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Big Ten West Position Rankings - 2021

Cornicator

Nebraska Legend
Gold Member
Feb 27, 2009
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173,818
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Meadville
QB

1. Minnesota
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Purdue
6. Iowa
7. Northwestern

RB

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Northwestern
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Nebraska
7. Purdue

TE

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa
4. Illinois
5. Purdue
6. Minnesota
7. Northwestern

OL

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Nebraska
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

WR

1. Minnesota
2. Purdue
3. Nebraska
4. Illinois
5. Northwestern
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin


DL

1. Nebraska
2. Wisconsin
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Purdue
7. Minnesota

LB

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Minnesota
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

CB

1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Purdue

S

1. Iowa
2. Nebraska
3. Wisconsin
4. Illinois
5. Minnesota
6. Northwestern
7. Purdue
 
The Husker Online Free Board.
Laughing Had to ask because NW is being in a portal QB from South Carolina and he can’t be the worst QB in the Big 10 West..

Also Minnesota Defense line also has some portal transfers too..
 
QB

1. Minnesota
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Purdue
6. Iowa
7. Northwestern

RB

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Northwestern
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Nebraska
7. Purdue

TE

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa
4. Illinois
5. Purdue
6. Minnesota
7. Northwestern

OL

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Nebraska
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

WR

1. Minnesota
2. Purdue
3. Nebraska
4. Illinois
5. Northwestern
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin


DL

1. Nebraska
2. Wisconsin
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Purdue
7. Minnesota

LB

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Minnesota
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

CB

1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Purdue

S

1. Iowa
2. Nebraska
3. Wisconsin
4. Illinois
5. Minnesota
6. Northwestern
7. Purdue
Thank you for taking the time to post these. Will you kindly rank the 1-6 coaching staffs. Thanks!

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Neb
 
If Martinez is truly the second best qb, then our division sucks more than I gave it credit for.

I have to put Brandon Peters from Illinois #1 at QB. Mertz hasn’t shown as much as his high school clippings last season..
 
Laughing Had to ask because NW is being in a portal QB from South Carolina and he can’t be the worst QB in the Big 10 West..

Also Minnesota Defense line also has some portal transfers too..

He comes to a team that is going to be devoid of returning talent, and has to learn a new scheme.
 
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I have to put Brandon Peters from Illinois #1 at QB. Mertz hasn’t shown as much as his high school clippings last season..


Peters is a career 53% passer, and he's going to be playing in his 3rd offensive scheme in 4 seasons while losing his best receiving threat. Now I realize he looked like an All-American against Nebraska in 2020. But he was 21 of 55 for 224 yards combined in his other starts.
 
Illinois ranked top half (3rd or 4th) in every category except CB. Lovie did not leave a solid contender but he didn't leave the cupboard bare either.
 
Well I don’t expect him to be as good as Peyton Ramsey and he sure picked up the new s good enough to win the division...


Peyton Ramsey came into that game as the Big Ten's all time leader in completion percentage and had played 30 career games in the Big Ten.

Northwestern also brought back 4 receivers with more than 80 combined starts, and had 5 NFL players on defense.

Hilsinki isn't inheriting any of that stuff.

The luxury Northwestern has though is their early season schedule is the easiest in the Big Ten. They could be 4-0 coming into Lincoln without having beaten any team with a single win. Seriously, its completely possible that their 4 opponents are winless by week 5.
 
Illinois ranked top half (3rd or 4th) in every category except CB. Lovie did not leave a solid contender but he didn't leave the cupboard bare either.


Keep in mind I'm really only factoring in projected starters. The biggest problem for the Ilini is depth. If they lose a few front line players along the LOS or in their linebacking crew, they become one of the least talented teams in the Power 5.

That is opposite of a team like Wisconsin which can absorb injuries most places with the exception of maybe WR.
 
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Peyton Ramsey came into that game as the Big Ten's all time leader in completion percentage and had played 30 career games in the Big Ten.

Northwestern also brought back 4 receivers with more than 80 combined starts, and had 5 NFL players on defense.

Hilsinki isn't inheriting any of that stuff.

The luxury Northwestern has though is their early season schedule is the easiest in the Big Ten. They could be 4-0 coming into Lincoln without having beaten any team with a single win. Seriously, its completely possible that their 4 opponents are winless by week 5.
I‘m not making NW out to be a contender in the West.. They have more to rebuild on this season than Wisconsin, Ioway, Minnesota and Nebraska..
 
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QB

1. Minnesota
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Purdue
6. Iowa
7. Northwestern

RB

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Northwestern
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Nebraska
7. Purdue

TE

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa
4. Illinois
5. Purdue
6. Minnesota
7. Northwestern

OL

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa
3. Illinois
4. Wisconsin
5. Nebraska
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

WR

1. Minnesota
2. Purdue
3. Nebraska
4. Illinois
5. Northwestern
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin


DL

1. Nebraska
2. Wisconsin
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Purdue
7. Minnesota

LB

1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. Minnesota
6. Purdue
7. Northwestern

CB

1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Purdue

S

1. Iowa
2. Nebraska
3. Wisconsin
4. Illinois
5. Minnesota
6. Northwestern
7. Purdue
You have Nebraska as 5th on the O Line. Curious for your thoughts here. Is that because the 4 teams above us have good o lines or because you expect our O line to be below average?
 
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You have Nebraska as 5th on the O Line. Curious for your thoughts here. Is that because the 4 teams above us have good o lines or because you expect our O line to be below average?

Minnesota and Iowa are neck and neck for most talent.
Illinois has the most experienced unit.
Wisconsin really has a lot to prove up front, but they have a legit NFL Offensive tackle, so they get the 4th slot.

Nebraska's group might have the most potential, but they don't have much experience together.
 
So either Cam isn't all that and a bag of chips, or you've projected Newsome to be pretty weak and weights NU's CB score down.

CB
1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Purdue
 
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So either Cam isn't all that and a bag of chips, or you've projected Newsome to be pretty weak and weights NU's CB score down.

CB
1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Purdue


Iowa has two NFL corners.
Northwestern has a legit future 1st round CB.

Its really more about respecting those units just a bit more.
 
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Iowa has two NFL corners.
Northwestern has a legit future 1st round CB.

Its really more about respecting those units just a bit more.
Well then, you have NU ranked about as highly as you can at CB. What is NU's upside ranking at RB, given the position is a ??, but has an overage of service-ranked talent?
 
Pretty harsh on the Purdue DL. There is a possible 1st round pick on it. The other DE is solid. DT won't be bad. Some decent depth. Great DL coach and it could be pretty salty in an attacking scheme.

I'm a little high on the Purdue Safties as well. Young, but talented.

I haven't looked, what does minny have at WR over Purdue? Honest question.
 
Is it just me or is Illinois way too high in all of these? I know we made them look like an NFL team last year but I don't think they're actually that talented.
EqGNDGZWMAMja2Q.0.jpg


One of the better OLs in the conference. Expect Bielema at Wisconsin ball control jacked up a notch. Peters will be expected to make the completion on play action..... and he is an above-average scrambler.
Illinois featured the TE's in one review I read about their Spring practice and Bieleme gushed about one of their TEs, a 4-star transfer from Georgia.
Fullbacks, power running, 2 TE sets, RB Chase Brown was 3rd team All-B10 in 2020. Fatman seems to have the raw ingredients to implement his pound the ground.

The big question is whether they can make enough defensive stops.
 
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EqGNDGZWMAMja2Q.0.jpg


One of the better OLs in the conference. Expect Bielema at Wisconsin ball control jacked up a notch. Peters will be expected to make the completion on play action..... and he is an above-average scrambler.
Illinois featured the TE's in one review I read about their Spring practice and Bieleme gushed about one of their TEs, a 4-star transfer from Georgia.
Fullbacks, power running, 2 TE sets, RB Chase Brown was 3rd team All-B10 in 2020. Fatman seems to have the raw ingredients to implement his pound the ground.

The big question is whether they can make enough defensive stops.
The Illinois game will be very interesting. If Bielema is able to beat us in his first year at Illinois, it will tell us all we need to know about Frost and his staff.
 
The Illinois game will be very interesting. If Bielema is able to beat us in his first year at Illinois, it will tell us all we need to know about Frost and his staff.

Just based on experience Illinois is a tricky first game. Peters is a 6th year QB, their RB is an all conference player, good WR in Hightower, Barker is a good TE, 4 OL starters return.

Defense they were able to get 7/9 guys who could have graduated or transferred out. Hansen, Carney, Perry, Adams etc. This game is no slouch regardless of what anyone says.
 
The Illinois game will be very interesting. If Bielema is able to beat us in his first year at Illinois, it will tell us all we need to know about Frost and his staff.

Melvin Tucker II’s conquest of Neb in his first year at Colorado told us all we needed to know about that staff from Central Florida
 
Pretty harsh on the Purdue DL. There is a possible 1st round pick on it. The other DE is solid. DT won't be bad. Some decent depth. Great DL coach and it could be pretty salty in an attacking scheme.

I'm a little high on the Purdue Safties as well. Young, but talented.

I haven't looked, what does minny have at WR over Purdue? Honest question.


Karlaftis is used improperly at Purdue. And you're not improving at DT. Good luck with that one.


And Minnesota add this dude. He's going to be opposite Autumn-Bell and it will provide another potent 1-2 punch out in their RPO system:

 
The Illinois game will be very interesting. If Bielema is able to beat us in his first year at Illinois, it will tell us all we need to know about Frost and his staff.

Illinois won’t be the same team it was last year with personal...

Luke McCaffery had some bad turnovers in that game not to mention 4 of them was pretty much the main reason we lost that game and it was the worst defensive game the blackshirts played not to mention SF had to brake out those dumb blackshirt uniforms:mad:...
 
Melvin Tucker II’s conquest of Neb in his first year at Colorado told us all we needed to know about that staff from Central Florida


If Nebraska had that same 2019 defense going into the 2021 season, they would've been bottom of the rankings in every defensive category above.

Nebraska didn't really get outcoached in that game as much as their shitty defensive talent got exploited late by a QB making his 42nd career start with two NFL receivers.
 
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Just based on experience Illinois is a tricky first game. Peters is a 6th year QB, their RB is an all conference player, good WR in Hightower, Barker is a good TE, 4 OL starters return.

Defense they were able to get 7/9 guys who could have graduated or transferred out. Hansen, Carney, Perry, Adams etc. This game is no slouch regardless of what anyone says.

Of course not it’s a conference game and we’re not opening up against a MAC, Atlantic 10 or conference USA team..
 
Karlaftis is used improperly at Purdue. And you're not improving at DT. Good luck with that one.


And Minnesota add this dude. He's going to be opposite Autumn-Bell and it will provide another potent 1-2 punch out in their RPO system:

Is used or was used? Was would be correct. Purdue is running a 4-3 this year with karlaftis and Mitchell going after the QB. As for DT, how did Purdue get worse there? They lost Neal, but have 2 guys with starter experience and a transfer from IU's 2 deeps there.

The DL coach is the guy who got all the DE's from Purdue drafted in the 2000's and is responsible for building the iu front 7 that was dominant last year.

And cool? They have a four start receiver to go with their #1 WR? I'll argue Purdue and minny are close, but saying they added a 4 star guy is a lame reason, especially considering Purdue has the best WR in the west.
 
If Nebraska had that same 2019 defense going into the 2021 season, they would've been bottom of the rankings in every defensive category above.

Nebraska didn't really get outcoached in that game as much as their shitty defensive talent got exploited late by a QB making his 42nd career start with two NFL receivers.

please .. CU finished 3-6 in the horrid PAC-12 in 2019 - plenty of other mediocre and crap coaching staffs were somehow able to match wits with Melvin Tucker and his star QB and wide receivers in his first ever year as a college head coach
 
please .. CU finished 3-6 in the horrid PAC-12 in 2019 - plenty of other mediocre and crap coaching staffs were somehow able to match wits with Melvin Tucker and his star QB and wide receivers in his first ever year as a college head coach

And Nebraska was 2-5 that season vs. a very marginal Big Ten West.

Colorado may have added Tucker, but they retained the same offensive staff and ran the same offense the Buffs had been running for the previous 5 seasons.

It was a game sent to overtime where Nebraska really lost because of the b absence of a competent kicker.

But using that game as a barometer for Illinois in 2021 is a misnomer. Illinois is switching to the Appalachian State offense. It's a brand new scheme. Colorado didn't change a thing on that side of the ball vs a very green defense for Nebraska.
 
Peters is a career 53% passer, and he's going to be playing in his 3rd offensive scheme in 4 seasons while losing his best receiving threat. Now I realize he looked like an All-American against Nebraska in 2020. But he was 21 of 55 for 224 yards combined in his other starts.
And that makes him 3rd best?
 
If nebraska has one of the worst offensive lines in the DIVISION....I look forward to Martinez running for his life again....throwing picks and fumbling all over the place.
 
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