Can the Fighting Illini take another step forward and earn the program’s first winning record since 2011? A 3-9 season in coach Mike Locksley’s return to College Park. Wisconsin tops the very early predictions in the West Division, but Minnesota and Iowa aren't far behind. Every level of the defense was hit with departures, so coordinator Mike Tressel will have to retool a bit. Can Mark Dantonio get Michigan State back on track? The depth chart will get instant help from a standout recruiting class, but Frost’s team has to get off to a quick start in 2020 with Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota all slated for the back half of the schedule. An offense that averaged 34.1 points a game will have a new play-caller in Mike Sanford, but quarterback Tanner Morgan (30 TDs) and receivers Rashod Bateman (60 catches) and Chris Autman-Bell (28) return to alleviate the loss of Tyler Johnson (86 catches). With that in mind, Athlon provides its early power rankings for the Big Ten for 2020: The Buckeyes will be back in the mix to win it all in 2020. Please check your email for a confirmation. Purdue’s non-conference slate features games against Memphis and Air Force, while Brohm’s team plays at Nebraska, Michigan and Minnesota next year. * @see sites/all/modules/athlon/amg_consent_management/assets/config/config.json Petras (or another QB) will have one of the Big Ten’s top receiving corps at their disposal. } And when that happens against Nebraska at noon on FOX, the popular "Big Noon Kickoff" show will be a part of the fun. The question marks extend to a defense that allowed 6.4 yards per play and 41.8 points a game in Big Ten contests in 2019. Related: Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 for 2020. Coach Tom Allen and new play-caller Nick Sheridan have a good problem on their hands with two proven quarterbacks (Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix) set to battle for the starting job. Road games at Michigan and Iowa are also slated. }); Linebacker Antjuan Simmons and end Jacub Panasiuk lead the way for the revamped defense in 2020. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. They also close 2020 with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State in the final four contests. Linebackers Tyriq Thompson and Joe Bachie have finished their eligibility, while cornerback Josiah Scott left for the NFL to join safety David Dowell as the key departures in the secondary. Greg Schiano is back at Rutgers, and while this is a good thing for the program over the long haul, 2020 is going to be another tough year in the win column. Replacing quarterback Nate Stanley is the top priority for coach Kirk Ferentz this offseason, with sophomore Spencer Petras holding the inside track after attempting 10 passes as a backup in 2019. ', Dwayne Haskins reportedly benched in part because of his practice and study habits, Ohio State football invites you to be at Ohio Stadium this fall, well - sort of, Re-live the 1995 Ohio State win over Notre Dame Saturday at Noon, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. * 'measurement': 5 The Big Ten is one of the most storied college football conferences throughout the entire country. Linebacker Micah Parsons ranks among the top returning defenders in college football for 2020, and the line has enough depth to absorb the early departure of Yetur Gross-Matos to the NFL. The backfield will look a little different with Reggie Corbin and Dre Brown gone, but the line returns largely intact, and No. Quarterback Jack Coan should be more comfortable in his second year as the full-time starter, but he could be pushed by talented freshman Graham Mertz. After scoring 142 points in their first two games, the Terrapins managed only 161 in the next 10 contests. Sure, the Badgers have to replace record-setting running back Jonathan Taylor, receiver Quintez Cephus and a couple of starters up front – including center Tyler Biadasz – but coach Paul Chryst will reload and have this team in the mix for double-digit victories once again. Subscribe now », Todderick Hunt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Despite the shortcomings on offense, Northwestern’s defense still held teams to 23.2 points a game. Rocky Lombardi, Theo Day and Payton Thorne will battle to replace Brian Lewerke at quarterback, and Tre Mosley, Julian Barnett and Jalen Nailor have to step up at receiver with the departures of Cody White and Darrell Stewart. element(); Note: Rankings are courtesy of the 247Sports.com composite, which averages the ratings/rankings of all the leading recruiting networks. Three-star dual-threat quarterback Logan Smothers had been committed since last July. The Terrapins face a brutal crossover slate against the West next year with matchups against Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Huskers got a big recruiting win when in-state four-star receiver Zavier Betts gave Scott Frost his pledge Wednesday. Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team won’t be down for long, but Northwestern heads into spring practice with a few major question marks to address. Quarterback Josh Jackson returns after throwing for 1,274 yards and 12 touchdowns, but the development of redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre is worth watching. Minnesota was the Big Ten’s biggest surprise in 2019, and coach P.J. Jim Harbaugh’s team is a step behind Ohio State and Penn State in the early predictions for 2020. In fact, some would say the conference is unparalleled when it comes to historic achievement, tradition and prestige. End George Karlaftis is a rising star after accounting for 17 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2019. Taking the next step on offense under second-year coordinator Josh Gattis would be a good way for Michigan to cut the gap to the top two teams in the East Division. }); The Big Ten should have plenty of competitive races in both divisions in 2020, but it's no surprise Ohio State is the team projected as the very early favorite next fall. The Fighting Illini have no commitments at this time. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20). The return of tackle Lorenzo Neal after missing all of 2019 due to injury should provide a boost, and the defense is losing only two other key senior contributors – linebacker Ben Holt and safety Navon Mosley. Iowa is off to an unprecedented recruiting start with eight early commitments, including top in-state player Logan Jones, a 6-3, 255-pound four-star defensive tackle out of Council Bluffs. * Leading tackler Kristian Welch (87), cornerback Michael Ojemudia and linemen Cedrick Lattimore and Brady Reiff have finished their eligibility, leaving a couple of voids on the depth chart. The heat is on for Jim Harbaugh following another uninspiring campaign in 2018. Regardless, trying to be as unbiased as possible, here’s our power rankings of every head football coach in the Big Ten going into 2020. if (typeof element === 'function') { /** * [ In addition to finding a quarterback, the Boilermakers need to get more punch out of their ground game and solidify the offensive line this offseason. var dfpMoreSlots = []; Fairview (Boulder, Col.) pro-style quarterback Aidan Atkinson is the toast of the class for Pat Fitzpatrick, who’s already enticed five additions for 2020. There’s optimism Smith’s team can reach that goal, especially with quarterback Brandon Peters back after a solid debut (18 TDs) in his first year with the program. The line returns four starters, providing optimism for a unit that surrendered 32 sacks in 2019. Certain data provided by STATS, LLC. Those are hefty losses, but as usual, talent isn’t an issue in Columbus. But so far, he’s the lone man in. The Hoosiers are coming off their best season (8-5) since an 8-4 finish in 1993. Even though end Joe Gaziano and tackle Alex Miller depart, this unit figures to be a strength. }); The defense improved significantly under the watchful eye of co-coordinators Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley in 2019. A sluggish offense is primarily to blame. It’s unclear if Dantonio will make any staff changes for 2020 after shuffling the responsibilities around at the end of last season. Linebacker Ayinde Eley and safety Nick Cross are two players coordinator Jon Hoke can build around in 2020. * 'ad_selection': 3, Schiano’s background on defense should help a group that surrendered 36.7 points a game, ranked last in the Big Ten against the run and gave up 6.5 yards a snap in conference games in 2019. Two of the linemen are four-stars -- Trey Wedig and Jack Nelson -- which should help keep the Badgers’ road grading tradition intact. Purdue is coming off a 4-8 season but four of those defeats came by seven points or less. Up front, end Kenny Willekes and tackles Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk are set to depart. } Penn State has won at least 11 games in three out of the last four years and is the biggest threat to Ohio State in the East Division next fall. After winning just nine games in coach Lovie Smith’s first three years, Illinois finished 6-7 and made a bowl trip this season. The Spartans have two pledges, both three-star recruits from Michigan: Dallas Fincher, a 6-4, 275-pound interior lineman from Grand Rapids, and Tommy Guajardo, a 6-3, 230-pound tight end out of Dearborn. We went through this exercise last year just before the season, and we have one more year to observe and react to. ConsentManager.registerPurposeHandler(['storage', 'personalization', 'ad_selection', 'measurement'], function() { Ihmir Smith-Marsette (44 catches) and Tyrone Tracy (36) headline the group for Ferentz. Coordinator Don Brown is losing edge rusher Josh Uche early to the NFL, while linebacker Khaleke Hudson, cornerback Lavert Hill and safety Josh Metellus have expired their eligibility. The Cornhuskers lose a key cog at every level, as linebacker Mohamed Barry (89 tackles), cornerback Lamar Jackson and linemen Carlos Davis, Darrion Daniels and Khalil Davis are out of eligibility. The Hoosiers currently have one commit for 2020 -- a 6-2, 210-pound three-star linebacker out of Carmel, Indiana named Ty Wise. Provided replacements are found for standout linebackers Zack Baun and Chris Orr, this unit could be even better next fall.
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