C4 Big 10

Three Big Ten players have a chance at moving into the top 10 in conference history.

RECORD: 7,125 yardsHELD BY: Ron Dayne (1996-99) IN PURSUIT: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin - 4,171YARDS NEEDED: Taylor needs 1,371 yards to crack the top three. He ran for 2,194 yards last season.

RECORDSIN PERIL

BIG TEN TACKLES FOR LOSSRECORD: 57 tackles

HELD BY: Ryan Kerrigan (2007-10) IN PURSUIT: Kenny Willekes,

DE, Michigan State - 34YARDS NEEDED: Another 13 tackles for loss will

carry Willekes into the top 10. He needs 24 tackles

for loss to replace Kerrigan as B1G’s all-time leader. Willekes

logged 20.5 tackles for loss last

season.

BIG TEN FORCED FUMBLESRECORD: 14 HELD BY: Ryan Kerrigan (2007-10) IN PURSUIT: Paddy Fisher, LB, Northwestern - 8YARDS NEEDED: Fisher is tied at No. 8 with a career eight forced fumbles. Five forced fumbles this year will move him to second on the list.

t

l

l

lBIG TEN CAREER YARDS RUSHING

MAKEYOUR PICKS

As a result, a Big Ten domi-nated by Meyer during the last five years of his Buckeye tenure appears more wide open heading into the 2019 season.

“There’s a lot of parity,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “I think everybody is doing their very best to keep their programs, move their programs for-ward.”

Ohio State had won three of the last five Big Ten titles under Meyer, including back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, before Meyer resigned following the fallout of last summer’s scandal involving former assistant coach Ryan Smith. Meyer was suspended for three games to start the 2018 sea-son, but still led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten crown and Rose Bowl win over Washington.

Co-offensive coordinator

Ryan Day was promoted to replace Meyer as Ohio State’s coach and inherits a team that returns just four start-ers. Still, Day feels there’s enough talent and depth within the program to compensate for the loss of experience.

“The expectations at Ohio State couldn’t be any higher year in and year out,” Day said. “We know that.”

Michigan has been anointed the favorite to win the Big Ten with Meyer’s departure in several pre-season media polls. The Wolverines lost four defen-sive starters to the NFL draft, but return quarterback Shea Patterson and eight

offensive starters. Jim Har-baugh has yet to deliver a Big Ten title in four years as head coach at his alma mater, and the pressure is mounting to bring hardware back to Ann Arbor.

“We term it as challenge,” Harbaugh said. “Great opportunity to have to be doing what we’re doing and

great chal-lenge that we have in front of us. Understand we welcome it, we kind of feed off it and you say pressure, we say, OK, let’s see how

much pressure we can apply. So that’s what we’re training for.”

Penn State and Michigan State are other top contend-ers in the East Division. The Nittany Lions will be look-ing to replace experienced quarterback Trace McSorley. But fifth-year coach James Franklin, who won a Big Ten title in 2016, feels like he has

assembled his fastest team yet in Happy Valley.

“We’re excited about having that speed and athleticism on the field,” Franklin said.

The West Division is even tougher to forecast. Nebraska is looking to make a jump in Scott Frost’s second season as coach. Wisconsin features the league’s most talented player, junior running back Jonathan Taylor. Iowa, under 20th-year head man Kirk Ferentz, and defending divi-sion winner Northwestern, under 13th-year head man Pat Fitzgerald, are both well-coached. Purdue coach Jeff Brohm has led the Boiler-makers to bowl appearances in each of his first two seasons.

“The Big Ten West has gotten better, and each and every week it’s going to be a tough contest,” Brohm said. “I know for us with our schedule, there’s not an easy week. The strength from top to bottom is as good as it’s ever been, and I see it con-tinuing to get better each and every year.”

fulldategoeshere | Newspaper Name | XX

Graphic: Heather Bremer | CNHI SportsPhotos: Nebraska Athletics; Ohio State Athletics; Purdue Athletics; University of Wisconsin Athletics; Michigan State Athletic Communications; Northwestern Athletics

(4-8) (8-4) (6-6) (7-5) (6-6) (9-3) (10-2)

(6-6) (5-7) (10-2) (8-4) (11-1) (9-3) (2-10)

DIVISION CHAMPS B1G CHAMPION

WESTDIVISION

EASTDIVISION

JONATHAN TAYLOR

Leading candidate for the Heisman after rushing for 2,194 yards and 16 TDs last season on 7.1 yards per carry.

RB | WISCONSIN

NOTABLES: A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa; Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan; Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State; Paddy Fisher, LB, Northwestern; Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota

Will the Big Ten return to

the playoffs?

It’s been two seasons since the B1G played in the playoff. Preseason favorites Michigan, Ohio State or Iowa hope to return the conference there.

OCT. 19

MICHIGAN AT PENN STATE

An early test for both teams to determine who will have a leg up in the East Division race.

1

Will Ohio State make and/or win the college

playoffs?With a first-year head coach and schedule that should mean at least one loss, the Buckeyes will be hard-pressed to make the playoff despite their depth of talent.

Q.

U rban Meyer traded in his clipboard for a microphone this offseason, as the former Ohio State coach will now spend fall Saturdays in a television studio, analyzing

Big Ten games for Fox Network.

Departure of Urban Meyer leaves programs vying to steal Ohio State’s B1G crown

GAMESTO WATCH

OCT. 26

NOTRE DAME AT MICHIGAN

A week after a trip to Happy Valley, Michigan returns to the Big House, looking to avenge a 24-17 loss to the Irish last season.

NOV. 16

WISCONSIN AT NEBRASKA

This game could determine the winner of the West Division and features two of the league’s top offensive players – Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor and Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez.

NOV. 30

OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN

In this yearly classic to close the season, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh couldn’t beat Urban Meyer. Can he beat new OSU coach Ryan Day?

STORIES& QUERIES

Will Scott Frost restore

Nebraska?

Nebraska won four of its last six games in Frost’s inaugural year at his alma mater. Frost returns 11 starters, including dynamic QB Adrian Martinez.

2

Is 2019 finally Michigan’s

year to shine?

Jim Harbaugh enters his fifth season with lofty expectations. After winning 10 games last year, it’s Big Ten crown or bust for Harbaugh.

3

NAMESTO KNOW

RONDALE MOORE

Looking to top a freshman campaign that included 1,258 yards receiving, 213 yards rushing and a combined 14 TDs.

WR | PURDUE

ADRIAN MARTINEZ

Martinez passed for 2,617 yards and 17 TDs as a freshman in 2018 and should benefit in Scott Frost’s offense.

QB | NEBRASKA

J.K. DOBBINS

Dobbins rushed for 1,052 yards and 10 TDs last season and will be the focal point of the Buckeye offense.

RB | OHIO STATE

CHASE YOUNG

Emerged as one of B1G’s top edge rushers with 10.5 sacks, and even more is expected in his junior season.

DE | OHIO STATE

BIG TEN2019 COLLEGE

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

CH A LLENGERS TO THE

THRONE

“The expectations at Ohio State couldn’t be any higher year in and year out. We

know that.”First-year head coach Ryan Day

CNHI Sports Indiana writer Kevin Brockway, who covers Indiana and Purdue, and CNHI Sports Pennsylvania writer Elton Hayes, who covers Penn State, have made their predictions on how each Big Ten team will finish and who the conference champ will be. Follow them on Twitter at @KevinBrockwayG1 and @EHDC12. Listen to their podcast, First & Big Ten, on iTunes, Spotify and other services.

Content: Elton Hayes, Kevin Brockway

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C4 The Ottumwa Courier / Friday, Aug. 30, 2019