We are barley removed from the 2017 season, and the 2018 season is still many months away, but it's never too soon to look ahead to see who I believe will be worth buying into or selling on next season. I continue by taking a look at the Big Ten:
Buy List
Ohio State: Despite losing JT Barrett at QB, the Buckeyes should still return fairly loaded in 2018, and could once again be the class of the conference when the season comes to an end. Urban Meyer has plenty of tools to load up once again.
Penn State: Saquon Barkley is gone, but the easiest position to load up on in football is RB, and Penn State should be just fine there moving forward. Trace McSorley returns at QB as a senior, but there is a question as to adjustments made in the system now that Joe Moorhead left as OC to become the head coach at Mississippi State.
Michigan State: Brian Lewerke is back at QB, and LJ Scott is back at RB. The Spartans made major strides in 2017, and if there is one major dark horse that could steal the conference in 2018, it may just be these guys.
Michigan: The Wolverines have not turned the corner yet under Jim Harbaugh to win the conference title. Hell, he has not had a top flight QB to work with. He does now in Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, a former five star who has all of the tools to diversify the Michigan offense and get the Wolverines over the top.
Rutgers: Call me nuts, but I saw Rutgers as one of the more improved teams in the nation last season, despite once again falling under .500 at the end. The Scarlet Knights could join Tulane in the AAC as long time losers who are ready to turn a small corner and go bowling next fall.
Maryland: DJ Durkin must have bought stock in TUMS in 2017. Injuries completely derailed what could have been an amazing season in College Park, especially at QB. If the Terps can stay healthy in 2018, they may get a sniff of what was not to be last season.
Wisconsin: The Badgers should be the cream of the West yet again, especially with the return of Jonathon Taylor at RB. If Alex Hornibrook can play anything like he did in the Orange Bowl, and do so consistently, he could be one of the best players in the nation next fall. The defense, as usual, will e absolutely loaded.
Northwestern: Clayton Thorson took a nasty injury in their bowl game, but if he can get back to form in 2018, the Wildcats could push Wisconsin in the West once again. Justin Jackson will be gone at RB, but the Cats always seem to find one laying around somewhere.
Purdue: Jeff Brohm came over and immediately changed the entire culture at Purdue, and this team is primed to be huge in 2018. Look for the Boilermakers to be a major player and push Wisconsin.
Minnesota: The Gophers completely under performed in 2017, but that may be because PJ Fleck had to gut and change of culture that showed no off-field discipline before he got there. Look for Fleck and the Gophers to bounce solidly back in 2018.
Sell List
Indiana: The Hoosiers certainly had some terrible issues to deal with as Kevin Wilson was fired late due to player abuse issues, to be replaced by DC Tom Allen, who was not really qualified for the job, but fit a university dogma that he just was not Wilson. That did not work out from the start last season, and now, there is really no sign that it will work any better in 2018. I am full sell on the Hoosiers.
Iowa: Despite managing to beat Ohio State, and by virtue of that, knock the Buckeyes from a playoff birth, the Hawkeyes were still a below average football team in 2017. Iowa went 1-4 against ranked opponents in 2017, and they are proving to be a program that is falling backward and getting stagnant. Despite what Kirk Ferentz means to the Iowa community, he is not the guy who will bring consistent, big time winning to the Hawkeyes.
Nebraska: Kudos for going out and hiring Scott Frost to turn the fortunes around in Lincoln, but Lincoln was not built in a single night, and so it will be in 2018. Frost is working with an ill fitting roster, no solidified QB candidates, and a mess on defense. This is going to take a little bit of time, but we all know how Frost can accelerate a process.
Illinois: How Lovie Smith was not fired after 2017, I will never know. He is so far out of his element right now, that there could be no viable timetable as to when we would ever expect the Illini to be competitive in conference play, or furthermore, out of it. The Illini are a mess, and I find that to be the trend moving forward in 2018.
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