Every week here at Writing Illini, we’ll provide some serious #hottakes on the state of Big Ten football through our power rankings.
As of right now, every team is battling through the heat of summer training camp, and opening week is less than a month away.
I myself will be at Lovie’s first Illini game on Sept. 3, which just so happens to have a blessed 2:30 p.m. CT start time, and just thinking about it gets me so jacked. You feel it?
It’s time to seriously gear up for college football and express some opinions that are sure to get people #madonline. Without further ado, let’s start with our preseason rankings.
(Editor’s note: If you’re in the top five, you get a picture. After that, I just get lazy.)
1. Michigan State Spartans (2015 B1G record: 7-1 | Overall record: 12-2)
There never seems to be a lot of love for MSU, a perennial Big Ten contender. This year, however, they get OSU (very young yet very talented) and Michigan (still hurting from last year’s epic collapse) at home. That type of scheduling advantage can’t be overlooked.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1 | 12-1)
No matter the year, no matter the personnel, no matter how many times I curse this program, it’s never a good idea to count them out of contention for a Big Ten (or National) Title. And they return J.T. Barrett, too.
3. Michigan Wolverines (6-2 | 10-3)
There’s no doubt that Harbaugh has turned this program around and has them firmly in the national spotlight again. He’s been recruiting like a fiend, and all signs point to the hype being real. But who’s playing QB?
4. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0 | 12-2)
The 2015 darlings are favored to win the conceivably weaker West Division, and they do return Beathard at QB. Part of me is a tiny bit reluctant to put Iowa this high, and part of me realizes that they do deserve at least this much after what was accomplished last season.
5. Wisconsin Badgers (6-2 | 10-3)
Full disclosure, I’m a closet Badger fan. My wife went there, and I made a lot of friends in Mad Town. However, I’m slotting them just ahead of Nebraska because I legitimately believe in their running game and legitimately believe that Nebraska still has a lot to prove in the Big Ten.
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-5 | 6-7)
I *think this team is ready to take the next step as a conference player. Maybe not a contender just yet. They lost a lot on both O and D lines, and Tommy Armstrong needs to have a big year.
7. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-4 | 7-6)
Nothing jumps out at me here with Penn State this year, but they return an impressive number of starters on offense (nine). Look for them to be competitive in just about every game.
Illinois Fighting Illini
8. Northwestern Wildcats (6-2 | 10-3)
Another 10-win season might be hard to reach, but Clayton Thorson is a dual-threat QB on the rise in his second year, and Fitz does a good job of getting his kids fired up every game, every year.
9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-6 | 6-7)
A strong defense returns seven starters, and super-senior Mitch Leidner is at least back at signal caller. A favorable early season schedule could see them move up quickly, if they can put some points on the board.
10. Illinois Fighting Illini (2-6 | 5-7)
Is the Lovie effect real? We’ll see it with butts in seats at Memorial Stadium this year, but otherwise I expect more of the same on the field in the short term. Could be anywhere from 4 to 7 wins. Defensive line will be a strength.
11. Maryland Terrapins (1-7 | 3-9)
Quarterback play last year was largely hot garbage, but I’ve got to believe that Maryland (similar to Illinois — new coach with large yet angst-ridden fan base, pretty good facilities and recruiting grounds) is going to improve from last year’s 3-win campaign.
12. Indiana Hoosiers (2-6 | 6-7)
If you like prolific scoring and paper thin defense, Indiana was your 2015 jam. Nate Sudfeld is gone, however, and Zander Diamont is out with injury. And they play in the East Division.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-7 | 4-8)
Someone needs to fill the void for left by stud WR Leonte Carroo, but at least this squad returns a total of 15 starters on both sides of the ball, which should help with some continuity.
Next: Jimmy Fitzgerald's Decision Is Understandable
14. Purdue Boilermakers (1-7 | 2-10)
It might be another long year in West Lafayette.