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About time!


1. OHIO STATE - loaded, per usual
2. PENN STATE - if they kept improving during the offseason like they did during the season, should repeat
3. WISCONSIN - should have no problem getting back to Indy
4. MICHIGAN - reload year before making a run at a national title in 2018
5. NORTHWESTERN - QB play is the difference in a tight bunch up between the 2nd and 5th best teams in the West, hard to otherwise distinguish
6. IOWA - not enough to catch Wisconsin, but should be solidly in a bowl
7. MINNESOTA - should be in the postseason, but it's the future, with Fleck, that really has Gophers excited
8. NEBRASKA - they weren't as bad as their record in 2015, or as good as their record in 2016
9. INDIANA - could fall farther than this without Kevin Wilson though
10. MARYLAND - trending upwards
11. MICHIGAN STATE - easily the hardest team to project, with anything from 3-9 to 9-3 very plausible
12. ILLINOIS - an I just don't think Lovie is the right fit for a college job
13. PURDUE - I finally think they made the right hire though
14. RUTGERS - I'm not sure they did

1. Ohio State - I'm intrigued to see if/how Wilson changes the offense
2. Michigan - OL, CBs, and Speight will determine how far this team goes
3. Wisconsin - Favorable schedule this year, but I'm still skeptical of their offense
4. Penn State - They're getting way too much hype, but I understand why
5. Iowa - If they have a decent QB, they could challenge Wisconsin
6. Northwestern - It seems like they'll be competitive but not quite good enough, as usual
7. Nebraska - Is their new QB really going to be the difference? I doubt it.
8. Minnesota - By far the least predictable team for me
9. Maryland - Benefited from a relatively easy schedule last year, whereas this year they play @Texas, @Wisconsin, and Northwestern
10. Michigan State - This might even be high with how many players they lost since the end of last year
11. Indiana - They have a defense now, but I don't have any confidence in their offense with DeBord as OC
12. Purdue
13. Illinois
14. Rutgers - Until proven otherwise

1. Penn St
This is open to debate, but I believe PSU was the best team at the end of last year.   it will be interesting to see if PSU can sustain that in 2017, but for now I feel PSU earned the #1 spot until somebody beats them.   

2.  OSU
It is almost a given lately that OSU will always at least be in the top 3 in the Big Ten.  Hiring Wilson as OC was an interesting choice, given the controversial way he left Indy.

3.  Wisc
The clear favorites in the west, as a recent poll on this board showed.

4. NW
Could this finally be the year where NW breaks through and wins a division?

5.Mich
Mich lost a lot of talent and has no recent history of sustained success.  I expect them to drop off, even if they somehow beat Florida.

6.  Iowa
New QB with no decent WR's.  But Iowa will have strong running game and defense.  Iowa will be in the mix.

7. Neb
Its time for Riley to step it up or his seat will start to get warm.  New QB, but old QB seemed to lose as many games as he won for Neb.

8. Minn
Decent team last year, but I expect Minn to drop off under first year coach

9. Indy
Why does it seem like its been years since Kevin Wilson was fired, uh, I mean resigned.

10. MD
Team might still be a year away.

11.  ILL
Lovie needs to start showing some progress.

12.  Pur
The new coach scares me in the long run, but not this year.

13.  MSU
I expect another awful year for MSU.  No bounce back in 2017.

14.  Rut
Big Ten's official dumpster fire last year.  They can't be any worse this year, but they got a big hole they need to climb out of.

Tier 1
1.  Penn State
2.  Ohio State

Tier 2
3.  Wisconsin

Tier 3
4.  Michigan

Tier 4
5.  Nebraska
6.  Iowa
7.  Northwestern
8.  Minnesota
9.  Michigan State

Tier 5
10.  Indiana
11.  Maryland
12.  Illinois
13.  Purdue
14.  Rutgers

1. OSU: Probably the fewest question marks.  Return a lot except in the secondary and at punter. Offense seems destined to improve under Kevin Wilson. Schedule is no joke though.

2. Penn State: I'm bullish on their offense - think they will be really tough to stop.  Defense needs to be solid.

3. Michigan: Defense should be great, if a little more pliable than last year.  Offense needs to pull itself out of toilet it went in late last season.

4. Wisconsin: Can defense be strong after losing talent and coordinator?  Will Chryst get the offense humming?

5. Michigan State: Was last year a blip or a trend?  Dantonio will be working his ass off.

6. Iowa: Good ole Iowa.

7. Northwestern: Always a tough team to project, but should be spunky and tough to beat.

8. Minnesota: Another tough team to project with a new but probably good coaching staff.  Definitely an upgrade in energy from the head coach.

9. Nebraska: The B1G-W mushy middle is tough to figure out.

10. Maryland: I'm actually kind of high on them despite the ranking.  If they get the lines figured out they could be pretty tough.

11. Indiana: Not sure what to expect from them.  A defensive focused Indiana?  What?

12. Illinois: Lovie and the inept football team.

13. Purdue: Might jump up and bite somebody.

14. Rutgers: Oof

1 Buckeyes
2 Lions
3 Badgers
4 Bug Eaters
5 That Team Up North
6 Sparty
7 Wildcats
8 Hawkeyes
9 Gophers
10 Terps
11 Illini
12 Hoosiers
13 Spoilermakers
14 Knights

Who really knows? Surprises make the season more interesting. Here is my guesstimate:

 1.        Ohio State
2.        Penn State
3.        Wisconsin
4.        Michigan
5.        Northwestern
6.        Nebraska
7.        Iowa
8.        Minnesota
9.        Maryland
10.     Michigan State
11.     Purdue
12.     Rutgers
13.     Illinois
14.     Indiana
Confounding me is the question of how a team (MSU) can have just five returning starters. It can be a misleading statistic. Returning starters are not all they are made out to be in this era of college players seemingly protecting their senior year bodies to save themselves for the NFL.