25 burning questions about Big Ten football in 2024

The first week of August is finally here, and there’s no hiding what that means from college football fans! By the time we turn the page to September, Week 1 of the season will be wrapping up with the full return of the sport.

For now, fans can look forward to training camp and all the intrigue, hope and expectations that accompany a new season. There are also plenty of questions facing college football in an era we have never before experienced.

The SEC has 16 teams. The Big Ten and ACC grew to 18 and 17, respectively, and now span coast-to-coast.

For now, let’s take a good hard look at the B1G and the burning questions facing the conference on the edge of a season unlike any other.

25. Can Curt Cignetti win at IU?

One look at Curt Cignetti’s résumé will provide you with enough reasons for Indiana’s new head coach to be brash about his abilities. However, he could use a reminder that the Hoosiers play in the B1G. This is no Sun Belt we’re talking about.

Then again, I won’t fault Cignetti for setting his personal bar extremely high at B1G Media Days, saying the Hoosiers are out “to be the best.” That’s admirable, but is it also naive?

Indiana has just 3 winning seasons since Bill Mallory led the Hoosiers to a 6-5 mark in 1994. That’s not your ordinary string of futility, and it’s time to see if Cignetti can put his money where his mouth is and turn things around.

24. Will Lincoln Riley survive his first season in the B1G?

It’s a crazy thought that Lincoln Riley could be fired — or willingly leave — USC after 3 seasons. Riley was 55-10 in his career at Oklahoma and won 11 games his first season with USC. But things look markedly different now.

Without much to show for the generational talent of Caleb Williams with the program, Riley will try to recover his footing as a top-tier head coach with a new-look defense. But expecting that turnaround for USC’s first season in the B1G seems … a touch too optimistic.

Paul Finebaum has been vocal that he expects Riley to be coaching elsewhere in 2025, and the closer we get to live football, the more that prediction seems plausible if things go south this fall.

23. How high can Rutgers climb in 2024?

If Iowa is the saddest program about the removal of the B1G West, Rutgers has to be the happiest about the removal of the B1G East. In a division-less conference, the Scarlet Knights will benefit in a major way this season.

Traditionally forced to face Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State every season, the schedule-makers threw Greg Schiano’s program a major bone. Rutgers avoids all 3 in 2024, and the lone West Coast trip is at USC.

That matchup against the Trojans is likely to be the toughest on the schedule, and would it surprise anyone if Schiano’s squad can out-tough Lincoln Riley’s? (Spoiler alert: No, it wouldn’t.)

With the history and makeup of the Scarlet Knights, no game on the schedule is a given, but every matchup should also be viewed as winnable. ESPN’s FPI has Rutgers with a projected record of 7.2-4.8, and all it will take is an upset or two for the Knights to climb well into the upper half of the B1G.

22. Is Iowa truly better offensively now that Brian Ferentz is out?

By the time Brian Ferentz unceremoniously left Iowa City, his name was synonymous with the Wicked Witch of the West. That sounds rough, but I won’t begrudge any Hawkeyes fan who had to live through his tenure as OC at Iowa.

Tim Lester was brought on to fix the offense, so there’s an understandable sense of optimism on that side of the ball. Still, it seems too easy for me to believe everything wrong offensively was related to Ferentz.

Either way, count me intrigued on Iowa’s offensive look and performance this fall.

21. What does Maryland look like without Taulia Tagovailoa?

Mike Locksley has seemingly turned things around at Maryland, producing 3 winning seasons with 3 consecutive bowl victories. However, one key factor from that turnaround is long gone.

With Taulia Tagovailoa on the roster, Maryland was 25-19 overall from 2020-23. In every other season as a head coach (including as an interim), Locksley has an overall record of 6-40.

Has Locksley truly stabilized the program, or is the recent success simply a testament to the combination of the head coach working with Tagovailoa? I think we’ll soon have our answer.

20. How does Michigan State fare in Jonathan Smith’s first season?

It’s hard to find a Power 4 program that was as bad on both sides of the ball as Michigan State in 2023. Add in the off-field disaster surrounding the suspension and eventual firing of Mel Tucker and the Spartans were in dire need of a full upheaval and rebuild entering 2024.

Jonathan Smith is probably the perfect guy to remake things in East Lansing for the long haul, but what does that mean for this season? The positive results are likely to be few and far between for a while but we’ll see if there are any surprises out of the gate.

19. Can Tyler Van Dyke unlock Wisconsin’s offense?

On paper, it looked like Tanner Mordecai was the perfect bridge QB for Wisconsin with Luke Fickell introducing OC Phil Longo and the Air Raid offense in Madison. Mordecai underwhelmed with the passing game lacking any explosiveness for much of last season.

Can Tyler Van Dyke produce the spark the Badgers were hoping for? There is at least some belief for the veteran with a career 8.2 yards per attempt over his career at Miami.

18. Which program is next in line behind the “Big 4?”

No matter where you look, there are 4 teams given a realistic shot to win the conference. That quartet consists of preseason favorite Ohio State to go with Oregon, Penn State and Michigan.

Every other team is well down the list of odds, but which team is best equipped to be the next in line? Or even better, potentially upset the apple cart of the top 4 a bit?

USC (+2500) occupies the 5th spot on the odds at ESPN Bet, followed by Iowa (+4000) and Nebraska (+5000).

Outside of that group, Rutgers has all the makings of a team to watch closely, and Washington’s season could unfold any number of ways.

17. Who is the league’s top defender?

When it comes to elite B1G defenders, 7 players received at least 1 first-place vote in the preseason Player of the Year poll. Will Johnson received the most first-place votes with 8 and he’s also the highest-rated player in the EA Sports College Football 25 game, but he’s not the only player to monitor.

Iowa LB Jay Higgins, Michigan DT Mason Graham, Ohio State DE JT Tuimoloau and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs present players at various positions who each earned multiple first-place votes.

If you are interested in historical trends, a defensive lineman or linebacker has won the B1G Defensive POTY each of the past 10 seasons. That stretch includes 4 DEs and 4 LBs winning the honor.

16. How does OSU WR Jeremiah Smith perform as a true freshman?

It’s not often a freshman finds a spot on a preseason list like this. But Jeremiah Smith is no ordinary freshman.

A 5-star receiver and the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect, Smith has drawn reviews as a generational talent at the position. He even elevated those reviews with a strong spring, and it’s possible the young Buckeye is must-see TV from the first snap of Week 1.

15. Is the expanded Playoff a tailor-made fit for James Franklin and Penn State?

For the past few years, Penn State has been on the cusp of seriously competing in the B1G and for a spot in the Playoff. Unfortunately, regular hurdles like Ohio State and Michigan within the B1G East have held the Nittany Lions back.

Even with those struggles, Penn State still has 5 seasons with 10+ wins under Franklin and 6 finishes in the top 12 spots on the final CFP poll of the season. The good news this fall is that the Nittany Lions will not face Michigan or Oregon. Two of the 3 games against West Coast teams also come at home, so Penn State will not have to regularly battle the travel bullet.

One potential wrench in Penn State’s Playoff plans: The 5 highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed automatic bids to the CFP, and it’s not hard to envision 1-2 of those conference champions ranked 13th or lower this fall.

If that happens, Penn State will want to make sure it finishes closer to the top 5 than the top 10 to get into the final field.

14. How does Sherrone Moore fare in his first season as head coach?

Sherrone Moore is the new head coach for the defending champs, and he’s got to replace the now-legendary Jim Harbaugh and a host of NFL talent that contributed to 3 straight B1G titles and Playoff trips.

However, if anyone is expecting Moore to shift Michigan’s goals, they will be sorely disappointed. He proudly proclaimed at B1G Media Days that the program still expects to win the big games, beat Ohio State, win the B1G and seriously compete for the CFP.

There’s just one problem. ESPN’s FPI is not very optimistic about their chances.

The system has a projected record of 8.3-3.9 for Michigan, meaning a 4-loss season is not out of the question. The Wolverines are also given a 7.3% chance of winning the conference, though it’s worth pointing out that is the 4th-best percentage in the B1G.

The defense gives Moore a fighting chance at a return trip to the Playoff, but the Wolverines will need some answers to key questions entering training camp.

13. Which B1G head coach lands on a hot seat first?

When I sat down to write this piece, I was working with the question of “Will a head coach in the conference wind up on a hot seat?” I have since pivoted and will label it a sure thing that at least 1 head coach finds himself on a serious hot seat by season’s end.

It’s inevitable, right? It’s inevitable each season, and I imagine it will go two-fold with stakes at an all-time high in a now 18-team B1G.

Lincoln Riley’s status at USC is fine — for now — but it could get uncomfortable quickly with a rough season. Ryan Day and the issue with TTUN could also lead to a hot seat in Columbus, though that’s unlikely to occur before we reach the end of the season.

In all honesty, I’m not sure all of the newer hires in the league can feel secure. After all, this is a brand-new landscape for the sport.

If Ryan Walters has Purdue trending at — or below — the 4-8 mark from a season ago, will he feel comfortable in his status come December? If UCLA is a total dumpster fire this fall, is DeShaun Foster a guarantee to get a second season?

12. Which team will be the biggest surprise (in a positive way)?

Which team comes out of the woodwork this fall as a team that wins more games than projected? Spoiler alert: Rutgers doesn’t count with ESPN’s FPI giving the Scarlet Knights a 7.2-4.8 projected record, and I think they can safely get to 8 wins in the regular season.

Teams projected to win less than 7 wins by the FPI that I believe will have a chance to surprise some folks include Washington and Nebraska.

Jedd Fisch and the Huskies were largely the most divisive team in the preseason B1G poll, and it’s not hard to see why. Washington has plenty of question marks, but the program also has a manageable schedule with games vs. Michigan, at Penn State and at Oregon the toughest of the bunch.

Meanwhile, Nebraska’s story is well-known by now. The defense should be top-notch again, and the low side of their projection is likely related to the unknown of true freshman QB Dylan Raiola. If he is even close to average, the Huskers should have a solid performance this fall.

11. Which team will be the biggest disappointment?

Everyone in Wisconsin is optimistic about the Badgers, but they must tread lightly through a schedule that includes games against Alabama, Oregon and Penn State while also making road trips to Iowa and USC.

Speaking of USC, the Trojans have the 5th-best B1G Championship odds this season. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but it is hardly a lock to pencil USC into the upper tier of the conference.

Riley is in need of a career face lift, but he must deliver one coming off the debacle of 2023 with a new defensive coaching staff. It’s also hard to believe that the Trojans will be physical enough in the trenches to immediately compete in the B1G.

10. Who replaces JJ McCarthy at Michigan?

Most QB battles will not earn the kind of fanfare the one in Ann Arbor will this year. JJ McCarthy provided 27 reasons why.

As a starter for the program, McCarthy was 27-1 with the Wolverines delivering one of the best 2-year stretches in Michigan history. If he had returned for his senior season, the outlook for the program in 2024 would look a lot different.

Instead, the Wolverines will hope McCarthy’s successor can deliver half as well as he did, and I am intrigued to see the direction Sherrone Moore and his staff take.

9. Can the B1G make good on Matt Rhule’s 4-team Playoff claim?

Matt Rhule was not bashful about his thoughts on the strength of the new B1G. He proclaimed the league as “the NFL of college football” and also professed a belief that the league should get 4 teams in the new 12-team Playoff every year.

On the surface, Rhule’s claim holds true. DraftKings has 4 B1G programs within the top 12 odds to win the national title this season, including 2 teams in the top 4.

However, the way the automatic qualifiers shake out, it is almost assured that a few teams ranked in the top 12 of the final poll will not make it into the final field. If the B1G has one of those teams on the fringe get left out, it could keep the B1G from getting to Rhule’s proud claim this fall.

8. Is it time for Nebraska’s long-awaited return to the postseason?

The bowl drought in Nebraska needs no introduction. But at B1G Media Days, coach Matt Rhule spoke in expectation of reaching a bowl this season, and the idea is not far-fetched.

ESPN’s FPI is projecting a final record of 6.5-5.5 for the Huskers which would be enough to get to a bowl game. The system also gives Nebraska a 69.3% chance of getting to 6 wins.

The defense is just fine and could be among the best in the B1G. If Dylan Raiola produces even a marginal improvement from the QBs of last season, expect the Huskers to get a game in the postseason.

7. Is Penn State QB Drew Allar ready to take the next step?

Drew Allar was a 5-star recruit and one of the top overall players in the 2022 recruiting class, and he carried all the expectations that come with those rankings into his first season as a starter in 2023. Unfortunately, his overall production left something to be desired.

The good news is Allar was careful with the football with 25 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions. The bad news is Penn State must replace some key production in the passing game this fall.

To help accelerate Allar’s development, Andy Kotelnicki has been brought on as offensive coordinator with hopes of a more explosive unit than fans witnessed in 2023. But if Allar cannot take another big step forward, it could be another long season in Happy Valley.

6. Can Donovan Edwards play a full season in RB1 role?

Donovan Edwards was mostly a backup or counterpunch to Blake Corum at Michigan. He did provide a glimpse of what he can do in a starring role to cap the 2022 season after an injury to Corum, but that was a very limited sample size.

The 2023 season was largely a disappointing one for the running back with limited usage and production with career-low efficiency marks during the season. However, he was instrumental in Michigan’s CFP National Championship victory over Washington, and he’s primed to be the featured back in 2024.

Is Edwards capable of handling that RB1 role for an entire season? Time will tell, and whether Edwards remains healthy all season is likely to play a key factor in Michigan’s chances of getting back to the Playoff.

5. Can Abdul Carter wreak havoc in new position?

Abdul Carter was the rare freshman physically capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact on Penn State’s defense in 2022. He continued his strong results in 2023, and now he could have his best season yet as a junior.

During the spring, Carter worked out coming off the edge and has tantalizing potential as a pure pass-rusher. At B1G Media Days, James Franklin said Carter will be used on the edge and as a pure linebacker as needed, but it’s his performance off the edge I am most interested in.

As a unique athlete, Carter could become a defensive wrecking ball with an elite first step.

4. Will Quinshon Judkins win the B1G’s rushing race?

The B1G’s rushing race is one of the more intriguing storylines of the preseason. Kyle Monangai returns after leading the B1G with 1,262 rushing yards a season ago, but that was the lowest output for the league leader since the shortened COVID season of 2020.

I expect a number of players to eclipse Monangai’s mark from 2023 (and that includes him potentially setting a new career-high). I would expect new Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins to be among the favorites to win that honor, but I’m also watching Edwards, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Jordan James and Judkins’ teammate TreVeyon Henderson.

3. Can Dillon Gabriel end the B1G’s Heisman Trophy drought?

The B1G’s Heisman Trophy drought dates to 2006, and the favorite to win the Heisman this year just happens to reside in the conference. But it’s not from the traditional powers.

Dillon Gabriel, the new starter for Oregon, leads the Heisman Trophy odds this season, and it’s not hard to see why. With a balanced offense, plenty of experience and expectations to compete for a national title he has all the makings of a traditional Heisman winner.

2. Is Dan Lanning the B1G’s best coach?

The thought is unlikely a fun one for fans of longtime B1G programs, but it must be asked: If Dan Lanning is the cream of the crop? Just consider how the head coaching roster in the league shapes up after Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL.

Kirk Ferentz, Luke Fickell, James Franklin and Mike Locksley are some of the veterans. However, each has their detractions when it comes to headlining the B1G coaches.

Sherrone Moore might be the league’s best — in a year or two, that is. The same goes for Jonathan Smith at Michigan State, or Curt Cignetti at Indiana.

If we’re making a list based on blank résumés, it’s going to be Ryan Day. Until you dig into the issues with Michigan and lack of a national title with all the firepower he draws.

If Lanning bursts onto the scene and takes the league by storm (something he made sound possible at B1G Media Days), he might be the top coach now and heading into the future of the league.

1. Is Ohio State ready to be the top dog once again?

I’ll forgive anyone who is sick of hearing about Ohio State as a preseason favorite to win the B1G. After all, this will be the 3rd time in 4 seasons since the Buckeyes last won the B1G that they are the favorites. (Michigan was the preseason favorite and eventual champion in 2023.)

But whoever doesn’t see Ohio State’s quest as the top question in the B1G is simply not seeing the big picture.

Can Ryan Day keep his job if he doesn’t win the B1G? Well, that’s complicated because the new Playoff will feature 12 teams, and it’s hard to envision Ohio State falling outside the final field.

Then again, I don’t see a path to Ohio State winning the conference without beating Michigan this season. Should the Buckeyes lose yet another version of The Game, it’s possible Day may need a national title to survive in Columbus, especially with the way Ohio State’s roster is viewed entering the season.