College football: Big Ten West Division preview
Aug. 30—Illinois
Last year: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten, tie for second in the West
Coach: Bret Bielema (13-12 at Illinois, 110-70 overall)
Returning starters: 14 (6 offense, 6 defense, punter, kicker)
Players to watch: QB Luke Altmyer, RB Josh McCray, WR Isaiah Williams, DL Keith Randolph, DL Jer'Zhan Newton, CB Tahveon Nicholson
The big questions: Can Illinois have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2010 and 2011? Will Illinois (8-5 last season) have more than eight wins for the first time since 2007? Will Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer become the starting quarterback? Can a running back by committee replace Chase Brown, who rushed for 1,643 yards last season and was a fifth-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals? Can the Illini find replacements for three of their top four defensive backs from last season? How much will the defense miss coordinator Ryan Walters, who left to become Purdue's head coach?
Last year: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten, tied for second in the West
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (186-115 at Iowa, 198-136 overall)
Returning starters: 14 (6 offense, 6 defense, punter, kicker)
Players to watch: QB Cade McNamara, RB Kaleb Johnson, TE Luke Lachey, TE Erick All, WR Nico Ragaini, DE Joe Evans, CB Cooper DeJean
The big questions: Will Michigan transfer Cade McNamara be the quarterback who leads Iowa to the Promised Land or at least to the end zone a few more times than last season when it ranked next to last nationally in total offense? Will Iowa average 25 points a game and save offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz's job? Is tight end Luke Lachey, who led the Hawkeyes in touchdown catches last season, the next in the line of NFL tight ends from Iowa? Is the other tight end Erick Hall, a portal transfer from Michigan, in that same category? Is Ohio State transfer Kaleb Brown the answer to Iowa's search for a receiver who can stretch defenses? How many Hawkeyes players might be suspended because of the investigation of Iowa athletes gambling?
Last year: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten, tied for second in the West
Coach: P.J. Fleck (44-27 at Minnesota, 74-49 overall)
Returning starters: 10 (4 offense, 5 defense, punter)
Players to watch: QB Athan Kaliakmanis, RB Sean Tyler, WR Daniel Jackson, WR Chris Autman-Bell, TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, LB Cody Lindenberg, S Tyler Nubin
The big questions: Who will replace the relentless style of running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who left Minnesota as the all-time leader for the Gophers in rushing yards (4,668) and rushing touchdowns (53)? Did the extensive playing time Athan Kaliakmanis got at quarterback last year when starter Tanner Morgan battled concussions prepare him to fill the starting QB's role this season? Can Minnesota get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks after getting only 19 sacks (No. 117 nationally) last season?
Last year: 4-8, 3-6 Big Ten, sixth in the West
Coach: Matt Rhule (0-0 at Nebraska and 47-43 overall)
Returning starters: 15 (5 offense, 7 defense, kicker, punter)
Players to watch: QB Jeff Sims, WR Marcus Washington, TE Thomas Fidone II, TE Arik Gilbert, DE Ty Robinson, LB Luke Reimer, CB Quinton Newsome
The big questions: Will Matt Rhule succeed where Scott Frost, Mike Riley, Bo Pelini and Bill Callahan couldn't and remind people what it was like in the glory days of Nebraska football? The Cornhuskers, who were in the national championship discussion year after year in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, have not won a league championship since 1999 when Frank Solich was coach. Can Nebraska improve defensively after never ranking higher than seventh in the Big Ten in scoring defense during Frost's five seasons as its coach? Can quarterback Jeff Sims stay healthy after playing only seven games in 2022 and eight games in 2021 at Georgia Tech?
Northwestern
Last year: 1-11, 1-8 Big Ten, seventh in the West
Coach: David Braun (0-0)
Returning starters: 8 (2 offense, 5 defense, punter)
Players to watch: QB Ben Bryant, WR Bryce Kirtz, RB Cam Porter, DE Sean McLaughlin, LB Bryce Gallagher, S Jeremiah Lewis, CB Rod Heard II
The big questions: How will playing an entire season under the cloud of the hazing scandal that got Pat Fitzgerald fired affect Northwestern's players? After going 1-11 last season and 4-20 the last two seasons, would two or three wins be considered a decent season? Will Cincinnati transfer quarterback Ben Bryant, who began his career at Eastern Michigan, win the starting quarterback job? Can Northwestern improve on offense after averaging 13.8 points a game last season?
Purdue
Last year: 8-6, 6-3 Big Ten, first in the West
Coach: Ryan Walters (0-0 Purdue, 0-0 overall)
Returning starters: 10 (5 offense, 4 defense, punter)
Players to watch: QB Hudson Card, RB Devin Mockobee, WR T.J. Sheffield, TE Garrett Miller, DE/OLB Khordae Sydnor, S Cam Allen
The big questions: Can Devin Mockobee become the Boilermakers' first 1,000-yard rusher since 2008? Will quarterback Hudson Card, who started three games last year and two in 2021 at Texas, have the big year Purdue is expecting from him? Does Purdue have one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten, with games against Ohio State and Michigan as two of its crossover games against Big Ten East Division teams? Does Purdue reaching the Big Ten championship game for the first time last season and then seeing its coach Jeff Brohm leave to get $6 million a year to coach at his alma mater, Louisville, say something about its place in the college football world?
Last year: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten, fifth in the West
Coach: Luke Fickell (0-0 at Wisconsin, 64-25 overall)
Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)
Players to watch: QB Tanner Mordecai, RB Braelon Allen, WR Chimere Deke, LT Jack Nelson, DL Rodas Johnson, LB Maema Njongmeta, CB Ricardo Hallman
The big questions: Will quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who transferred from SMU after throwing 33 touchdown passes in 2022 and 39 in 2021, break Russell Wilson's records for touchdown passes in a season (33) and passing yards in a season (3,175) which have stood since 2011? Will Luke Fickell re-energize the Badgers' program, which hasn't played in a Big Ten championship game since 2019 and hasn't won the Big Ten championship since 2012? Will Braelon Allen rush for more than 1,000 yards for a third season in a row?
Compiled by Jim Naveau. Reach him at jnaveau@limanews.com.
