Big Ten Football: 5 Teams That Will Improve in 2013

Big Ten football was nearly unwatchable last season. There was barely any consistency from anybody, and the couple teams that actually did show promise were banned from participating in a bowl game. The conference had seen better days than the ones that helped make up a lousy 2012 season.

Teams such as Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin did not live up to expectations. While Penn State and Ohio State actually showed signs of life, both were dealing with NCAA sanctions that prevented anything further than the regular season. You didn't even get the feeling that Nebraska, a team that had won 10 games, was actually one of the best teams in college football and could compete with anybody.

The good news is that next year wipes the slate clean, and everybody will have a chance to make up for the big disappointment.

There is a lot of potential in the Big Ten, and here are five teams that will be even better in 2013.

5. Michigan State

Last Year’s Record: 7-6

What Went Wrong: Michigan State wasn't as bad as the record indicates, as five of the six losses were by one possession. So part of the problem is that the team couldn't find a way to win the close ones and couldn't get the ball to bounce the correct way. Although the biggest issue would be on the offensive side of the ball. The Spartans were ranked 110th in the country in scoring offense. Running back Le'Veon Bell led the country with 382 rushing attempts. If he didn't have a productive day, the Spartans ended up losing the game.

Why You Can Expect to be Better: No, the Spartans don't have Bell to lean on offensively, and they lost defensive end William Gholston to the NFL draft. But seven starters do return from a defense that was the best in the Big Ten, and quarterback Andrew Maxwell has nowhere to go but up after his performance last season. Another positive would be a schedule that doesn't include Ohio State and that gets Michigan in East Lansing.

This is a team that should improve last season’s win total with a great defense and a quarterback that should be ready to take charge next year.

4. Nebraska

Last Year’s Record: 10-4

What Went Wrong: Nebraska had 10 victories for the third time in four seasons, but things could have been a lot better. The defense absolutely tanked, finishing seventh in the conference, which included allowing 640 total yards in the Big Ten Championship and 589 in the bowl game loss to Georgia. The offense was a lot more impressive, but 35 turnovers were dead last in the Big Ten.

Why You Can Expect to be Better: Expecting more than 10 victories may be a stretch with the schedule the Cornhuskers are facing. However, seven starters return on offense, including quarterback Taylor Martinez, who was one of the most improved players last year. With the experience and leadership that is coming back, the turnovers are likely going to decrease. As for the defense, only a handful of starters are returning, but Ciante Evans and both starting cornerbacks return from a secondary that finished the year ranked fourth in the country in pass defense.

Nebraska could once again win the Legends division and compete for a Big Ten title in 2013.

3. Ohio State

Last Year’s Record: 12-0

What Went Wrong: When you finish undefeated, it is really hard to critique anything that went wrong with the season. But as head coach Urban Meyer said, this team certainly has things to work on before becoming a true national championship contender. The Buckeyes can improve on a defense that finished ranked sixth in the conference. They will also need to find more offensive playmakers to help out quarterback Braxton Miller. There may not have been a team that was able to knock off Ohio State, but many close calls show there is improvement that can be made.

Why You Can Expect to be Better: If you thought Miller was great last year at quarterback, wait till you see him with another season to mature in this spread offense. The offensive line also shouldn't be an issue with four of the five starters returning. There will be a lot of young defenders that need to learn on the fly, but all of them were highly recruited players who have the potential to be great.

You combine an explosive offense with a schedule that has Wisconsin and Penn State coming to Columbus, and you end up with a team that should not only compete for a Big Ten title, but be in the race for a national championship.

2. Northwestern

Last Year’s Record: 10-3

What Went Wrong: I'm not sure anything went wrong with Northwestern last year. It was one of the younger teams in the country that very few had doing much of anything. Instead, the Wildcats won 10 games for the first time since 1995 and could have easily won the Big Ten conference. After all, the loss to Nebraska was by one point, and it took overtime for Michigan to squeak by with a victory. The Wildcats were one of the few success stories from this conference last season.

Why You Can Expect to be Better: When you overachieve with a team that was young, a majority of the time that team ends up improving with even more experience. A defense that was ranked 48th in the country returns seven starters, and the offense has eight guys coming back. Dual-threat quarterback Kain Colter is one of the most explosive players in all of college football and could really surprise folks who aren't familiar with him yet.

Northwestern doesn't quite have an identity; it just knows how to win games under an underrated head coach in Pat Fitzgerald. With most of last year’s team returning, we should all expect a serious push to win the Legends division next season.

1. Michigan

Last Year’s Record: 8-5

What Went Wrong: Michigan could not play with any type of consistency throughout the year. It struggled to find a balance on offense due to injuries, and had off the field issues on both sides of the ball; you weren't quite sure which team was going to show up. The Wolverines had a -9 turnover margin and finished the season ranked eighth in the Big Ten in total offense.

Why You Can Expect to be Better: Michigan actually has a quarterback now in Devin Gardner, who can hurt you with his arm and legs. With Denard Robinson not being able to play the position for the final five games, Gardner was able to pick up valuable experience, and he looked sharp. He will have much of his skill positions to work with that he had last year, and he got a boost with future NFL star lineman Taylor Lewan deciding to stay in school.

Defensively, six starters return from a unit that was the second best defense in the conference. This includes an all-conference linebacker in Jake Ryan and an experienced secondary that allowed the fifth fewest passing yards in college football.

When you add the fact that Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State have to take a trip to Ann Arbor, 2013 could be a bounce back season for the Wolverines.

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