Yes, football is back. Ok, not really.

But at the very least, former B1G players will be back in action at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this weekend. The on-air festivities begin Friday and last through Monday. There are 51 B1G players making the trip for the annual event.

Here are some key B1G storylines to follow this weekend:

1. How does Jabrill Peppers handle the spotlight?

All eyes will be on Peppers in Indianapolis. There are high expectations for his workouts — 4.3-second range for his 40-yard dash is possible — and his interviews. Peppers knows that the more impressive he looks at the combine, the better his chances are of becoming a consensus first-round pick.

Just in case there wasn’t enough pressure on Peppers to deliver on the field, his interviews will be telling, too. He’ll likely field questions on things like the Ohio State game, sitting out the Orange Bowl and if he was used properly at Michigan. Each one of those subjects can have potential land mine answers.

Avoiding any further scrutiny will be key for arguably the most-polarizing player in the draft.

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2. Can Malik McDowell flip the script?

In case you haven’t noticed, McDowell’s stock appears to be falling. Big time. Once viewed as a likely top-10 pick, some mock drafts don’t even have the former Michigan State defensive tackle in the first round anymore. Usually when that happens at this stage of the pre-draft process, it’s a result of evaluators not being enamored with the tape from the most recent season.

McDowell has the chance to turn around his draft stock narrative in Indianapolis by showing off some of the tools that made him a five-star recruit. Some questioned his motor and lack of production as a junior. The All-B1G selection can squash those concerns by showing that he’s in the best shape of his life and that he’s a different kind of prospect than his fellow defensive tackles.

3. Injured B1G All-Americans take mic

For injured prospects, the only true performance of the weekend comes away from the field. The likes of Jake Butt, Malik Hooker and Ryan Ramczyk will all be in that unfortunate spot. They’ll answer questions about how far along they are in their rehab and when they feel like they’ll be back to 100 percent.

Spoiler alert: Rehab is going well, they’re ahead of schedule and they’re all hoping to get back as soon as possible.

I mean, what else can they say? Those three former B1G stars were All-Americans and arguably the top prospects at their respective positions at 100 percent. They can still help themselves by getting in front of media and NFL front offices and saying all the right things. If they play their cards right, all of them can still leave a positive impression at an event that they can’t compete in.

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4. Desmond King’s position

It’s interesting that King was listed as a safety on the official combine website. King’s position remains a bit of a mystery heading into Indianapolis. The All-American cornerback said at the Senior Bowl that he was open to playing safety if that’s where the best fit was. Some think that given his physical skill set, that might make the most sense.

By listing King as a safety, he’ll avoid looking like a slow cornerback. While the Jim Thorpe Award winner has a nose for the football, the knock on him is that he lacks long speed to play press coverage. It’ll be interesting to see how King tests in the 40-yard dash. That could say a lot about where scouts will see him as a next-level fit.

5. Will Mitch Leidner look draft-worthy?

Don’t expect Leidner to look like a first-round prospect all of the sudden — looking at you, Todd McShay — but there’s still plenty to gain for the former Minnesota signal-caller. For a guy that battled lower body injuries throughout his Minnesota career, obviously the healthier Leidner looks, the better.

But much like Christian Hackenberg last year, the goal for Leidner is to deliver as clean a workout as possible. The combine isn’t the place to botch intermediate throws. There are also questions about whether Leidner can truly stretch the field. Despite all the film on him as a three-year starter, Leidner still needs to prove that he can connect on passes behind 15 yards.

There’s plenty of wiggle room for a guy many project as a late Day-3 option. Leidner can wiggle in the right direction with a stellar workout.

6. Who will say something they shouldn’t?

With so many underclassmen in Indianapolis, it’s bound to happen. Somebody is going to put their foot in their mouth and it’ll dominate the news cycle. Nobody wants to be that guy.

The question isn’t if it’ll happen. It’s whether or not a B1G prospect will make it happen.

The mental preparation of the combine is the overlooked element during the pre-draft process. Sure, players are used to answering a bunch of questions, but it’s a different beast. The stakes are higher and the questions are more wide-ranging.

It doesn’t have to come from something said at the podium, either. Reports get leaked about noteworthy things said in front office meetings like last year with Hackenberg allegedly saying he was held back by Penn State’s offense. While comments can be denied or walked back, no prospect wants to deal with an unnecessary pre-draft distraction.

Every prospect that avoids that in Indianapolis will come away with at least one victory from the weekend.