SEASON PREVIEW INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS SEASON’S MOST COMPELLING STORYLINES CIRCLE IT ON THE CALENDAR Games of note throughout the Big Ten this season Michigan vs. Florida (Arling- ton), Sept. 2: The Wolverines were hit hard by attrition, so this will be an early glimpse of how much work is in front of coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Oklahoma at Ohio State, Sept. 9: The Buckeyes go for the sweep in this home-and- home series between a pair of the sport’s bluebloods. Ohio State trounced Okla- Scarlet homa 45-24 last season in Norman. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett enters & gray 2017 as a bona Michigan State at Michigan, fide Heisman Oct. 7: It’s the first road candidate. game of the season for [ASSOCIATED PRESS the Spartans, who will be FILE PHOTOS] coming off dates with Notre matters Dame and Iowa. It should be clear by this contest how improved Michigan State is after last year’s struggles. Ohio State didn’t win the Big Ten last year. It did, though, reach the playo seminals before absorb- ing a 31-0 drubbing against eventual champion Clemson. The Buckeyes’ 11-2 mark in 2016 was actually their worst in ve seasons under URBAN MEYER, which further illustrates just how well he has things roll- ing in Columbus. There is ample experience back on both sides of the ball, including QB J.T. BARRETT, so Wisconsin at Nebraska, Oct. expect this to be a hungry team capable of taking an extra step or two beyond last year’s accomplishments. 7: After opening league play with Rutgers and Illinois, the Cornhuskers face Wisconsin and Ohio State in back-to- back weeks. This is a major bellwether for Mike Riley’s bunch. Trace McSorley Mark Dantonio P.J. Fleck Tom Allen Michigan at Penn State, Oct. 21: The Wolverines pounded A repeat in Michigan State Gophers row New bosses at Penn State 49-10 last season, Happy Valley? bounceback? their boats Indiana, Purdue the game before the Nittany Lions uncorked a nine-game The Nittany Lions were Maybe the biggest question After Minnesota booted Tracy Rare is the instance when winning streak. It’s not a awfully fun to watch over their in the entire league — beyond Claeys after going 9-4 (and Indiana would make a coach- blowout easily forgotten in last 10 games, and the combi- whether Ohio State, Penn piloting the Golden Gophers ing change after a securing Happy Valley. nation of QB Trace McSorley State or even an inexperi- through a tumultuous off- a bowl bid, but the Hoosiers and TB Saquon Barkley enced Michigan bunch can the-field season) last year, jettisoned Kevin Wilson after a make up one of the best skill make a playoff charge — is it quickly set its sights on 6-6 regular season. New coach position duos in the country. how effectively Mark Dantonio Western Michigan’s P.J. Fleck. Tom Allen debuted with a bowl Outstanding FS Marcus Allen and Michigan State rebuild. The fast climbing coach has loss to Utah, and he’ll have is back to anchor a perfectly The Spartans won the Big Ten a gift for self-promotion, with enough back on defense to Penn State at Ohio State, solid defense, and that’s really and reached the playoff in the catchphrase “row the have a shot at a bowl bid in his Oct. 28: This was the only all Penn State needs with an 2015, only to fall off a cliff and boat” quickly finding its way first season. It will be tougher game Ohio State lost last offense that returns nearly go 3-9 with losses to Illinois, into college football’s lexicon. for Jeff Brohm, poached from year as Penn State earned a intact after scoring 38 or more Indiana and Maryland last After an undefeated regular Western Kentucky, to do 24-21 triumph as a 19-point points in each of its last seven fall. There will be wholesale season last year at Western, the same in his first year at underdog. Expect the Buck- games. Hopes are as high in changes in offensive person- Fleck takes a big step up and Purdue. Nonetheless, the Boil- eyes to be especially eager State College as at any point nel, and Dantonio needs that does so at a school more than ermakers made a shrewd hire for this one. in the post-Paterno era, and a unit to improve considerably a half-century removed from and have some hope of climb- second Big Ten title in a row is this fall. its last Big Ten title. ing out of the league’s bottom possible. tier in the next two years. Ohio State at Michigan, NUMBER TO KNOW PLAYERS TO WATCH A LOOK AT TOP RETURNING STARS Nov. 25: Urban Meyer is 5-0 against the Wolverines, and • TB Saquon Barkley, Penn • TB Justin Jackson, Northwest- • DE Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State: 114.75 Average national Ohio State has taken 12 of State: Finished second in the ern: The rugged Jackson took Named the Big Ten’s defen- ranking for Illinois in the four the last 13 meetings. A divi- Big Ten with 1,496 rushing nearly 300 carries last season, sive lineman of the year in major offensive categories sion title could be on the line yards and led the league with and if he stays healthy, he’ll 2016, Lewis is back as one of (scoring, rushing, passing (again) this year at the Big 18 TDs on the ground. He might probably have the 357 rush- the leaders on a defense that and total). The Illini ranked no House. be the best tailback in the ing yards he needs to become ranked sixth nationally in total better than 105th out of 128 country. the Wildcats’ career leader by yards allowed. teams in any of the categories. mid-September. 6x3 ad position.