Underestimate Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern at your own peril -- the Wildcats won the West last year, beating Sparty, Iowa and Minnesota on the road in the process. The defense should once again be hard-nosed, led by one of the better linebacker groups in the league, and the offense should be solid with Clemson transfer Hunter Johnson taking over at quarterback. We should know quickly how good the Wildcats are as they open at Stanford and host Michigan State three weeks later.

With just four starters back on defense, this could be the year where offense is highlighted more than defense for Iowa. The Hawkeyes will always be fundamentally sound and hard-nosed on D, but have just four starters back, so much of the onus will be on QB Nate Stanley and a strong cast of skill players. An excellent O-line helps, but the schedule is tricky, with road swings to Iowa State, Northwestern, Michigan and Wisconsin. The season finale in Lincoln could determine the division champion.

Things have gradually improved at Minnesota under PJ Fleck, and 2019 could produce another small step forward as nine are back on a potentially explosive offense. The ground game is bruising, and receiver Tyler Johnson is somehow under the radar despite catching 78 passes and scoring a dozen times last year. The defense was shaky last year, allowing six foes to score more than 30 points, but played well down the stretch. That should provide optimism, as should a schedule that misses OSU, Michigan and Penn State.

After four consecutive seasons of 10+ wins, Wisconsin hit a speed bump last year and won just 8 games. The offense was wildly inconsistent, largely due to quarterback play, and the normally stout defense allowed over 20 ppg for just the second time in the last seven years. While there are still questions under center -- and around center, as four O-line starters depart -- none exist in the backfield, where Jonathan Taylor is one of the best around. The Badgers get Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa at home but must go to OSU, Nebraska and Minnesota. Wisconsin could be better this year but it may not show in the record.

Purdue showed real progress last season, upsetting Ohio State and Iowa at home, but returns only three starters on offense. That could mean some tough sledding, though one of those starters is the electric Rondale Moore, who gives the Boilermakers a chance in every game. The defense allowed over 30 ppg a year ago and returns nine -- maybe not a good thing, though NG Lorenzo Neal and LB Markus Bailey are standouts. Purdue must go to Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin, and has a tricky non-league slate featuring Nevada, Vanderbilt and TCU. Look for a small step back in 2019. The talent is improving in Illinois, even if the results are mostly stagnant. Illinois won four game last year, its most in three seasons, and has 17 starters back. Reggie Corbin is one of the best runners in the conference, but that won't matter if the Illini can't shore up a run defense that allowed 6.4 yards per tote and 245 yards per game. Michigan, Nebraska and Northwestern come to Champaign, but Illinois hits the road to face Iowa, Michigan State and Minnesota

BIG TEN PREDICTIONS
EAST

1 Ohio State (12-1, 8-1)*R
1 Michigan (10-2, 8-1)*R
3 Michigan State (9-3, 6-3)*R
4 Penn State (8-4, 5-4)*R
5 Indiana (6-6, 3-5)*
6 Maryland (3-9, 1-8)
6 Rutgers (2-10, 1-8)

WEST

1 Nebraska (9-4, 6-3)*R
1 Northwestern (8-4, 6-3)*R
3 Iowa (8-4, 5-4)*R
3 Minnesota (8-4, 5-4)*
5 Wisconsin (7-5, 4-5)*
6 Purdue (5-7, 3-6)
7 Illinois (5-7, 2-7)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Ohio State over Nebraska 

* Bowl participant
R CFB Focus Top 40 team

ALL BIG TEN
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Shea Patterson/Michigan
RB Jonathan Taylor/Wisconsin
RB JK Dobbins/Ohio State
WR Rondale Moore/Purdue
WR Tyler Johnson/Minnesota
WR JD Spielman/Nebraska
TE  Pat Freiermuth/Penn State
OT Alaric Jackson/Iowa
OT Jon Runyan Jr./Michigan
OG Ben Bredeson/Michigan
OG Jonah Jackson/Ohio State
 C  Tyler Biadasz/Wisconsin

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DE Chase Young/Ohio State
DE Kenny Willekes/Michigan State
DT Raequan Williams/Michigan State
DT Darrion Daniels/Nebraska
LB Micah Parsons/Penn State
LB Joe Bachie/Michigan State
LB Paddy Fisher/Northwestern
CB Lavert Hill/Michigan
CB Jeffrey Okudah/Ohio State
 S  David Dowell/Michigan State
 S  Jordan Fuller/Ohio State

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
 K Matt Coghlin/Michigan State
 P Drue Chrisman/Ohio State
RS Rondale Moore/Purdue

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB Adrian Martinez/Nebraska
RB Reggie Corbin/Illinois
RB Anthony McFarland/Maryland
WR Nico Collins/Michigan
WR KJ Hill/Ohio State
WR Rashod Bateman/Minnesota
TE  Jake Ferguson/Wisconsin
OT Tristan Wirfs/Iowa
OT Will Fries/Penn State
OG Terrance Davis/Maryland
OG Wyatt Davis/Ohio State
 C  Cesar Ruiz/Michigan

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE AJ Epenesa/Iowa
DE Yetur Gross-Matos/Penn State
DT Robert Landers/Ohio State
DT Lorenzo Neal/Purdue
LB Mohamed Barry/Nebraska
LB Malik Harrison/Ohio State
LB Markus Bailey/Purdue
CB Josiah Scott/Michigan State
CB Matt Hankins/Iowa
 S  Josh Metellus/Michigan
 S  Geno Stone/Iowa

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
 K Logan Justus/Indiana
 P Will Hart/Michigan
RS KJ Hamler/Penn State

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Taylor
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chase Young
COACH OF THE YEAR: Scott Frost/Nebraska
TOP NEWCOMER: QB Hunter Johnson/Northwestern

TOP FIVE GAMES (NONCONFERENCE)
Northwestern at Stanford (Aug. 31)
Army at Michigan (Sept. 7)
Arizona State at Michigan State (Sept. 14)
Iowa at Iowa State (Sept. 14)
Notre Dame at Michigan (Oct. 26) 

TOP FIVE GAMES (CONFERENCE)
Ohio State at Nebraska (Sept. 28)
Michigan State at Ohio State (Oct. 5)
Michigan at Penn State (Oct. 19)
Michigan State at Michigan (Nov. 16)
Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 30) 

TOP FIVE INCOMING FRESHMEN
WR Garrett Wilson/Ohio State
  S   Daxton Hill/Michigan
RB Anthony Williams/Michigan State
  S  Nick Cross/Maryland
DE George Karlaftis/Purdue

TOP FIVE TRANSFERS
QB Hunter Johnson/Nortwestern (Clemson)
QB Justin Fields/Ohio State (Georgia)
QB Joshua Jackson/Maryland (Virginia Tech)
QB Brandon Peters/Illinois (Michigan)
WR Jayden Reed/Michigan State (Western Michigan)

TOP JUCO TRANSFERS 
RB Dedrick Mills/Nebraska
DT Keonte Schad/Minnesota
OT Anthony Whigan/Penn State
NG Juan Harris/Indiana
OG Parris Heath/Maryland