The Big Ten returns to its home away from home this week, as the entire conference — which now spans the country — descends upon Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days. Much like the league itself, the event has expanded. What was once a one-day affair that expanded to two days will now take place over three days.
That's what happens when you grow to 18 schools.
While there will be plenty of interest in newcomers Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, there are plenty of other things going on around the league as we approach the season. Here's a breakdown of the topics you'll likely see covered the most once media and coaches drag themselves away from the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo Steak House.
Will the league expand again?
Last summer was Tony Petitti's first Big Ten Media Days as conference commissioner, but the focus was on the teams that had already agreed to join the Big Ten and the league's new television deal. The new schools won't officially join the Big Ten until August, but eyes are already looking ahead to possible further expansion.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Florida State and Clemson are entangled in lawsuits against the ACC. They want out of the Grant of Rights and likely out of the league entirely. There has been a lot of buzz about Florida State joining the Big Ten.
You can bet a lot of money that Petitti will be asked about this in multiple ways. What will be interesting is how he answers the questions. We can be sure he won't confirm interest in Florida State or any other school, but how strong will the potential denial be? Does Petitti give a non-answer about focusing on the 18 schools that currently comprise the league, or does he give a more concrete statement about the league not looking to expand again soon?
Who's the Big Dog on the sideline?
Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan for the NFL left a bit of a power vacuum on the sidelines. He'd won three straight Big Ten titles and was coming off a national championship. We saw a similar situation play out in the SEC this offseason with the retirement of Nick Saban, but the SEC has another head coach in Kirby Smart, who has won two national titles since Saban last did, so there wasn't much of a question as to who the new top dog is.
In the Big Ten, it's not quite as clear. Here's a look at how many Big Ten titles the 18 coaches in the league have won.
| Coach | Conference Titles (Last) |
|---|---|
Bret Bielema, Illinois | 3 (2012) |
Ryan Day, Ohio State | 2 (2020) |
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa | 2 (2004) |
James Franklin, Penn State | 1 (2016) |
14 other coaches combined | 0 |
The most obvious choice here is Ryan Day, as he's at the helm of one of the league's two dominant programs, but his position there seems slightly tenuous (more on that in a bit).
More than success, Harbaugh was the focus of a lot of attention from outside Ann Arbor. He was simultaneously viewed as the best coach in the league and the league's primary villain. Who takes over that role, and do they start the process with some spicy quotes this week?
Is Ryan Day feeling the heat?
It feels ridiculous to anybody with a healthy, functional brain, but this is college football. Functional has an extremely loose definition amongst fans, media and administrators alike.
Ryan Day is entering the 2024 season at the helm of the favorite to win the league, but there is additional pressure on him. Day has gone 56-8 at Ohio State, with a record of 39-3 in conference play. A normal person sees that 39-3 record and thinks, "wow, that's impressive!" A college football fan says, "yeah, but the three losses were against Michigan."
There is a feeling that the 2024 season requires a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth at minimum for the Buckeyes. Given how Ohio State attacked the portal this offseason, they clearly have those same goals for themselves. But what happens if they fall short? Does Ohio State make a change, and what kind of expectations is Day putting on himself? He'll get roughly 100 different versions of the same question this week.
How will Michigan fare without Jim Harbaugh?
There have never been more questions surrounding a program that has won three straight conference titles and a national championship, but the Michigan team we see in 2024 will look quite a bit different than the 2023 version. Jim Harbaugh is gone, as is a healthy chunk of the coaching staff and damn near the entire offense, including a first-round draft selection at quarterback.
But there's also plenty returning. Sherrone Moore has experience as a head coach and has already beaten Penn State and Ohio State. The defense, which was one of the best in the country, returns nearly everybody, including a few of the best players on the team (and in the country).
How have things changed for Moore now that he's running the day-to-day operation of a program with lofty goals? Is there any clarity on the QB situation? Do they think they're still the favorites to win the league?
How prepared are the newcomers?
By and large, Oregon is viewed as the newcomer most likely to compete for a Big Ten title this season. Oddsmakers have made the Ducks the second-favorite behind Ohio State and it's understandable why. Dan Lanning has amassed plenty of talent and the Ducks have a veteran, experienced option at QB.
But it's hard to know what to expect from any team joining a new league. While the other 14 programs in the Big Ten will have to learn about four new teams (or, more accurately, the ones on the schedule this season), Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington must learn 15 new schools.
Also, while it's not often considered, there are the logistics involved with all the travel these teams will have to do. UCLA is practically circumnavigating the globe this season. How are the coaches preparing their teams for all these new challenges, not only on the field but off it?
Where are the quarterbacks?
There will be 54 player representatives at Media Days, and if you look closely, you'll notice a lack of something we typically see plenty of at these events. Among those 54 players are only five quarterbacks. Of those five, only Purdue's Hudson Card has played a game in the Big Ten.
The other four are UCLA's Ethan Garbers, USC's Miller Moss, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, and Minnesota's Max Brosmer (a transfer from New Hampshire).
While I don't know that it means anything, it feels like it does, doesn't it? The position in the Big Ten has a serious lack of proven commodities heading into the season, which adds another layer of uncertainty to how the year will play out.
Which programs are shifting expectations in an expanded playoff?
While every coach has talked about reaching the College Football Playoff as a goal, it was never the primary goal for most programs in the Big Ten. Most coaches wanted to get to bowl games or compete for their division and maybe, if everything broke right, get to Indianapolis to play for a league title.
The expansion of the playoff to 12 teams changes things, though. You no longer need to win the league to reach the playoff, and Big Ten teams can sneak an at-large berth with a 10-2 record and maybe even 9-3.
Will we see coaches openly embrace this? Will they state the playoff is now an expectation? We know programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, USC and Penn State have their eyes on it, but
will we see other programs declare themselves contenders?