Big Ten surge can be traced to Meyer
Ohio State coach set tone early in tenure
The Big Ten, which had slipped from the elite, owes thanks to Ohio State’s Urban Meyer
Let’s not give Urban Meyer credit for too much. The program he has built at Ohio State has become the envy of every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision except for a select few. His deft touch has placed him alongside Nick Saban as the top coaches in the sport.
So, in other words, he has been praised plenty, in this space and elsewhere.
Yet we can praise Meyer in one other regard: He saw, in early
2013, an area in which the Big Ten Conference was trailing and was unafraid to essentially call out his peers and colleagues for lagging behind the rest of the Power Five landscape.
In terms of recruiting, Meyer said during a radio interview shortly after signing day, the Big Ten “as a conference (needs) to keep pushing that envelope to be better. ... When you see 11 of the SEC teams are in the top 25 in recruiting, that’s something we need to continue to work on and improve.”
In a broad stroke, it’s true that the Big Ten’s overall talent level once largely failed to match up with its Power Five peers; this gap was seen most clearly during postseason play, including a 2-5 mark in bowl games to cap the
2012 season.
That this is no longer the case is obvious.
On signing day in 2013, for example, three Big Ten teams finished among the top 25 in the team rankings compiled by Rivals.com. In 2017, the Big Ten had five teams in the top 20: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Maryland and Nebraska.
Combine this uptick in overall talent with increasingly impressive hires across both divisions to find the Big Ten’s recipe for recent success. James Franklin at Penn State. Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. DJ Durkin at Maryland. Paul Chryst at Wisconsin. Mike Riley at Nebraska.
Maybe it’s the coaches. Contrast the Big Ten’s hires during the last three or four seasons with the same hires made in the Southeastern Conference, which continues to recycle familiar names or grant high-profile posi- tions to unproven assistants.
And the best part, from the Big Ten’s perspective? This rapid growth and development from punch line to national power is clearly sustainable: hire elite coaches, recruit, increase talent and contend for national championships. The Meyer method has taken hold across the conference.
BEST UNITS
Quarterback: Ohio State. It’s a tight one between the Buckeyes and Penn State, but J.T. Barrett’s experience and leadership qualities give OSU the slight edge.
Running back: Penn State. Saquon Barkley is the best back in the country and one of the best backs in Nittany Lions history. Wide receivers and tight
ends: Penn State. There’s no real standout unit in this conference, but the Nittany Lions are deep at receiver and feature one of the nation’s top tight ends in Mike Gesicki.
Offensive line: Ohio State. The best line in the Big Ten should be even stronger than it was last season despite losing an all-timer in Pat Elflein.
Defensive line: Ohio State. This is the deepest, most talented and overall strongest defensive front in college football.
Linebackers: Ohio State. Wisconsin would have had the edge a month ago, but Jack Cichy’s season-ending injury gives OSU the nod.
Secondary: Ohio State. Yes, the Buckeyes again. Even with three of last year’s starters going in the first round of the NFL draft, this secondary is going to make things awfully difficult for Big Ten quarterbacks.
Special teams: Penn State. The Nittany Lions are very strong in the kicking game and should continue to improve in the return game and coverage as James Franklin continues to add talent to the roster.
RANKING THE STARTING QBS
1. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State. Barrett is going to regain his Heisman Trophy form in Kevin Wilson’s rebuilt offense.
2. Trace McSorley, Penn
State. There’s a very good argument for having McSorley atop the list and as the first-team quarterback on the preseason
3. Tanner Lee, Nebraska. all-conferenceGet to know the team. Tulane transfer as offensehe takesfor the the Cornhuskers.controls of Riley’s
4. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern.
ton of recognitionHe has outsideyet to gainof Ev- a anston,more and but more Thorsonlike oneis lookingof the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten. 5. David Blough, Purdue.
The games Boilermakersthan they’ll will lose win, morebut there’s no question that Blough is going to shine in Jeff Brohm’s quarterback-friendly system. 6. Wilton Speight, Michi
gan. While he seems to have a tight grasp on the starting job, Speight should be looking over his shoulder at impressive redshirt freshman Brandon Peters. 7. Alex Hornibrook, Wis
consin. The staff will place more on Hornibrook’s plate this fall, his second as the starter. Expect the sophomore to respond very well, given his experience a year ago. 8. Richard Lagow, Indiana.
The Hoosiers will tailor their offense in 2017 to fit Lagow’s strengths as a passer, but the future of this system might be with a dual-threat option. 9. Brian Lewerke, Michi
gan State. Lewerke will benefit from his two starts as a freshman, though there’s ample room for growth as he ascends to the starting job. 10. Nathan Stanley, Iowa.
Stanley has a lot to prove as he works his way into the Hawkeyes’ starting job, but there’s no doubting his athleticism and overall ability to competently run this offense.
11. Kasim Hill, Maryland. This is pure guesswork, since Durkin hasn’t made any statements about the competition, but with junior Caleb Henderson sidelined with a foot injury, Hill might have the window he needs to grab the job as a true freshman.
12. Kyle Bolin, Rutgers. The Louisville graduate transfer takes over the reins in Rutgers’ offense.
13. Conor Rhoda and Dem
ry Croft, Minnesota. P.J. Fleck named Rhoda and Croft as costarters for the Golden Gophers. We’ll see how that plays out.
14. Chayce Crouch, Illinois.
Perhaps the biggest key for Crouch is the Illini getting a full and healthy season from wide receiver Mike Dudek. GAMES OF THE YEAR Michigan vs. Florida (in
Arlington, Texas), Sept. 2. Expect a Michigan win, though this one probably won’t feature a ton of fireworks.
Maryland at Texas, Sept. 2.
The Terrapins will be the costars in the debut appearance of Tom Herman along Texas’ sideline. Oklahoma at Ohio State,
Sept. 9. It hasn’t gotten much love in the shadow of Alabama and Florida State, but this is very clearly one of the premier games of the regular season. Nebraska at Oregon,
Sept. 9. For either team, a win could be a springboard to a highly satisfying season.
Wisconsin at Brigham
Young, Sept. 16. This is the toughest game on Wisconsin’s non-conference schedule, which could end up an issue for the Badgers come early December.
Michigan State at Michigan, Oct. 7. The Wolverines would love to add to the degree of separation already evident between these in-state rivals. Wisconsin at Nebraska, Oct. 7. That the Cornhuskers get Wisconsin at home could upend the consensus view of the West Division, which has the Badgers standing atop the division with room to spare. Michigan at Penn State, Oct. 21. Even if you buy into the idea of Ohio State as the undisputed favorite, this game will have deep ramifications on the hunt for a New Year’s Six bowl. Penn State at Ohio State, Oct. 28. The Buckeyes will look to return the favor after last year’s disappointing loss in Beaver Stadium.
Nebraska at Penn State, Nov. 18. Given the nature of Penn State’s November slate, this might be the Nittany Lions’ best and last shot at impressing the College Football Playoff selection committee during the regular season. Michigan at Wisconsin, Nov. 18. It has been almost a generation since the last time the Wolverines won at Camp Randall, in a series that has historically favored the home team. Iowa at Nebraska, Nov. 24.
The Hawkeyes just maul the Cornhuskers along the line of scrimmage.
Ohio State at Michigan, Nov. 25. Just because the Wolverines seem to lack experience doesn’t mean they won’t at least be within a game of the Buckeyes in this regular-season finale.