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DEEP DIVE

Big Ten Team Previews - Week 2

Last week, we dove into Nebraska's quiet confidence, UCLA's West Coast experiment, and Michigan State's Jonathan Smith reset. This week, we're examining five programs at critical crossroads—from Rutgers testing their foundation against elite competition to Wisconsin facing an existential crisis, Maryland's make-or-break moment, Michigan betting everything on an 18-year-old phenom, and Washington's methodical turnaround taking shape.

These aren't just season previews. They're inflection points that will define programs for years to come.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Greg Schiano has built something real in Piscataway, but 2025 is about to test every brick in that foundation.

• Quarterback stability finally arrives: Athan Kaliakmanis returns for his second season as starter, ending years of position uncertainty that plagued the program.

• Defense gets complete overhaul: New co-coordinators Robb Smith and Sparber lead a unit bolstered by transfer portal additions, including James Madison's Eric O'Neill (13 sacks)

• Running game philosophy shifts: With Kyle Monangai gone to the NFL, expect a committee approach led by FAU transfer CJ Campbell instead of the predictable bell-cow strategy.

• Schedule reality hits hard: After three winnable non-conference games, the Big Ten slate includes road trips to Oregon, Ohio State, Washington, and Minnesota.

• Foundation reaches its strongest point: Three NFL draft picks, consecutive bowl appearances, and a top-30 recruiting class signal program sustainability.

The Scarlet Knights have methodically built respectability, but this murderous schedule will determine whether they truly belong among Big Ten elites.

Maryland Terrapins

Mike Locksley enters the most pivotal season of his career with everything on the line—and surprisingly, all the pieces for a dramatic turnaround.

• Roster reset unprecedented: 21 players fled to the transfer portal after a 4-8 disaster, prompting the most aggressive portal response of Locksley's career with 16+ incoming transfers.

• Schedule is a lifeline: No Ohio State, Penn State, or Oregon—plus three cupcake non-conference home games—creates the clearest path to bowl eligibility imaginable.

• QB battle defines everything: UCLA transfer Justyn Martin battles true freshman phenom Malik Washington (ranked 54th nationally) for the starting job under new OC Pep Hamilton.

• Recruiting stays red-hot despite chaos: The 2025 class ranks 25th nationally with seven ESPN 300 players, creating a bizarre disconnect between on-field results and talent acquisition.

• NFL coaching infusion: New coordinators Pep Hamilton (developed Herbert, Stroud, Luck) and Ted Monachino bring 31 combined years of pro experience to College Park

If Maryland doesn't reach bowl eligibility with this favorable schedule and talent influx, Locksley will update his resume on December 1st.

Wisconsin Badgers

The margin is gone, the excuses are over, and for Wisconsin football, 2025 is quite literally now or never.

• Air Raid experiment flamed out: Phil Longo is gone after a disastrous offensive showing, replaced by Jeff Grimes who brings back the pro-style, wide-zone identity that actually fits Wisconsin.

• Defense searches for a pulse: Allowed 342.7 yards per game with just 17 sacks and 4 interceptions total, while getting outscored 72-15 in fourth quarters of losses.

• Transfer portal was chaos, not reloading: Lost better talent than they gained, with none of their incoming transfers making ESPN's top 100 while two departing players did.

• Schedule is a nightmare: Nine opponents rank in the top 40, including road games at Alabama, Michigan, and Oregon—Vegas sets their win total at just 5.5.

• Fickell's career hangs in the balance: At 13-13 through two seasons, anything less than bowl eligibility likely ends his tenure in Madison.

This is Wisconsin—a program that expects 9+ wins now projected to struggle for basic bowl eligibility, and that reality should terrify everyone in Madison.

Michigan Wolverines

Have you ever seen a program pin its entire hopes on the shoulders of an 18-year-old quarterback?

• Bryce Underwood carries impossible expectations: The No. 1 overall recruit and highest-rated signee in Michigan history will start immediately and resurrect a passing attack that ranked 131st nationally.

• Offensive metamorphosis underway: New coordinator Chip Lindsey brings a balanced, explosive philosophy after Michigan's historically bad 22.0 points per game in 2024

• Defense remains championship-caliber: Wink Martindale's unit allowed just 19.9 points per game and held the magic together for late-season upsets over Ohio State and Alabama.

• The schedule presents no mercy: Road games at Oklahoma, Nebraska, and USC test a young team breaking in new systems, and there are no consecutive home games anywhere on the slate.

• Moore's defining moment arrives: The second-year coach faces the ultimate referendum on his leadership while serving a two-game suspension due to sign-stealing fallout.

Michigan stands poised between an immediate championship resurgence and necessary growing pains, and freshman phenom Underwood will determine which path they take.

Washington Huskies

Jedd Fisch is quietly assembling the pieces for what could be the Big Ten's most intriguing turnaround story in 2025.

• Jekyll and Hyde 2024 set the stage: Perfect 6-0 at home (including beating Michigan) while going winless 0-5 on the road created a clear roadmap for what needs fixing.

• Demond Williams Jr. brings electricity: The dynamic dual-threat quarterback who followed Fisch from Arizona completed over 80% of passes in both starts and provides the competitive fire this program needs.

• Coaching revolution nearly complete: Four key assistants departed, with former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters taking over as defensive coordinator after transforming Illinois into the nation's #1 scoring defense

• Systematic weakness repair: Added 18 offensive linemen for depth, multiple 310+ pound defensive linemen for run-stopping, and emphasized discipline after averaging 5.8 penalties per game.

• Schedule features unique challenges: Five conference opponents come off bye weeks while Washington's byes fall at suboptimal times, creating additional layers of difficulty.

The foundation for success is taking shape in Seattle, and if the pieces click quickly, the Huskies could surprise everyone in their sophomore Big Ten campaign.

THAT’S A WRAP

What's Next?

The Big Ten landscape continues to shift beneath our feet. Next week, we'll examine four more programs navigating their own crossroads: USC's Lincoln Riley fighting to justify the hype, Penn State's James Franklin chasing his elusive breakthrough, Northwestern's David Braun building something sustainable, and Minnesota's P.J. Fleck defending his culture against mounting pressure.

The conference isn't just expanding—it's exploding with storylines that will define the next era of college football.