Big Ten Football Power Rankings Heading into Spring Practice

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IMAGE SOURCE - Ohio State Buckeyes on 247Sports via Facebook.com

IMAGE SOURCE - Ohio State Buckeyes on 247Sports via Facebook.com

Written By Sam McIntyre

Even though the college football season doesn’t kick off until August, it’s never too early to start making predictions about how the teams are going to perform in 2018. The Buckeyes are the team jumping out as the frontrunners but it’s shaping up to be extremely competitive with the depth of quality running all the way through the competition.

Big Ten is making a strong case for the number one conference in the nation, with Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State all being selected in the ‘way to early Top 25’, suggesting that there is a host of teams that are going to impress next term. Although squads are always subject to change, let’s take a look at some early power rankings and see how teams are shaping up so far for next season.

EAST DIVISION

1. Ohio State

Ohio looks like the team to beat yet again in the Big Ten and will go into next season as the equal second favorite to be the NCAAF champions with Clemson from the Atlantic Coast Conference. As of the 11th February, they are both +700 to lift the trophy according to Betway, with bookmakers tipping Alabama as the outright favorite on +225. We’ll see a new quarterback lining up for the Buckeyes, with Dwayne Haskins most likely to take the position after his exciting 2017. They will be solid defensively once again with former Washington State coordinator Alex Grinch arriving to bolster them at the back.

2. Michigan

Coach Jim Harbaugh's team look to be the team that will pose the biggest threat to Iowa in the Eastern conference. Tarik Black returns after an injury prone season, which will help their offense, and newcomers Aidan Hutchinson, Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes will inject some fresh talent into their lineup. All three were in the top five highest rated players in the state.

3. Michigan State

The Spartans had a fantastic season during their last campaign, bringing their total of games won up by eight. They aren't going to lose many players from that squad, and coach Mark Dantonio will be hoping to make a genuine title push in 2018. Quarterback Brian Lewerke will be back after his impressive debut, and they look like having one of the most solid defenses in the league.

4. Penn State

IMAGE SOURCE - Penn State Football via Facebook.

IMAGE SOURCE - Penn State Football via Facebook.

Penn State's squad will take a bit of a hit with running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Mike Gesicki and receiver DaeSean Hamilton all leaving during the offseason. Luckily for the Nittany Lions, they seem to have enough depth to cover those positions and the addition of five-star recruit Justin Shorter should mean that the offense remains at least at the level it was in 2017.

5. Maryland

The Terrapins had a rough time of it last season with injuries to their quarterbacks and their team definitely suffered for it throughout the year. QB's Kasim Hill and Tyrell Pigrome should be the two battling for the position in 2018 and coach DJ Durkin will be hoping the pair can remain fit and healthy for the entire campaign. Defensively, they will have to do better after giving up an average of 37.1 points per game.

6. Indiana

Tom Allen's Hoosiers were unfortunate to miss out on a bowl in 2017, with the side having one of the most underrated defenses in the competition. Even though they went 5-7 last season, four of those defeats were by less than eight points and the team should improve on that record in 2018. New safety Jamar Johnson is an exciting recruit for the squad and it will be interesting to see what he can bring to the team.

7. Rutgers

For the first time since joining the Big Ten conference, the Scarlet Knights allowed less than 30 points per game. It shows that coach Chris Ash has the team moving in the right direction but they will still need to improve offensively after averaging just 18 points last season. Sophomore running back Raheem Blackshear is one to keep an eye on in 2018.

WEST DIVISION

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IMAGE SOURCE - Come Back In Bar and Restaurant via Facebook.

1. Wisconsin

The Badgers have only lost ten games with coach Paul Chryst at the helm and, with so much of the talent returning, it looks like they will be the early favorites to win the West Division. They will have another run at making the CFB Playoff, and QB Alex Hornibrook should continue running the show after some extremely solid performances last season.

2. Northwestern

Northwestern suffered a huge blow when quarterback Clayton Thorson suffered a knee injury during the Music City Bowl. If he can't get back to full fitness quickly, it is hard to see them keeping up the pressure on Wisconsin. They also have several key positions to replace, with Justin Jackson one of the big losses for their squad. At the back, they were brilliant last season, allowing an average of just 20.1 points per game. Returning linebackers Nate Hall and Paddy Fisher should keep that strong defensive record intact, with the offense set to determine how their campaign plays out.

 

3. Iowa

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IMAGE SOURCE - Allstate Sugar Bowl via Facebook.

Iowa will lose running back Akrum Wadley, receiver Matt VandeBerg and linemen James Daniels and Dean Welsh. All three of their linebackers are exiting as well as All-American Josey Jewell and cornerback Josh Jackson who has decided to head to the NFL. Some pretty big losses for the Hawkeyes and they could struggle to deal with those gaps in the squad. Hopefully, the young talent can step up and take on the added responsibility, and their season could rely heavily on QB Nate Stanley as he gets ready for his first year as the starter.

4. Purdue

Jeff Brohm's Boilermakers showed several positive signs last season and the improvement under the new coach's staff was clear to see. They could be one of the surprise packages in 2018 and may even creep up the ladder as high as second place. They will need to significantly rebuild their defense though, with only three out of their top ten tacklers returning.

5. Nebraska

Quarterback Tanner Lee has left for the NFL and coach Scott Frost will be looking to Tristian Gebbia, sophomore Patrick O'Brien and new freshmen Adrian Martinez to produce the goods next term. A bowl game would be a reasonable target to achieve in 2018 but they have some heavy away trips to Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin, which may cause some problems at the tail end of the season.

6. Minnesota

The Golden Gophers have loads of young talent coming through the ranks but it may be another year before we start to see the best from them. Offensively, they must do better than last year's average of 22.1, with just one win from their last five games in 2017. Hopefully, they can build around running backs Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith who combined for an impressive 1,346 yards and eight scores.

7. Illinois

The struggling Illini will be hoping to improve in 2018 after averaging just 13.1 points last season. Play-caller Garrick McGee was let go so there will be someone new calling the shots, and there are several concerns about key positions in their offense. Defense is looking a little better and they won't lose too many of their seniors, however, linebacker Tre Watson, lineman Tito Odenigbo and safety Patrick Nelson have all decided to transfer in the offseason.