Big Ten West Division Preview

Aug. 27—BIG TEN WEST DIVISION

Illinois

Last year: 5-7, 4-5 Big Ten, fifth in the West

Coach: Bret Bielema (5-7 at Illinois, 102-65 overall)

Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)

Players to watch: QB Tommy DeVito, RB Chase Brown, RB Josh McCray, WR Isaiah Williams, TE Luke Ford, Keith Randolph DL, DB Sydney Brown

The big questions: Who will be the starting quarterback — Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito or Artur Sitkowski, who started three games last season after transferring from Rutgers? How fast can Sitkowski bounce back from off-season shoulder surgery? Will the Illini's offense improve after a horrendous performance last season when it ranked No. 115 nationally in scoring and No. 122 in passing? Are the Illini's Sydney Brown (1,005 yards rushing last season) and Chase Brown (third team All-Big Ten at safety) the best twins in the Big Ten?

Iowa

Last year: 10-4, 7-2 Big Ten, first in the West

Coach: Kirk Ferentz (178-110 overall and at Iowa)

Returning starters: 16 (7 offense, 8 defense, punter)

Players to watch: QB Spencer Petras, WR Keagan Johnson, TE Sam LaPorta, DE Lukas Van Ness, LB Jack Campbell, CB Riley Moss

The big questions: Will Iowa, which was 10-4 and won the West Division last season despite an offense that ranked No. 13 in the Big Ten (303.9 yards per game), find new ways to move the ball? Will Spencer Petras, the Hawkeyes' starting quarterback the last two seasons, hold on to that job, or is coach Kirk Ferentz serious when he says there is an open competition at quarterback? Will tight end Sam LaPorta be the leading receiver for the second year in a row? With eight returning starters on defense can Iowa replicate its performance of last season when it held opponents to 19.2 points a game and led the nation with 25 pass interceptions?

Minnesota

Last year: 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten, tie for second in the West

Coach: P.J. Fleck (35-23 at Minnesota, 64-45 overall)

Returning starters: 13 (5 offense, 6 defense, kicker, punter)

Players to watch: QB Tanner Morgan, WR Chris Autman-Bell, RB Mohamed Ibrahim, TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, LB Mariano Sori-Marin, DB Tyler Nubin

The big questions: Has star running back Mohamed Ibrahim recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in last year's season opener against Ohio State? Ibrahim ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2020 and had 163 yards against OSU last year in his only game. Will quarterback Tanner Morgan, who threw 10 touchdown passes and nine interceptions last season, do better, worse or about the same with an offensive line which has only one returning starter in front of him? Can the Gophers avoid big upsets like their losses to Bowling Green and Illinois last season?

Nebraska

Last year: 3-9, 1-8 Big Ten, tied for sixth in the West

Coach: Scott Frost (15-29 at Nebraska and 34-36 overall)

Returning starters: 10 (5 offense, 5 defense)

Players to watch: QB Casey Thompson, RB Anthony Grant, RB Rahmir Johnson, WR Omar Manning, DE Ochaun Mathis, DE Garrett Nelson, LB Luke Reimer, CB Quinton Newsome

The big questions: Will Scott Frost's fifth year as head coach at his alma mater be his final season there? Will seven or eight wins be enough to save his job? Will transfers Casey Thompson (Florida) and Chubba Purdy (Florida State) give the Cornhuskers more at quarterback than Adrian Martinez, who started the last four years but now is at Kansas State? Will Nebraska win some close games after losing seven games by a touchdown or less last season? Can Nebraska qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2016?

Northwestern

Last year: 3-9, 1-8, 6-2 Big Ten, seventh in the West

Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (109-90, all at Northwestern)

Returning starters: 13 (8 offense, 5 defense)

Players to watch: QB Ryan Hillinski, RB Cam Porter, OT Peter Skoronski, DE Adetomiwa Adebwore, LB Bryce Gallagher, CB A.J. Hampton, CB Cameron Mitchell

The big questions: Who will play quarterback? Ryan Hillinski has the most game experience, but he threw more interceptions than touchdown passes last season. Can the Wildcats find some offensive linemen to go with first-team All-Big Ten tackle Peter Skoronski, who is projected to be a first-round NFL draft choice? Northwestern ranked No. 12 in the Big Ten in sacks allowed last season. Is any Big Ten coach more secure in his job than Pat Fitzgerald? How much will Northwestern's defense miss safety Brandon Joseph, a first-team All-American in 2020, who transferred to Notre Dame after last season?

Purdue

Last year: 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten, tied for second in the West

Coach: Jeff Brohm (28-29 at Purdue, 58-39 overall)

Returning starters: 15 (6 offense, 7 defense, kicker, punter)

Players to watch: QB Aidan O'Connell, RB King Doerue, WR Broc Thompson, TE Payne Durham, DT Branson Deen, NT Lawrence Johnson, LB Jalsen Graham, CB Cory Trice

The big questions: Do the Boilermakers have a legitimate chance of winning the West Division after going 9-4 last season? Can they improve a running game that ranked last in the Big Ten last season at 84 yards per game? Do they even need to do that with quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who threw for more than 500 yards in two games last season and put the ball in the air an average of 43 times a game in the games he started last season? O'Connell is one of two married starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season. Minnesota's Tanner Morgan, who got married before last season, is the other. O'Connell's wedding was two days before Purdue began practice this summer.

Wisconsin

Last year: 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten, tied for second in the West

Coach: Paul Chryst (65-23 at Wisconsin, 84-42 overall)

Returning starters: 9 (5 offense, 3 defense, punter)

Players to watch: QB Graham Mertz, RB Braelon Allen, WR Chimere Dike, DE Isaiah Mullens, DT Keeanu Benton , LB Nick Herbig

The big questions: Can quarterback Graham Mertz improve his touchdown pass to interception ratio after throwing 19 touchdown passes and 16 picks in his first two years as a starter? Will Wisconsin have a more balanced offense after having a run-heavy attack last season? It attempted 194 fewer passes than Ohio State and 108 fewer than the Big Ten average in 2021. Is Braelon Allen, who rushed for 1,268 yards as a freshman, the next in an almost unbroken line of standout running backs in the last 30 years at Wisconsin? Who is going to catch the ball for the Badgers? Chimere Dike is the leading returning receiver with 19 catches, but no other wide receiver on the roster has more than three catches in their career.