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College football summer reading list: Big Ten edition
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

College football summer reading list: Big Ten edition

In the college football world, summer means one thing: preview time. Whether it’s an examination of your favorite player, a sneak peek of your preferred team or an in-depth guide to the conference of your choice, the months before kickoff are flooded with first looks. We decided to go a different route. We want to lift up your literary game with a faux summer reading list, breaking down the college football conferences by team, assigning each one a title and summary to aide you in your quest for culture and college football knowledge. Here’s our must-reads for the Big Ten.

To read our ACC summer reading list, click here

To read our Pac-12 summer reading list, click here

“Surviving the Snub” by Urban Meyer

Last year, Ohio State went 12-2 with solid showings at Penn State, Michigan and against Michigan State at home, but the College Football Playoff Committee didn’t care because perception is reality in college football (and life). Clemson’s 31-0 routing of the Buckeyes in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl was Ohio State’s bowl game reality — until they thoroughly beat USC 24-7 last year in the Cotton Bowl that is. Now, the CFP has to pay attention to the strongest conference in college football and the team that leads it. 

Sure, quarterback J.T. Barrett is gone, taking head coach Urban Meyer’s security blanket with him, but Myer has three solid options to replace him, a strong run game led by J.K Dobbins and a deep receiving corps with all six leading receivers back. Defensively, linebacker is a concern, but the defensive line could be the best in college football, with more depth than any other position, and the secondary shows promise despite losing Denzel Ward. Meyer recruited at a deep, Alabama-like level so be prepared for some heads to roll as Ohio State makes its biggest playoff push yet.


Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“Defense Will Eventually Win Championships” by Jim Harbaugh

The great thing about a good defense is that it allows you to figure things out on offense. Nobody has it better defensively than Jim Harbaugh and Michigan — nobody. But the Wolverines will need to exceed expectations on offense, which shouldn’t be too difficult with Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson at quarterback and a slew of talented receivers. 

The offensive line is a big question mark, making it imperative that Patterson finds his groove quickly. Michigan has a tough schedule with its opener at Notre Dame and games at Michigan State and Ohio State, and to be competitive in the brutal Big Ten East, you must win games on the road. If Harbaugh can simplify the offense by showcasing a few key players, the Wolverines could take home the coveted Big Ten title.


Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Last Shall Be First and the First Shall Be Last, and the Rest Will Be Stuck in the Middle” by James Franklin

This season for Penn State begins and ends with quarterback Trace McSorley. He led the Big Ten in passing yards last season with 274.6 per game. Also, he is every accurate, and he has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games — the longest active streak in the FBS. He has a big target in Juwan Johnson, both physically and metaphorically – Johnson is 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds and hauled in 54 catches for 701 yards as a sophomore, second on the team last year. Add four returning starters from the offensive line and running back Miles Sanders to the mix, and you have an offense that refuses to quit. 

We all know the Nittany Lions will get theirs, but the biggest question is can they stop other teams from doing so? Penn State is thin at linebacker and lost all four starters in the secondary (ouch) but remains deep at defensive end. Shareef Miller is one scary beast, leading the team last season with five sacks. Penn State lost a lot of leadership, but if the defense can come together, the Nittany Lions could win the division. #FranklinOnFire anyone?


Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

“Life Is Like a Ten Speed Bicycle” by Mark Dantonio

Last year the Spartans were good, and this year Michigan State is shaping up to be equally good. Nineteen starters return from a team that went 10-3, but head coach Mark Dantonio needs this year’s team to be great, like next-level great. Like another gear up great. 

Dynamic junior quarterback Brian Lewerke will captain the offense, utilizing his live arm and quick feet, along with his three top receivers: senior Felton Davis, junior Darrell Stewart and sophomore Cody White, who combined for 140 catches last year. Running back LJ Scott decided to return for his senior season and bring his 898 yards and 4.5 yards per carry with him. 

Defensively, the secondary will be special, boasting a dynamic cornerback duo in sophomore Josiah Scott and junior Justin Layne. Plus the Spartans have an interior defensive line that might be the strength of the team, and they get Ohio State and Michigan at home. All signs point to a solid year in East Lansing.


Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

“Guide to Injury Prevention” by D.J. Durkin

Maryland was positively pounded last year in the Big Ten, and nobody had it worse than the quarterbacks. Both Kasim Hill and Tyrrell Pigrome suffered knee injures but are back in action this season with a new pro-style offense and a veteran offensive line. There will be less hurry-up and more under center in new coordinator Matt Canada’s scheme. The O-line returns all five starters and is deep and talented, a major key to surviving the bruising Big Ten. Plus, there are a plethora of young backs and receivers. Terrapin fans will delight in the resurgence of tight end and fullback play. 

The defense is porous, but the secondary is a beacon of hope highlighted by the Jr.’s – Antoine Brooks Jr. and Darnell Savage Jr., who combined for 136 tackles and five interceptions. The Terps had good back-to-back recruiting classes and could be a sleeper team if they put it all together.


Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

“Master of Motivation” by Tom Allen

A four-way quarterback competition in fall camp is a fun way to start the 2018 season, right? The good news is that whomever lands the job will be a dangerous, versatile player, which is how head coach Tom Allen prefers his spread attack captained. Plus Allen is the master of the spin, so we will just call the QB position “deep.” It helps that the Hoosiers boast five returning starting offensive lineman and a motivated running back in Morgan Ellison, coupled with three experienced receivers. 

Indiana must replace three starters on defense, which translates into a lot of youth, but in Allen speak that just means “untapped potential.” Consider incoming freshman kicker Charles Campbell, who was rated the ninth-best kicker nationally in the 2018 recruiting class. This is as athletic as a team in Bloomington gets, but all the inexperience may mean a six-win ceiling.


Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

“The Future Is Now” by Chris Ash

Rutgers is having a hell of an offseason. First, defensive back K.J. Gray and linebacker Brendan DeVera were dismissed for unspecified violation of team rules. Gray led the secondary with 55 tackles and two interceptions last year. Then, the credit card fraud scandal hit, and while reports say up to eight players may be involved, no charges have been made and no names have been released. Yet. 

Poor Chris Ash. He thought his biggest problem was deciding whether to stick with senior quarterback Gio Rescigno or start talented freshman Artur Sitkowski. Luckily, the Scarlet Knights will have a solid run game with graduate transfer Jonathan Hilliman, who rushed for 638 yards at Boston College. There is uncertainty at wide receiver but improvement on the offensive line. 

The defense boasts a solid, active linebacker unit featuring Trevor Morris, who had a team-leading 116 tackles last year and is looking for his third straight 100-tackle season. Bowl eligibility is the goal, which means Rutgers will need to get off to a fast start before facing Northwestern, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State down the stretch.


Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

“Always a Bridesmaid” by Paul Chryst

There is an old superstition that being a bridesmaid three times dooms you to perpetual spinsterhood. In 2016, Wisconsin lost to Penn State in the conference championship game. Last year, the Badgers fell again in the conference championship, this time to Ohio State by just six points, effectively ending their undefeated season and shutting them out of the College Football Playoff. This year, head coach Paul Chryst needs to avoid a third straight conference championship game loss (and the curse that comes with it). Luckily he has all the tools to do so. 

The Badgers return 10 of 11 starters on offense, including running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman last year and finished sixth in Heisman voting. Offensively, this looks to be the best team since 2011 with quality and quantity at the wide receiver position, including go-to guy Quintez Cephus, and do we even need to mention quarterback Alex Hornibrook? 

The defense is the issue. The Badgers need to replace eight starters, find playmakers on the edge and beef up a weak secondary. A light nonconference schedule helps ease the pain of five nasty Big Ten road games.


Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

“Stanley’s Cup” by Kirk Ferentz

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley took the college football world by surprise last season with his NFL look, 26 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Sure, his 55.8 completion percentage needs work, but hey, nobody is perfect. Plus Stanley has a more seasoned wide receiver group to throw to this year and a solid tight end in Noah Fant, who led the nation at the tight end position with an average of 16.5 yards per reception and was tied for the national lead among tight ends with 11 touchdowns. 

The biggest question for the Hawkeyes is: Can you beat Wisconsin? We think yes, as the Badgers boast a weak secondary that Stanley can light up like a Christmas tree. Plus, Iowa boasts the best defensive ends in the Big Ten, a solid kicking game and a speedy secondary. Bonus points for not having Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State on the schedule.


Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

“One Step Back, Two Steps Forward” by Jeff Brohm

The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off their first bowl win since 2011, a thrilling 38-35 victory over Arizona, but last year’s 7-6 record exceeded everyone’s expectations, a program turnaround cemented by veteran players. This year, head coach Jeff Brohm might need to take a slight step back in order to keep the rebuild going. 

The defense built by coordinator Nick Holt is losing eight guys but retains Markus Bailey, who recorded 89 tackles last season, and Lorenzo Neal, who will lead the new-look defensive line. The pressure is going to be on the offense to carry the team. Running back is the deepest position group led by Markell Jones and Tario Fuller. The offensive line is solid, but it will be a struggle to find reliable receivers. Purdue definitely needs playmakers to step out of the shadows.


Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

“How the West Was Won” by Pat Fitzgerald

If you are Northwestern, the way you win the West is with a solid front seven, a defensive leader named Paddy Fisher (111 tackles, twice recorded 18 or more in a game) and a healthy Clayton Thorson at quarterback. Seriously though, this a sneaky good squad. Should Thorson not be ready to go, head coach Pat Fitzgerald has prepped three guys in his stead: junior walk-on TJ Green, sophomore Aidan Smith and redshirt freshman Andrew Marty. Let's hope it doesn’t come to that. 

The offensive line returns four starters, and sophomore running back Jeremy Larkin is a purple people eater, putting up 503 yards and five touchdowns behind Justin Jackson last year. The return of Solomon Vault boosts the Wildcats' return game. Basically, Northwestern is solid on both sides of the ball and poised to make some noise. The Wildcats have the momentum, coming off 27 wins in the last three seasons, but a tough schedule might make duplicating last year’s 10-win season tricky.


Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

“Letting It Loose” by Scott Frost

If there was ever a time to “Grip it & rip it” John Daly-style, it would be in Scott Frost’s first season with Nebraska. The Cornhuskers will rock an up-tempo spread offense behind a restructured, more aggressive offensive line. Is Frost worried that he still needs to pick a quarterback? Of course not. Either freshman Tristan Gebbia or Adrian Martinez will do. 

The Huskers are chillin’ with some R&R — rushers and receivers, both positions fully stocked. Juco transfer Greg Bell will ignite a running game that averaged just 107.5 yards per game last season, the Huskers' lowest since 2005. Nebraska faces a tough schedule with games at Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State, but if fans maintain reasonable goals and expectations, then Frost's first year will be icing on his homecoming cake.


Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

“Searching for Six” by P.J. Fleck

Slow and steady usually wins the race but not when your drives average only 4.3 yards per play on first down. That was the Minnesota Golden Gophers last year. This year, head coach P.J. Fleck will be flipping the roster and attempting to utilize the youth on his squad. 

The Gophers have to get better at quarterback, and with junior college transfer Vic Viramontes as an option this year, things are looking up. Viramontes threw for 1,868 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,346 more yards and 21 touchdowns at Riverside Community College. A passing game would be a nice complement to Rodney Smith’s run game. Plus, the offensive line has talent and more importantly depth. 

The defense is strong in the secondary with a solid duo of Antoine Winfield and Jacob Huff. Bowl game eligibility is the goal, and Fleck might just get there on the wings of positive energy and a prayer.


Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

“Progress Makes Friends, Change Makes Enemies” by Lovie Smith

Five overall wins in two years, that’s what it reads when you Google Lovie Smith and Illinois football. The second-year head coach knows things need to get better, but he put a lot of stock in young talent; now it's time to collect from his kids. He remade the staff in his image and brought in Arizona quarterback guru Rod Smith to work with sophomore quarterback Cam Thomas and the three incoming freshman QBs, should they challenge Thomas in fall camp. Maybe a freshman captaining the offense isn’t the best idea, especially with an offensive line that still needs to mature. 

The Fighting Illini are up against it schedule-wise. They have an early game against South Florida in Chicago, visits from Penn State and Iowa, and trips to Wisconsin, Nebraska and Northwestern. The receiving and running back positions might be dangerous and the secondary could be stealthy, but in the Big Ten you need to run and stop the run. That’s what Smith needs to do if he wants to break his current 10-game losing skid. 

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