Tag: 2018 B1G Ratings

Consider me a fan of what has gone on over the last couple of years in the Big Ten West. For too long, Big Ten teams were sitting on their money and not getting the best coaches they could. That has begun to change for most of the programs, and we will continue to see the results on the field. The longer that these…

When the Big Ten was a laughing stock about a decade ago, it was clear that a change in coaches needed to take place at most of the programs in the conference. Those changes have taken place and the impact has produced the best division in college football. Of course, it was the hire of Urban Meyer which really…

If you are going to win the Big Ten, you either better be one of the best teams in the nation or have an incredibly favorable schedule. And if you can do both, do both. When it comes to these annual Big Ten ratings, the schedules are just one piece of the puzzle. In reality, however, a schedule is all four corner pieces of that puzzle.

Show me a national championship team and I’ll likely show you one of the nation’s best special teams. Coaches call it “hidden yardage,” and good luck finding that yardage without a legitimate focus on the kicking game. When it comes to the special teams rankings every year, determining the best coverage…

Show me a national championship team and I’ll likely show you one of the nation’s best special teams. Coaches call it “hidden yardage,” and good luck finding it without a legitimate focus on the kicking game. When it comes to the special teams rankings every year, determining the best coverage teams are nearly impossible…

In order to win the Big Ten West, you don’t necessarily have to have the best secondary in the division. The West, after all, isn’t exactly known for its dynamic passing attacks. But if you have the worst secondary, you might be screwed. There are many unknowns throughout the defensive back groups here.

The secondary is the last line of defense on the football field, and if a team has a great group of defensive backs, they can cover up a lot of problems in the front seven. Now, no secondary is good enough to defend forever, but since we’re just talking split seconds, a great secondary can make everyone in front of them better.

The Big Ten West features an interesting batch of linebackers this year. It also features different schemes for those linebackers. Two programs run a 3-4 defense, while other programs employ a basic 4-3 defense, and others utilize a nickel/linebacker hybrid. There are all different types of linebackers in the division, which…

The Big Ten East returns just three linebackers who appeared on the Big Ten’s first, second, or third team last year. All that means, however, is some new stars are itching to emerge. While there may not be many stars, there are plenty of starters. Some programs return more than others, however. For those teams with…

There are a large number of starters returning at defensive line throughout the Big Ten West, but while experience is nice, talent and production need to improve. There are only two returning defensive linemen in the Big Ten West who earned as much as second or third-team All-B1G selection last year. New stars will need to emerge.