College football is back! The Big Ten has games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to get us going on a high note into the season. Of the 7 games, 4 are conference contests.

Here is 1 thing I’m looking forward to seeing from each B1G squad in Week 1:

Illinois: Are the Fighting Illini legit? Like bowl-eligible legit?

UTSA, coming off a 7-4 season with 21 returning starters, is no Group of 5 pushover. The Illini will have to play well to win, and whether the Illini can be consistent a week after a huge win over Nebraska will say a lot about where this program is at. That’s what I’m looking forward to seeing. Was last week a product of being in the national spotlight, or was Illinois underrated by many coming into this season?

Indiana: Is Michael Penix Jr. actually healthy?

Tom Allen said that the star quarterback will be 100 percent ready to go after suffering a season-ending ACL injury, and that’s great news for Hoosiers fans. But is he actually healthy? Is he playing like himself? Playing against an Iowa defense that last year led the country in yards per play is not an ideal first game back. Penix — and the offensive line’s ability to protect him — are key for an Indiana program looking to build on a terrific 2020 season. With some challenging defenses on the docket early on, like Cincinnati, the hope is that Penix gets readjusted quickly.

Iowa: Will the passing attack match the quality of play from the rest of its roster?

There’s a lot of like about Iowa, as the Hawkeyes are a popular pick to win the Big Ten West. The roster is terrific, as the Hawkeyes will have their typically stout defense and a very good running game. What remains to be seen is whether Iowa’s passing attack can deliver that same level of performance. Iowa lost its top 2 receivers from last year, and Spencer Petras wasn’t the type of QB to go out and win a game — he was more in the game manager role as Iowa dialed back his passing attempts drastically during its winning streak. Indiana has a very good defense of its own, so this will be a telling early test for the Hawkeyes offense.

Maryland: Is this going to be an explosive offense?

On paper, it looks great. Taulia Tagovailoa has a lot of weapons to work with, mainly Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus. The Terrapins could be one of the most fun teams to watch, and squaring off with West Virginia is a great early test.

Michigan: Is the new-look defense any better?

There won’t be any grand conclusions after Michigan plays Western Michigan, but the Broncos should have one of the best offenses in the MAC. New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has a lot of work ahead of him after the Wolverines allowed 38 or more points in 3 of their final 4 games last season, which led to the firing of Don Brown.

Michigan State: Who will start at QB?

Mel Tucker isn’t saying who will start at QB at Northwestern. Oh, the suspense! It will probably be Temple transfer Anthony Russo rather than Payton Thorne, but it’ll be interesting to see if both play. There are a lot of weapons at wideout, and transfer running back Kenneth Walker should make a big difference.

Minnesota: Is the defense any better?

I know, it’s not really fair to judge the Golden Gophers’ progress against one of the best offensive lines and best receiving cores in the country. But if Minnesota can contain Ohio State, or even just slow the Buckeyes down for any sort of extended period, that bodes well. The Golden Gophers had a top-10 defense in 2019, but they fell to No. 72 in 2020.

Nebraska: Can the Huskers play a clean game?

Last week’s mistake-ridden performance at Illinois was a gut punch to the Nebraska faithful who have heard over and over about how the program is different in Scott Frost’s 4th season. It’s time to act like it.

Northwestern: Has Hunter Johnson improved?

Last time the former 5-star recruit and Clemson transfer got extended playing time, it wasn’t pretty. He threw only 1 TD pass and 4 INTs, with a dismal 4 yards per attempt. He didn’t have much to work with in 2019, and hopefully he picked up a few things from Peyton Ramsey. It was surprising to see him beat out South Carolina transfer Ryan Hilinski.

Ohio State: Is CJ Stroud the real deal?

I don’t think anyone doubts Ryan Day’s ability to develop quarterbacks, at this point. Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields put up video-game numbers for Day. Now, it’s Stroud’s turn. By all accounts, the redshirt freshman is more than ready for this opportunity, as he separated himself from a QB room with 3 other blue-chip recruits by shining in the spring game and fall camp. But he still hasn’t thrown a pass in a real college game yet. Ahead of a huge non-conference showdown with Oregon, Stroud needs to get comfortable quickly.

Penn State: What will Mike Yurcich’s new offense look like?

You’ve got to love such huge games in Week 1, huh? A strong showing from Penn State against what should be a very good defense at Wisconsin would be a big statement. New offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was brought in to take a talented Nittany Lions offense to the next level. I’m hoping to see a healthy Noah Cain and a refocused Sean Clifford. The more touches for Jahan Dotson, the better. I’m sure Yurcich knows that.

Purdue: Will Jeff Brohm’s imprint on the defense matter?

Jeff Brohm vowed to take a more hands-on approach with the defense this season, and an early challenge from Oregon State is a great way to find out if it will matter. The Boilermakers have 9 starters back on defense, including star edge rusher George Karlaftis.

Rutgers: How does the offense evolve in Year 2 of Schiano era?

Rutgers averaged a B1G-low 4.6 yards per play, but offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson has all 11 starters back, and there’s some talent there with guys like Bo Melton and Aron Cruickshank. If the Scarlet Knights can take a step forward on that side of the ball, I think a bowl game is a reasonable expectation. Temple went just 1-6 last season in the AAC, but it was hit hard by COVID.

Wisconsin: Are Davis and Pryor going to make this a potent offense?

With Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor in the lineup, Wisconsin looked like world beaters in averaging 47 points through 2 games. But with them mostly missing the last 5 games, the Badgers had only 1 game with more than 20 points. The ceiling is so high for this team if it has a passing attack to go along with its typically sound running game and defense. Playing a talented Penn State team is a good test.