Every Big Ten Team's Strength and Weakness (Yes, Even Your Team Isn't Flawless)
Indiana
Strength: Offensive Firepower
If quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can pick up where he left off last season before tearing his ACL, then this Hoosier offense will be downright scary. Penix, along with wide receiver Ty Fryfogle, who transformed himself into one of the top receivers in the Big Ten last season, will be looking to carve up defenses once again. Adding transfers Stephen Carr (RB, USC) and D.J. Matthews (WR, FSU) will only make this group harder to defend. This offense has the ability to score from anywhere on the field and will be electrifying to watch.
Weakness: Can Penix Stay Healthy?
While this technically might be more of a concern than a weakness, the answer to this question will dictate the success Indiana has this season. There is no doubt Penix can get the job done on the field, but the question is can he stay on it? Penix is coming off his third season-ending injury and simply put, this offense is not the same with him off the field. The success of this season hinges on the arm and legs of Penix and whether or not he can stay healthy.
Maryland
Strength: Quarterback
Junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (younger brother of Dolphin's QB Tua Tagovailoa) returns to lead the Terps' offense this year and to build off of his impressive sophomore season. Tagovailoa was third in the Big Ten with 252.8 passing yards per game and third in completion percentage at 61.5. With another year under his belt, look for the shifty Tagovailoa to only improve.
Weakness: Rush Defense
It's a good thing Maryland has Tagovailoa because their defense has many question marks, specifically their run defense. Maryland allowed 230 rush yards per game (and 430 total), while giving up an average of 32 points per game last season. Those numbers ranked towards the bottom of the conference. Head coach Mike Locksley will be hoping his defense takes a big leap this year and can match his offense's intensity.
Michigan
Strength: Offensive Backfield
While head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverine's offense may have question marks at certain positions, you won't find any when it comes to the running backs. The three headed monster of Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum and true freshman Donovan Edwards form one of the most explosive backfields in the Big Ten. This year's run game will look a lot different than last season's average of 131.5 yards per game on the ground, ranking 11th in the conference. The success that the Wolverines have on the ground will only help take the pressure off of whoever ends up winning the quarterback competition.
Weakness: Porous Defense
Talent won't be an issue for new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, as the Wolverine's defense is littered with playmakers all over the field. The question is, can Macdonald get this unit to play cohesive and fundamental football. Last year Michigan's defense allowed 34.5 points per game and 5.5 yards per play, both ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten. A big part of the problem was the number of explosive plays this group gave up. Coach Macdonald will be looking to shut down the floodgates as he turns this defense around...while Coach Harbaugh's job might just depend on it.
Michigan State
Strength: Defensive Line
While Michigan State's defense might struggle this year, it won't be because of the defensive line. The Spartans return almost everyone from last year's bunch, with DT Naquan Jones being the only one who departed. The talented DE Jacub Panasuik will be looking to lead this group along with graduate transfer DE Drew Jordan. Look for the pass rush to be much improved this year along with the quality of depth this defensive line has.
Weakness: Lack of Explosion on Offense
The Spartans have not had an explosive offense for quite some time now, having ranked ninth or worse in yards per play in the Big Ten for four straight seasons. Head coach Mel Tucker and offensive coordinator Jay Johnson will be hoping that transfer QB Anthony Russo can bring life into this offense. After last year’s putrid scoring average of 18 points per game (last in the conference) and the 20 lost turnovers (most in the Big Ten), it will be hard for the Spartans to be any worse on this side of the ball than they were last year.
Ohio State
Strength: Offensive Line
You can pick just about any position group on this Buckeye squad (especially the wide receiver core led by Chris Olave) and it would be looked at as a strength. However, the offensive line gets the nod here. The success of this offense is going to start with the big fellas up front and fortunately for head coach Ryan Day, he has arguably the best tackle combo in the country in Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere. While they lost center Josh Myers and All-America guard Wyatt Davis, the depth of this line will show itself when players such as Parish Johnson Jr. and Luke Wypler step up into starting roles. Whoever wins the QB battle will be breathing a sigh of relief knowing he will have top notch pass protection and a great running game.
Weakness: Secondary
While the starting quarterback job is still up for grabs and is a bit unsettling, there is no cause for concern there. The secondary on the other hand is a different story. Last year, the Buckeyes ranked 11th in pass efficiency defense, routinely giving up chunk plays through the air, on their way to giving up 25.8 points per game and 5.95 yards per play. Second year defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs will look to Sevyn Banks, Cameron Brown, Josh Proctor, Marcus Williamson and a host of others to help turn the secondary around.
Penn State
Strength: Offensive Weapons
Sean Clifford will have no shortage of weapons this upcoming fall when the Nittany Lions take the field. While Clifford and the offense will have to cut down on the turnovers (17 last season), there is no concern about the big play ability of this offense (finishing second in the Big Ten in total offense last season). With the dynamic duo of Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington forming a formidable 1-2 punch at wide receiver, this offense will once again push to be the best in the Big Ten. Running backs, Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford, Caziah Holmes and Noah Cain give head coach James Franklin an embarrassment of riches in the backfield and will only make this offense harder to defend.
Weakness: Defensive Line
The Nittany Lions lost four impact defensive linemen from their rotation in 2020, with defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher being the only starter coming back. Coach Franklin had to dip into the transfer portal to find Derrick Tangelo (Duke) and Arnold Ebiketie (Temple) to help beef up this defensive line. The depth behind the projected starters is unproven, accumulating a grand total of zero sacks amongst them. Coach Franklin will have to bet on unproven commodities to get the job done on the defensive line this year.
Rutgers
Strength: Experience
The 2021 Scarlet Knights will have a boat load of experience when they take the field this fall, returning 19 out of 22 starters from last season's squad. Highlighted by quarterback Noah Vedral, wide receiver Bo Melton, running back Isaih Pacheco, and their entire offensive line from 2020, Rutgers' offense should have no problems finding their groove. The defense will have plenty of familiar faces as well, led by star linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, the conference's leading tackler with 101 stops a year ago, along with his partner in crime Tyshon Fogg. While the defensive line welcomes the return of Mike Tverdov, Mohamed Toure and Julius Turner, the secondary also returns Avery Young, Tre Avery, Max Melton and Christian Izien. That's not all, as return man Aron Cruickshank, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last season, will also be coming back for a fourth season. Again, this Rutgers team is littered with experience.
Weakness: Rush Defense
While head coach Greg Schiano and his Scarlet Knights are returning a majority of their starters, including a talented linebacking core, there is still plenty of work to do when it comes to their run defense. They ranked towards the bottom of the conference in stopping the run and quite frankly didn't do all that much better in the passing game. They did force 19 turnovers however and will look to replicate that this season, but for Schiano it's all going to start up front and how well they can defend the run.
Illinois
Strength: Offensive Line
New head coach Brett Bielema will have his work cut out for him in his first season in Champaign. While the current roster lacks the overall talent to compete with the upper echelon teams in the conference, the offensive line will make them a tough out come every Saturday. The big uglies up front are no doubt going to be the strength of this Illinois team. They return four starters, led by center Doug Kramer and four-year starting tackle Vederian Lowe.
Weakness: Defense
It wasn't pretty for the Fighting Illini and their defense last season. They finished last in the conference in rush yards per game, giving up an absurd 230.1 yards on the ground, while also ranking dead last in pass efficiency defense and allowing 34.9 points per game. Where that stacks up against the rest of the country? 114th in yards allowed and 97th in points allowed. There are a handful of veterans who return in hopes to right the ship and put 2020 behind them.
Iowa
Strength: Rushing Attack
Head coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes are no strangers to a dominant running game and that is what they will hope to put on display this upcoming season. Led by talented running back Tyler Goodson and All-American center Tyler Linderbaum, the Hawkeyes offense will look to punish opposing defenses on the ground. There will be some new faces along the offensive line but they should have no problem stepping in and paving the way for the run game. While quarterback Spencer Petras won't blow you away with his numbers, as long as he can be a competent game manager, Iowa will be in good shape.
Weakness: Defensive Line
One of the biggest strengths of Coach Ferentz's squad last season was the defensive line. They helped lead a defense that led the conference in fewest yard per play (4.3). With the departures of Chauncey Golston (All-Big Ten), Daviyon Nixon (2020 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year) and Jack Heflin, the Hawkeyes are going to need guys to step up in their place if they want to replicate the success they had last season. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker will have his hands full trying to reload on the defensive line, however he will get help in DE Zach VanValkenburg, who returns for a fifth season and will help lead this unit.
Minnesota
Strength: Experience
Just like Rutgers, Minnesota will be sporting a very veteran heavy lineup (minus the WR group) this season with multiple starters returning. Led by quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim, along with their seasoned offensive line, look for head coach P.J. Fleck's offense to be much improved from last year's mediocre output. The Gopher's defense will be led by defensive lineman Boye Mafe, linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin and cornerback Coney Durr. All three have All-Big Ten potential and can help elevate the defense to new heights. Defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, a transfer from Clemson, brings with him a championship pedigree, and will no doubt be a great addition to the Gopher defense.
Weakness: Kicker
Gopher fans won't just try to forget their two overtimes losses last season, but they will try to forget just how they lost those games. If you need a refresher, hint, they lost by two missed kicks; an extra point against Maryland and a field goal against Wisconsin. To help solve their kicking issues, coach Fleck brought in two transfers, Matthew Trickett (Kent State) and Will Mobley (Temple). Coach Fleck and Gopher fans everywhere will be crossing their fingers that one of these guys turns out to be their kicking savior they so desperately need.
Nebraska
Strength: Defensive Experience
The Cornhusker's defense welcomes the return of five "super seniors" giving this unit the experience and veteran savvy tools it needs to compete in the Big Ten this season. Led by defensive end Ben Stille and outside linebacker JoJo Domann, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander will be looking to keep this defense trending in the right direction. On the back end they have cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and safety Dontai Williams, who are more than capable of holding it down in the secondary, which should be a strength for this Cornhusker defense.
Weakness: Scoring Points
Quarterback Adrian Martinez and the rest of the offense will be looking to improve upon what they displayed last year in Lincoln. While the offense was able to rack up the yardage, averaging 391.5 per game (good for fourth in the conference), they simply couldn't finish drives in the end zone. The Cornhuskers averaged a pedestrian 23.1 points per game, good for 11th in the conference. They have a young and talented running back unit along with a couple of big bodied receivers on the outside, giving Martinez and head coach Scott Frost no excuses this year when it comes to putting up points.
Northwestern
Strength: Offensive Line
Offensive line coach Kurt Anderson has worked wonders with this unit over the course of the last couple seasons, and this year expects to be no different. The Wildcats return veteran center Sam Gerak, rising star Peter Skoronski at left tackle and Ethan Wiederkehr moving from right guard to right tackle. While Coach Anderson will be looking for two new guards, it shouldn't be much of a concern. Sophomore Josh Priebe and redshirt junior Charlie Schmidt will be looking to slide in to both guard spots respectively. Leading the way for Cam Porter, who has all the makings of an All-Big Ten running back, the offensive line and rushing attack will help take a big load off of whoever wins the Wildcat's quarterback competition.
Weakness: Inexperience
The Wildcats will return just 34% of their total production from last season—which is 126th in the FBS, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. After a veteran heavy squad helped lead the Wildcats to a Big Ten West Championship in 2020, this year's Wildcats will need to find help in unexpected places as they look to fill a number of holes. New faces will have to step up for head coach Pat Fitzgerald's squad this season, especially in key roles such as QB, WR and LB, if they want to replicate their success they had in 2020 and end up back in Lucas Oil Stadium come December.
Purdue
Strength: Competent Offense
The Boilermaker's offense may not wow you and light the scoreboard on fire, but it is an experienced group who know how to play Big Ten football. While they will be looking to improve on scoring more than 27.1 points per game as they did last season, the cupboard is not bare for this offense. Talented (and former Big Ten Freshman of the Year) junior wide receiver David Bell and tailback Zander Horvath return to help lead this offense and give it a much needed boost. Along with returning three starters from the offensive line from 2020, the Boilermakers are in good shape up front. While the quarterback spot is yet to be decided, as long as Purdue receives solid play at the position regardless of who it is, they should be in good hands.
Weakness: Pass Defense
The Boilermakers will need to make significant strides on this side of the ball if they want to have any success this season. Head coach Jeff Brohm once again revamped his defensive staff in hopes of turning this unit around. First year defensive coordinator Brad Lambert brings with him many years of experience and will look to bolster a defense that gave up 29.8 points per game last season. Purdue's pass defense finished 12th in the conference, and had a very hard time getting off the field on third downs. That will be an emphasis this year under Lambert, who will have a handful of playmakers returning on the defensive side of the ball.
Wisconsin
Strength: Defense
There is no secret as to what the strength is of this year's Badger football team. It is their defense, plain and simple. Last season, Wisconsin led the Big Ten in total defense, giving up 299.9 yards per game, along with 17.4 points per game, which was third in the conference and ninth nationally in scoring defense. This unit is mean, physical and fast. Wisconsin might just have the best inside linebacker duo in the nation with Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal leading the way. If there was one phase of the game that defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard would like to see improvement in, it is getting after the quarterback, as the Badgers recorded only 11 sacks last season.
Weakness: Will Quarterback Graham Mertz Take The Next Step?
Graham Mertz could very well be the reason the Wisconsin Badgers end up in the College Football Playoff this year. While more of an uncertainty than a true weakness, Head coach Paul Chryst is hoping that Mertz can take his game to the next level. There is no denying Mertz has the talent to be that guy, as we saw last year in his debut against Illinois when he tied a school record with five passing touchdowns. However, it was the inconsistencies that Mertz struggled with, never seeming to find his groove over the course of the shortened season. The Badgers return wide receivers Danny Davis III, Kendric Pryor, Chimere Dike and senior tight end Jake Ferguson, who will try and help Mertz and the offense generate more big plays this season, as they only had three plays of 40-plus yards last year. Everyone is expecting Mertz to take the leap this year, and for the Badger's sake and playoff aspirations, they better hope that he does.
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Jack Savage is a Reporter and Contributor for Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Savage is a UCLA alum and is currently pursuing his MSJ at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.