1 Goal Each Big Ten Team Needs to Accomplish During Bowl Practice
Bowl season kicks off this weekend, and when it comes to the Big Ten, the conference will be looking to improve on what was a 6-5 showing in last year's postseason, with the potential to once again win the College Football Playoff National Championship.
But for many teams in the league, the most important part of bowl season won't be the bowls themselves but rather the practices leading up to them.
Per NCAA rules, teams are allowed to continue their regular-season practice schedules of up to four hours a day and 20 hours a week as they prepare for bowl games. This time has typically been valuable for teams to not only prepare for their upcoming opponents but also develop younger players for the ensuing season as well.
Whether a team is looking to prepare, develop or some combination of the two depends on where it stands as a program.
With that in mind, let's take a look at what each Big Ten team will seek to accomplish on the practice field in the coming weeks.
Nebraska: Improve Each Player as Much as Possible
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To "improve each player as much as possible" is about as vague as it gets when it comes to bowl-season goals, but having accepted a bid to the Foster Farms Bowl based on its APR and in spite of its 5-7 record, Nebraska is playing with house money at this point.
A touchdown underdog to UCLA (via Odds Shark), a Cornhuskers win over the Bruins is unlikely and, truth be told, secondary for Nebraska at this point. The player development Mike Riley could achieve, however, could go a long way toward enjoying a much more successful season in 2016 than he did in his Lincoln debut.
"I think a bowl game is great for your next team, for the practices you get, the development," Riley told ESPN.com's Jesse Temple. "The only thing I can say is I'm thankful for that opportunity."
In particular, look for quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. to benefit from another month of practice in Riley's pro-style system before heading into the offseason. If the junior signal-caller can improve on a 2015 season that saw him throw a career-high 16 interceptions, it could go a long way toward Nebraska embarking on a bounce-back season in 2016.
Of course, gaining some positive momentum with an upset win over UCLA wouldn't hurt either.
Minnesota: Forge a New Identity
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Much like Nebraska, everything Minnesota accomplishes in the next few weeks could be considered a bonus, as at 5-7, the Golden Gophers didn't make a bowl game based on the merits of their regular-season record.
And while a Quick Lane Bowl date with Central Michigan should give Minnesota a better shot at leaving this bowl season with an additional victory, the most beneficial part of this time for the Golden Gophers will be the practices leading up to the actual game.
It's a bit of a tricky situation, with the presence of new head coach Tracy Claeys—former head coach Jerry Kill's former defensive coordinator—intended to maintain the culture established by Kill before he was forced to step down midseason because of health reasons. "Losing Coach Kill was tough on all of us, but our kids have fought awfully hard to give us a chance," Claeys said, via MLive.com's Cory Butzin. "We haven't always finished games the way we like to, but we've had opportunities on the road in the fourth quarter against some very good teams to win some ballgames."
At the same time, Claeys needs to find a way to put his own stamp on the Golden Gophers program, something he's attempted with offseason changes to his coaching staff, including the firings of offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski.
Having compiled just a 1-4 record since Claeys took over in late October, the Quick Lane Bowl will provide Minnesota with an opportunity to end its season on a high note and build some momentum heading into the offseason. But what will be first and foremost when it comes to bowl practice will be continuing to set the tone for the Claeys era in Minneapolis as it approaches its first full season.
Indiana: Develop Nate Sudfeld's Replacement
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Of the 10 Big Ten teams in bowl games this winter, Indiana finds itself facing the biggest balancing act.
On the one hand, the Hoosiers are hoping that their appearance against Duke in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl will result in their first postseason victory since 1991.
On the other, it would behoove Indiana to get a head start on developing a replacement for third-team All-Big Ten quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who will be playing the final game of his college career against the Blue Devils in Yankee Stadium.
It's something that injuries to Sudfeld have forced Hoosiers head coach Kevin Wilson to do in the past two seasons, but never has his impending absence been permanent. The most obvious choice as Sudfeld's successor in Bloomington is sophomore Zander Diamont, who completed 48.4 percent of his passes for 166 yards and rushed for 136 yards and two scores in Sudfeld's absence this season.
Freshman quarterback Danny Cameron should also get an extended look from the Indiana coaching staff this winter after completing six of his 16 pass attempts for 65 yards and an interception in the debut season of his college career. The race to replace Sudfeld will undoubtedly carry into the spring, and most likely fall camp as well, but these practices should give each Diamont and Cameron an opportunity to get a head start on the upcoming quarterback derby.
Penn State: Get the Most out of Christian Hackenberg's Potential Finale
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College football's version of the "odd couple," James Franklin and Christian Hackenberg's time together could be nearing an end.
A 5-star prospect coming out of high school, Hackenberg committed to Penn State when Bill O'Brien was in charge, winning the 2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award under the direction of the now-Houston Texans head coach and his pro-style system. His replacement, Franklin, would rather run a more multiple-set offense, as evidenced by the type of quarterback he's recruited since arriving in State College in 2014.
That's not the only reason—but one of the biggest—that the Nittany Lions have struggled to build consistency the last two seasons, with a 7-5 campaign landing them a New Year's Day date in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Georgia.
With Hackenberg's junior season coming to a close and a jump to next spring's NFL draft likely, this could very well mark the final game of Penn State's all-time passing leader's college career. For Franklin, that would represent one last game to mesh the 6'4", 228-pounder into his offense, something he admitted he anticipated happening sooner this season.
"I feel much better about it," Franklin said prior to the start of the 2015 campaign. "I see Christian so much more relaxed and so much more confident right now as a player and as a leader because of that."
That, however, didn't prove to be the case, with Hackenberg posting a career-low 53.3 completion percentage in his junior season. At this point, it's a long shot that the Palmyra, Virginia, native would return to Happy Valley for 2016, but a month's worth of practices fit to his skill set wouldn't hurt.
And if the Nittany Lions are going to knock off the Bulldogs in Jacksonville, they may need to do just that anyway.
Wisconsin: Get the Running Game Back on Track
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Despite not winning the Big Ten West, there's been plenty of positives to take away from Paul Chryst's debut season at Wisconsin. Behind the nation's third-ranked defense, the Badgers put together a 9-3 regular season, landing in the Holiday Bowl for a matchup against USC.
But even with the promise Wisconsin has showed this season, one alarming aspect of the Badgers' 2015 campaign came in their lack of success on the ground. Typically the bread and butter of the Wisconsin offense, the Badgers ranked 96th in rushing in 2015, averaging 148.1 yards per game on the ground.
"Makes it really hard, I think. You've got to be able to run the football," Chryst said following Wisconsin's 13-7 loss to Northwestern on Nov. 21, which saw the Badgers total just 32 yards on the ground and lose an additional 58 yards via sacks. "We have got to do a much better job running the football if we really want to have a chance to win games."
It didn't help Wisconsin's cause that Corey Clement, who was slotted to serve as Melvin Gordon III's primary replacement, missed most of the year with an injury, totaling just 155 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season. But the Badgers are going to have to get back to their basics if they're going to find success both in the short and long term.
Northwestern: Sharpen the Passing Game
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While Wisconsin has struggled to get its ground game going, the same could be said about Northwestern's inefficient aerial attack.
One of the Big Ten's biggest surprises with a 10-2 regular-season record that landed them an Outback Bowl date with Tennessee, the Wildcats have found their success this season while being primarily one-dimensional on offense. Northwestern has paired the nation's 38th-ranked run offense (193.3 yards per game) with the country's 119th passing attack (139.3 yards per game), allowing freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson to do just enough to obtain close wins.
"We want to play with tempo, we have to be a ball-control offense," Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald said, per the Daily Northwestern's Stephanie Kelly. "That’s the name of the game."
Against a Volunteers defense that allows an average of just 153.3 rushing yards per game, Thorson is going to need to do more than just the bare minimum. The same will ring true for the 6'4", 220-pound quarterback's college career, which has already gotten off to an impressive start but will need to see him improve as a passer moving forward.
Michigan: Continue to Experiment with Jabrill Peppers
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Throughout the season, Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers saw his role evolve on the Wolverines offense.
And according to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, he's only just getting started when it comes to experimenting with the 5-star talent.
"He'll find his absolute best position as you go along," Harbaugh said. "It's interesting to think about and consider the possibilities."
And what better time to explore all of those options than during bowl practice as the Wolverines prepare for their Citrus Bowl Showdown with Florida?
Thus far, Peppers has been used as a wide receiver, running back and Wildcat QB in Michigan's offense. In total, he's compiled 151 yards and two touchdowns on 26 touches.
It's hard to envision how many more ways Harbaugh could get the ball into the hands of his most talented player, but look for him to make a concerted effort to do so as much as possible. It's something that could benefit the Wolverines not just against the Gators but heading into the 2016 season as well.
Ohio State: Develop Next Year's Stars-to-Be
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While Ohio State's Fiesta Bowl matchup with Notre Dame is one of the most anticipated showdowns of the bowl season, there may not be a team in need of more prep work for the future than the Buckeyes.
Although a victory over the Fighting Irish would be nice, win or lose, Ohio State is already bracing itself for an exodus of talent from its 2015 roster. Between seniors and players expected to declare early for the 2016 draft, the Buckeyes could lose as many as 14 starters from this year's squad, many of whom played key roles in Ohio State's run through the College Football Playoff last season.
"I have to just make sure we're staying focused," Meyer said of the NFL talent on his roster. "The good thing is, they're really good guys."
While that may be the case, it doesn't change the fact that the Buckeyes are going to need to start breaking in the younger talent on their roster, sooner rather than later. For Meyer's teams, bowl prep has typically been a part of that and a time for inexperienced players to gain significant reps.
Who will be Ohio State's breakout player in 2016? That remains to be seen. But there's a good chance that whoever it is will be showing flashes in Columbus in the coming weeks.
Iowa: Devise a Plan to Contain Christian McCaffrey
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With the nation's 20th-ranked defense in tow, Iowa has to feel pretty good about its ability to contain opposing offenses.
But the Hawkeyes have yet to take on a player like the one they will be facing in their Rose Bowl matchup with Stanford.
Breaking Barry Sanders' 27-year-old single-season all-purpose yardage record with 3,496 yards to his credit this season, Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey finished second in Heisman Trophy voting after leading Stanford to a 10-2 record. Iowa certainly has its work cut out for itself, as it prepares to face the country's most dynamic offensive player.
Compiling a 12-0 regular-season record before falling short in the Big Ten title game against Michigan State, a win over Stanford would go a long way toward legitimizing the Hawkeyes' surprise 2015 campaign. That starts with containing McCaffrey—a task not many teams this season have had success with.
Michigan State: Get Connor Cook Back to Full Strength
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Entering the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal as a double-digit underdog to Alabama (via Odds Shark), Michigan State is right in the position it wants to be.
But in order to continue its history of pulling off the upset, quarterback Connor Cook is going to have to get back to full strength.
The first-team Big Ten Quarterback of the Year clearly wasn't there for the conference championship game, with his passes consistently sailing as the Spartans found themselves relying primarily on their ground game. The first-team All-Big Ten selection completed just 16 of his 32 attempts for 191 yards and an interception against the Hawkeyes, in what was ultimately a 16-13 Spartans win.
"Obviously, I wasn't 100 percent," Cook said after the game.
To have a chance against the Crimson Tide, Michigan State is going to need that to change. The Spartans may thrive on being counted out, but against Alabama, more than anything, they're going to need their best offensive player at full capacity.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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