Big Ten Power Rankings: How things look heading into the season

9-5

9. Maryland 

Maryland had its best season in a while last year, going 7-6 with a bowl win. The Terps may have the second-best passing attack in the Big Ten. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed 69.2% of his passes for 3,860 yards with 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Tagovailoa will get his top two weapons back with Dontay Demus returning from a serious injury and Rakim Jarett back. The problem with the Maryland offense is that the offensive line isn’t a strength, and the run game is a huge question mark. One dimensional offenses rarely do well in the Big Ten, just ask 2021 Penn State. Maryland’s defense allowed 30.7 points per game last year and now the unit’s best player, safety Nick Cross, is off to the NFL. The passing attack will win the Terps plenty of games, but the defense is a concern against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.

8. Iowa

Iowa went 10-4 last year and made the Big Ten title game, the problem is, last year is last year. The Hawkeyes got lucky in a few games last year, especially in the Penn State one when Sean Clifford got hurt for the Nittany Lions. The offense averaged only 23.4 points per game last season and workhorse running back Tyler Goodson is now in the NFL. The passing attack was almost nonexistent last year, and Iowa just doesn’t have the talent at the receiver position to keep up with some of the other offenses in the conference. The defense will still be great in 2022 though. Leading tackler Jack Campbell is back for one more go around, as is fellow linebacker Seth Benson. Look for former 5-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa to get some run at safety as well. Zach Vanvalkenberg is gone after recording 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2021, but Joe Evans and Lukas Van Ness, who each had seven sacks last year, are back. Iowa’s offense will be one of the worst in the conference, but the defense will keep them in most games. Despite being 10-4 last year, Iowa was unranked in the AP Poll, which says most people expect a step backwards this year.

7. Purdue

The Boilermakers went 9-4 last year but lose their top two wide receivers in David Bell and Milton Wright. The team’s best defender, George Karlaftis, is also now in the NFL. Purdue does return talented quarterback Aidan O’Connell though. He completed 71.6% of his passes for 3,712 yards and 28 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions last year. There are questions about how he will do without Bell and Wright, who were by far the team’s best two weapons. The third leading receiver last year, Jackson Anthrop, is also gone. They did bring in transfer Charlie Jones from Iowa and return TJ Sheffield and Broc Thompson, who were the fourth and fifth leading receivers on the team. Purdue doesn’t have much of a run game to speak of; King Doure is the starter and he had just 533 rushing yards and two touchdowns last year. In addition to losing Karlaftis, Purdue also lost top tackler Jaylan Alexander. Last year’s leader in interceptions, Cam Allen, does return though. This team lost a lot from last year, but as long as O’Connell is there, they’ll have a chance in almost every game this year.

6. Penn State

Penn State started 2021 5-0 and then finished 7-6. An injury to quarterback Sean Clifford was a big reason why Penn State struggled, but other factors played a role. The Nittany Lions could not run the ball and the offensive line struggled. Clifford is back and healthy, but he loses his favorite target in Jahan Dotson. He does return his No. 2 and No. 3 receivers from last year in Parker Washington and Keandre Lambert-Smith and the team brought in Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley. The run game may also improve with 5-star freshman Nick Singleton coming in and some changes on the offensive line. The defense lost six starters and the coordinator from last year, but this unit should still be a strength. The defensive line is the deepest it has ever been for James Franklin and the secondary is considered one of the best in the nation. Linebacker is a concern with two starters needing to be replaced from last year. The offense needs to improve, but if Clifford stays healthy, Penn State will get back to competing in the East.

5. Minnesota

Not many teams dealt with more injuries in 2021 than Minnesota. Top running back Mohamed Ibrahim played only one half of football in 2021 and then his back up Trey Potts was lost for the year as well after only five games. Despite this, the Golden Gophers still went 9-4 last year. Now, the Gophers return both running backs and quarterback Tanner Morgan. While his weapons are not what they were in 2019, Morgan still has the intangibles to win games and move the ball. The defense was one of the best in the country last year, ranking sixth in scoring. They do lose top sack recorder Boye Mafe and top tackler Jack Gibbens, but other key contributors like Thomas Rush and Tyler Nubin are back. Minnesota does need to replace three offensive linemen from one of the best groups in the country in 2021, but they have developed well at the position lately. Minnesota has a legitimate chance to win the Big Ten West if they stay healthy.