Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...2018-ohio-state-wisconsin-nebraska/792154002/
Ohio State and Wisconsin lead the Big Ten Power Rankings
by Paul Myerberg, USA Today
New recruits are on campus. Position battles have been settled, by and large. New coaches have acclimated themselves to their new surroundings.
Football is almost here. In celebration, USA TODAY Sports will spend the remaining weeks until late August breaking down the power rankings in each conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Next up is the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State and Wisconsin remain the team to beat in the East and West Division, respectively. But the Buckeyes will again be challenged by Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. The league as a whole might be the nation’s best.
1. Ohio State
Is this the most talented team in college football? Yeah, probably. It's definitely the deepest and most athletic team of Urban Meyer's tenure at Ohio State, which is saying something. One of the keys is the play of new starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the replacement for J.T. Barrett, and how the offense changes to fit his skill set. That remains to be seen. But the Buckeyes are loaded. Anything less than a New Year's Six bowl -- if not a spot in the College Football Playoff -- would be a significant disappointment.
2. Wisconsin
If not Ohio State, then Wisconsin. Those sleeping on the Badgers as a strong playoff contender are ignoring a number of factors: experience, the nation's best offensive line, the best receiver corps in recent program history, a Heisman Trophy contender in running back Jonathan Taylor, a veteran quarterback and several difference-making talents on defense, to name a few. Yeah, there are a few holes to fill on the defensive side. But the entire package has Wisconsin as one of the best teams in the entire country and a very real threat to win the Big Ten.
3. Penn State
It’ll be the Trace McSorley Show for Penn State, and the senior seems up to the challenge. Having perhaps the best quarterback in college football makes the Nittany Lions a scary team to consider, not only because of McSorley’s ability but because he leads a roster drastically overhauled since James Franklin’s arrival. Penn State has talent, depth and experience nearly across the board, and has a level of unproven youth that stands ready to take on larger roles and maintain the program’s place in the playoff hunt.
4. Michigan
How much does Shea Patterson change the equation? Without the five-star transfer, Michigan might be pegged as an eight-win team. That may still be where the Wolverines end up. But adding Patterson under center makes Jim Harbaugh’s team a dark-horse contender for the playoff, even if Harbaugh’s tenure to date has fallen short of expectations – though those expectations were probably unfair to begin with.
5. Michigan State
The Spartans are firmly tucked among the top 15 teams in the FBS and a true threat to Ohio State in the East. After a one-year dip, Michigan State has returned to its place among college football’s elite. What needs to go right? Brian Lewerke’s projected improvement at quarterback is a huge bonus for the Spartans, who should again house a top-level defense but needs the offensive side to carry its share of the load.
6. Northwestern
Northwestern is the sixth Big Ten team ranked in USA TODAY's post-spring Top 25. That paints the Wildcats as Wisconsin's biggest threat in the West. But whether Pat Fitzgerald's team can make another run at double-digit wins depends in no small part on the health of quarterback Clayton Thorson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall and must show he's regained the athleticism that makes him a strong NFL contender.
7. Iowa
Iowa will be Iowa again in 2018. Namely, the Hawkeyes will win at least seven games and maybe even rise above the national expectations to upend Wisconsin and play for the Big Ten title. There's a lot to like about quarterback Nate Stanley and tight end Noah Fant, the latter the nation's best player at his position. The potential sticking point is the loss of several all-conference performers on the defensive side of the ball.
8. Nebraska
The Scott Frost era begins. Down the road, there are ample reasons to believe Frost will have Nebraska back in contention for conference championships and major bowl berths. For now, however, the fan base should set the expectations at six wins and a trip to the postseason as the Cornhuskers rediscover the method that once made this program one of the elite figures in the sport.
9. Indiana
An influx of fresh talent, including Arizona transfer Brandon Dawkins at quarterback, has Indiana in position to land in bowl play. It’ll take some tweaking on the part of head coach Tom Allen to get the pieces into place, but the level of talent at the skill positions bodes well for the Hoosiers’ ability to find six wins in a deep East.
10. Purdue
Jeff Brohm’s follow-up to his sparkling debut will find Purdue in the chase to finish second in the West. For now, that’s good enough for the Boilermakers – especially when you consider the state of the program upon Brohm’s arrival. Whether Brohm can get the Boilermakers into the race for a January bowl is a long-term question, and a good one at that. It’s too early to say, but the early signs are clearly positive.
11. Maryland
Last year was a bit of a wash for the Terrapins, which battled through injuries and ineffectiveness in taking a step down the ladder in the East Division. The program has to prove itself against some of the best teams in college football – there are few opportunities for an extended winning streak when the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions and others dot the schedule. But DJ Durkin is a very good football coach; he’ll have Maryland around six wins this fall while continuing to add talent to the roster on the recruiting trail.
12. Minnesota
Hiring P.J. Fleck may eventually work out for Minnesota, if only because his ability on the recruiting trail will inevitably bolster a roster that needs a significant influx of talent to be a factor in the West. As for this year’s team: Minnesota doesn’t seem capable of making much noise even with a power vacuum behind Wisconsin. The process continues.
13. Rutgers
Don’t sleep on Rutgers making a run at six wins, though somewhere around four or five seems more likely as the Chris Ash tenure begins to turn the corner. The former Ohio State assistant has pushed the right buttons in getting the Scarlet Knights out of the wilderness and pointed toward an eventual bowl berth. It’s safer to bet on that not happening in 2018, however.
14. Illinois
You need an electron microscope to see the light at the end of Illinois’ tunnel. What does 2018 hold? More of the same: bad losses, maybe a little growth, maybe a reason to have a sliver of hope heading into the offseason. It’s difficult to picture a scenario where Lovie Smith’s team isn’t the worst in the Big Ten and one of the worst in the entire Power Five.
Ohio State and Wisconsin lead the Big Ten Power Rankings
by Paul Myerberg, USA Today
New recruits are on campus. Position battles have been settled, by and large. New coaches have acclimated themselves to their new surroundings.
Football is almost here. In celebration, USA TODAY Sports will spend the remaining weeks until late August breaking down the power rankings in each conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Next up is the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State and Wisconsin remain the team to beat in the East and West Division, respectively. But the Buckeyes will again be challenged by Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. The league as a whole might be the nation’s best.
1. Ohio State
Is this the most talented team in college football? Yeah, probably. It's definitely the deepest and most athletic team of Urban Meyer's tenure at Ohio State, which is saying something. One of the keys is the play of new starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the replacement for J.T. Barrett, and how the offense changes to fit his skill set. That remains to be seen. But the Buckeyes are loaded. Anything less than a New Year's Six bowl -- if not a spot in the College Football Playoff -- would be a significant disappointment.
2. Wisconsin
If not Ohio State, then Wisconsin. Those sleeping on the Badgers as a strong playoff contender are ignoring a number of factors: experience, the nation's best offensive line, the best receiver corps in recent program history, a Heisman Trophy contender in running back Jonathan Taylor, a veteran quarterback and several difference-making talents on defense, to name a few. Yeah, there are a few holes to fill on the defensive side. But the entire package has Wisconsin as one of the best teams in the entire country and a very real threat to win the Big Ten.
3. Penn State
It’ll be the Trace McSorley Show for Penn State, and the senior seems up to the challenge. Having perhaps the best quarterback in college football makes the Nittany Lions a scary team to consider, not only because of McSorley’s ability but because he leads a roster drastically overhauled since James Franklin’s arrival. Penn State has talent, depth and experience nearly across the board, and has a level of unproven youth that stands ready to take on larger roles and maintain the program’s place in the playoff hunt.
4. Michigan
How much does Shea Patterson change the equation? Without the five-star transfer, Michigan might be pegged as an eight-win team. That may still be where the Wolverines end up. But adding Patterson under center makes Jim Harbaugh’s team a dark-horse contender for the playoff, even if Harbaugh’s tenure to date has fallen short of expectations – though those expectations were probably unfair to begin with.
5. Michigan State
The Spartans are firmly tucked among the top 15 teams in the FBS and a true threat to Ohio State in the East. After a one-year dip, Michigan State has returned to its place among college football’s elite. What needs to go right? Brian Lewerke’s projected improvement at quarterback is a huge bonus for the Spartans, who should again house a top-level defense but needs the offensive side to carry its share of the load.
6. Northwestern
Northwestern is the sixth Big Ten team ranked in USA TODAY's post-spring Top 25. That paints the Wildcats as Wisconsin's biggest threat in the West. But whether Pat Fitzgerald's team can make another run at double-digit wins depends in no small part on the health of quarterback Clayton Thorson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall and must show he's regained the athleticism that makes him a strong NFL contender.
7. Iowa
Iowa will be Iowa again in 2018. Namely, the Hawkeyes will win at least seven games and maybe even rise above the national expectations to upend Wisconsin and play for the Big Ten title. There's a lot to like about quarterback Nate Stanley and tight end Noah Fant, the latter the nation's best player at his position. The potential sticking point is the loss of several all-conference performers on the defensive side of the ball.
8. Nebraska
The Scott Frost era begins. Down the road, there are ample reasons to believe Frost will have Nebraska back in contention for conference championships and major bowl berths. For now, however, the fan base should set the expectations at six wins and a trip to the postseason as the Cornhuskers rediscover the method that once made this program one of the elite figures in the sport.
9. Indiana
An influx of fresh talent, including Arizona transfer Brandon Dawkins at quarterback, has Indiana in position to land in bowl play. It’ll take some tweaking on the part of head coach Tom Allen to get the pieces into place, but the level of talent at the skill positions bodes well for the Hoosiers’ ability to find six wins in a deep East.
10. Purdue
Jeff Brohm’s follow-up to his sparkling debut will find Purdue in the chase to finish second in the West. For now, that’s good enough for the Boilermakers – especially when you consider the state of the program upon Brohm’s arrival. Whether Brohm can get the Boilermakers into the race for a January bowl is a long-term question, and a good one at that. It’s too early to say, but the early signs are clearly positive.
11. Maryland
Last year was a bit of a wash for the Terrapins, which battled through injuries and ineffectiveness in taking a step down the ladder in the East Division. The program has to prove itself against some of the best teams in college football – there are few opportunities for an extended winning streak when the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions and others dot the schedule. But DJ Durkin is a very good football coach; he’ll have Maryland around six wins this fall while continuing to add talent to the roster on the recruiting trail.
12. Minnesota
Hiring P.J. Fleck may eventually work out for Minnesota, if only because his ability on the recruiting trail will inevitably bolster a roster that needs a significant influx of talent to be a factor in the West. As for this year’s team: Minnesota doesn’t seem capable of making much noise even with a power vacuum behind Wisconsin. The process continues.
13. Rutgers
Don’t sleep on Rutgers making a run at six wins, though somewhere around four or five seems more likely as the Chris Ash tenure begins to turn the corner. The former Ohio State assistant has pushed the right buttons in getting the Scarlet Knights out of the wilderness and pointed toward an eventual bowl berth. It’s safer to bet on that not happening in 2018, however.
14. Illinois
You need an electron microscope to see the light at the end of Illinois’ tunnel. What does 2018 hold? More of the same: bad losses, maybe a little growth, maybe a reason to have a sliver of hope heading into the offseason. It’s difficult to picture a scenario where Lovie Smith’s team isn’t the worst in the Big Ten and one of the worst in the entire Power Five.
