Big Ten Football: Top 10 Conference Storylines for Spring Ball

As we are now more than a month removed from the national championship and the recruiting process has died down, it's time to get ready for spring football. This is where coaches try and figure out what type of team they're working with and players try to climb up that depth chart.

Teams are beginning to take the field for practices and preparing for their spring game. We may still be several months away from the next season kicking off, but there is so much to talk about as spring ball has us in full gear.

Here are the top 10 storylines for the Big Ten heading into spring ball.

Can Iowa Fill in the Holes?

Iowa is that team in the Big Ten that is always competitive, but just lacks one or two pieces to get over the hump. They have a solid squad returning, but are missing their top receiver in Marvin McNutt and three starting offensive linemen.

Last year, the running game wasn't that great to begin with, and if they're not able to find replacements on the line, it may be a long year for the Hawkeyes.

Can Nebraska Build on Their Success?

Nebraska had a solid season their first year in the Big Ten, as they finished with a 9-4 record. On paper, this team should be even better, as they return a combined 16 starters and have a schedule that's in their favor. Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan are all home games for the Cornhuskers.

They still have an inconsistent quarterback in Taylor Martinez, but for the most part, this team should feel really good about themselves heading into the spring.

What Will Pat Fitzgerald Be Able to Do with the Wildcats?

Pat Fitzgerald is one of the most underrated coaches out there and could have a job at a higher program if he ever wanted to leave Northwestern. With that said, he failed to take the next step last season with a veteran team, as they finished the year 6-7 and lost their bowl game.

Now, the Wildcats return only 10 starters and have a lot of questions heading into the spring. Fitzgerald is one of those coaches that get the most out of a little, but this may be one of his more difficult challenges yet. It'll be interesting to see what he can do with a bunch of new faces.

What Type of Impact Will Urban Meyer Have on Braxton Miller?

Miller had a solid freshman season, completing 54 percent of his passes and throwing for 13 touchdowns after being thrown into the starting lineup. Now, he'll have to adjust to a completely new offense that Urban Meyer is going to install.

Although it may be new territory for Miller, it will eventually benefit him the most, as it will include more options and quarterback draws. This will put him in the best position to succeed, as it will take advantage of his speed and make things that much more difficult on the opposing defense. 

Should be fun to see how quickly the young quarterback can adapt and what he'll be able to accomplish.

Penn State Find a Quarterback?

Penn State was absolutely brutal throwing the football last season, and that's putting it nicely. Their passing game finished ranked 96th in the country, as Penn State relied heavily on their running game and defense to finish the year with a 9-4 record.

The good news is that head coach Bill O'Brien has done wonders working with quarterbacks, but this may be his tallest task yet. Both Matthew McGloin and Rob Bolden have seen significant playing time the last couple of years, but neither has made much progress. There's a young quarterback in Paul Jones on the roster, but he has yet to even throw the football.

This is by far the biggest question heading into the season for the Nittany Lions, and neither of the answers looks too rewarding.

Who's Going to Catch the Ball for Michigan State?

Michigan State's scoring offense was ranked 37th in the country last year, but will have a lot of work to do to produce those numbers again. Not only are they searching for a replacement for quarterback Kirk Cousins, but they also lost their top four receivers as well.

For an offense that was ranked 41st in passing yards, that's a lot to try and replace. Good news is that eight starters are returning from a defense that was one of the top in the country, and if they play anything like they did last year, many points won't need to be scored to win games.

What Will Brady Hoke Do Now?

Brady Hoke took over a team that went 7-5 and won 11 games and a BCS bowl game in his first year. The expectations are now through the roof for Michigan, as he set the bar extremely high. The good news is that he has 14 starters returning, including eight on the much-improved defensive side of the ball.

The Wolverines are recruiting extremely well, and everyone now wants to know what Hoke has in store for next season.

A New Chapter for Penn State

The year was 1965 the last time Penn State opened a season without Joe Paterno leading the way. This season will begin a new chapter in the school's history as they try to overcome a sex scandal and have a new head coach in Bill O'Brien.

O'Brien will have a lot of work to do, as the Nittany Lions only return 10 starters and have questions at quarterback (which you saw earlier in this article). But Penn State is still a great program that recruits well and should get back on their feet and eventually put such a dark season behind them. This season will begin the healing process.

How Will Wisconsin Respond?

Wisconsin has made the Rose Bowl in back-to-back seasons; is there any possible way they can make it three in a row? It's going to be a lot harder for them this season, considering they're searching for a quarterback and their best wide receiver in Nick Toon is heading to the NFL.

The good news is that touchdown machine in Montee Ball stayed for his senior year; but can he really repeat those numbers with three key offensive linemen no longer on the team? Wisconsin remains a very talented team, although things won't be as easy as they were last year.

Who Takes the Leaders Division?

This is the main question everybody has to be asking themselves, as this division is wide open. You would likely consider the Ohio State Buckeyes the favorite, but a postseason bowl ban for a year makes that impossible.

So is it Penn State who has a new head coach and no answer at quarterback? Is it a talented Wisconsin team? Or could it really be a sleeper team like Purdue or Illinois, who are flying under the radar at this point?

Whichever team ends up winning this division, it will likely be a race that comes down to the last week.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].