Heading into the 2017 season, there are a few teams that could pull a rabbit out of their hats and challenge for the Big Ten football title.
In a little over a month, college football will be back and it will be glorious. Now is the time to start looking at the teams that are lining up to contend in the 2017 season. Every season, there is always a team or two that surprises. This is one of the multitude of reasons why college football is so fun. The Cinderella stories make for good headlines and exciting play on the field.
Last year in the Big Ten, it was Penn State when most thought they were at least a year away from contending. In the Pac-12, Colorado was picked dead last in the South division and they surprised everyone with a 10 win season and division crown.
For 2017, there are four teams in the Big Ten that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. This is not about those teams, but about the dark horse contenders that can make it to Indianapolis in December for the Big Ten championship game.
The Big Ten East looks to be a three team race. It would be very surprising if a team other than Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan won that division. With that said, the dark horse contenders all reside in the West division. Let’s have a look at those teams and who has the best chance to unseat Wisconsin as division champion.
3. Iowa Hawkeyes
Head coach Kirk Ferentz is the elder statesman of the conference, returning for his 19th season with the Hawkeyes. The strength of Iowa is their defense. All three starting linebackers return, including middle linebacker Josey Jewell who has led the team in tackles the past two seasons.
Unfortunately for Iowa, they’ll have to find a way to replace All-American cornerback Desmond King. Other than that they should be solid defensively.
More from Big Ten
- Michigan State vs. Maryland: Location, time, prediction, and more
- Wisconsin vs. Purdue: How to watch, odds, injuries, weather, and history
- College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 3
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 3
- Ohio State football: 3 takeaways from win over Western Kentucky
What could keep the Hawkeyes out of contention in the West is their offense, especially their passing game. Considering last year’s ineptness, the offense can only get better.
The strength on offense comes in the form of senior running back Akrum Wadley. He led the team last year in yards with 1,081 and ten touchdowns. Since he no longer has to split time with the departed LeShun Daniels, another 1,000-yard rusher, he should be able to improve upon last year.
The Hawkeyes are not far removed from coming up just short in the 2015 Big Ten Championship game against Michigan State. That year their offense controlled time of possession and just wore down opposing defenses.
Last year was a complete 180 of that. Iowa finished 120th in the country on third down conversions and couldn’t stay on the field, so its defense got tired. The offense needs to stay on the field longer this year and give the defense a breather.
The Hawkeyes schedule is no cakewalk. They draw both Ohio State and Penn State at home. They also have tough road games against Northwestern and Nebraska. Their toughest road game is undoubtedly at Wisconsin on Nov. 11. If the Hawkeyes can string together enough wins to that point and pull off an upset in Madison, the West division could be theirs.
2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Like the Hawkeyes, Nebraska must improve this year on offense. The hope is that quarterback Tanner Lee has had enough work after transferring from Tulane to get the offense going on the right foot. Wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El has had his issues with injuries, but hopes to be as big of a weapon for the offense as he has been on special teams as a return man.
The offensive line is experienced, but it will have to play better than last year if the offense is to increase production. The big boys up front only allowed 15 sacks last year so a similar performance will help Lee get comfortable in the pocket. Also an improved line will be a key to an improved running game, led by junior Devine Ozigbo.
New defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is a good pick up for the Huskers. He’s been a great coordinator, not so much a good head coach with his poor three year stint at Connecticut. He won the Broyles award, given to the best assistant in college football, in 2013 when his Notre Dame defense appeared in that year’s national championship game. With the arrival of Diaco, comes a change to the 3-4 defensive scheme. It will take an adjustment period, but the Cornhuskers have the athletes to have a successful defense.
The strength on defense comes from their secondary, led by senior safety Joshua Kalu. He’s making the transition from cornerback to safety this year but has done well for the Cornhuskers.
Over the last two years, he has 141 total tackles and 4 interceptions. Another name to keep an eye on in sophomore corner Lamar Jackson. A very physical player, Jackson was one of the few true freshman to see the field last year for Nebraska. He’s ready to step into a bigger role this year.
Nebraska opens the Big Ten schedule with two tune up games against Rutgers and at Illinois. Then the season’s first real test against Wisconsin at home on Oct. 7. The Huskers also get Northwestern, Iowa and Ohio State all at home. Their toughest road game is their last when they take on Penn State. If the offense improves, they could be in the thick of the division race in November.
1. Northwestern Wildcats
Running back Justin Jackson returns for his senior year in Evanston and that’s great news for Wildcat fans. Last year he ran for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging just over five yards per carry. Quarterback Clayton Thorson also returns for one more season after throwing for over 3,100 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. Look for him to throw for even more yards in 2017 if the offensive line can keep him upright.
They have four starters back along the front five but they were not very good last season. They allowed 39 sacks and 95 tackles for loss. If they can give Thorson more time to throw, he could take advantage and shred opposing defenses. The run blocking is much better and Jackson could top his 2016 performance.
The defense is more of a bend not break style. They lost linebacker Anthony Walker early to the NFL draft, but the starting three linebackers should be alright as long as they stay healthy. Senior safety Godwin Igwebuike should lead an improved secondary. Last year, the Wildcats gave up 22.2 points, good for 24th in the country. It will also help the defense for the offense to improve. Keep racking up points and this defense can hold its own against most teams.
The Wildcats cannot start off on a bad note like last year, when they lost to Western Michigan and FCS foe Illinois State to start 0-2. They are good enough to beat Nevada, Duke and Bowling Green to start off undefeated before the conference schedule.
Of the three darkhorse contenders, Northwestern probably has the best chance to unseat Wisconsin in the West. The teams meet in Madison on Sept. 30 to open up conference play and both teams will be coming off a bye week.
Next: 15 most intolerable fan bases in college football
The Badgers won last year’s meeting, but the Wildcats won the previous two before that. Penn State visits Evanston the following week, but after that the schedule lightens somewhat. The big plus is that they avoid both Michigan and Ohio State. If the Wildcats don’t start 0-2 in conference and pull an upset against Wisconsin, they could be making their first trip to the Big Ten championship game.