SteemSports Presenter: Scott Frank,@scottybuckets
College Football is back in only 10 days! Yesterday we finished our SEC Rankings and today we will get started with the Big 10 that has some National Championship contenders. Let's get it started!
1. Ohio State - Quarterback JT Barrett is back and ready to take the Buckeyes back to the college football playoff for the third time in four years. Head Coach Urban Meyer is loaded with talent. They have the best defensive line in the country that will terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Ohio State’s offense will score at will and they are my favorite to win it all this year. They do have some very tough games though this season. They host Oklahoma on September 9th and that will be a big test. They also will have a big test against Penn State on October 28th and will finish the regular season at Michigan. If they can run the table in the regular season, they will be the #1 seed in the college playoff.
2. Penn State - The Nittany Lions had a great season in 2016. They won 11 games and the Big 10 Title. This year, their expectations are even higher as they have 9 starters back on offense including the best running back in the country, Saquon Barkley. He rushed for nearly 1,700 yards last year and is ready to make a run at the Heisman Trophy. Joining him on offense is quarterback Trace McSorely, who is coming off a phenomenal 29 touchdown and 3,600 yard season. The fans in Happy Valley haven't anticipated the start of a season like this in over a decade.
3. Michigan - Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 10-3 record last year and had a gut wrenching loss to rival Ohio State in a double overtime heartbreaker. There is a lot of talent from that team that is now gone. On offense, they only have 4 returning starters. Gone is their leading running back and their top 3 receivers. They do have talent at quarterback but it will take some time for the new starters to mesh. On the defensive side of the ball, it looks even more scary. Only 1 returning starter is back. They lost ⅞ of their top tacklers including star Jabrill Peppers. Michigan opens with a brutal non conference schedule of Florida and Cincinnati. And week 3 they face Air Force and the triple option. Don't ever count out a team coached by Harbaugh who has gone 20-6 in his first two seasons. There is plenty of new talent for Michigan and if they can quickly jell, it can be a great year. They are most likely though about 1 year away from challenging for the top spot in the Big 10 East.
4. Indiana - The Hoosiers have shown some life over the last few years and have been an exciting team to watch. Their offense scored over 25 points in 7 games last year. Although their star running back, Devine Redding, is gone, they have veteran quarterback, Richard Lagow, back. His favorite target is back too as Nick Westbrook will try and beat his +900 receiver yard mark of 2016. Defense was the big weakness last season. But they return 9 starters on that side of the ball and should be much improved. Their schedule starts off brutally with Ohio State and at Virginia. But their last 3 games of the year are cupcakes with Illinois, Rutgers and Purdue. Indiana has a chance to be a surprise team and should be headed to another bowl.
5. Michigan State - After three season in a row finishing in the top 6, the Spartans had their worst record in a long time. They played well in some big games last year but just couldn't finish. This year the cupboards are a bit bare. They lost several starters but even more troubling was some of the off the field issues. Four players were kicked off of the team this summer, including potential star, Donnie Corley. That will leave quarterback, Brian Lewerke, with little talent to through to. The Spartans only have 6 returning starters and this will be another down year for a very strong program, traditionally.
6. Maryland - Head Coach DJ Durkin has a successful first year for the Terrapins. They struggled through an injury plagued season at quarterback but still made a bowl game. Their defense struggled but they have 7 starters back this year and that unit should be improved. Their is some potential on offense with quarterback Caleb Henderson. They have a shot at another bowl game but will need to make it through a tough schedule. Things are pointed in the right direction though for Maryland.
7. Rutgers - The Scarlet Knights were outscored on average 40-10 in Big Ten play last year. It will be another tough year again but their is some hope on offense. Rutgers landed transfer quarterback, Kyle Bolin from Louisville. He can sling it and will make them much more competitive. They open the season against National Championship hopeful, Washington Huskies on September 1st. Rutgers should improve on their 2-10 record from last year, but not by much.
Please let me know who you are rooting for in the Big 10 East. Tomorrow I will Preview the Big 10 West. Who will be playing Ohio State in the conference championship? Thanks for following @steemsports and you can catch me @scottybuckets Cheers!