College Football

Big Ten media days storylines: Can anyone challenge the big three?

Published Jul. 25, 2023 12:33 p.m. ET

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

Each summer, the arrival of conference media days events around the country marks the unofficial start of college football. Players are preparing to begin fall camp, fans are counting down the last few football-less Saturdays on their calendars and reporters are eager to see which storylines pan out after a long offseason.

It's the Big Ten's turn to take center stage this week as players and coaches from all 14 teams flock to Indianapolis for two days of interviews and introspection to preview the 2023 campaign. All of them are hoping to return to Lucas Oil Stadium four months from now, in early December, for the chance to win a conference championship.

At the front of that pack sits Michigan, the two-time defending champions seeking a third straight Big Ten title for the first time since the early 1990s. Eager to dethrone the Wolverines are the likes of Ohio State and Penn State — both of which should be ranked in the top of most preseason polls — and any number of Big Ten West challengers as that side of the conference introduces three new coaches. The final season before expansion brings USC and UCLA into the mix has the makings of a good one.

Here are the storylines to watch this week:

BIG TEN EAST

Michigan

Head coach: Jim Harbaugh
Last year: 13-1 overall, 9-0 Big Ten
Postseason: Lost to TCU in the CFP semifinals

Biggest storyline: After consecutive Big Ten Championships and consecutive trips to the playoff, Michigan enters the 2023 campaign with sky-high expectations. The notion that any team needs to win a national championship for its season to be considered a success is a warped interpretation of the college football landscape, but that's the worldview Harbaugh's team has adopted after coming close each of the last two years. A roster that returns starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and arguably the best running back tandem in the country in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards should be more than enough for the Wolverines to cruise through the bulk of their schedule. As ever, the Big Ten East clashes with Penn State and Ohio State will be Michigan's litmus tests in its quest for the school's first national title since 1997. On paper, this is the most talented team Harbaugh has assembled since returning to Ann Arbor eight years ago.

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Ohio State

Head coach: Ryan Day
Last year: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten
Postseason: Lost to Georgia in the CFP semifinals

Biggest storyline: There are two primary topics of discussion surrounding the Buckeyes as the 2023 season approaches. The more immediate question is who Day will choose as his starting quarterback after neither Kyle McCord nor Devin Brown did enough to secure the job during the first phase of their competition in spring practice. McCord, who started one game as a true freshman while C.J. Stroud battled a shoulder injury, feels like the odds-on favorite to lead Ohio State this season. But either player will be blessed with an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, especially wide receiver, that should ease the transition come September. The bigger-picture question facing the Buckeyes is what can they do to prevent Michigan from winning the rivalry game three years in a row for the first time since 1995-97. The maize and blue cloud will hang over Day's head from now through late November when the two teams clash at Michigan Stadium.

Penn State

Head coach: James Franklin
Last year: 11-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
Postseason: Beat Utah in the Rose Bowl

Biggest storyline: After six years at Penn State, quarterback Sean Clifford finally exhausted his eligibility and moved on to the NFL, where the Green Bay Packers drafted him in the fifth round. Clifford's departure has opened the door for former five-star prospect Drew Allar to step into the starting role and give the Nittany Lions higher upside at that position than at any point in the Franklin era. A native of Medina, Ohio, Allar was the No. 1 quarterback in the 247Sports rankings for the 2022 recruiting cycle, and he's the school's highest-rated quarterback prospect since Christian Hackenberg in 2013. Whether Allar can reach his potential as a true sophomore remains to be seen, but Franklin and his staff have surrounded their quarterback of the future with plenty of weapons. Tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen should pace the offense after rushing for more than 1,900 combined yards and 20 touchdowns last season, while the surprising return of standout left tackle Olu Fashanu will give Allar an elite blindside blocker and leadership figure in the trenches.

Maryland

Head coach: Mike Locksley
Last year: 8-5 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Postseason: Beat N.C. State in the Duke's Mayo Bowl

Biggest storyline: The outlook for Maryland's 2023 campaign changed significantly when starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa decided to return for a fifth season. The most accomplished returning signal-caller in the Big Ten, Tagovailoa already holds school records for career passing yards (7,879), single-season passing yards (3,860 in 2021), career completions (665), career completion percentage (67.4%), career passing touchdowns (51), career 300-yard games (12) and a half-dozen others. With Tagovailoa under center, the Terrapins have a chance to reach a third consecutive bowl game for the first time since 2001-03, a stretch in which former coach Ralph Friedgen won 31 games over three seasons. To do that, Maryland will need some new faces to step forward at wide receiver after losing Rakim Jarrett (40 catches, 471 yards, 3 TDs), Jacob Copeland (26 catches, 376 yards, 2 TDs) and Dontay Demus Jr.. (22 catches, 233 yards, 1 TD) to the NFL. Last year's leading receiver, Jeshaun Jones, is back after catching 44 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns.

Michigan State

Head coach: Mel Tucker
Last year: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
Postseason: None

Biggest storyline: The first item on Tucker's checklist for reviving the Spartans after a dismal 2022 is to identify a new starting quarterback. The solidity at that position evaporated in late April when two-year starter Payton Thorne made the surprising decision to enter the transfer portal. Thorne battled through injuries to produce modest numbers last season — he finished with 2,679 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — but flashed his potential during Michigan State's dreamlike 2021 campaign in which he surpassed 3,000 yards and tossed 27 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. Without Thorne, who transferred to Auburn, the Spartans will choose between redshirt junior Noah Kim and redshirt freshman Katin Houser. The former was a lightly regarded 3-star prospect from Virginia, while the latter was a four-star recruit in 2022 who chose Michigan State over Iowa, Washington and Colorado, among others. Whichever player wins the job will be searching for a new No. 1 target after standout wide receiver Keon Coleman (58 catches, 798 yards, 7 TDs) transferred to Florida State.

Indiana

Head coach: Tom Allen
Last year: 4-8 overall, 2-7 Big Ten
Postseason: None

Biggest storyline: Two standout seasons in 2019 (8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) and 2020 (6-2 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) prompted Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson to reward Allen with a massive contract extension that runs through 2027 and upped his average salary to $4.9 million per year. The nature of that deal, and specifically the sliding scale of money the Hoosiers would owe Allen if they were to fire him without cause, is the biggest reason why he's still in charge after winning just six games in the last two seasons combined. The school must pay Allen $20.8 million if it fires him without cause prior to Dec. 1, 2024, at which point the number drops to a more digestible $7.95 million. Righting the ship at a time when some would argue he's a lame-duck coach will be exceedingly difficult for Allen, whose 2023 recruiting class ranked 69th nationally and last in the Big Ten.

Rutgers

Head coach: Greg Schiano
Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big Ten
Postseason: None

Biggest storyline: In 2022, Rutgers ranked 38th nationally in total defense (349.8 yards per game) and 127th in total offense (282.1 yards per game). It marked the seventh consecutive season in which the Scarlet Knights finished with an offense outside the top 100. Had Iowa not produced an even worse offense at 251.6 yards per game, Schiano and his staff would have faced more ridicule from fans and reporters alike. But Schiano knew there was a significant problem and brought in Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. The two men previously worked together during Schiano's first stint with the Scarlet Knights with Ciarrocca as the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2008-10. Ciarrocca's biggest challenge will be maximizing the talent that made quarterback Gavin Wimsatt a coveted four-star recruit in 2021. Wimsatt passed on scholarship offers from the likes of Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Oregon to play for the Scarlet Knights, but he's thrown just five touchdowns and nine interceptions in his first two seasons combined.

BIG TEN WEST

Purdue

Head coach: Ryan Walters
Last year: 8-6 overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Postseason: Lost to LSU in the Citrus Bowl

Biggest storyline: When Jeff Brohm parlayed his team's trip to the Big Ten Championship game into a return to Louisville, his alma mater, Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski tabbed Walters to take over the program. Walters, 37, is a first-time head coach who spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Illinois, where he transformed the Illini into a top-five defense in the country in 2022. Walters, whose previous experience includes stints at Missouri (2015-20), Memphis (2014) and North Texas (2013), will attempt to do the same for a Boilermakers squad that ranked 53rd in total defense last season. He brought nearly all of his defensive assistants with him from Illinois and hired West Virginia offensive coordinator Graham Harrell to oversee the other side of the ball. Harrell and Walters made an early recruiting splash by landing former Texas quarterback Hudson Card in the transfer portal. Card was a four-star prospect rated the No. 59 overall player and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in 2020.

Illinois

Head coach: Bret Bielema
Last year: 8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Postseason: Lost to Mississippi State in the Reliaquest Bowl

Biggest storyline: If Bielema knew that his toughest task entering Year 3 at Illinois would be replacing one of the school's strongest NFL Draft classes of the 21st century, he'd probably have asked where, when and how quickly he could sign up for that deal. The Illini were breakout stars in last year's Big Ten West race and came within a whisper of reaching the conference championship game in Indianapolis after a 7-1 start. By the end of April, four ex-Illini were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft: defensive back Devon Witherspoon (Round 1, Pick 5); defensive back Jartavius Martin (Round 2, Pick 47); defensive back Sydney Brown (Round 3, Pick 66); and running back Chase Brown (Round 5, Pick 163). Witherspoon became the first Illinois player drafted in the opening round since defensive end Whitney Mercilus in 2012, and it was the first time since 2013 the program had four players selected in the same year — a number the Illini haven't eclipsed since 2003. Not a bad problem for Bielema to be facing.

Iowa

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz
Last year: 8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Postseason: Beat Kentucky in the Music City Bowl

Biggest storyline: All eyes will be on offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz this season following the calamity on his side of the ball in 2022 and the highly publicized contract revision that followed. The Hawkeyes ranked 130th in total offense, 123rd in scoring offense and 125th in long scrimmage plays last season while defensive coordinator Phil Parker's unit kept the team afloat. In February, the school announced amendments to Brian Ferentz's contract that stipulated the offense must average 25 points per game and the team must win at least seven games — including a potential bowl appearance — for him to keep his job beyond 2023. To help him, Iowa added a few important weapons through the transfer portal: former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara (2,576 yards and 15 TDs in 2021), former Michigan tight end Erick All (38 catches, 437 yards, 2 TDs in 2021), former Ohio State wide receiver Kaleb Brown (No. 79 overall, No. 13 WR in 2022) and former Charleston Southern wide receiver Seth Anderson (42 catches, 612 yards, 7 TDs in 2022). 

Minnesota

Head coach: P.J. Fleck
Last year: 9-4 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Postseason: Beat Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl

Biggest storyline: Very quietly, Fleck is putting together one of the Big Ten's more impressive coaching runs at schools not named Ohio State and Michigan. He's won 62% of his games over the last six seasons and, in 2023, has the chance to string together Minnesota's third consecutive nine-win season for the first time since former coach Henry L. Williams accomplished the feat six straight years from 1900-05. Not a typo. To do so, Fleck will need to overcome the departures of arguably the two most important offensive players of his tenure in quarterback Tanner Morgan, who appeared in 51 games from 2018-22, and tailback Mohamed Ibrahim, who had three 1,000-yard seasons and scored 53 career touchdowns during that same stretch. Overseeing the transition are co-offensive coordinators Matt Simon and Greg Harbaugh Jr., both of whom were part of Fleck's staff last season, though Harbaugh was promoted from tight ends coach. They're expected to entrust former four-star quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis with the starting job after he filled in for the injured Morgan at times in 2022.

Wisconsin

Head coach: Luke Fickell
Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Postseason: Beat Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Biggest storyline: The thing about firing a coach who won 72% of his games over seven-plus seasons at his alma mater is that the athletic director making such a move better be right. That is the situation Wisconsin's Chris McIntosh put himself in last October by firing Paul Chryst, who compiled four 10-win seasons in his first five years before the foundation began to erode in 2020. Then McIntosh swung for the fences and landed Cincinnati's Fickell, arguably the hottest name on the coaching carousel, as Chryst's replacement. McIntosh's decision to fire Chryst and Fickell's decision to hire North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo to install the Air Raid offense represent seismic changes to a program whose fans had grown accustomed to smash-mouth, run-heavy football. But with Longo ready to sling the ball around and former Southern Methodist quarterback Tanner Mordecai happy to oblige, the Badgers have become one of the most intriguing teams in the country this season.

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Nebraska

Head coach: Matt Rhule
Last year: 4-8 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
Postseason: None

Biggest storyline: Given where the program currently sits, it's difficult to believe Nebraska won three national titles in a four-year stretch from 1994-97 under former coach Tom Osborne. From the highest pedestal college football has to offer, the Cornhuskers have sunk toward the bottom of the Big Ten and burned through five head coaches along the way. The merciful end of the Scott Frost era (16-31 from 2018-22) has given way to Rhule, the former Temple and Baylor coach who specializes in rebuilding projects. As with Fickell, Rhule was another coach that administrators were eyeing from the moment his tenure with the Carolina Panthers went south. Athletic director Trev Alberts, a former Nebraska linebacker, pursued Rhule aggressively and secured him with a massive contract worth $74 million over eight years. Between Rhule's arrival and the finishing touches on a breathtaking, $165 million facility that brings Nebraska into the 21st century, the Cornhusker faithful have legitimate reasons to be excited about 2023 and beyond.

Northwestern 

Head coach: David Braun, interim
Last year: 1-11 overall, 1-8 Big Ten
Postseason: None

Biggest storyline: The hazing scandal that rocked Northwestern and the college football world earlier this month will undoubtedly be the primary topic of conversation when Braun and three players — linebacker Bryce Gallagher, defensive back Rod Heard II and wide receiver Bryce Kirtz — face the media contingent at Lucas Oil Stadium this week. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald, the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, was fired on July 10 as allegations of sexually explicit initiations among players and a culture of toxicity continued to mount following an independent investigation into a whistleblower's claims and a series of articles written by The Daily Northwestern. Fitzgerald won 52% of his games over 17 seasons, including two Big Ten West titles, but slumped to records of 3-9 and 1-11 the last two years. Braun, the newly hired defensive coordinator, was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023 season after spending the last four years at North Dakota State. 

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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Michael Cohen