Who are the favorites in the Big Ten football races? Let's take a look at all the teams.

Here's a look at each team in the Big Ten Conference football race in the predicted order of finish, by division, with 2022 overall and conference records in parentheses.

WEST DIVISION

1. Wisconsin (7-6, 4-5)

Luke Fickell and his staff brought in more than a dozen transfers to restock the depth chart. Several of the new faces – quarterback Tanner Mordecai, wide receivers Bryson Green, Will Pauling and CJ Williams; offensive linemen Jake Renfro and Joe Huber; and cornerback Jason Maitre -- are expected to be key contributors. The players are adjusting to new coaches and schemes but the talent and schedule make UW the favorite to win the division for the first time since 2019.

2. Iowa (8-5, 5-4)

To the surprise of no one in the Big Ten, Iowa should field a stingy defense and outstanding special teams in 2023. The question – again – will be whether the offense can take pressure off the defense and take advantage of good field position. If offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz can effectively use quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All and a shaky offensive line can help improve a running game that was last in the Big Ten last season (94.9 ypg), the Hawkeyes could steal the division. Can the Hawkeyes win at UW and at Nebraska?

3. Minnesota (9-4, 5-4)

P.J. Fleck, entering his seventh season at Minnesota, lost two key assistants after last season. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca left for the second time during Fleck’s tenure, this time for Rutgers. Cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes bolted for UW. Fleck promoted tight ends coach Greg Harbaugh Jr. to co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He will work with Matt Simon, who has been co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach since 2020. Nick Monroe was hired away from Syracuse to replace Haynes. The Gophers lost three sixth-year offensive linemen and three cornerbacks. Sophomore quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis killed UW last season and has a chance to be better than his predecessor (Tanner Morgan).

4. Illinois (8-5, 5-4)

Bret Bielema has the Illini on the rise but must overcome several key losses. Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters was named head coach at Purdue. He was replaced by secondary coach Aaron Henry, who played for Bielema at UW. The Illini also must replace tailback Chase Brown, stalwart defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown and quarterback Tommy DeVito. Does Bielema have the talent on hand to adequately replace those players? The Illini, Iowa and Minnesota all finished 5-4 last season. Illinois has to play Iowa and Minnesota on the road in 2023.

5. Purdue (8-6, 6-3)

Walters takes over for Jeff Brohm, who returned to his alma mater (Louisville) after leading the Boilermakers to the Big Ten West title last season. Walters is a defensive guru who must replace Purdue’s three best players on offense – quarterback Aidan O’Connell, wide receiver Charlie Jones and tight end Payne Durham. All three were taken in the 2023 NFL draft. Perhaps the most important pickup in the offseason was redshirt junior quarterback Hudson Card, who started three games last season for Texas. Card will work with new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who has trained in the Air Raid offense and ran West Virginia’s offense (30.6 ppg) last season.

6. Nebraska (4-8, 3-6)

New head coach Matt Rhule did tremendous work rebuilding Temple and Baylor. However, he was a combined 3-21 in his first season with those programs and the Cornhuskers have personnel issues all over the depth chart. Can Rhule and his staff build a defense that hasn’t been stout for years? Can the coaches put together an offense that stresses foes on the ground and through the air? Can the staff instill toughness and discipline, both of which have been lacking? History suggests 2023 will be a struggle.

7. Northwestern (1-11, 1-8)

No one appeared to be a better representative for Northwestern football than Pat Fitzgerald, who guided the Wildcats to West Division titles in 2018 and 2020 but was fired on July 10 because of allegations of hazing within the program. The Wildcats were in trouble before that development. The retirement of defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz after the 2020 season and lack of playmakers on offense have been critical factors in Northwestern going a combined 2-16 in the Big Ten and 4-20 overall the last two seasons. Fitzgerald brought in a new defensive coordinator, David Braun from North Dakota State and a graduate of Kettle Moraine High School. Yet he retained offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian despite the Wildcats finishing last in the Big Ten in scoring in each of the last two seasons, at 16.6 ppg in 2021 and 13.8 ppg last season. Can the Wildcats, with Braun as interim head coach, stop the slide?

EAST DIVISON

1. Michigan (13-1, 9-0)

The Wolverines have won the last two meetings with rival Ohio State, and Jim Harbaugh, entering his ninth season at Michigan, finally has the program at the level fans expected when he returned to Ann Arbor in 2015. J.J. McCarthy (3,025 total yards, 27 TDs) is arguably the best quarterback Harbaugh has recruited and tailbacks Blake Corum (1,463 yards, 18 TDs) and Donovan Edwards (991 yards, seven TDs) could be the league’s best running back tandem. Road games against Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan State could prove troublesome.

2. Ohio State (11-2, 8-1)

Led by wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. (77 catches, 1,263 yards, 14 TDs), Emeka Egbuka (74 catches, 1,151 yards, 10 TDs) and Julian Fleming (34 catches, 533 yards, six TDs) and tight end Cade Stover (36 catches, 406 yards, five TDs), the Buckeyes return their top four receiving threats. However, quarterback C.J. Stroud is gone. Will Stroud's replacement, either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, be able to get the ball to those threats? Will Jim Knowles’ defense continue to give up big plays in big games?

3. Penn State (11-2, 7-2)

The Nittany Lions lost two games last season – at Michigan and at home against Ohio State. James Franklin’s crew plays at Ohio State (Oct. 21) but gets the Wolverines at home (Nov. 11) this season. Penn State’s tailback tandem of Nicholas Singleton (156 carries, 1,061 yards, 12 TDs) and Kaytron Allen (167 carries, 867 yards, 10 TDs) is terrific. Several playmakers from a defense that allowed 18.2 points per game are back in 2023. Can quarterback Drew Allar, who passed for 34.4 yards per game last season as a backup to Sean Clifford, flourish as the starter? Clifford passed for more than 10,000 yards and played in 51 games for the Nittany Lions.

4. Maryland (8-5, 4-5)

Kudos to Mike Locksley, who has done a solid job in four seasons at a basketball school. Locksley and his staff have recruited some high-end talent, though not nearly enough to compete in the East Division. Taulia Tagovailoa (3,008 passing yards, 18 TDs) gives the Terrapins one of the better quarterbacks in the league and Roman Hemby (188 carries, 989 yards, 10 TDs) is an effective runner. But do the Terrapins have the talent in both lines to compete with the big boys in the final season of divisional play? No.

5. Michigan State (5-7, 3-6)

Is Mel Tucker’s honeymoon over? Tucker was lauded as a genius and rewarded with a 10-year, $95-million contract when he guided the Spartans to a 7-2 mark in the league and 11-2 overall record in 2021. The Spartans weren’t good last season, however, and they lost their best quarterback and top two wide receivers in the offseason. Cross-over games at Iowa and at Minnesota look dangerous and the Spartans could go 0-3 against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

6. Rutgers (4-8, 1-8)

Led by lineman Aaron Lewis (55 tackles, eight for loss) and linebacker Deion Jennings (91 tackles, 8 ½ for loss), the Scarlet Knights have some playmakers on defense. The offense needs help, however. Rutgers averaged just 17.4 points per game last season, the No. 13 mark in the league. Head coach Greg Schiano hired Ciarrocca away from Minnesota in an attempt to spark that unit.

7. Indiana (4-8, 2-7)

Tom Allen, 30-40 as Indiana’s head coach, hit the transfer portal in an attempt to bolster the roster and improve the Hoosiers’ offense and defense. The defense was awful in 2022, allowing 274.2 passing yards per game and a total of 30 touchdowns. Unless those numbers improve, the Hoosiers won’t rise in the standings.

More: The Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin is about to begin. Here's a game-by-game look at 2023.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Big Ten Conference football team analysis for the 2023 season