Big 10 Preview Thread 2019 (AKA: 11 teams trying to kill each other)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Maryland

Preview segment: The Maryland Terrapins

Last season: Messy from the very beginning. The tragic death of lineman Jordan McNair during a practice in June would have been one thing. But Maryland's handling of the tragedy was nothing short of shambolic, and now I just heard that the school MAY lost it's accreditation!
...So, yeah, I would say that 2018 was a raging disaster, not counting the 5-7 record they had.

Good news: New head coach Mike Locksley is a local boy who can recruit, and he'll inherit some young talent. Josh Jackson is ready to start now at QB after transferring from Virginia Tech, and RB Anthony McFarland Jr. ran for over 1,000 yards as a freshmen. The O-line has good potential...

Bad news: ...but the depth there is not great. The entire defense is rebuilding (again), with concerns in the front 7 and ESPECIALLY at linebacker. Oh, and the new head coach Mike Locksley? Uhhh... he currently has a 3-31 record. That might not matter, but still.

Key games:
9/7 vs. Syracuse (I'm anxious to see how Maryland's defense is gonna handle the Orange's "shoot-em-up" attack.)
9/27 vs. Penn State (The Nittany Lions are starting over at QB. Here is Maryland's chance to grab a BIG victory on a Friday night.)
10/19 vs. Indiana (This is in the middle of a critical 3-game stretch for the Terps; all three of them will shape their bowl chances. They'll go to Purdue before hosting the Hoosiers, and then they'll go to Minnesota.)
11/23 vs. Nebraska (Last year's Senior Day was almost a joyful occasion for the Terps, as they were SO CLOSE to beating Ohio State before losing 52-51. The Cornhuskers might wanna be careful.)

Bottom line: Hearing of this "accreditation" problem tells me that this sad saga at Maryland is not over. Mike Locksley will get credit from the school this year if he's able to calm things down. I honestly don't think Maryland's goal this year is a bowl; all they want now is some peace and quiet.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

all i know is tejas schedule just got easier w/o maryland on it

Do you really want to bring up Tejas?

 

[NU_FTW]

Do you really want to bring up Tejas?

Steers and queers, all ya need to know about texas.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Minnesota

Preview segment: The Minnesota Golden Gophers

Last season: A middling 2018 season for Minnesota got so, SO much better over the last 2 games. Beating Georgia Tech in a bowl game was one of them. But do you wanna know why optimism is running wild right now in Minneapolis? Go ask the "Paul Bunyan's Ax", which Minnesota is holding for the first time since 2003.

Bad news: A LOT of concerns about the Gopher secondary right now; it's thin and needs to find another playmaker. On special teams, they are replacing their most accurate kicker ever (Emmit Carpenter). Oh, and we currently have 2 QB's fighting for the starting job. Normally that doesn't turn out so good...

Good news: ...but at least both Zack Annexstad and Tanner Morgan can win games. The strength of the team are the skill positions; Minnesota has 3 solid RB's they can count on, the WR corps are stacked (Tyler Johnson is the one to watch), and they may get more production from the tight-ends this year than the past several season combined.

Key games:
9/14 vs. Georgia Southern (Actually, I think Minnesota can handle Fresno State again easily. Georgia Southern, however, might just bother the Gophers with their option attack.)
10/12 vs. Nebraska (Scott Frost used the Golden Gophers to get Nebraska off the canvas last year. How funny would it be if P.J Fleck puts the Cornhuskers BACK on the canvas?)
11/16 @ Iowa (The last 3 games will tell the tale of Minnesota's 2019 season. First it's the annual "Floyd of Rosedale" rivalry, which Minnesota has not won in since 2014.)
11/23 @ Northwestern (Then, it's a date with the defending West division champions. But this is only a tune-up for the REAL challenge...)
11/30 vs. Wisconsin (...and that's the "Mission Impossible" of defending "Paul Bunyan's Ax" from those smelly Badgers.)

Bottom line: Things are tightening up in the Big 10 West right now, which is what Fleck and his Minnesota team wants; they want to be in the mix in 2019. Another bowl trip will be coming to Minneapolis, and if the defense continues to improve and the QB situation resolves itself, maybe they can have more fun...

You hold more optimism than I do. There's enough quality QB's in the Big Ten that the secondary is going to be a significant problem. I also don't have faith in our QB situation. We have a knack for finding good kickers, so I'm not overly concerned about that area.

Fresno St. arguably should have beat us last season and we go there this season (unless the game is cancelled due to wildfires). Between that game and the Georgia Southern game I think we drop 1 OOC game, and our ceiling for Big Ten wins is likely 3--and that's if we sweep vs. Illinois (not as much of a gimmie for us as you'd expect), at Rutgers (on the road in the conference is not a sure thing), and vs. Maryland. I'd put our ceiling at 5 wins, which granted might be enough to get into a bowl game with the extremely bloated bowl schedule.

 

[rmilia1]

Weird year for Iowa. On one hand we lost 2 first round NFL picks and a few other draftees ( all underclassmen ) but on the other hand we probably have 2 or 3 more first rounders on the roster this year . I could legit see anywhere from 7-11 wins . Man if everyone had cone back this would be a legit top 5 team . Too bad

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Penn State

Preview segment: The Penn State Nittany Lions

Last season: Somewhat of a disappointment. Yes, Penn State got 9 wins, but in their "big-money" games (Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and their bowl game) the Lions went 0-4. Still, James Franklin deserves credit for fixing this program up so good that a 9-win season is considered to be just OK. But in 2019, Penn State might be very happy with a 9-win season.

Bad news: Special teams (especially the kicking game) is in need of an improvement, and we no longer have Trace McSorley as the starting QB for Penn State. Most of the offense is gonna be quite young...

Good news: ...but Penn State has it's greatest amount of talent and depth since the start of the decade, so I'm sure they'll find some new stars on offense (like WR KJ Hamler). Until then, they can lean on a potent defense that has a strong secondary and a D-line that'll do better at defending the run.

Key games:

Big 10 East Gauntlet:
10/19 vs. Michigan (Michigan spanked the Nittany Lions last year in Ann Arbor 42-7. You really think James Franklin and his boys are gonna let that go?)
10/26 @ Michigan State (NFL scouts looking for good defensive players will be all over the place during this game. First to 17 points wins?)
11/23 @ Ohio State (A tough assignment. On one hand, Ohio State will be fired up for their Senior Day, but on the other hand Penn State can ruin the OSU/Michigan game for everybody.)
Other big games:
9/14 vs. Pittsburgh (Penn State clobbered Pitt 51-6 last year, but the Nittany Lions STILL wants to get at the Panthers for beating them in 2016.)
10/12 @ Iowa (Before their dates with the Spartans and the Wolverines, Penn State must visit an Iowa squad that'll be the wild-card of the whole conference. Hmmm...)

Bottom line: Oh, Penn State will be fine. HOW fine they'll be will depend on how quickly their young offense gets going. They may not win the Big 10 East this year, but the Nittany Lions will still have the talent to beat a Michigan State or a Ohio State in 2019.

 

[kburjr]

You hold more optimism than I do. There's enough quality QB's in the Big Ten that the secondary is going to be a significant problem. I also don't have faith in our QB situation. We have a knack for finding good kickers, so I'm not overly concerned about that area.

Fresno St. arguably should have beat us last season and we go there this season (unless the game is cancelled due to wildfires). Between that game and the Georgia Southern game I think we drop 1 OOC game, and our ceiling for Big Ten wins is likely 3--and that's if we sweep vs. Illinois (not as much of a gimmie for us as you'd expect), at Rutgers (on the road in the conference is not a sure thing), and vs. Maryland. I'd put our ceiling at 5 wins, which granted might be enough to get into a bowl game with the extremely bloated bowl schedule.

Wisconsin wants that Axe back.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Wisconsin

Preview segment: The Wisconsin Badgers

Last season: My "runner-up" curse strikes again . This is how picking the 2nd-best team in the country has gone for me year after year:
2014: Florida State (Loses in CFP semifinal)
2015: Ohio State (Loses to Michigan State, misses Big 10 title game and playoff)
2016: Notre Dame (Has a miserable 4-8 season)
2017: Washington (Does NOT go undefeated; loses the Fiesta Bowl)

And now, the Wisconsin Badgers joins this strange list, as failings in the passing game and on defense pushed the Badgers to a 7-5 regular season record. Even worse, they lost the "Paul Bunyan's Ax" to Minnesota for the first time in forever! And now with the entire West division getting better and better, the pressure's on for Paul Chryst and company in 2019.

Good news: Expect Jonathan Taylor to rack up more yards on the ground, as people are tagging him as a Heisman candidate. Hopes are high that the WR's will bounce back from a slow year of production, and the secondary has plenty of experience.

Bad news: The D-line, however, does not; the linebacker position is of particular concern. Oh, and QB Alex Hornibrook transferred to Florida State in the winter, so that position is in flux too.

2019 X-factor: QB Graham Mertz- Jack Coan is expected to replace Hornibrook as the starting QB, but people on this thread are heaping praise on this true freshmen QB, saying "It's only a matter of time before he's the starter". Well... the QB position was a bit lacking last year, so we'll see if Mertz really can provide a spark early on.

Key games:
9/21 vs. Michigan (As I probably mentioned earlier, Wisconsin has won 4 straight home games against the Wolverines. Plus, Michigan officially eliminated Wisconsin from the national title conversation last year.)
9/28 vs. Northwestern (Yikes! One week after the Wolverines, the Badgers goes to host the team that grabbed the West division from them last October.)
10/26 @ Ohio State (Oofah. You know the Badgers haven't beaten Ohio State since 2010, right?)
11/9 vs. Iowa (According to Lindy's magazine, this game will decide the Big 10 West in 2019.)
11/30 @ Minnesota (Motivation shouldn't be a factor for Wisconsin in THIS edition of the rivalry. Did you know it's now tied at 60-60-8?)

Bottom line: 2019 will be one of the most critical seasons in Wisconsin's football history. Their stranglehold on the West division is almost gone, and they have maybe the hardest division-crossover games in the whole Big 10 this year. If the young guys on the roster step up in some key areas, there's no excuse for the Badgers to hold off Iowa and Nebraska to win back the West.
But if they don't, they could get buried as the Huskers, Hawkeyes, Wildcats, Gophers, and the Boilermakers feast on their mistakes. Good luck, Paul Chryst!

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Steers and queers, all ya need to know about texas.

And those steers beat the huskers so much they ran to become Iowa 2.0

 

[HuskerinBig10]

find out about the Wisconsin freshman Qb pretty quickly when he takes on Michigan in Game 3 and Northwestern in Game 4.

Nebraska had a freshman QB and played Michigan in Game 3 also. At least Wisconsin has a team that has been playing under the same system for awhile, whereas Nebraska was another system with a new coaching staff.

 

[kburjr]

My hope is that we caught lightning in a bottle with Mertz, but I don't think he'll be ready for Michigan even if he wins the starting job. The question will be how do we handle the teams in the West. anywhere from 6-6 to 10-2

 

[Gopherfan84]

Wisconsin wants that Axe back.

Unfortunately you're likely to win it back in a hard-fought, but ultimately comfortable win for Wisconsin.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Purdue

Preview segment: The Purdue Boilermakers

Last season: So what if Purdue lost to Eastern Michigan? And so what if Purdue finished with a losing record [6-7]? They've already won the biggest battle they had last season: Convincing Jeff Brohm that there was still a lot more that he can accomplish in West Lafayette and to not take the Louisville job.

Good news: The front 7 of Purdue's defense looks stout, including freshmen George Karlaftis (who could start right away). If Elijah Sindelar stays healthy, he'll have a HUGE selection of skill talent on his side; WR Rondale Moore and TE Brycan Hopkins to name just 2.

Bad news: But if Sindelar gets hurt again, his backups aren't all that experienced. The interior of the O-line is all-new, and the secondary needs to rush better.

Key games:
9/14 vs. TCU (This rounds off a tough non-conference slate for Purdue as they'll visit Nevada and host Vanderbilt before dealing with the Horned Frogs. But actually, Purdue is 2-0 against TCU in all-time matchups.)
9/28 vs. Minnesota (This is the always important conference opener for the Boilermakers.)
10/19 @ Iowa (Purdue did catch the Hawkeyes 38-36 last year. Plus, Iowa could be bruised up after games against Michigan and Penn State.)
11/30 vs. Indiana (For two years in a row, the Boilermakers have clinched bowl berths at the expense of their bitter enemies in the Hoosiers. This year, it'll be the 132nd meeting between these in-state rivals.)

Bottom line: A tough non-conference slate, trips to Northwestern and Wisconsin, and questions in the O-line doesn't bode well for Purdue's chances to make a 3rd straight bowl. But at least with Jeff Brohm still here, Purdue's not going down like a punk; they'll be in nearly every game this season.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Iowa

Preview segment: The Iowa Hawkeyes

Last season: It was a streaky, but ultimately successful season for Iowa in 2018. 3 straight wins! Then a loss to Wisconsin, then 3 straight wins! ...Then a 3-game losing streak that ended their shot at the West division. But then, 3 straight wins to end the year! Now Iowa is hoping to keep a happy streak going all the way to Indy this season.

Good news: Iowa's line play (it's bread-and-butter) should be the best in the Big 10 this year. Their top 3 RB's from the previous year are back, and so is QB Nate Stanley. And A.J Epenesa is looking to be the lynchpin for Iowa's D-line.

Bad news: Uh, who is Nate supposed to throw the ball too this year; his top tight-end and his top 3 WR's from a year ago are gone. And if somebody gets hurt on EITHER the offensive or defensive lines, it could spell trouble since the depth on both sides are not great.

Key games:
9/14 @ Iowa State (Another problem with Iowa is that most of their tough games are on the road. Yes, Iowa has won the last 4 encounters with rival Iowa State, but the Cyclones will be TOUGH this year.)
10/12 vs. Penn State (This contest comes after a trip to Ann Arbor, so I would LOVE to find out how Iowa is gonna handle this tough stretch.)
10/19 @ Northwestern (By this time, Northwestern's new super-QB Hunter Johnson should be in the groove for the Wildcats.)
10/26 @ Wisconsin (Another tough assignment for Iowa in their quest to win the West division. Wisconsin has beaten Iowa 5 out of the last 6 times, and this year they'll be out to prove a point.)
11/29 @ Nebraska (Same scenario as the Iowa State game: Iowa's won 4 in a row in this rivalry, but the home team will be loaded for bear.)

Bottom line:

Weird year for Iowa. On one hand we lost 2 first round NFL picks and a few other draftees ( all underclassmen ) but on the other hand we probably have 2 or 3 more first rounders on the roster this year. I could legit see anywhere from 7-11 wins . Man if everyone had cone back this would be a legit top 5 team. Too bad

Hmmm... Good point, @rmilia1. But at least Iowa will be a factor in the fight to win a suddenly tight West division race. However, winning it in 2019 will require getting a win at either Madison or Lincoln.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Rutgers

Preview segment: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Last season: All of the slow progress Chris Ash had made at Rutgers was destroyed in a 1-11 season. Just like the bad ol' days of the late 90's!

Good news: The defense might not be bad; it has speed on the D-line and experience in the secondary.

Bad news: Raheem Blackshear looks like the only playmaker Rutgers has on offense, and that defense REALLY needs to develop a pass-rush.

2019 X-factor: QB Artur Sitkowski- 4 touchdowns and a alarming 18 INT last year. Was it just freshmen jitters, or is Artur really this bad of a QB? He DOES get his offensive coordinator back, so the Knights are REALLY hoping that Artur improves; none of their other QB's have starting experience.

Key games:
8/30 vs. UMass (This is to see how much better Rutgers can get on offense right away.)
9/21 vs. Boston College (After a likely 1-1 start, the Scarlet Knights faces an old friend from the days of the Big East.)
10/19 vs. Minnesota (If the defense shows up, Rutgers might score an upset.)
11/2 @ Illinois (Illinois will be a desperate team in the Big 10 as well.)

Bottom line: The fans in Piscataway are now restless after the smoking disaster that was 2018. They're hoping for an improved product in 2019, but the Big 10 East is just too strong for Rutgers to climb upwards. Sorry...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Illinois

Preview segment: The Illinois Fighting Illini

Last season: It was a little better as Illinois went 4-8. But patience is now wearing thin for the Illini fans, so Lovie Smith and his coaching staff are hoping to break through this year.

Good news: One of the best rushing attacks in the whole country returns almost everybody, and the defense returns 10 starters. And there are almost no teenagers on the depth chart; Lovie now has a collection of MEN.

Bad news: One of the worst passing attacks in the whole country is missing a couple of good WR's, and there are a LOT of lingering questions about if Lovie's defensive schemes will work in college.

2019 X-factor: Transfer QB Brandon Peters- It didn't look too good for a while at QB, but Lovie Smith was able to land graduate-transfer Brandon Peters. Brandon might have to contend with Matt Robinson and freshmen Isaiah Williams, but something tells me that Lovie will give Peters every chance to be Illinois's starting QB.

Key games:
9/14 vs. Eastern Michigan (The non-conference slate is easy, so Illinois SHOULD be able to start 3-0. They SHOULD.)
9/21 vs. Nebraska (The Illini can catch Nebraska looking ahead to their game with Ohio State.)
10/26 @ Purdue (PSST! Lovie! Purdue might be a down team this year. Here's your chance to take back the "Purdue Cannon" trophy.)
11/30 vs. Northwestern (Illinois has lost 6 out of their last 7 meetings with the rival Wildcats. This might be Lovie's last chance to fix this problem.)

Bottom line: This school is paying Lovie $5 million to fix their football program, and now they're demanding a return on their investment. If Illinois doesn't make a bowl in 2019 (or at least get close to one), it could be game over for Lovie. Here's hoping Brandon Peters comes through for the offense!

 

[Shower Fart]

I predict OSU wins the conference, and beats michigan...again.

Most years someone would need a reason why this wont happen. Are you concerned about QB at all, that seems to be the biggest area of concern, especially the lack of depth.

 

[gob]

Most years someone would need a reason why this wont happen. Are you concerned about QB at all, that seems to be the biggest area of concern, especially the lack of depth.

A little, but optimistic

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Nebraska

Preview segment: The Nebraska Cornhuskers

Last season: Another bad 4-8 record, which included the worse start in school history (0-6). Yet throughout the spring, everyone's been saying "2019 could be the year Nebraska comes back". Uh, how can that be when the team went 4-8?!

Bad news: Parts of Nebraska's O-line are in rebuilding mode, and linebacker might be a worry if injuries occur. Plus, it REALLY looks like Maurice Washington will be too busy with his legal hearings to be the Huskers' feature back.

Good news: You know, the defense did do better as the 2018 season wore on, and that improvement may continue as Nebraska returns a TON of experience there. QB Adrian Martinez has been cited as a contender for the Heisman, and he'll have some star WR's (like JD Spielman) to throw to on a high-powered offense. Most importantly, the Huskers will play their easiest schedule in YEARS.

2019 X-factor: Phil Steele- Hmmm... Maybe THIS is why Nebraska fans are excited for 2019; Phil Steele has named them his "Most Improved team of 2019" in his CFB magazine. I'd ignore him, but last year he tapped Florida as his "Most Improved of 2018"... and Florida went 10-3 and won the Peach Bowl. Will lightning strike again?

Key games:
9/7 @ Colorado (Had Nebraska's opening game (against Akron) not been cancelled due to severe thunderstorms, I think Nebraska would have beaten the Buffaloes last year. Now let's see how the Husker defense handles the altitude of Boulder.)
9/28 vs. Ohio State (Bad news: Nebraska must face the Buckeyes again. Good news: At least their hardest game of the year will be at home.)
10/5 vs. Northwestern (So close! Nebraska almost got the Wildcats in Evanston last year before losing 34-31 in OT)
11/16 vs. Wisconsin (As Lindy's says "If the Huskers wanna move up, they need to start beating up Bucky". The Huskers has lost their last 6 meetings with Wisconsin.)
11/29 vs. Iowa (Forget the rivalry for now; Iowa could win or lose the West in this "Black Friday" event.)

Bottom line: Scott Frost has the perfume of optimism wafting throughout the Nebraska campus. I personally think the Huskers may be a 8-win team this year as the rebuilding goes on, but the schedule's easier than it usually and they have Phil Steele's blessing.
Hmmm... I guess it'll be up to the Husker defense; if it improves significantly, then a LOT of good things are possible around here.

 

[Bedlam131]

14 @ Iowa State (Another problem with Iowa is that most of their tough games are on the road. Yes, Iowa has won the last 4 encounters with rival Iowa State, but the Cyclones will be TOUGH this year

I think they lose in Ames this year.