Burning questions for 2025 Big Ten Media Days: Can Ohio State reload? Is Penn State ready to be the hunted?
The Big Ten has changed a lot in recent years, and there may not be a greater indicator of that change than this year's Big Ten Media Days. For the first time in the history of the event, the conference's annual roll call of coaches and players will take place in Las Vegas. It's a decision that feels odd because not only is it outside the conference's natural footprint, but it's not even a part of the current footprint.
I mean, unless UNLV joined the conference and nobody told me.
Regardless, I don't mind, nor does the contingent of media amassing on Vegas this week for the event. No offense to Indianapolis, a wonderful city, but there are more things to do in Las Vegas.
Of course, we shouldn't let the extracurriculars distract us from the primary reason the Big Ten has descended upon Sin City. Everybody is there to ask questions and hopefully get answers that aren't non-descriptive boilerplate cliches that say nothing. What follows are some of the biggest questions surrounding each of the 18 schools that call the Big Ten home.
IllinoisHow does Illinois handle preseason expectations?
Illinois has routinely been tabbed as "this year's Indiana," as it's coming off a 10-win season and returns nearly its entire starting lineup from last year. However, Illinois doesn't have a lot of success with encores, and now that everyone sees this team coming, are the Illini prepared to have a target on their back every week?
IndianaCan the Hoosiers do it again?
Last year's Indiana fully plans to be this year's Indiana, too, but unlike Illinois, this is a team that's resetting a lot of its roster. The Hoosiers were very active in the portal once again this offseason. Can they have as much success in this class as they did last year?
IowaDo the Hawkeyes have what it takes to reestablish themselves as a threat in the Big Ten?
We go in alphabetical order here, which is why we started with Illinois and Indiana, but while people focus on the success of those two programs last year, what isn't discussed as often is the programs those two have seemingly supplanted. Iowa is one of them. The Hawkeyes were annually one of the Big Ten's best outside the top tier, but offensive issues have seen this team slip recently. There have also been some slippages on the defensive side of the ball, but I can't help but wonder if this team isn't enjoying flying under the radar heading into 2025.
MarylandIs the personnel in place to rebound from last season?
The Terps were terrible last season and are replacing damn near everybody who was a significant contributor to the team. That could be good news. It could also be a case where the bad situation only gets much worse. Even if the offense takes a step forward with freshman Malik Washington at QB, is there anything on the defensive side of the ball that leads you to believe it'll make much of a difference?
MichiganIs Bryce Underwood ready?
I initially thought Underwood would be brought along slowly like the Wolverines did with JJ McCarthy, but as the season approaches, all signs point toward Underwood being the starter from Day 1. That's a great sign considering the talent Underwood has, but rare is the freshman QB who doesn't struggle. How does a Michigan team coming off a disappointing season, and with so many top names to replace on defense, fare with an inexperienced quarterback?
Michigan StateIs there a second-year starter bump for Aidan Chiles?
Chiles wasn't a true freshman last year, but he was a first-time starter, and it showed. Not only did he throw 11 interceptions, but he fumbled six times as well. Those mistakes were too much for the Spartans to overcome, and if they're to take a step forward in 2025, they'll need Chiles to lead the way. As for whether it'll happen, Jonathan Smith deserves some benefit of the doubt. If you don't believe me, compare DJ Uiagelelei's time under him at Oregon State to his seasons with Florida State and Clemson.
MinnesotaIs Koi Perich the next two-way superstar?
Perich garnered plenty of attention for his performance as a freshman at safety last season, quickly becoming one of the best defensive players in the conference. Then, this spring, Perich started getting work on both sides of the ball, with P.J. Fleck confirming the team wants to work him into the offense. How big of a role are they looking to give Perich, and in what capacity?
NebraskaCan Dylan Raiola make the leap?
Raiola's flown a bit under the radar this offseason. He's a former five-star QB who comes into 2025 with a full season of starting experience under his belt, and this is typically the time when a QB sinks or swims. Combine that with how drastically Matt Rhule's teams have improved in his third season at his prior stops (Temple and Baylor), and you can't help but wonder if Nebraska deserves more attention than it's receiving.
NorthwesternHow impactful can the transfer class be?
Preston Stone is the headliner at quarterback, and I'm confident he'll be a serious upgrade on what the Wildcats had at the position last year. What I'm not nearly as confident in are the weapons around him, or if the additions made via the portal on the defensive side of the ball will be enough to turn this ship around. The plucky underdogs in Evanston, Illinois, weren't very plucky last year.
Ohio StateCan the Buckeyes reload quickly?
Barring a rash of injuries the likes of which we've never seen before, Ohio State will be one of the best teams in the country in 2025. The question is, how good can they be? This is a team that brought a lot back with one goal last season and achieved that goal. But now there's a lot to replace, and while we all know this team has talent up and down the roster, we also know how valuable experience can be when it comes to competing at the top of the sport. The Buckeyes are currently favored to win the Big Ten (+195), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
OregonCan Dante Moore keep this offense humming?
While I don't know for sure, my gut tells me Oregon has recruited well enough under both Mario Cristobal and Dan Lanning that, even with departures, this team will be better on paper than most of the teams it faces. The true x-factor will be how quickly Dante Moore can replace the production of Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel before him. While he's been in college for a few years, Lanning's Oregon teams have all been led by very experienced signal callers ... until this year.
Penn StateIs Penn State ready to be the hunted?
The Nittany Lions are hoping to follow the blueprint laid out by Michigan and Ohio State before them. They retained a number of their draft-eligible players with the hopes of getting a Big Ten title and making a run at a national title, too. But Penn State is usually looked at as the "third team" in the Big Ten. With questions surrounding Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan all coming into 2025, many have pegged this team as the favorite in the Big Ten. Are they ready to play that role?
PurdueHow quickly can a brand-new roster gel?
What if Purdue is this year's Indiana? It's a huge stretch, I get it, but it's a situation much more in line with what the Hoosiers did last year than what's happened at Illinois. Barry Odom has taken over and nearly overhauled the entire roster in one offseason. How quickly will we see the dividends on these changes, if we see them at all?
RutgersCan the Knights take the next step?
There's no question Greg Schiano has raised the floor of this program since his return. After going 12-22 his first three years, the Knights have gone 7-6 each of the last two years. Can they get to eight wins in 2025? Can they finish with their first winning record in Big Ten play?
UCLAWhere can Nico Iamaleava take this team?
Nico Iamaleava's transfer to UCLA generated plenty of headlines this offseason, but what got a bit lost in the hubbub over what it all meant is the football impact. Iamaleava, like all first-time starters, had ups and downs last year. In fact, there were more downs than ups. Will the return home to California and the change of scenery be beneficial, or will having to learn a new offense in a new program lead to another year of bumps and bruises?
USCIs this the year the Lincoln Riley hire pays off?
The Trojans have regressed in every season under Riley, going from 11 wins in his first season to eight and then seven last year. The Trojans have certainly done all they can to make necessary changes off the field, and there has been a concerted effort to improve the defensive side of the ball in the transfer portal. But we said a lot of those things last year, too. At some point, the results need to show up on the field.
WashingtonCan Demond Williams be the best QB in the Big Ten?
Williams saw plenty of time for the Huskies last season, even if he never started until the bowl game. Now, he enters 2025 as one of the league's possible scene-stealers. Washington expectedly took a step backward coming off a near national title and playing in a new league, but Williams has the skillset that could cause Husky Stadium to shake routinely, and lead this team into the playoff conversation.
WisconsinIs this finally Luke Fickell's team?
You never got the sense Fickell enjoyed the "Dairy Raid" moniker bestowed upon his offense when he brought Phil Longo to Madison with him. Now Longo is gone, and the Badgers have made serious changes to the roster on both sides of the ball via the portal. If things don't work out this year (and the schedule certainly won't help), it'll be with a team that has Fickell's fingerprints all over it.
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