Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2023
by Athlon Sports
It's not easy getting college football coaches to honestly comment on another coach, player or team. Most coaches don't want to give opposing teams bulletin board material, which is why there is a lot of coach speak or overused cliches used during the year.
In order to get an accurate assessment of teams heading into 2023, Athlon asked coaches in the Big Ten to talk anonymously about their opponents.
Note: These scouting reports come directly from coaching staffs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Athlon's editorial staffs.
ILLINOIS
“Bret [Bielema] has really created a winning culture there in a short amount of time, but they could take a step back this season with as much as they’ve turned over."
"Defensively, they just lost a coordinator [Ryan Walters] who took some guys with him to Purdue. They need to rebuild the back end, but the front is still pretty good."
"Offensively, they’re losing a ton of production, and it seems like Bret wants to count on youth a little bit more than you’d expect in the portal era."
"This is a very Bielema season — they’re going to lean on big, good lines to set the tone and lead while they try to find their next set of position player ‘dudes.”
"Honestly, with the changes at UW, they’re more Wisconsin than Wisconsin. They can fill a gap now in the league by becoming that consistently solid, run-based offense that develops guys and plays physical.”
INDIANA
“Probably the most uncertain program in the league going into the season. They have to win some big games to keep Tom [Allen] around, and that doesn’t look likely with the roster they’ve got."
"Culturally, this is a hard place to win at, stay winning and make the ‘football’ changes needed to keep it going. Plus, Tom is a ‘bullhorn’ kind of coach, lots of hollering, and that as a trend seems to have waned a lot in recent years."
"They were really high on Connor Bazelak last season, and now’s he at Bowling Green. That tells you a lot about the state of the program."
"They’ve been working a lot in the portal and losing a lot too. That’s not a good sign."
"They aren’t making enough noise in high school recruiting. If you’re going to stay consistent at a school like this, you can’t rely on the portal. You need to be a development system, and they haven’t pulled in enough talent to do that.”
IOWA
"The last 'West' team culture standing, although it's probably the one that's needed the most change schematically, and maybe culturally."
"We're all anxious to see how they address those contract stipulations on the offensive coordinator and what they can actually get done."
"They portaled out a lot of their best offensive players, which is a really scary situation when you're that bad to begin with, and it puts a stupid amount of pressure on the transfer QB [Cade McNamara] to make something happen. Whatever you think of Cade, he's not going to have the same kind of weapons he did at Michigan."
"Defensively they're still a damn good team and one of the toughest to play at their place in the whole league. When you go to their place, it's a fistfight every time."
MARYLAND
“It feels like a broken record here — lots and lots of talent, very athletic at the skill positions, smart coaches and high-level recruiters, but the program never puts all those pieces together. They would be a monster in this league if the staff could unlock everything at once, and this roster looks like it’s their best yet. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but they’re getting to that talent level that Lock [Mike Locksley] sold the administration on, that it was possible."
"It’s really important that they send [Taulia] Tagovailoa out on a winning note because they need to show those four- and five-star kids you can develop and win and get to the league at this place."
"Offensively, they’re losing top receiver targets, but that’s not a problem for them. They transfer and plug guys really well in those slots. The FIU WR [Tyrese Chambers] is a great example of a local kid that left and then came back home to the DMV."
"We know they can recruit; now they have to win big games.”
MICHIGAN
“Last season really sealed it for them. This is a different program. The gap between them and Ohio State hasn’t been this close in decades."
"It’s reload, not rebuild, which is something they’ve never been able to claim like an Ohio State or SEC team."
"The transfers are good, the backfield is great, the QB is great, they’ve got speed on the edges and defensively they’re consistent and smart."
"It’s proof of concept now, that’s why they’ve stepped it up in recruiting. Jim [Harbaugh] has also found a niche inside the portal. They breed the culture into those guys. It’s elitist, but that’s built on confidence, and confident teams are consistent."
"The only thing they lack right now is that ‘big one’ win at the national title level. There’s no reason they should’ve lost to TCU, and they definitely know it, but they didn’t do anything crazy in response. And remember, Jim’s a distraction, but not to Jim. At the very top, that’s a calm, consistent culture.”
MICHIGAN STATE
“They’re the 50-50 program in the league: You never know what you’re gonna get when they actually line up against you. They’re talented enough to beat most teams, and then sometimes they can’t put anything together."
"In the Big Ten, they’re our Ole Miss. They’re getting better at high school recruiting, but they’re still locked on the portal."
"They have talent but they need to run effectively for it all to work like it did for them in 2021. They need a much better backfield to take the pressure off."
"The good high school recruiting they’ve done is on defense, and they need those guys to hit right away. They’ve got some freshmen coming in mixed with some talented portal guys. If they can create a strong defensive identity this season, it’s possible [Mel] Tucker can get things turned around again.”
MINNESOTA
“The first thing that comes to mind is their size. They’re big, as big as the best teams in this league on the line. They’ve got a true Big Ten-style offensive line and almost close to that on the defensive side. The difference is that they’re never as athletic as they want to be."
"Losing the running back [Mohamed Ibrahim] is really significant for them."
"We aren’t sure about the QB situation; maybe they aren’t either right now. [Athan] Kaliakmanis is their long-time backup, so he knows the system, but he’s had limited reps. We know the staff really likes him."
"Enough time has passed to where everyone has a pretty good idea of the kids P.J. [Fleck] is going to get and the ones who won’t make it or won’t visit there. You’re never surprised when a particular player from there enters the portal."
"When you talk about this program, you’re basically talking about culture and whether or not there’s enough top-end kids in recruiting willing to buy into that.”
NEBRASKA
"Matt Rhule is a legitimately good college football head coach. Fans who are talking about the Carolina Panthers don't get it. He changed the culture at places that were in really, really bad situations, so he's got an even better shot than an alumnus of waking up the sleeping giant."
"[Jeff] Sims and [Arik] Gilbert were good pickups in the portal. The fans could really fall in love with that offense as much as they're using backs and tight ends and grinding."
"This is a talented offense, but we don't know if they will click."
"They need a solid, proof-of-concept year with both schemes on both sides of the ball; otherwise, it's all about recruiting."
"They're a sleeping giant because every other staff in the league knows what they're building in NIL. They're scary; if they do it the right way and strike deals with players who can be foundational pieces, they're going to be really good down the line."
NORTHWESTERN
“They have a lot to fix, but if they can find a quarterback, they have a chance to be competitive again. The problem is, they’ve really struggled to find and identify that position. They seriously need to evaluate what they’re doing as a staff. Quarterbacks do not develop into playmakers at that program."
"Defensively, they’ve lost a lot of solid guys up front, but this is the side of the ball they create their identity from."
"If you’re a top-end team in this league, you know you can out-athlete them, but I think there’s even been some instances where you can out-scheme them, too."
"The last couple years, there’s been a noticeable decline in their quality as that smart-and-physical team that’s going to make you earn it. Maybe they just don’t have the chip on the shoulder anymore?"
OHIO STATE
“This is the only roster in the league that could’ve beat Georgia last year. The talent they have matches the SEC at every position group, year in and year out."
"The perspective is the problem because if you lose to Michigan, the season is a bust. The program is in great hands, and [Ryan] Day is a top-tier head coach. It’s just that the standard is what it is."
"If I’m them, the first thing is the two lines. They’re losing both tackles on offense and two starters on defense."
"When you recruit like they do, it’s purely about internal competition to develop new starters, even if you’re bringing out a highly rated guy with no experience."
"The biggest question, obviously, is who ends up replacing [C.J.] Stroud. The reality is that neither of the two guys behind him is that kind of quarterback. They’re just not going to be as good here, but that doesn’t mean the sky is falling. This could be a year where they’re out of the playoff race but course-correct and beat Michigan.”
PENN STATE
“Down the stretch last year, they got tougher, which is a really big deal because they’re always talented but not always tough."
"When recruiting is clicking, their roster looks close to Michigan or Ohio State, but they don’t punch you back the same way those guys do."
"They’re poised to have a really special season with that roster, but if you’re a coach, you’re excited about how they’re playing as much as who is playing."
"It’s really all about [QB Drew] Allar. If he’s as good as everyone thinks, this is their window to get past Michigan and Ohio State. He’s the difference between another top-end season and the breakthrough they’ve wanted under [James] Franklin."
"If they’re weak somewhere, it’s replacing [Joey] Porter [Jr.] and [Ji’Ayir] Brown in the secondary because those guys are top-end NFL dudes. But [DC Manny] Diaz is so good when you have something for him to work with."
"You have to be curious how they’re going to handle the hype and the pressure.”
PURDUE
“Jeff [Brohm] never really wanted to be at Purdue long term, so this could be a rare example of where both parties benefit from a coaching change."
"Defensively, they’re going to be better than most people think. The head coach [Ryan Walters] is a damn good DC, and the staff he brought in is really sharp. They can run complex stuff without sacrificing aggression."
"The Texas QB [Hudson Card] is really good, and they’ve got the right OC [Graham Harrell] to help him."
"Brohm didn’t leave the program in bad condition at all; chances are he’d still be there if it wasn’t Louisville that went after him, so this should be a better first year for Ryan than most of the other freshman coaches in the league."
"Long term, they need to recruit better and find an identity on the field they can sustain in recruiting, but they could be a surprise team this year.”
RUTGERS
“Whatever buzz Greg [Schiano] had going by coming back, it’s pretty much gone. He’s turned over a significant amount of staff, and word is out that it’s a highly stressful environment."
"They had two quarterbacks play poorly last year, and they changed the coaches but didn’t portal any new QBs. That tells you something."
"There’s building pressure for them to get it right and ‘back,’ but that’s not possible. The guys who hired him back think they can have those Big East seasons again."
"The OC hire [Kirk Ciarrocca] is a really solid pick; he got thrown under the bus by [James] Franklin at Penn State during the COVID year, but he’s a solid play caller and a good QB developer."
"Defensively, they’re running the same stuff as Greg did in Columbus; they’re just not executing with that talent level."
"The school seems committed to him long-term, but they haven’t made any kind of real step up to being a Big Ten-level program under him.”
WISCONSIN
“The strangest hire of the entire cycle was Phil Longo coming to Wisconsin. It’s like Luke Fickell knows something no one else does, or he’s about to make a major mistake."
"This is the anti-Wisconsin offense. It’s gonna take a minute for everyone to adjust to it. Certainly that roster, but opposing coaches too. Just weird."
"They’re going to build their identity with defense first; they were good with Jim [Leonhard], and Luke is a legit great DC as a HC, so we know they’re going to be really tough out of the gate on that side of the ball."
"The biggest questions we have are more off the field. It’s like all the Barry Alvarez traditions are off the table now — or are they? How much change is happening? That program culture was so specific for so long. How different will they recruit? We assumed the move to hire Luke was to create a program that recruited to compete with the East schools and win in Chicago and Ohio and not just build off in-state.”
