Big Ten Daily (Aug. 26): Welcome Back, College Football

The 2024 college football season is finally back! Here are a handful of Big Ten storylines entering a new era for the conference.

Dustin Schutte | Aug 26, 2024

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

It's been a long offseason, but you've finally made it, Big Ten fans. The conference's college football season kicks off this week, beginning with games on Thursday, Aug. 29 and running through Sunday, Sept. 1. What a great way to welcome the sport back.

Over the weekend, we were served an appetizer to the college football season, and we've already seen one major upset. Georgia Tech defeated No. 10 Florida State 24-21in Ireland to start the year, winning on a last-second field goal.

If that's what we saw in Week 0, can you imagine what the rest of the season has in store for us?

The 2024 season marks a new era for Big Ten football, as the conference expands from 14 to 18 teams. So, as we prepare for a weekend full of pigskin, there are a few major storylines to keep an eye on throughout the year.

How do the West Coast teams transition?

This is probably the most obvious storyline, isn't it? How will Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington handle life in the Big Ten? Are there going to be some bumps along the way or will this be a seemless move?

Of particular interest is Oregon and USC. The Ducks are expected to challenge Ohio State for a Big Ten crown this season. The Trojans are a preseason top-25 squad. Will those two programs live up to the hype?

No disrespect towards UCLA and Washington, but both programs endured a lot of change in the offseason. Those two teams may take a little longer to catch up to the pack, but they've got a good excuse.

Which first-year coach has the most success?

Finding success in the first year as a coach is never easy, regardless of program. This season, there will be five coaches in their first season with a program. That should make things really interesting.

The newest coaches in the conference are:

Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Sherrone Moore, Michigan
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
DeShaun Foster, UCLA
Jedd Fisch, Washington

All five face unique challenges at their respective schools. So, who exceeds expectations in Year 1? That's going to be a fun one to keep an eye on this season.

The quarterback situation

We're going to see a lot of new faces under center in 2024. Only four permanent starting quarterbacks return to the Big Ten this season, creating a lot of mystery about the year ahead.

Oregon's Dillon Gabriel is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country in his first season with the Ducks. Will Howard provides Ohio State with a dual-threat option under center. Can Tyler Van Dyke take Phil Longo's offense to the next level at Wisconsin? Is freshman gunslinger Dylan Raiola prepared to handle major expectations at Nebraska?

You could fill up an entire notebook about the questions about the quarterback position in the Big Ten this season. But I think you get the point — with so much change, there are a lot of question marks about the positon.

Which makes greater strides: Iowa's offense or USC's defense?

If you combined Iowa's defense and USC's offense, you might create a college football juggernaut comparable to the likes of Alabama or Georgia. But if you used the Hawkeyes' offense and the Trojans' defense, you might have one of the worst teams in the sport.

Last season, Iowa averaged 15.4 points per game, ranking 132nd nationally. USC allowed 34.4 points per game, ranking 121st. But both programs made changes in the offseason.

Kirk Ferentz hired Tim Lester to run the offense. Lincoln Riley brought in D'Anton Lynn to fix the defense. Which team will see the biggest improvement? And will those changes be enough to propel either program (maybe both) into the College Football Playoff conversation.

The pressure on Ryan Day and James Franklin

Ohio State has assembled one of the best rosters in college football and is one of the favorites to win the national championship. Yes, expectations are always high in Columbus, but the pressure is mounting on Ryan Day to win big.

The Buckeyes haven't beaten Michigan since 2019 and have not claimed a Big Ten title since 2020. With the roster in place and hiring Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator, the Buckeyes need to beat Michigan and be a championship contender.

Speaking of pressure, Franklin is looking to kick the narrative that Penn State folds in big games. The Nittany Lions have been one of the conference's most stable programs, but they've fallen short to Ohio State and Michigan an awful lot.

Penn State doesn't necessarily need to win the Big Ten, but Franklin would benefit greatly from beating a major opponent on the schedule and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Which second-year coach makes the biggest leap?

Four Big Ten coaches will be entering their second season with their respective program. Northwestern's David Braun was the biggest surprise a year ago, leading the Wildcats to an 8-5 record in his first year at the helm.

The rundown of second-year coaches in the Big Ten, and their records from last season:

Matt Rhule, Nebraska (5-7)
David Braun, Northwestern (8-5)
Ryan Walters, Purdue (4-8)
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin (7-6)

Can Fickell get Wisconsin back to the top of the Big Ten? Will Rhule make that giant second-year leap that his program's have historically made? Is Northwestern capable of building off an 8-5 campaign? Will Walters lead Purdue out of the bottom and surprise some folks?

These are all interesting questions heading into a brand new college football season.