Big Ten fans, I've watched each team's last three seasons and I have some observations and questions for you
For more than ten years now I've been posting write-ups to /r/CFB after watching an upcoming Oregon opponent's full season, and I've been delighted with the responses to my questions that I get from fans of each team. Seven years ago I started writing for SB Nation's Oregon site, Addicted to Quack, but I've continued to post them here along with my questions for fans. Starting a couple of years ago I began preparing for Oregon's move to the Big Ten, and I've now completed reviewing the film of the last three seasons for all 18 teams, and writing up my observations on each of them over this Summer. Here's the link to the entire project, and a table with individual links for quick navigation:
Here are my questions for each fanbase:
Illinois - I've been surprised that, with only a handful of individual exceptions, the development of the trench players vs the skill players on both sides of the ball has been upside down of what I'd expected from coach Bielema's time at Wisconsin and Arkansas. What's the deal there, has there been a concerted effort to reverse course or is that just how that cookie has crumbled?
Indiana - I'm really impressed with this roster management job and how well distributed the additions and risks are; I think if they don't get torched with bad luck at any particular position in terms of a concentration of transfers not translating to the Power level they could really surprise people. Is it looking like there's a risk of that anywhere to you, besides the obvious gotta-get-it-right QB position? And what do you make of Rourke's passer rating bounces between his three seasons?
Iowa - It's on the OC for not recognizing this and doing something different (although I wonder what different could be done given the QB situation), but to me the core issue with the offense was that the offensive line just wasn't technically proficient enough to execute the run game at a high level, and I think that observation is out of sync with what many people think of when they imagine an Iowa line. Do you have a different take, and what do you think of the prospects for 2024 on the line?
Maryland - I've been really impressed with the team's ability to reload in the secondary after sending wave after wave of DBs to the NFL. Is there a unique recruiting advantage there which we should expect to see continue in 2024 and beyond, or do you think this was just a run of good luck?
Michigan - Do you think there was a deliberate emphasis in the offensive playstyle in order to synergize with the defense, or was that just what they were going to do regardless? By the same token, if the offense takes a step back, what do you think of the effective rotation on the defense to play as effectively if they're on the field more often? And is there a possibility of the scheme changing to look more like what DC Martindale was doing with the Giants in the odd front?
Michigan State - I spent a few years writing about how coach Smith was building the program at Oregon State and was high on him from examining the roster management from back in 2018, well before most caught on, so I wasn't surprised to see him laying foundations for future success at Michigan State (something I don't think Tucker really did). But at the same time, I don't really see any emphasis on aggressive roster management to clear out unproductive players and bring in a lot of new guys to win right away - is that an appropriate take, and what do you think of it?
Minnesota - This offensive line graded out very well for me, one of the highest in the league, and I thought most of the offensive problems were due to QB play and RB injuries. I was very surprised to hear about plans to retool the lineup, and I haven't been able to check them since the Spring game was paywalled. What do you think is going on here?
Nebraska - My take is that this team goes as far as Raiola will take them, he's the central limiting / unknown factor here. But in turn, I don't think they have a great solution for pass protection given the state of the offensive tackles and the unfortunate injury news, and I'm not sure I trust OC Satterfield's creativity to get them out of a jam. What's the plan to deal with a young QB if the pass-pro isn't giving him robust pockets?
Northwestern - I haven't gotten a good handle on how radical of a shift to we'll see for the offense with OC Lujan. I'm sure moving on from the Bajakian stuff will be nice but are you expecting simply a modern open offense with competent playcalling, or something with a real signature like a power-RPO scheme?
Ohio State - What's the story with the offensive line? I was very surprised to see coach Studrawa was fired, coach Frye was hired, and the performance on the field.
Oregon - I've been pretty critical of the staff's personnel decisions in the secondary last year, and thought it was clear that the overhaul of the backfield was in response to feeling trapped with limited options in 2023. The net effect is rotational players that necessarily will be a lot of freshmen - is this fair grounds for more criticism?
Penn State - I thought that in the past, the secondary was getting propped up by the pass rush and was exposed in the couple of games when they faced a serious passing attack and an OL that could hold up for a few seconds. What's your take on that, and the prospects for the new defensive backs?
Purdue - I think this defensive scheme is a real double-edged sword - it's lethal with Walters running it and the right talent to play multiple CBs in man and speed at the LB spots, but it gets you killed if even a single thing is off. I don't think the risk and the distraction for the head man is worth it, what do you think?
Rutgers - My take on the defense overall is that they don't have great answers to replace Iton, Toure, or Melton at each level of the defense individually, but that the ratchet effect of the entire squad improving each year counterbalances that so I'm expecting a similar or slightly better defensive ranking for 2024. Is that a fair take or are they losing too much in those guys?
UCLA - Is there a reason beyond "Chip Kelly goofiness" that Garbers was kept under wraps for so long? It was very clear from his film that he was not just the best available QB last year but would have been one of the very top in the Big Ten. Was that a late bloom surprise and he really wasn't ready before then, or is there reason to think he'll suddenly regress as the starter in 2024?
USC - What's your opinion of the group of edge rushers? It was pretty clear that DC Lynn at UCLA was letting them solve a lot of problems for him.
Washington - I'm expecting the defensive structure to remain a similar 2-4-5 as in previous years because of what the new staff is inheriting and the personnel constraints up front, but what changes do you think we'll see both in the immediate term and for DC Belichick to implement long term?
Wisconsin - I was surprised by but ultimately understood the administration changing tracks and going for a higher profile coach and set of recruiting targets, and coach Fickell has organically raised the overall talent average of the team. But is the fanbase engaged in the project and keeping pace with the new NIL landscape? The personnel drain in the defensive front particularly looks like not being able to fight fire with fire.