Saunders
Heisman Trophy Winner
The 2017 CFN Big Ten Preview with the top players, teams that will surprise and disappoint, and shoes to fill.
As much as longtime Big Ten fans might get all moist about the Woody vs. Bo days, the Big Two, Little Eight wasn’t a whole bunch of fun for the rest of the league.
Especially when the Big Ten was 5-20 in the Rose Bowl from 1968 to 1992.
Okay, fine, so the Big Ten is a brutal 2-10 in its last 12 trips to Pasadena, and Ohio State is still a dominant force, but overall, the league is stronger than it’s ever been – even with Rutgers and Purdue struggling.
There’s a fantastic mix of coaching talent ranging from the legendary (Urban, Harbaugh, Ferentz), to the young rising superstars (P..J. Fleck, Jeff Brohm, D.J. Durkin) to the NFL veterans (Lovie Smith, Mike Riley) to the big-time talent putting their stamps on their respective programs (Mark Dantonio, James Franklin, Paul Chryst, Pat Fitzgerald).
And then there’s what drives it all. The $.
http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/big-ten-preview-big-ten-football-golden-age-preview-2017
Big Ten Team That Will Disappoint
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Effort will never be a problem, and the coaching is more than fine, but for a program desperate to be among the college football elite again, it’ll be another year when it isn’t. With road games at Oregon, Minnesota and Penn State, and home dates against Wisconsin, Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa, it’s going to be a rough run for a team without a ton of elite talent.
5 Big Ten Coaches On The Hot Seat
Five Big Ten coaches who’d better win this season. Being on a hot seat doesn’t necessarily mean a coach is about to fired – especially not in the case of some of the guys on this list – but the pressure is on to produce up to expectations and beyond.
1. Mike Riley, Nebraska
2. Lovie Smith, Illinois
3. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
4. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
5. Chris Ash, Rutgers
5 Non-Conference Games That Big Ten Teams Had Better Take Very, Very Seriously
The Big Ten usually does a great job in non-conference play – Northwestern and Iowa key losses last year aside – but these five games are potential Group of Five landmines.
1. Nevada at Northwestern, Sept. 2
2. Arkansas State at Nebraska, Sept. 2
3. Western Kentucky at Illinois, Sept. 9
4. Middle Tennessee at Minnesota, Sept. 16
5. Cincinnati at Michigan, Sept. 9