Big Ten Football: Biggest Question Mark for Each Team
The pressure is mostly on quarterbacks and a few head coaches throughout the Big Ten heading into the 2015 college football season.
Ohio State and Michigan State open up as the overwhelming favorites to win the conference given their preseason rankings at No. 5 and No. 6 in the Amway Coaches Poll, but the rest of the Big Ten is riddled with uncertainty.
Outside of the Buckeyes’ J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones and the Spartans’ Connor Cook, every team in the Big Ten is in danger of potentially unsteady play at quarterback. This also includes Penn State and junior Christian Hackenberg, who is entering his third season under center in State College, Pennsylvania.
Several coaches, like Illinois’ Tim Beckman, are in critical need of strong seasons, or they could be looking for a new job.
These make up the bulk of issues across the conference, but there remain a few other unique obstacles for certain programs. Here is a look at the biggest question facing each Big Ten school this upcoming season.
Illinois: Can Beckman Save His Job?
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On the field, Illinois has improved every season under Beckman during his first three years, yet he finds himself on a potentially scalding hot seat heading into 2015.
Beckman’s Fighting Illini improved by two wins each season before earning a spot in the Heart of Dallas Bowl last season, which culminated in a 35-18 loss to Louisiana Tech. Despite this progress, allegations of mistreatment and abuse from Beckman's former players put him in hot water.
Beckman's seat is among the hottest in the country due to this situation and his 4-20 Big Ten record, according to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. The coach also failed to address the allegations at Big Ten media days, per Laken Litman of For The Win.
So how can Beckman help himself? A big 2015 season is great start.
The Fighting Illini have some pieces in place to potentially make that happen.
Quarterback Wes Lunt was solid when healthy, throwing for 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions despite missing five games. He returns along with leading rusher Josh Ferguson, who figures to be the focal point of the offense after finishing 2014 with 735 yards and eight scores, as well as 50 catches for 427 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
The team also returns seven starters from a defense that should be improved after finishing 113th nationally in total defense. This also includes key players such as linebacker Mason Monheim and cornerbacks V’Angelo Bentley and Eaton Spence.
Whether or not Beckman retains his job is tough to tell. The schedule is favorable with key games against Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin at home. Offensive line depth is a concern, though, as only two starters return. If the abuse allegations become more serious, Beckman will be out no matter what. If they quell a bit, he could survive with a seven- or eight-win season.
Indiana: Will the Hoosier Defense Please Stand Up?
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Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson’s tenure has definitely been tumultuous, as the team has yet to win more than five games in four seasons.
The offense has been respectable during that, finishing as high as 25th nationally in total yards in 2013. The unit was also on its way to a similar finish in 2014 before starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld missed the second half of the season with a shoulder injury.
In 2015, a health Sudfeld will be back, and the team also added UAB transfer Jordan Howard at running back after he ran for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago. The offensive line also returns three starters.
The defense will be the difference for whether or not the Hoosiers make a bowl game for the first time since 2007. The unit has been awful since Wilson took over, finishing no higher than 92nd nationally in total defense.
The front seven will undoubtedly be the strength of the defense. Linemen Nate Hoff, Darius Latham and Nick Mangieri were the team’s top playmakers last year in the trenches, and linebacker Tegray Scales returns after earning freshman All-American honors.
The secondary will likely struggle. Safety Antonio Allen, the team’s leading tackler, was dismissed in the offseason, and both of the team’s starting cornerbacks are gone. Rashad Fant could adequately fill in at corner, and Chase Dutra was a top reserve at safety in 2014. Even still, this unit could give up a lot of yards.
It will not be pretty, but the defense should be slightly improved its second year in defensive coordinator Brian Knorr’s 3-4 scheme. The unit will not finish in the top half of the nation, but it will be just good enough for Indiana to sneak into a bowl game.
Iowa: Will C.J. Beathard Step Up?
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Jake Rudock started 25 of Iowa’s last 26 games at quarterback, but he left the program this offseason for Michigan, leaving the job solely to C.J. Beathard.
Beathard was decent in his only start in 2014, a 24-10 win over Purdue, and was OK in relief of Rudock in a 45-28 loss to Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl. He combined for 390 yards, three touchdowns, two picks and a 51 completion percentage in those games.
The junior has a bigger arm than Rudock, but his numbers must increase for Iowa to improve on an average 7-6 record last season. Jordan Canzeri is the team’s top returning rusher, but he only ran for 494 yards and zero scores. At receiver, top option Tevaun Smith returns along with tight end Jake Duzey.
Beathard will be well protected by an offensive line returning three starters, so the pressure is on him to perform. If he falters, the Hawkeyes will most certainly miss a bowl, as no other rostered quarterback has any game experience and the defense was largely inconsistent in 2014.
Beathard will not have a bad season, but Iowa will still not be as strong as last season, even with a decent schedule. The defense is not stable enough, and the offense lacks any real explosion. The team will need to win a road game against either Nebraska or Wisconsin to earn bowl eligibility, which will be a daunting task.
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Maryland: Will the Offense Produce?
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It was a struggle at times, especially in a 52-0 rout at the hands of Wisconsin, but Maryland’s offense was actually pretty solid in 2014.
The unit was fifth in the conference in scoring offense despite being among the worst in total yards. This was heavily due to the abilities of top wideouts Stefon Diggs and Deon Long and the dual-threat production of quarterback C.J. Brown.
All three of those players are gone, and a slew of uncertainty faces this side of the ball of head coach Randy Edsall’s Terrapins.
Caleb Rowe is expected to replace Brown after getting quality time as a backup in three seasons. He has shown potential as a stronger passer than Brown, but his 12:10 career interception ratio must be better.
This is especially true since the Terps lack much punch elsewhere. Brandon Ross returns at running back, but he was only able to lead Maryland to 12th in the Big Ten in rushing. Three returning starters on the offensive line with some experienced depth should help the ground game marginally improve.
Through the air, Maryland loses its top four receivers from 2014 in addition to promising sophomore Juwann Winfree, who left school following a suspension earlier this summer. Junior Levern Jacobs, who led the team in receiving in 2013, returns after missing last season due to a suspension, which should give Rowe some relief.
The situation is not promising for the Terps, especially with Brian Stewart taking the defensive coordinator job at Nebraska following three seasons in the same capacity at Maryland. Both sides of the ball will be in a transition phase and could struggle. Look for Maryland to slightly regress in 2015 and miss a bowl.
Michigan: Can Jim Harbaugh Find a Quarterback?
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New head coach Jim Harbaugh comes to Michigan with much fanfare as an elite college coach and a phenomenal quarterback developer. Well, his skills will certainly be needed in 2015.
The Wolverines limped to a 5-7 record last year thanks in large part to dreadful quarterback play. With Devin Gardner gone, junior Shane Morris is the most experienced of the current crop playing for Michigan.
Rudock, the graduate transfer from Iowa, will enter fall camp with a real shot of earning the starting spot. His main competition will likely be Morris, who has not shown much with five picks and zero touchdowns in two seasons.
Rudock is the safer option who will not take risks downfield or turn the ball over. Morris has more upside as a talented thrower who was a highly touted 4-star prospect in high school.
If someone fails to separate themselves in camp, the situation could become dicey. Going with Morris presents more risk, but not doing so could indicate that his future at Michigan could be over after not establishing himself in three seasons.
With a grueling nonconference schedule that includes a road game with Utah and contests with BYU and Oregon State, expect Harbaugh to go with the safe bet in Rudock at least to open the season. If Michigan stumbles, Morris will get his chance to shine and possibly set himself up for success the following year as well.
Michigan State: Will Cook Have Enough Support?
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Even with defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi gone to run Pitt’s program, Michigan State’s defense will still be among the nation’s best due to head coach Mark Dantonio and a number of returning stars.
Cook returns as arguably the conference’s top quarterback, but can he replicate his success without many of his top weapons from 2014?
Running back Jeremy Langford and his 1,522 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns are gone, along with his backup Nick Hill, who averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored nine times. At receiver, Tony Lippett is gone after putting up 1,198 yards and 11 scores. Cook’s second option, Keith Mumphery, is also off to the NFL.
Cook will have to build some new chemistry quickly with receivers R.J. Shelton and Aaron Burbridge to go along with top returning option Macgarrett Kings. Sophomore Delton Williams will also need to step up at running back, and he has shown some real promise in his young career.
This answer will likely determine if the Spartans can dethrone Ohio State as Big Ten champions. The two do not play until Nov. 21, so the Michigan State offense will have plenty of time. Look for Cook to still put up similar numbers as last season, but the offense could get off to a slow start.
Minnesota: Can Mitch Leidner Carry the Offense?
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The Minnesota Golden Gophers were essentially a three-man show on offense last season with quarterback Mitch Leidner, running back David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams.
With both Cobb—1,626 yards and 13 touchdowns—and Williams—569 yards and eight touchdowns—gone, the burden is now solely on Leidner to fuel the Minnesota offense. It does not appear that he will get much help.
The junior finished with 1,798 yards and 11 touchdowns throwing and 452 yards and 10 scores on the ground. He is the team’s top returning rusher, and wide receiver KJ Maye is back as the all-purpose threat on offense.
Maye leads the receiver group, and he also finished behind Leidner in overall rushing. Besides him, Minnesota will be looking for plenty of answers.
Running back Berkley Edwards looks to be the top option in the backfield, but he is largely unproven. However, three returning starters on the offensive line will help.
The odds are certainly against Leidner. If he raises his game, he could be an All-Big Ten candidate. This seems unlikely given the Golden Gophers’ lack of offensive weapons. Look for him to end up with only slightly better numbers than last season.
Nebraska: Is Mike Riley an Upgrade over Bo Pelini?
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Nebraska made a rather drastic coaching decision this offseason when it fired Bo Pelini and brought over Mike Riley from Oregon State.
The move appeared to be intended to create a culture change around the program, as Pelini experienced more recent success than Riley. Pelini won at least nine games every year since 2008, which Riley only did twice, according to Sports-Reference.com.
So how will Riley fare in his first season in Lincoln?
The Cornhuskers return a lot of talent on offense despite the loss of star running back Ameer Abdullah. Starter Tommy Armstrong returns and should be the top dual-threat quarterback in the conference behind whoever starts for Ohio State.
Running backs Imani Cross and Terrell Newby return, and both should be able to split the load in the backfield. Key receivers Jordan Westerkamp and De’Mornay Pierson-El should provide solid options for Armstrong.
The defense returns most of the secondary, and defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Vincent Valentine also return to anchor the front seven. The unit should fare well in 2015.
Riley should be able to challenge the 9-4 mark Pelini posted in his first full season at Nebraska. The team has its two toughest conference games, Michigan State and Wisconsin, at home. They also have the benefit of playing in the weaker Big Ten West.
Whether Riley proves to be better in the long run is not clear, but he should keep Nebraska in Big Ten contention at least through this season.
Northwestern: Will the Wildcats Return to Bowling?
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Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has undoubtedly made Northwestern a better program than the one he found, but the pressure could be on in 2015.
The Wildcats have regressed after back-to-back 5-7 seasons. Fitzgerald’s team should be able to return back to a bowl game if he can solve one big problem: finding a quarterback.
Senior Zack Oliver is the only quarterback on the roster with any experience, but he has struggled with 381 yards, two touchdowns and three picks in his career. He is competing with sophomore Matt Alviti and freshman Clayton Thorson, but none of the three has separated themselves, according to what Fitzgerald said during Big Ten media days.
“There wasn’t a clear separation,” Fitzgerald said of his quarterbacks’ play this spring and summer, per Alex Putterman of the Daily Northwestern. “We would have loved to have it happen, but it didn’t. And we’d rather have it happen organically than to force something.”
With a defense returning seven starters and star running back Justin Jackson coming back, the Wildcats should play well in the Big Ten West. In addition, Fitzgerald has a history of getting the most out of his players, so look for the team to get decent quarterback play and make it back to a bowl game.
Ohio State: Barrett or Jones?
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This is pretty much the golden question in the Big Ten this season.
Should head coach Urban Meyer go with Barrett, who accumulated 45 regular-season touchdowns, or Jones, who led the team to finish the season as national champions?
Barrett is more experienced and kept the team on track after an upset loss to Virginia Tech. He also got more comfortable as the season went on, which allowed him to display his special dual-threat ability. Jones excelled on the largest stages of the Ohio State season and showed Tim Tebow-like skills with his power running and throwing ability.
Until this question is answered, it is difficult to thoroughly dissect the Buckeyes’ offense. Look for Barrett to win the job. Not only is he more experienced, he is younger, which should allow Meyer to create more of a future foundation at quarterback. Barrett is also a more accurate passer.
Jones will still see the field. It would not be surprising for him to be a goal-line quarterback who can power the ball into the end zone in crucial situations. Either way, Ohio State is set at quarterback.
Penn State: Can Hackenberg Finally Break Out?
11 of 14Just looking at his highlights, there is perhaps no quarterback in the Big Ten with more NFL potential than Hackenberg, who is a strong and talented passer at 6’4” and 240 pounds.
Following a promising true freshman campaign, Hackenberg regressed as a sophomore last season, and his numbers show it. His touchdown total and completion percentage dropped from 20 to 12 and 59 to 56, respectively. He also threw five more interceptions, 15, and took more than double the amount of sacks, 44.
Hopefully this was due to a new head coach in James Franklin and a poor offensive line. No matter, there will be no excuse for Hackenberg not to become a star in 2015.
Penn State’s offensive line took its bumps and bruises and should be vastly improved as four starters return. Hackenberg’s top weapons also return. Receivers DaeSean Hamilton, 82 catches for 899 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Geno Lewis, 55 catches for 751 yards and two scores, are back to form one of the conference’s top receiving duos. Running back Akeel Lynch also returns after leading the team with 678 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Again, there is no reason why Hackenberg should not put up big numbers as he leads an explosive offense. In his second year with Franklin, this should come to fruition as Penn State could potentially challenge Ohio State and Michigan State in the Big Ten East this season.
Purdue: Will Darrell Hazell Start to Turn It Around?
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Purdue improved from one to three wins last season in its second season under head coach Darrell Hazell, but a breakthrough could be difficult.
Quarterback Austin Appleby will return at quarterback after struggling in the latter half of the season. Granted, so did the rest of the team. However, Appleby will have last year’s top receiver in Danny Anthrop to rely on.
The offense may miss some key contributors in the run game following the losses of Akeem Hunt—949 yards and six touchdowns—and Raheem Mostert—529 yards and three scores. Keyante Green is the next most experienced back, but the sophomore may fare decently with all five starters back on the offensive line.
The defense will still be young, but it should be much improved from the unit that gave up 32 points per game. Second team All-Big Ten selection Frankie Williams is back in the secondary, which should help the team improve on pass defense. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley also returns at linebacker after a stellar freshman season.
All these signs point to Purdue being more competitive, but a bowl game could be a long shot. Purdue will have to go at least 3-1 in nonconference play. In addition, the team will need to win at least one Big Ten road game and take at least two victories from a group of Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana. Whether or not a four- or five-win season is enough to save Hazell’s job remains to be seen.
Rutgers: Is a Quarterback Better Than Gary Nova on the Roster?
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Rutgers experienced a nice 2014 season, finishing 8-5 overall, but generally struggled in the Big Ten.
The Scarlet Knights beat lowly Indiana and Michigan while ending the regular season with a startling comeback victory against Maryland. Otherwise, Rutgers was not competitive in Big Ten play save for a sloppy 13-10 loss to Penn State.
The biggest determining factor was quarterback play. When Gary Nova played well, such as 347-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Terps, Rutgers usually won. When he played bad, it was really bad, which resulted in numerous blowouts.
Sophomores Chris Laviano and Hayden Rettig are competing to replace Nova. According to NJ.com’s Dan Duggan, Rettig is expected to win, but he could struggle more than Nova since he has not taken a snap since high school. Having leading receiver Leonte Carroo back should help a little.
With running backs Paul James, Josh Hicks and Robert Martin back, Rutgers should run the ball well. The passing game will likely still be rough this season, even though Rettig may turn out to be better than Nova down the road.
Wisconsin: Can Paul Chryst Keep the Badgers Rolling?
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Wisconsin had some of its most explosive offenses with Paul Chryst at offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2011, with Russell Wilson’s team coming to mind. After a two-year stint as head coach at Pittsburgh, Chryst returns to lead his alma mater.
Gary Andersen departed for Oregon State after an 11-3 season that concluded with an upset bowl win over Auburn. With plenty of momentum moving in Wisconsin’s direction, can Chryst keep it going?
Melvin Gordon is gone, but Corey Clement proved to be one of the better running backs in the Big Ten despite seeing limited time. After that, the situation looks murky on offense.
Quarterback Joel Stave returns, but he has underwhelmed during his college career, especially after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in 2014. Last year’s leading receiver, Alex Erickson, should help in his senior season, but there is little experience behind him in the pass game. Another issue is offensive line, as only two starters return with little depth behind them, which is unusual for Wisconsin.
Luckily, the defense returns eight starters from one of the Big Ten’s best units. Linebacker Vince Biegel, who racked up 7.5 sacks in 2014, and safety Michael Caputo headline an experienced unit that should help keep Wisconsin in games even when the offense sputters.
There is no reason to believe Chryst cannot keep Wisconsin’s program where it sits, but there will be a drop this season. An even more one-dimensional offense with less threats than last year will cause some problems as the defense will not be able to stop teams forever. Thus, 11 wins is a long shot, but the Badgers can still expect to be favorites for the Big Ten West.
All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Returning starters' information from Phil Steele's projections.
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