Big 10 Football Predictions: 10 Biggest Storylines for the 2011 College Season

There is more hype surrounding the Big Ten this year than in recent memory.  Countless changes have hit the conference this past offseason, creating many of the intriguing storylines fans will be watching this fall.

Even though there are endless things to watch for in the Big Ten this season, here's a look at the 10 biggest storylines to keep an eye on.

10. Young Running Backs

The Big Ten will have plenty of new faces at running back this season.  There are some young backs who most people may not be familiar with, but are just waiting to make an impact.

The two best look to be Penn State's Silas Redd and Iowa's Marcus Coker, both of which are sophomores.  We saw flashes of what both guys can do at times last year.  Both should be absolute studs this year, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see one of them lead the conference in rushing.

With Dan Herron suspended for the first five games, Ohio State will turn to either Rod Smith or Jaamal Berry.  Both of those guys will be good and will have no trouble replacing Herron.

It is still unknown who starts at running back for Michigan, but they have a few solid young backs in Stephen Hopkins, Fitzgerald Toussaint, and Thomas Rawls.  If either of those three start, they should have no problem getting accustomed to the Big Ten.

Redd and Coker are still the best of the bunch however, and it would be smart to keep an eye on those two.

9. How Will Dan Persa and Northwestern Handle the Hype?

People have seemingly fallen in love with Dan Persa ever since he took over the starting quarterback job at Northwestern.  The hype surrounding him has grown immensely, with some people even calling him a Heisman candidate this fall.

Northwestern has high expectations as well, as some people expect them to contend for the Legends Division.

Well, the hype surrounding both needs to be put to rest.  It is unlikely that Mike Trumpy or Adonis Smith will step up and be a great running back, which will cause defenses to focus in on Persa.

Once Northwestern starts losing games, all the Heisman talk surrounding Persa will be gone.  In fact, the talk could be gone by early October.

There is a realistic chance that the Wildcats start the season 2-5.  It it also a realistic possibility that Northwestern doesn't make a bowl game.

They will likely beat one or two teams they aren't supposed to though, and will probably finish 6-6 or 7-5 at best.

8. Can Michigan State Build on Last Season's Success?

The simple answer to that question is no.  In fact, I'm going to go as far as to say last season was complete fluke.

How can people take this team seriously after what they did against Iowa and Alabama.  Great teams don't get blown out the way they did in those two games.

Most people are picking Michigan State to contend in the Legends Division, while some are even picking them to win it.  By late October, Michigan State will not even be in contention to win the division.

By November 1, it is likely that they will already have three conference losses.  Obviously, that's nowhere near good enough to win the division.

7. Penn State's Quarterback Situation

Penn State's success this season will largely depend on how well their quarterbacks play.  Nobody quite knows who will start yet, but chances are that it will either be Rob Bolden or Matt McGloin.

A big reason Penn State struggled last year was because of poor quarterback play.  It will certainly be better this year.

Bolden was only a true freshman last season and will learn from the mistakes he made last year.  Matt McGloin is a former walk-on, so you can't necessarily expect a whole lot from him.

If the quarterback situation is solved this fall, Penn State could win nine or 10 games.

6. Coaches on the Hot Seat

Most of the coaches in the Big Ten aren't too worried about their job security, but there are those few who are on the hot seat.

Realistically, there looks to be two coaches who could be fired if their team performs poorly this season.

One of them is Ron Zook.  Lately, he has seemingly been on the hot seat every single year.  Honestly, I was shocked he wasn't fired after Illinois underachieved during the 2009 season, but they bounced back and had a solid year in 2010.

The other coach who has to worry about his job is Danny Hope.  He has done nothing since taking over for Joe Tiller and could potentially be fired if Purdue doesn't go to a bowl.  With their schedule, though, it's going to be extremely hard for them to win six games.

5. Brady Hoke's First Season

Seemingly everyone around the country can't wait to see how Brady Hoke will do in his first season at Michigan.  The intriguing storylines surrounding this team are endless.

When looking at the roster, there is certainly enough talent on this team to compete in the Legends Division this year.  However, it will be extremely tough for anybody to overtake Nebraska.

November will be the most critical month for Michigan.  They start the month with road trips to Iowa and Illinois, and end it with home meetings against Nebraska and Ohio State.

Those four games will show us how close Michigan really is to competing for the Big Ten title.

4. Is Wisconsin Really the Class of the Big Ten?

Almost everybody is proclaiming Wisconsin as the preseason Big Ten favorite.  Well, the hype is certainly deserved.

Wisconsin easily has one of the best running back duos in James White and Montee Ball, and should have a very solid defense.

The big question surrounding the Badgers a few months ago was quarterback.  When Russell Wilson decided to transfer in, that fear was wiped away immediately.

Wisconsin should have a dynamic and potentially explosive offense this fall.

Look for the Badgers to win the conference this year.  With their schedule setting up the way it does, they could even go on to win 11 or 12 games.

3. How Will the Offseason Scandals Affect Ohio State?

Ohio State is not the preseason Big Ten favorite this year mainly because of all the scandals and violations their program has dealt with.  These off-field distractions will certainly impact their play on the field this season.

Losing Terrelle Pryor hurts, but losing Jim Tressel hurts even more.  Pryor can be replaced, but Tressel can't.  Simply because Tressel isn't around anymore, this team will not be as good.

Ohio State should be solid on defense, but offense is where they might struggle.  Quarterback could be a huge problem early on, as whoever the starter is will be very inexperienced.  With DeVier Posey out, wide receiver looks like it will be a huge problem.

The main receivers are all inexperienced, and very few of them were big recruits.

The scandals and violations will take their toll on Ohio State, and it will show on the field.

2. Nebraska's First Season in the Big Ten

It sure is an exciting time, as people from all over the Midwest welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten.

Some analysts think they'll cruise to the title game, while others think they might struggle.

It looks like they will win their division, but it won't be easy.

Nebraska's schedule is very tough, as they have road trips to Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan, while playing Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa at home.

Look for the Cornhuskers to go either 9-3 or 10-2 this fall, and earn a spot in the Big Ten title game.

1. The First Big Ten Championship Game

The Big Ten conference is finally playing a conference championship game, and most fans couldn't be happier.

The landscape of the Big Ten has changed rapidly over the last few months and all signs are that it's for the better.

When the title game is played on December 3, the TV ratings will be through the roof.  No matter what two teams are in it, fans will go crazy to watch the inaugural championship game.