2019 Big Ten College Football Preseason Rankings: Michigan the Team to Beat

2019 Big Ten College Football Preseason Rankings: Michigan the Team to Beat: The 2019 College Football season is set to begin later this month, but before the teams take the field and start a journey that they hope will end with a national championship, it is time to take a closer look at how the Power 5 conferences stack up. I’ll begin with the Big Ten, a conference that has been left on the outside of the College Football Playoff the last couple of years. Not surprisingly, a pair of longstanding rivals lead the way. Also, be sure and check out our complete 2019 Big Ten Football predictions for projected record and finish of each team.

2019 Big Ten College Football Preseason Rankings: Michigan the Team to Beat

1. Michigan Wolverines

If Jim Harbaugh and company don’t get the job done this year, you have to wonder if it is ever going to happen. A new offensive philosophy should allow quarterback Shea Patterson to take full advantage of the athletes around him that have been wasted in the predictable, ground-and-pound attack the last several years, and you know the defense will be stingy. Meanwhile, Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame all have to visit the Big House. Speaking of the Buckeyes, the team that has been Harbaugh’s Achilles’ heel won’t have Urban Meyer on the sidelines, so there are absolutely no excuses. This is a golden opportunity for the Wolverines to take back the Big Ten East, win the conference title and compete for a national championship.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Urban Meyer is no longer the coach. Dwayne Haskins is no longer the quarterback. Nick Bosa is no longer pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, turnover is par for the course at this powerhouse program, and they always have the pieces in place to reload. Defensive end Chase Young is being mentioned as the possible No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and the secondary should be one of the strongest units in the country. On the offensive side of the ball, Georgia transfer and former five-star recruit Justin Fields will have to show he can lead an offense, but if he plays up to his talent level, Ohio State is going to remain in the hunt for a Big Ten title and spot in the College Football Playoff. I expect the season to come to a showdown against rival Michigan

3. Iowa Hawkeyes

A.J. Epenesa is the one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the country and a potential top-five pick in the NFL Draft, and he is going to anchor an always tough Iowa defense. On the offensive side of the ball, the Hawkeyes have a solid line up front and an experienced, productive quarterback in senior Nate Stanley, who has thrown 26 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. There are some tough road games on the schedule, but this Iowa team appears to have enough talent and experience on both sides of the ball to win the West Division and play for a Big Ten title.

4. Michigan State Spartans

Eight starters are back for a defense that was the best in the country at stopping the run a year ago. Michigan State has elite performers at all levels of its defense, including edge rusher Kenny Willekes, who led the Big Ten with 20.5 tackles for loss last season. The problem for the Spartans has been putting points on the board, and there is no guarantee that issue is going away in 2019. Meanwhile, road games against Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin make for a rough schedule. The defense is going to make the Spartans a tough out and give them a puncher’s chance against anyone, but they are going to have a tough time emerging

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska struggled to a 4-8 record last year, but the Cornhuskers began to buy in to new head coach Scott Frost’s system as the year went on. They went 4-3 to close the year, and the three losses came on the road to Northwestern, Ohio State and Iowa, all by five points or less. Dual-threat quarterback Adrian Martinez has star potential in Frost’s system, and the Nebraska offense should be dangerous. The schedule also lines up nicely, and the Cornhuskers host East Division juggernaut Ohio State while avoiding Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State all together. A showdown with Iowa at the end of the year could decide the West Division. I think Nebraska is poised for a big leap.

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