The Ohio State football program is a monster in hiring, but that’s not always the most important thing when you look at next season’s prospects once it’s time to turn the page. Sometimes it has more to do with what’s left in the closet, which has more influence on winning shiny items and trinkets that are placed in trophy boxes for years to come.
ESPN has analyzed the possibility of returning production for all FBS teams (subscription required) and, as we are more interested in what is happening in the neighborhood, OSU has been the harasser of the blog for quite some time, the Big Ten , taking a look ahead with the fourteen teams in the conference.
It’s important to remember that returning talent doesn’t always equate to a better team or one that can fight (see Michigan), but it can often be an indicator of improvement and stability.
According to the world leader in sports programming, it uncovers how things on all Big Ten football teams are trying to return talent.
14 wild cats from the northwest: no. 125 in general)
USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Northwestern not only loses its veteran defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, but has to replace several starters, including most on that side of the ball. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald still remains, but only BYU loses more production in the country than the Wildcats.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 34% | 29% | 127th | 39% | 125th |
13 Ohio State Buckeyes: no. 121 in general
Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
You’d normally worry when a team returns as little production as Ohio State does, but the Buckeyes have shown they recharge the best of them. Still, if you’re the rest of the Big Ten, this could be the year you can take on OSU before all those four- and five-star recruits start getting sea legs, especially on defense.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 50% | 55% | 99th | 44% | 119th |
12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights: no. 82 in general
Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Rutgers took a big competitive step last season under Greg Schiano, and has some returning players to build. The problem is that so do the rest of the Big Ten. We’ll see if the show takes the next step and starts winning with a higher clip in 2021.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 64% | 67% | 74th | 61% | 96th |
11 Michigan State Spartans: no. 64 in general
USA TODAY Sports
The descent
The Spartans are still restless as a quarterback, but there is a lot to work against. The problem comes from the defensive side of the ball, where there is a ton to re-equip. Not a good problem for a team looking to turn the corner with sophomore coach Mel Tucker.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 69% | 80% | 37th | 59% | 99th |
10 Illinois Fighting Illini: number 62 overall
Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
You still didn’t know if it was good or bad that the new head coach Bret (Bart) Bielema had such a big list. On the one hand, a full cultural replacement might be good, but on the other hand, having some guys back to work might not be a bad thing to take advantage of. Quarterback Brando Peters and most of the offensive production are back, so I guess we’ll wait to see.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 70% | 80% | 38th | 61% | 94th |
9 Nebraska Cornhuskers: No. 60 overall
(Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
The descent
Nebraska will have to improve quickly for senior quarterback Adrian Martinez, but the defense returns almost everyone. For an offensive coach like Scott Frost, it’s probably the opposite of what he’d like to have, but Nebraska’s old school culture says it may be what it takes to end this thing in Lincoln.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 72% | 56% | 96th | 88% | 9th |
8 Iowa Hawkeyes: No. 57 overall
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Iowa played the best of any team that wasn’t called Ohio State at the end of the 2020 campaign, and there’s enough back and forth on the ball to expect the Hawkeyes to continue that trend in 2021. America needs farmers and Iowa alone need great defense to fight for a league title. Looks like that will be the case next season.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 72% | 69% | 70th | 76% | 48th |
7 Michigan Wolverines: no. 49 in general
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
We’re running out of jokes and punchlines about where this Michigan show is, but if you’re a Wolverine fan, at least there will be a pretty good production for savior Jim Harbaugh. The good news is that there is no reconstruction on either side of the ball. The bad news is that there is no reconstruction on either side of the ball.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 73% | 77% | 46th | 70% | 69th |
6 Purdue boiler manufacturers: no. 38 in general
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Looks can be deceiving here. Purdue returns a lot to the offensive tip, but is not restless at quarterback, and losing receiver Rondale Moore is quite a success. Still, there are guys who know what they’re doing, so maybe the fortune of a lame man to the finish line in 2020 will be reduced in 2021.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 78% | 85% | 17th | 70% | 68th |
5 Penn State Nittany Lions: No. 37 overall
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
I’m almost about to know last season as a COVID-19 anomaly for the Nittany Lions, but even if not, there will be many things that will return to Happy Valley. Look for a big improvement with quarterback Sean Clifford this fall with a lot of guns around him and a defense that is so much better with so many pieces coming back.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 78% | 74% | 58th | 82% | 24th |
4 Minnesota Golden Gophers: No. 25 overall
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Again, a little misleading. Minnesota loses starting quarterback Tanner Morgan and one of the best receivers in the country to Rashod Bateman on offense. They are huge shoes to fill. Look for PJ Fleck to try to lean on a defense that knows what he’s doing and that should be an improvement.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 80% | 75% | 53rd | 84% | 18th |
3 Indiana Hoosiers: no. 24 in general
Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
Indiana made great strides in 2020 and played Ohio State closer than any other team in the league. Tom Allen has this show on the rise and has a lot in his closet this fall. If quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. may return completely healthy, the Hoosiers could be the biggest threat to dethrone the Buckeyes this fall.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 80% | 80% | 39th | 81% | 26th |
2 Wisconsin badgers: number 14 overall
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
It was a strange year for Wisconsin, even more so than other teams in a COVID-19 world. The badgers seemed to have enough talent, but they couldn’t put it all together. Expect UW to recover in 2021 with all the return production on both sides of the ball, including five-star quarterback Graham Mertz, who should have learned from an inconsistent season this year.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 83% | 84% | 24th | 82% | 22nd |
1 Maryland Terrapins: núm. 10 in general
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The descent
If this is the year Maryland stops its incoherent ways, it could be. Recruitment has been good and with everything back on both sides, it is possible that the Terrapins will be ready to face on foot with some of the big guys in the league. Look for quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to be the one to make a difference.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Generally | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 85% | 86% | 14th | 85% | 17th |
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