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Time to look around the conference at running backs.  The B1G lost some big hitters in Jonathan Taylor and JK Dobbins, so there is going to be some guessing here.  On the pair and a spare theory I'm just listing the top three guys.  All are considered but I don't feel like finding the fifth running back for every team.  Feel free to correct any roster mistakes or note guys you think will make an impact I may have missed.

1. Ohio State: Trey Sermon, Master Teague, Marcus Crowley

Tough to beat them out, though this isn't a no-brainer at all.  Master Teague was 5th in conference only rushing last year, and the only returning player with more than him is Indiana's Steve Scott.  But Teague hurt his achilles in the spring and his availability in the fall is uncertain.  Of course, they added Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon, himself recovering from an ACL tear last year.  Also also, Marcus Crowley is recovering from an ACL tear.  In any event, lots of talent and a great system means someone will probably break out, even if there are a lot of question marks due to injury and inexperience.

2. Penn State: Journey Brown, Noah Cain, Devyn Ford

The knock on the group last year is that while talented, no one seemed to emerge as the guy.  It looks like Journey Brown will get the chance to be the guy, as he had over 100 yards in 4 of their last five games.  Rickey Slade decided to transfer, but the other guys are still big time recruits who have been good in limited carries. 

3. Michigan: Zack Charbonnet, Hassan Haskins, Chris Evans

Should be a different vibe compared to last year, where it felt like Michigan forgot to field a running back at times.  This year, on paper, they are in great shape.  Chris Evans returns from a year long suspension.  Charbonnet and Haskins were freshman runners who weren't all world but were still pretty good.  All three guys being able to play along with the offense hopefully being settled makes their situation pretty comfortable. 

4. Minnesota: Mohamed Ibrahim, Bryce Williams, Cam Wiley

Ibrahim is carrying a lot of weight here.  He was the second guy last year, but was pretty effective, culminating in 140 yards against Auburn in the Outback bowl.  The Gophs figure to run the ball a lot, and get just past Wisconsin on the basis that I'm reasonably confident in their starter.

5. Wisconsin: Nakia Watson, Garrett Groshek, Julius Davis

To tell you the truth I don't much about any of these guys.  Not sure Wisconsin fans do either.  But come on - it's Wisconsin.  They are going to run for a bunch of yards and we will be talking about one of them being a great back.

6. Indiana: Stevie Scott, Sampson James, Tim Baldwin

A contender to rise higher than 6th - Stevie Scott is one of the best returning starters in the B1G who will have a great season if he can stay healthy, which he couldn't do last year.  Sampson James was just fine in relief, but after him it gets very thin in Hoosier land.  Combines with their quarterback, who was also quite talented but prone to injury, we might get a return to chaos from Indiana.

7. Iowa: Tyler Goodson, Mekhi Sargent, Ivory Kelly-Martin

Goodson and Sargent paired pretty well together last year. Will they lean more on them as they break in a new quarterback?  Or will defenses feast on them because they don't have a quarterback?  Kelly-Martin returns after a redshirt year and is a good depth option.  Having multiple guys who have carried the ball a lot is good at this stage of the rankings.

8. Nebraska: Dedrick Mills, Wan'dale Robinson, Rahmir Johnson

Nebraska is a little tricky to rank because they get a lot of rushing from their quarterback and Robinson a part time running back.  In any event, Nebraska is committed to running the ball and these guys are talented players.  Mills had a productive season and is clearly entrenched as a starter.

9. Michigan State: Elijah Collins, Anthony Williams, Connor Heyward

A difficult group to rank.  Elijah Collins had a lot of rushing yards last year, though it was mostly by default as he had 222 carries and the next running back had 38.  He wasn't particularly great looking, but he was a freshman and MSU's offense was putrid and is now going to be something different.  Connor Heyward barely played after a productive 2018 season and was going to transfer, but the coaching change changed his mind.  It wouldn't be shocking to see this group look a lot better than how they are ranked, but we will have to see what the new MSU looks like.

10. Northwestern: Isaiah Bowser, Drake Anderson, Evan Hull

Another of these groups of guys who have had some production.  Bowser wasn't bad two years ago but then had injuries last year.  Anderson was somewhat productive last year in replacing him.  I say somewhat because like MSU Northwestern was pretty inept offensively but is going to be under a new offensive coordinator, so it wouldn't be shocking to see a bit better production out of these guys. 

11. Rutgers: Isaih Pacheco, Aaron Young, Kay'ron Adams

You may have heard of a Rutgers player, and if you have it might have been Pacheco, who looked the part of a Big Ten running back, unlike the rest of Rutgers.  With Schiano and new offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson (you might have heard of his guy Chubba Hubbard last year) Rutgers will try to run the ball and might even do it. 

12. Purdue: King Doerue, Alexander Horvath, Tirek Murphy

Not gonna lie I know nothing about these guys and put them here on the confidence that they are better than Maryland and Illinois.

13. Illinois: Ra'von Bonner, Mike Epstein, Chase Brown

No clue here.  I've long felt the bottom was going to come out of Illinois this year, and one reason is they lost two senior runners last year.  I saw someone say Mike Epstein was the presumptive starter, then saw his stats, where had 8 carries in one game last year, I guess due to injury (he had 60 carries the year before).

14. Maryland: Tayon Fleet-Davis, Jake Funk, Peny Boone

It feels like a million years ago when Maryland was loaded at running back.  I'm not sure who these guys are or whether they are very good, but I'm betting on not very good.

So these are good points and I definitely considered PSU for #1.  The main issue I had with them is both guys are still somewhat unproven.  I like both guys and think they'll be good, and while Ford had a great end to the season, he also was a nonfactor for much of the season, including a stretch with 21, 21, 16, and 19 yards.  His 100 yard games were against Pitt, Indiana, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Memphis.  Cain had a couple good games last year, I think he's good.  What moved me to pick OSU over them was the addition of Sermon, who has been pretty good for more than half a season.  OSU was the best rushing team in the country last year (that also threw the ball) and led the conference in rushing attempts, yards, and yards per carry.  

But to your point I like PSU's group a lot.  I like Michigan's too, though they were a pretty pedestrian group last year and lost some oline.

Maryland had two guys leave early for the draft in Leake and McFarland.  Maybe they will be able to piece together a rushing attack but they just seemed to get worse as the year went on and they certainly don't appear upgraded by talent. 

MSU was one of those I'm not sure where to put them teams.  They were 13th in rushing last year.  Collins got the vast bulk of RB carries, where he was all right.  Could he actually be pretty good and just stuck in a decrepit Sparty offense that improves this year?  Yes, maybe.  Or maybe no.

If UW wants to quickly get back to it's station, that'd be super.

I get why it can't rank high right now though.

Tell me about these guys

I don’t see how OSU is #1 considering Teague has real injury concerns with a major Achilles injury and the guy they brought in from OU got passed over by other backs. RB isn’t like QB where only one guy can play. Sermon got passed up by Stevenson and Brooks. He was 3rd on OU’s depth chart so he bolted. It’s not like the guy was some star RB or even a young up and comer. He was a Jr at OU that got passed over by other backs. And Sermon’s numbers last year combined with Teague’s numbers last year still fall far short of PSU’s and M’s returning guys. And Michigan’s and PSU’s guys are younger with more potential imo. 

Yes OSU lead in rushing but they also had one of the best backs they’ve ever had in JK Dobbins. I don’t think any of these OSU backs are on his level. 

Michigan’s frosh duo put up 1,346 and 15 TD’s combined and they are going to be re-joined by Chris Evans. Charbonnet in particular should be a lot better in 2020 as the nagging knee and groin injuries he dealt with all last year should be behind him. He’s a guy that could make a big jump forward in 2020. 

I’d put PSU at #1.

I wouldn't put OSU at #1, but they will have some talent in the backfield

So these are good points and I definitely considered PSU for #1.  The main issue I had with them is both guys are still somewhat unproven.  I like both guys and think they'll be good, and while Ford had a great end to the season, he also was a nonfactor for much of the season, including a stretch with 21, 21, 16, and 19 yards.  His 100 yard games were against Pitt, Indiana, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Memphis.  Cain had a couple good games last year, I think he's good.  What moved me to pick OSU over them was the addition of Sermon, who has been pretty good for more than half a season.  OSU was the best rushing team in the country last year (that also threw the ball) and led the conference in rushing attempts, yards, and yards per carry. 

But to your point I like PSU's group a lot.  I like Michigan's too, though they were a pretty pedestrian group last year and lost some oline.

Maryland had two guys leave early for the draft in Leake and McFarland.  Maybe they will be able to piece together a rushing attack but they just seemed to get worse as the year went on and they certainly don't appear upgraded by talent.

MSU was one of those I'm not sure where to put them teams.  They were 13th in rushing last year.  Collins got the vast bulk of RB carries, where he was all right.  Could he actually be pretty good and just stuck in a decrepit Sparty offense that improves this year?  Yes, maybe.  Or maybe no.

I think you mean Journey Brown, not Ford.

Pitt finished with the 12th best rushing defense in the NCAA.  Minnesota finished 23rd.  Indiana Finished 43rd.  These weren't exactly scrubs.  He also averaged almost 6 yards per carry against Ohio State on only 11 attempts.  600 yards in 5 games is pretty darn good.

Yes - Brown, and yes 600 yards in five games is impressive. The 300 yards in the other games, not so much.  PSU was a difficult team to figure, too - are they the team than ran for 400 yards against Memphis or the one that ran for 80 against Buffalo?

I think Penn State was using that game as a scrimmage for Clifford. Clifford had about half of the team rushing attempts in that game. (Read Option)

JB only had 6 carries, as PSU was also trying the running back by committee approach with 4 guys.