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By Luke Brumm
Week 0 is behind us, but of all the Power Four conferences, only the ACC played. So this week we will be previewing the other big three before week one kicks off. Let’s dive into the Big Ten and see what they might have in store.
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Favorites: Ohio State & Oregon
Ohio State and newcomer Oregon seem to be the favorites going into this season. Ohio State added a lot to an already elite roster and Dan Lanning has done the same in Eugene. I love the addition of Dillon Gabriel at Oregon much more than Will Howard, but elsewhere, I believe Ohio State did a better job.
The addition of Chip Kelly at OC is also something that I love and expect to make a huge difference. I have these two rematching in my Big Ten Championship game, so I fully expect both of them to have great, double-digit win seasons.
Second Tier: Penn State & Michigan
Right behind those two, I have Penn State and Michigan. Penn State has only lost four games during their last two regular seasons and that was twice to Ohio State and twice to Michigan. No, I’m not kidding. A lot will depend on if Nittany Lion QB Drew Allar can take the next step.
Michigan has a great defense and a really good running back in Donovan Edwards, but the rest of their offense concerns me a little. I’m not sure if Alex Orji is the answer, but I could be wrong. I still have them in my second tier as I believe they are still better than the teams in my third tier.
Third Tier: USC, Iowa, Washington & Wisconsin
Right below the top four, we have USC, Iowa, Washington, & Wisconsin. These are solid teams that could possibly make a run if everything goes right. USC has the best chance to do that in my opinion, I like Miller Moss and their offense. If Lincoln Riley has found an answer at DC, they could be good.
Iowa is the exact opposite, all defense and no offense. If they found the answer at OC, they could be good as well. Washington has a new coach in Jedd Fisch after Kalen DeBoer went to Alabama. Wisconsin is going into year two with Luke Fickell and I expect some sort of jump and improvement.
Sleepers: Nebraska & Michigan State
It would take a lot for these two to make any sort of Big Ten Championship or CFP run, but they could ruin someone else’s chances. Matt Rhule has historically had big leaps in year two at his past college head coaching jobs. I’m talking two wins to ten wins in just a season’s difference.
Michigan State took Jonathan Smith from Oregon State and I believe this is an underrated hire. He brought in Aidan Chiles too from the Beavers and he is a sleeper for conference player of the year. Look out for these two to cause some upsets and have a better-than-expected season.
The Rest: Maryland, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois, Minnesota, & Indiana
The rest of the league shapes up like this. In order from best to worst, I have Maryland, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois, Minnesota, & Indiana. I think Maryland and Purdue are above the others, but I don’t see any of these teams really moving the needle or making much noise this season, but this is college football, so who really knows what will happen.
Top Player: Michigan CB Will Johnson
Will Johnson is, in my opinion, the best corner in the country, and that Wolverine defense will have a lot to do with the success of Michigan this season. Johnson has accumulated 27 total tackles in each of the past two seasons and has 7 interceptions over that time. He really just doesn’t get thrown at often due to his coverage skills. If Michigan is to return to the Playoff, then Johnson and that defense needs to be the best in the country in 2024.
Top Game: Ohio State @ Oregon (October 12th)
This game falls on the best Saturday of the season, and will probably be the biggest game of that day. Both teams are ranked inside the reason Top Three and are stacked on both sides of the ball. The game is in Eugene and the stadium will be rocking. Hopefully this is a night game and don’t be surprised if College Gameday is there. I have Oregon winning this one close, but then Ohio State winning the rematch in the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis. I have both of them as top five teams in my CFP bracket.
