The battle for the Big Ten championship has been between Ohio State and Michigan in most years. Now it will drift left and reach the West Coast.
The Oregon Ducks are poised to make the biggest splash of the four former Pac-12 teams joining the league, and in their neon green and yellow uniforms, they can be expected to break the strict tradition of college sports’ oldest league with their flash and panache.
The Ducks have already changed the preseason conversation. Michigan-Ohio State is no longer necessarily the standard game of the year. This season, it could very well be Ohio State (preseason No. 2) facing Oregon (No. 3) on October 14.
Successful quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon for his sixth and final season to pursue conference and national championships that were out of his reach at UCF and Oklahoma.
“At a certain point, you dream of the silver platter and you’re always working to get it,” Gabriel said. “Once you have it in front of you, the stage is set, all eyes are on you and you can show what you’re all about.”
There are plenty of storylines in the Big Ten’s first year with 18 teams.
The big question will be whether the conference can get four teams into the 12-team College Football Playoffs.
Ohio State will have a new quarterback, likely Will Howard, who transferred from Kansas State, and the motivation to avoid losing a fourth consecutive game to Michigan for the first time since 1991.
At Michigan (number 9), Sherrone Moore takes over from Jim Harbaugh, the competition to succeed quarterback JJ McCarthy continues and the NCAA is still critically examining the quarterback.
Unlike Oregon, the three other newcomers from the Pac-12 are in rebuilding mode. Washington, national runner-up behind Michigan, has a new coach in Jedd Fisch and only one returning starter. No. 23 Southern California is parting ways with Caleb Williams, the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. At UCLA, the post-Chip Kelly era begins with DeShaun Foster at the helm.
Top players
Offense: Oregon’s Gabriel is fourth in FBS history with 152 career touchdown passes. Last year he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions for the Sooners. Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, coming off an injury-plagued season, has 124 catches for 1,857 yards and 14 touchdowns in 35 games. Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai ran for 1,295 yards last year, leading the Big Ten.
Defense: Iowa LB Jay Higgins led the Big Ten and was third nationally with a school-record 179 tackles. Michigan DL Mason Graham had 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks among his 36 tackles. Penn State DE Abdul Carter had 48 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
Top transfers
In addition to Gabriel and Howard, other high-profile quarterback transfers include Aidan Chiles (Oregon State) from Michigan State, Tyler Van Dyke (Miami) from Wisconsin and Will Rogers (Mississippi State) from Washington.
Safety Caleb Downs (Alabama) landed at Ohio State as the widely recognized top-ranked player in the portal. Downs was the first freshman to lead the Crimson Tide in tackles. WR Jahmal Banks (Wake Forest) is the star of a much-improved Nebraska receiver corps. Michigan hopes Jaishawn Barham (Maryland) can fill a big hole at the linebacker position. All-MAC DB Jalen Huskey (Bowling Green) helps bolster Maryland’s secondary.
Team on the rise
Nebraska has been largely irrelevant for more than two decades and enters 2024 after seven straight losing seasons. The Huskers should make a big jump in Matt Rhule’s second season. The Huskers were 5-7, with five of the losses coming by a combined 19 points. He has won over players and fans with his emphasis on positivity and accountability, the NIL program is strong, and the talent has been upgraded. The time is ripe for a breakthrough.
Mark your calendars
Penn State at West Virginia, Aug. 31; Texas at Michigan, September 7; Colorado at Nebraska, September 7; Alabama at Wisconsin, September 14; USC at Michigan, Sept. 21; Iowa at Ohio State, Oct. 4; Michigan at Washington, October 5; Ohio State at Oregon, Oct. 12; Oregon at Michigan, November 1; Ohio State at Penn State, Nov. 1; Notre Dame at USC, Nov. 30; Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 30; Washington at Oregon, November 30th.
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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll.
Eric Olson, The Associated Press
