CFB: What to expect at the top of the Big Ten

The Big Ten is set to get underway on Saturday, the fourth of Power Five conferences to start this season. The conference emerges with two serious CFP contenders: Penn State and Ohio State. Both are ranked in the top ten of the latest AP Top-25 poll, and they play each other week two. The winner of that (presuming they run the table) would have a seriously good case for the CFP. Let’s take a look at these two.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Key players lost: DE Chase Young, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Damon Arnette, RB J.K. Dobbins, DT DaVon Hamilton, G Jonah Jackson, ILB Malik Harrison, WR K.J. Hill.

On Offense: Whenever you return a Heisman finalist like Justin Fields under center, your offense should feel pretty confident to repeat what they did in 2019. The Buckeyes were fourth in total offense last year and there’s no reason to believe the Buckeyes can’t repeat what they did last year.

Fields (51 total touchdowns to 3 interceptions last year) loses J.K. Dobbins and his 2,250 total yards and 23 touchdowns. Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon and Master Teague III, who rushed for nearly 800 yards behind Dobbins last year, to fill those shoes.

Out wide, Fields is going to have to do his part to elevate those around him. Junior Chris Olave and his 12 touchdowns from last year, as well as sophomore Garrett Wilson, return. There will be freshman talent on display too, Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming both featured on the two-deep.

The Buckeyes happily welcome back G Wyatt Davis, who opted back in when the Big Ten announced its plan to return, and should anchor a very good OL across the board.

On Defense: It’s always tough to replace the No. 2 and No. 3 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft (Chase Young and Jeff Okudah), as well as Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller, and Malik Harrison. That’s a lot of losses for a team that was second in total defense (247.6 ypg) and tied for second in points allowed (12.5).

Shaun Wade returns after initially opting out that should bolster the back end, but the biggest question might be who generates all the pressure upfront. Harrison and Young combined for 37.5 TFL and 20 sacks. A great pass rush makes a secondary look that much better.

Senior Jonathan Cooper and junior Tyreke Smith will have the starting DE spots to try and replicate a form of the pressure from last year, and seniors will start at all three linebacker spots as well (Baron Browning, Tuf Borland, and Pete Warner).

Penn State Nittany Lions

Key players lost: LB Micah Parsons, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, WR K.J. Hamler, CB John Reid, LB Cam Brown, DT Robert Windsor.

On Offense: Eight returning starters should help the Nittany Lions take another step forward on offense. Junior Sean Clifford should build on a strong 2019 season (2,654 yards and 23 passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns) with his favorite target Pat Freiermuth, as the big TE looks to make his case as the best tight end in the country.

Junior Journey Brown and his 12 touchdowns return to the backfield with Clifford, and is one of three backs that was featured last year to return (Noah Cain and Devyn Ford are the others) and all averaged over five yards a carry, so it should be a solid group for Clifford to lean on when the weather gets sloppy. Four starting offensive linemen returning will help too.

The WR room is a little inexperienced with second-round pick K.J. departing to the NFL, so that’s where Freiermuth is going to need to be huge this season. The next-most catches on the team was junior Jahan Dotson with 27. There might be some growing pains with this group this year, especially with the lack of favorable passing conditions.

On Defense: No Parsons, No Gross-Matos, and only four returning starts from the 2019 unit. 2019 second-team all-Big Ten selection Shaka Toney is the only returning starter on the DL after leading the Nittany Lions in sacks last year with 6.5. Toney will be joined by sophomore end Jason Oweh, and NT Antonio Shelton, and P.J. Mustipher.

Without Parsons, the linebacking core is extremely young. Junior Ellis Brooks has the most experience, he should be in the middle after collecting 69 tackles the last two seasons. He’ll be joined by former five-star recruit Brandon Smith on one side and former four-star Jesse Luketa on the other.

Two seniors roam the back end with Lamont Wade and Tariq Castro-Fields, helping out the other youth in the secondary. They will be tested against Ohio State.

Get your popcorn (or candy) ready for the Halloween duel between the two.