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That’s a wrap on the 2019 college football season, at least as far as the Big Ten is concerned.
The B1G finished 4-5, and it will be disappointed with that mark considering Ohio State, Wisconsin and Indiana all should have won – but each blew fourth-quarter leads. Plus, Michigan led Alabama at half. Really, the Big Ten wasn’t competitive in only one bowl game (looking at you, Illinois), so that 4-5 mark stings.
But that’s in the past, right? It’s a new year (and a new decade), and isn’t that the best time to change yourself for the better?
Here is one resolution for each Big Ten team:
Illinois: Stay under the radar
Maybe Illinois isn’t quite ready to make that leap from underdog darling to legitimate threat yet. After a four-game winning streak seemingly out of nowhere that included impressive wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State, the Fighting Illini stumbled to the finish, losing their final three games – including a 35-20 defeat to Cal in the Redbox Bowl. Lovie Smith’s crew should be a bowl team again in 2020, but maybe they need to stop listening to everyone tell them about what a great story they are, even if it’s true.
Indiana: Proceed with caution in terms of QBs
How the Hoosiers handle their QB situation in 2020 will be fascinating. Michael Penix Jr. earned the starting job in the preseason over incumbent Peyton Ramsey, and he played well – but he couldn’t stay healthy. That reopened the door for Ramsey, who led Indiana to its best season in 25 years. Now what? It’s tough to bench either guy, at this point, because both have performed well. Ramsey deserves all the credit and respect in the world for hanging in there. And yet Penix still could be the QB of the future – and present. Of course, the Hoosiers want to keep both guys because depth is a luxury. They should do their best to keep both happy. And that doesn’t even include Jack Tuttle, a 4-star QB who transferred from Utah and was ranked 13 spots of Penix in the 2018 class.
Iowa: Choose the next QB wisely
The best ability is availability, the saying goes. And love him or hate him, Nate Stanley was always available the last three years. The QB closed his collegiate career with a 39th straight start as Iowa trounced USC 49-24. The Hawkeyes are just a really good program, and the next QB can elevate them even further than this 10-3 squad. Spencer Petras, who had a 50-2 TD-INT ratio in high school and won the backup job this season, looks like the frontrunner. Even after likely losing two more underclassmen to the top of the NFL Draft, Iowa can win the West if it gets good QB play in 2020.
Maryland: Train for November, not September
One of the strangest early-season trends is how Maryland always plays really in its first few games (and beats ranked teams like Texas and Syracuse), but then completely falls off a cliff. It’s one thing to lose, but the way Maryland became a pushover this season was akin to Rutgers. After averaging 71 points (!) in two wins to open the season, Maryland went 1-9 over the next 10 games. It’s like the Terps are so hyped for the beginning of the season and then expend way too much energy before conference play begins. It’d be one thing to walk all over cupcakes, but beating Texas two years in a row isn’t nothing.
Michigan: Show up in big games away from home
Michigan had another good season in 2019, but it wasn’t great. Not even close. In its four biggest games this season, it fell flat. When the Wolverines were still in the College Football Playoff picture, they lost to Wisconsin and then Penn State. When they played their rival, they were blown out. When they played a blueblood in a bowl game, they blew a halftime lead. Under Harbaugh, Michigan is 0-10 in road or neutral site games against Top 15 teams. Predating Harbaugh, Michigan has lost 20 such games in a row, dating all the way back to Capital One Bowl against Florida in the 2007 season. Obviously, Michigan will never get to where it wants to go by only winning in Ann Arbor.
Michigan State: Don’t be blinded by the bowl game
Even after edging Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl, it’s important for Michigan State to not lose sight of what transpired in 2019 (and 2018). The Spartans were often a mess, at least in comparison to a strong run of six seasons of double-digit wins this decade. Mark Dantonio opted not to make any staff chances after a subpar 2018 season, and instead shuffled the coaches. A few wins at the end of 2019 shouldn’t prevent him from bringing in some new voices.
Minnesota: Retool the offense
Minnesota lost offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca to Penn State, and that’s a tough break for the Golden Gophers. Ciarrocca had been with PJ Fleck at Western Michigan too, so Fleck will need to make a good hire to keep the Golden Gophers on this upward trend, with the latest being the win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Ciarrocca also served as the quarterbacks coach, helping Tanner Morgan become one of the nation’s most efficient passers. Morgan is back, as is Rashod Bateman, so the potential is there for another big season, if Minnesota can make a strong hire — which could mean promoting a current assistant.
Nebraska: Ignore the hype
We know it’s coming in July and August. We’ll talk ourselves into Nebraska being a contender in the West, even though it resembled nothing of the sort in going 5-7 this season. Nebraska was the darling of the offseason, as the second year of Scott Frost and Adrian Martinez was supposed to be a return to the glory days — or at least a step in the right direction. The best thing Nebraska can do in 2020 is ignore all the projections, whether they’re good or bad.
Northwestern: Find an offense
For the sake of those of us who watch football each week, please, Northwestern. The offense was atrocious, and Pat Fitzgerald made offensive coordinator Mick McCall the fall guy. There is talent in the QB room, with former 5-star recruit Hunter Johnson, but the QBs combined for six touchdowns and 15 interceptions. It won’t matter how good the Wildcats’ defense is in 2020 if they don’t incrementally improve an offense that was last in the country in yards per attempt at 4.5 and was also in the bottom five nationally in yards per play (128th) and points per game (126th).
Ohio State: Use 2019 ending as motivation for 2020 title run
Any unbiased viewer of Ohio State’s loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff would probably admit that the Buckeyes were at the very least the Tigers’ equal — if not the better team. But Ohio State could not get one break — from the targeting call, to the overturned fumble recovery, to the roughing the punter — and now Clemson is playing in the national title game. Some may view this team as a failure, with its two likely top five picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, a Heisman finalist at QB and talent everywhere else. But Ohio State wins that game probably seven out of 10 times, and it will be loaded again next season. It shouldn’t dwell on this game. Instead, use it as a springboard to get right back in the CFP next season.
Penn State: Commit to a backfield
Penn State doesn’t need to commit to using just one back, but at least commit to using two – not four. At the beginning of the season, the Nittany Lions were rotating four running backs, with each getting a series. None of them had more than 12 carries until Noah Cain got 22 against Iowa in the sixth game. The Cotton Bowl win over Memphis in which Penn State scored 53 points should be a preview for 2020. Journey Brown tallied 202 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and Cain added 92 yards and two scores on 15 carries. Let those guys get into a rhythm and they will put up some serious numbers.
Purdue: Discover what it means to have balance
Purdue was 125th nationally in rushing attempts, and as it was constructed, that may have been too much since it averaged just 2.92 yards per attempt. Teams like Washington State may not throw it very much, but at least it can manage four yards per carry. The Boilermakers need to take some pressure off their quarterback (whoever that may be in 2020) and figure out a way to establish a threat in the ground game. That would help unleash a potentially lethal passing game.
Rutgers: Establish stability, culture
Welcome back, Greg Schiano. A lot has changed since you left. Most importantly, Rutgers is in a much tougher conference now, and it is in one of the two toughest divisions in all of college football. Schiano shouldn’t be overly concerned with wins and losses in his first season, as the Scarlett Knights have 13 wins in the last five seasons. This season should be able laying a foundation and building for the future.
Wisconsin: Play the best QB
What will the Badgers do at quarterback in 2020? Jack Coan (18 TD, 5 INT) had his moments and helped Wisconsin reach the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl, but he is a game manager. Paul Chryst should look long and hard at Graham Mertz, who was the No. 3 pro-style QB and No. 5 overall QB in the 2019 class. Three of the guys ahead of him (Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels and Ryan Hilinski) already started as a true freshman, and the other (Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler) will likely start next season. Mertz should get a legitimate shot at the starting spot, even if he doesn’t have the experience that Coan has. Can Coan carry an offense without Jonathan Taylor?
Ryan O'Gara is the lead columnist for Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGara.