The Ohio State football program is a monster in recruiting, but that’s not always the most important thing when you look at next season’s prospects, since it’s time to turn the page. Sometimes, it has more to do with what’s left in the closet and which has a greater influence on the conquest of shiny objects and trinkets that will stay on trophy shelves for many years.
ESPN analyzed the return on production for all FBS teams (subscription required) and, as we are more interested in what happens in the neighborhood, OSU has been the bully of the block for some time – the Big Ten – we are giving you an advance view of all fourteen conference teams.
We must remember that returning talent does not always mean a better team or one that can compete (see Michigan), but can often be an indicator of improvement and stability.
That’s how things change with all Big Ten football teams when it comes to returning talent according to the world leader in sports programming.
14 Northwestern Wildcats – No. 125 overall)
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The lowdown
Northwestern not only loses his veteran defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, but must replace several match owners, including most of that side of the ball. Coach Pat Fitzgerald still remains, but only BYU loses more production in the country than Wildcats.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 34% | 29% | 127th | 39% | 125th |
13 Ohio State Buckeyes – No. 121 overall
Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
You would normally be concerned when a team returns as little production as Ohio does, but the Buckeyes have shown that they reload with the best of them. Still, if you’re the rest of the Big Ten, this could be the year that you can catch OSU before all those four- and five-star recruits start gaining ground, especially in defense.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 50% | 55% | 99th | 44% | 119th |
12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights – No. 82 overall
Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
Rutgers took a big competitive step last season under Greg Schiano, and he has some players back to build. The problem is that the rest of the Big Ten too. We’ll see if the program takes the next step and starts winning in a taller clip in 2021.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 64% | 67% | 74th | 61% | 96th |
11 Michigan State Spartans – No. 64 overall
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The lowdown
The Spartans are still unsure as a defender, but there is a lot to work on in the attack. The problem is on the defensive side of the ball, where there is a ton to refit. It is not a good problem for a team that wants to turn the corner under the command of second year coach Mel Tucker.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 69% | 80% | 37th | 59% | 99th |
10 Illinois Fighting Illini – No. 62 overall
Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
We were still unsure whether it is good or bad that new coach Bret (Bart) Bielema has a moderate squad back. On the one hand, a complete change in culture may be good, but on the other hand, having some guys coming back to work may not be bad to build. Quarterback Brando Peters and most of the offensive production are back, so I think we’ll wait and see.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 70% | 80% | 38th | 61% | 94th |
9 Nebraska Cornhuskers – No. 60 overall
(Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
The lowdown
Nebraska will have to improve quickly for senior quarterback Adrian Martinez, but the defense returns almost everyone. For an offensive-minded trainer like Scott Frost, this is probably the reverse of what he would like to have, but Nebraska’s old school culture says it may be what it takes to finally get over Lincoln.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 72% | 56% | 96th | 88% | 9th |
8 Iowa Hawkeyes – No. 57 overall
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
Iowa was playing with the best of any team not named Ohio State at the end of the 2020 campaign, and there is enough support on both sides of the ball to expect the Hawkeyes to continue this trend in 2021. The United States needs farmers, and Iowa generally needs a great defense to fight for the league title. That seems to be the case next season.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 72% | 69% | 70th | 76% | 48th |
7 Michigan carcasses – No. 49 overall
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
We are running out of jokes and jokes about where this Michigan show is, but if you are a fan of Wolverine, at least there is a very good production coming back to the return of savior Jim Harbaugh. The good news is that there is no reconstruction on either side of the ball. The bad news is that there is no reconstruction on either side of the ball.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 73% | 77% | 46th | 70% | 69th |
6 Purdue Boilermakers – No. 38 overall
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
Appearance can be deceiving here. Purdue returns a lot on the offensive side, but is unstable in the quarterback, and losing receiver Rondale Moore is a huge success. Still, there are guys who know what they’re doing, so maybe the luck of limping to the finish line in 2020 will change in 2021.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 78% | 85% | Day 17 | 70% | 68th |
5 Penn State Nittany Lions – No. 37 overall
Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
I’m almost ready to classify the last season as a COVID-19 anomaly for the Lions of Nittany, but even if not, there’s a lot going on in Happy Valley. Look for a big improvement with quarterback Sean Clifford this fall with lots of weapons around him and a defense that is much better with so many pieces coming back.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 78% | 74% | 58th | 82% | 24th |
4 Minnesota Golden Gophers – No. 25 overall
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
Again, a little misleading. Minnesota loses quarterback Tanner Morgan and one of the country’s best receivers in Rashod Bateman in the attack. Those are huge shoes to fill. Look for PJ Fleck to try to lean on a defense that knows what he is doing and must be improved.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 80% | 75% | 53rd | 84% | 18th |
3 Indiana Hoosiers – No. 24 overall
Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
Indiana made great strides in 2020 and threw Ohio State closer than any other team in the league. Tom Allen has this show on the rise and has a lot in the closet this fall. If quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can return fully healthy, the Hoosiers could be the biggest threat to dethrone the Buckeyes this fall.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 80% | 80% | 39th | 81% | Day 26 |
2 Wisconsin Badgers – No. 14 overall
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
It was a strange year for Wisconsin, even more than other teams in a COVID-19 world. The badgers seemed to have enough talent, but they couldn’t put it all together. Expect UW to recover in 2021 with all production returning on both sides of the ball, including five-star defender Graham Mertz, who should have learned from an inconsistent season this year.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 83% | 84% | 24th | 82% | 22nd |
1 Terrapins of Maryland – No. 10 overall
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The lowdown
If this is the year for Maryland to stop its inconsistent methods, this may be it. Recruitment has been good and with everything that is back on both sides of the ball, Terrapins may be ready to fight head-to-head with some of the big boys in the league. Look for defender Taulia Tagovailoa to make a difference.
The ratings according to ESPN
| General | Offense | Classification | Defense | Classification |
| 85% | 86% | 14th | 85% | Day 17 |
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