Big Ten spring football primer: Power Rankings, burning questions for every team

The best team in the Big Ten entering the spring is Ohio State, but the Buckeyes will face no shortage of challengers in the conference this season.

No major conference enjoyed a bigger Q-Score bump last season than the Big Ten. The Midwest-based league notched a handful of high-profile wins in non-conference play (Ohio State over Oklahoma, Michigan over Colorado, Wisconsin over LSU) and placed four teams in the top eight of the final College Football Playoff rankings, compared to only one for the SEC, ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12. While Ohio State and Michigan entered last season as national title contenders, unexpected surges from Penn State and Wisconsin demonstrated the Big Ten’s quality depth.

Spring practice should offer insight about whether the conference will sustain that success or fall behind its Power 5 peers in 2017.

• Other Power 5 spring primers: ACC

1. ohIO sTATE bUCKEYES

RECORD: 2016 11-2

There will be no hangover from the Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson. The Buckeyes don’t rebuild. They recruit, develop and reload.

2. pENN sTATE nITTANY lIONS

RECORD: 2016 11-3

Look for the Nittany Lions to build on their Rose Bowl berth. Tailback Saquon Barkley is a Heisman Trophy frontrunner.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

RECORD: 2016 11-3

Head coach Paul Chryst has the pieces to guide the Badgers to another division title. A more manageable schedule will facilitate that goal.

4. Michigan Wolverines

RECORD: 2016 10-3

The Wolverines’ revamped two-deep may need some time to jell, but this team has conference championship potential. Stud defensive lineman Rashan Gary is primed for a sophomore leap.

5. Northwestern Wildcats

RECORD: 2016 7-6

The return of quarterback Clayton Thorson and tailback Justin Jackson gives the Wildcats one of the league’s best offensive duos. They’ll help offset the departure of top wideout Austin Carr.

6. Michigan State Spartans

RECORD: 2016 3-9

How durable is head coach Mark Dantonio’s program? We’re about to find out. The bet here is that the Spartans will wipe away the disaster of 2016 and, at the very least, get back to the postseason.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

RECORD: 2016 6-7

New head coach (and former defensive coordinator) Tom Allen should be able to push the Hoosiers’ consecutive bowl streak to three years. They might end up the East division’s best squad outside of the Penn State-Ohio State-Michigan power trio.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

RECORD: 2016 9-4

A breakthrough in the manageable West Division is coming for head coach Mike Riley; it just won’t happen this season. The first order of business this spring is replacing veteran starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes

RECORD: 2016 8-5

The Hawkeyes closed 2016 with a bang (they won their last three regular season games), but they’ll have a hard time sustaining that momentum in 2017. A change at offensive coordinator (Greg Davis out, Brian Ferentz in) is one big point of interest this spring.

10. Minnesota Golden Gophers

RECORD: 2016 9-4

Year one of the P.J. Fleck era will likely bring some growing pains. But the best case scenario involves the Gophers rowing their boats to nine wins or more.

11. Purdue Boilermakers

RECORD: 2016 3-9

New head coach Jeff Brohm will make the Boilermakers more potent offensively from the jump. A big uptick in wins, however, is probably a couple of years away.

12. Maryland Terrapins

RECORD: 2016 6-7

The Terrapins should continue moving in the right direction under head coach D.J. Durkin, but their potential for upward mobility in the East Division is limited. Tailbacks Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison will power offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s up-tempo attack.

13. Illinois Fighting Illini

RECORD: 2016 3-9

2017 should provide some clues about whether the Illini will ever compete at the top of the West Division under coach Lovie Smith. This week marks the one-year anniversary of Illinois’s hiring of the longtime NFL head coach.

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

RECORD: 2016 2-10

While another season in the conference cellar won’t be fun, it almost certainly will be an improvement over last year’s 2–10 debacle. The offense should make strides under new coordinator (and ex-Minnesota head coach) Jerry Kill.

10 players to watch in the Big Ten

J.T. Barrett, Ohio State QB

Jeff Haynes

Can Barrett rediscover the form that made him a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2014? He may need to in order to get the Buckeyes back to the College Football Playoff.

Saquon Barkley, Penn State RB

Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Already a star in 2016, Barkley used New Year's Day 2017 to announce his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy this season, compiling 249 yards of offense and three touchdowns against USC in the Rose Bowl.

Josey Jewell, Iowa LB

Jeff Haynes

Jewell added another high-caliber season to his resume, leading the Hawkeyes with 124 tackles, including six tackles for loss, in 2016. If he repeats that production, he could make it three consecutive seasons with over 100 tackles.

Tegray Scales, Indiana LB

Doug McSchooler/AP

The nation's leader in tackles for loss last season with 23.5, Scales thrived in Tom Allen's defense to also rack up a Big Ten-best 126 tackles. His seven sacks also led the Hoosiers.

Justin Jackson, Northwestern RB

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Jackson topped 1,000 yards on the ground for the third consecutive season, finishing with a career-best and Big Ten-leading 1,524 rushing yards in 2016. At 5'11", 193 pounds, Jackson's durability in his three seasons has been outstanding.

Rodney Smith, Minnesota RB

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Relatively unknown entering the 2016 season, Smith quickly established himself as one of the Big Ten's top backs, finishing the year with 1,158 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

Wilton Speight, Michigan QB

Jeff Haynes

As one of just five returning starter for Michigan this season, Speight faces big expectations to keep the Wolverines in the hunt for the Big Ten title. His numbers last season (61.6% completion rate, 2,538 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions) weren't bad, but he'll need to progress to offset some of Michigan's other losses.

T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin LB

David Stluka/AP

Edwards did a bit of everything last season for a Badgers defense that ranked fourth in points allowed. His 89 tackles led the team while he also recorded 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions. With fellow standout linebackers T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel leaving for the NFL, Wisconsin will look to Edwards to anchor the defense.

Jerome Baker, Ohio State LB

Jeff Haynes

Injuries forced Baker into a bigger role in 2016, and he rose to the occasion, finishing with 83 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. Now with star linebacker Raekwon McMillan gone, Baker must take the next step in his development.

Trace McSorley, Penn State QB

Jeff Haynes

McSorley shined in an explosive Nittany Lions offense to finish last year with a Big Ten-best 3,614 passing yards. With him and Barkley both back, Penn State should have among the best QB-RB combos in the country.