The 247 Composite Team Talent Rankings have been updated for 2017

[Saunders]

This is a simple breakdown of the talent rankings of each team. I pulled a few relevant ones for this season.

#2 OSU (1st in B1G) A staggering 56 4 star players on their roster.

#18 PSU (2nd in B1G)

#24 Oregon

#27 Nebraska (#5 in B1G)

#36 Wisconsin (#7 in B1G)

#40 NorthWestern(#8 in B1G)

#48 Iowa (#9 in B1G)

#49 Rutgers (#10 in B1G)

#59 Minnesota (#12 in B1G)

#65 Illinois (#13 in B1G)

#68 Purdue (#14 in B1G)

http://247sports.com/Season/2017-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite?Conference=Big-Ten

 

[Nebfanatic]

Our player average puts us ahead of Maryland for 4th in the BIG

 

[Elaida]

State Penn's doesn't match their poll ranking very well.

 

[Herbie95]

Very similar to last year at 26.  2015 was 24 so we are seeing the trend down in Pelini's last years of recruiting.  However, Riley's first three recruiting classes minor this level of talent.  He needs to win to substantially bump the talent level to top 15--which is the level it needs to be for long term success and by win let's start with the West Division and finish with less than 4 losses.  This level of success would allow for a strong finish for this year's recruiting class.   

 

[Hilltop]

Wisconsin at #36 smh...  Stars aren't everything I guess

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

Very similar to last year at 26.  2015 was 24 so we are seeing the trend down in Pelini's last years of recruiting.  However, Riley's first three recruiting classes minor this level of talent.  He needs to win to substantially bump the talent level to top 15--which is the level it needs to be for long term success and by win let's start with the West Division and finish with less than 4 losses.  This level of success would allow for a strong finish for this year's recruiting class.   

I agree that top-15 is where we need to be to be competing for titles on a semi-regular basis.  I also agree that winning the conference would put us over the hump.

We have a ways to go to even crack the top-20, though.  Look at the gaps in scores on that 2017 roster talent list:

1 996 Alabama

2 956 Ohio State

3 934 USC

4 931 Georgia

5 925 Florida State

6 907 LSU

7 874 Michigan

8 866 Auburn

9 854 Clemson

10 838 Notre Dame

11 831 UCLA

12 817 Tennessee

13 811 Texas

14 810 Stanford

15 807 Texas A&M

16 801 Oklahoma

17 797 Ole Miss

18 795 Florida

19 778 Penn State

20 749 Miami

21 718 Oregon

22 717 Arkansas

23 712 Arizona St

24 709 Mississippi St

25 707 Washington

26 698 UNC

27 697 South Carolina

28 696 Maryland

29 693 Nebraska

30 681 Michigan State

31 671 Kentucky

32 671 TCU

33 662 Virginia Tech

34 660 Pitt

35 647 Baylor

36 642 Louisville

37 636 Oklahoma St

38 634 Wisconsin

39 629 Utah

40 628 Duke

41 628 Northwestern