The Ohio State football program is a recruiting monster, but that’s not always the most important thing when you look at next season’s prospects, once it’s time to turn the page. Sometimes it has more to do with what’s left in the closet, which has a greater influence on winning shiny items and trinkets that stay in trophy boxes for years to come.
ESPN has been looking to return production to all FBS teams (subscription required) and since we are more interested in what is happening in the neighborhood, OSU has been the aggressor on the block for some time – Big Ten – we are offering you a look forward to all fourteen teams in the conference.
We must remember that returning talent does not always equate to a better team or one that can fight (see Michigan), but can often be an indicator of improvement and stability.
This is how things are with all the Big Ten football teams when it comes to returning talent, according to the world leader in sports programming.
14 wild cats from the northwest – no. 125 in general)
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Lowdown
Northwestern loses veteran defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, but has to replace several starters, including most of the ball. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald remains, but only BYU loses more production in the country than Wildcats.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 34% | 29% | 127 | 39% | 125 |
13 Ohio State Buckeyes – Nr. 121 in general
Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
You would normally be worried when a team returns production as little as Ohio State does, but the Buckeyes have proven to recharge with the best of them. However, if you’re the rest of the Big Ten, this could be the year you can catch OSU early before all four- and five-star recruits start taking their feet off the sea, especially on defense.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 50% | 55% | 99 | 44% | 119 |
12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights – Nr. 82 in general
Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
Rutgers took a big competitive step last season under Greg Schiano and has a few players back to build. The problem is that the rest of the Big Ten do too. We’ll see if the program takes the next step and starts winning at a bigger clip in 2021.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 64% | 67% | 74 | 61% | 96 |
11 Michigan State Spartans – Nr. 64 in general
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Lowdown
The Spartans are still unmoved by the defender, but there are a lot of things otherwise. The problem comes in the defensive part of the ball, where there is a ton of re-equipment. Not a good problem for a team trying to turn the corner under second-year coach Mel Tucker.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 69% | 80% | 37 | 59% | 99 |
10 Illinois Fighting Illini – No. 62 overall
Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the new head coach Bret (Bart) Bielema has such a recurring list. On the one hand, a complete turnover in culture could be good, but on the other hand, having a few boys returning to work may not be bad to build. Defender Brando Peters and most of the offensive production is back, so I think we’ll wait and see.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 70% | 80% | 38 | 61% | 94 |
9 Nebraska Cornhuskers – Nr. 60 in general
(Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
Lowdown
Nebraska will have to improve quickly for senior defender Adrian Martinez, but the defense is up to almost everyone. For an offensive coach like Scott Frost, this is probably the opposite of what he would like to have, but the old school culture in Nebraska says it might be what it takes to finally turn this into Lincoln.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 72% | 56% | 96 | 88% | 9 |
8 Iowa Hawkeyes – No. 57 overall
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
Iowa played the best of any team that was not named Ohio State at the end of the 2020 campaign and there is enough back on both sides of the ball to expect the Hawkeyes to continue this trend in 2021. America needs farmers, and Iowa he usually needs a great defense to fight for a league title. Looks like that will be the case next season.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 72% | 69% | 70 | 76% | 48 |
7 Michigan Wolverines – No. 49 overall
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
We’re running out of jokes and shocks for where this Michigan program is, but if you’re a Wolverine fan, at least there’s a pretty good production for rescuer Jim Harbaugh. The good news is that there is no reconstruction on either side of the ball. The bad news is that there is no reconstruction on both sides of the ball.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 73% | 77% | 46 | 70% | The 69th |
6 Purdue Boilermakers – Nr. 38 in general
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
The issues can be misleading here. Purdue returns a lot at the end of the offensive, but is worried about the defender, and the loss of receiver Rondale Moore is a great success. However, there are guys who know what they are doing, so maybe the luck of a cripple to the finish line in 2020 will return in 2021.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 78% | 85% | 17 | 70% | 68 |
5 Penn State Nittany Lions – Nr. 37 in general
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
I’m almost ready to enter last season as a COVID-19 anomaly for the Nittany Lions, but even if they don’t, many will return to Happy Valley. Look for a major improvement with defender Sean Clifford this fall, with a lot of weapons around him and a much better defense, with so many pieces coming back.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 78% | 74% | 58 | 82% | 24 |
4 Minnesota Golden Gophers – Nr. 25 in general
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
Again, a bit misleading. Minnesota loses starting quarterback Tanner Morgan and one of the best receivers in the country, Rashod Bateman, on offense. These are huge shoes to fill. Look for PJ Fleck to try to rely on a defense that knows what he’s doing and should be improved.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 80% | 75% | 53 | 84% | 18 |
3 Indiana Hoosiers – Nr. 24 in general
Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
Indiana took huge steps in 2020 and played closer to Ohio than any other team in the league. Tom Allen has this program on the rise and has plenty in the closet this fall. If defender Michael Penix, Jr. can return fully healthy, Hoosiers could be the biggest threat to the Buckeyes’ dethronement this fall.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 80% | 80% | 39 | 81% | 26 |
2 Badgers from Wisconsin – Nr. 14 in general
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
It’s been a strange year for Wisconsin, even more so than other teams in a COVID-19 world. Badgers seemed to have enough talent, but they couldn’t put it all together. Expect UW to return in 2021 with all the production coming back on both sides of the ball, including five-star defender Graham Mertz, who should have learned from an inconsistent season this year.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 83% | 84% | 24 | 82% | 22 |
1 Maryland Terrapins – Nr. 10 in general
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Lowdown
If this is the year Maryland will stop its inconsistent paths, this could be it. The recruitment was good and, with everything coming back on both sides of the ball, the Terrapins could be ready to walk with some of the big boys in the league. Look for quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to make a difference.
Rankings according to ESPN
| Overall | crime | Rank | Defense | Rank |
| 85% | 86% | 14 | 85% | 17 |
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