Big star order for pick up5/26/2023 ![]() ![]() But the defense lost eight of its top 10 tacklers, and the Badgers must play Ohio State on the road.ĭefending West champion Iowa capitalized on a ball-hawking defense to win 10 games for the second time in three years, and some of the biggest stars from that unit are back. ![]() The Badgers have a third-year starting quarterback in Graham Mertz, who’s yet to match his recruiting hype, and a rising star in running back Braelon Allen. 18 Wisconsin hasn’t been to the Big Ten title game since 2019 but is the preseason favorite in the West for the third straight year and seventh time in the nine years of the East-West format. 15 Michigan State will be hard-pressed to duplicate its 11-win season with road games against Michigan and Penn State and a home cross-over game against Wisconsin. Penn State has a known quantity in sixth-year quarterback Sean Clifford, but questions abound on the offensive line and on a defense now coordinated by Manny Diaz. The difference: Jim Knowles was hired away from Oklahoma State after he put together the best defense in the history of the Cowboys’ program. The defense ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten and returns most of its personnel. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba the top skill players, the Buckeyes should make a run at matching their nation-best 45.7 points per game. “I’m excited about what this team is,” Day said, “and I would kind of describe them as edgy this offseason.” Now add the motivation derived from losing to Michigan for the first time since 2011. But coach Ryan Day appears to have fixed what ailed his team last year by hiring a new defensive coordinator, and he has playmakers everywhere on offense. Michigan and Iowa rose up to reach the 2021 Big Ten championship game, ending the Buckeyes’ run of four straight conference titles. When it comes to what’s expected to happen on the football field, the narrative is the same as usual. The Big Ten shook up college athletics this summer by announcing the additions of Southern California and UCLA in 2024 and negotiating a blockbuster multimedia rights deal. ![]()
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