All too often the Big Ten's West Division is a bit of an afterthought, and I understand why. When you look at the East you see Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State -- the three teams likely to dominate not only the division, but the Big Ten for years to come.
While the West hasn't had any College Football Playoff contenders in recent years, it's foolish to ignore it completely. After all, it was just last season that Iowa went 12-0 during the regular season, and was 27 seconds and three points away from beating Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship, which would have secured the Hawkeyes a spot in the CFP.
So just because it operates under the radar doesn't mean the Big Ten West won't have a major impact on the national title picture this season, but before things get that far, we have to figure out what's going to happen in the division first.
These are the biggest questions facing the Big Ten West this season. While I'll do my best to answer them based on what we know now, how they play out during the season will determine the entire division.
1. Is Iowa ready for its encore? The Hawkeyes were a surprise last season. With both Nebraska and Wisconsin undergoing coaching changes last offseason, the idea of Iowa winning the division before the 2015 season began wasn't exactly crazy, but nobody in their right mind was saying the Hawkeyes were going 12-0.
I like to think I'm in my right mind, and because of that, I don't believe the Hawkeyes have another undefeated regular season in them this year.
Which isn't to say that I don't believe the Hawkeyes can repeat as division champions.
They have to replace some guys on offense, but quarterback C.J. Beathard is back, as well as most of the offensive line. That alone makes me believe Iowa will be just fine on offense, and on the defensive side of the ball, most of the front seven is back, and Desmond King is still at cornerback.
So they should be fine, but, by and large, even if this team finished undefeated in conference play last season, it wasn't blowing people away. It was winning a lot of close games, and I can't help but believe some of those games won't go their way this year.
2. How much has Tommy Armstrong adapted to his new offense? I don't want to put too much pressure on any one single player, but I honestly believe that Nebraska can go as far as Tommy Armstrong is able to take it in 2016. Considering that Armstrong was never recruited to Nebraska to be a drop-back passer that works best in Mike Riley's pro-style offense, the fact he struggled in his first season in a new system last year shouldn't have surprised you.
Armstrong completed only 55.2 percent of his passes, and had 16 interceptions to go with his 22 touchdowns.
Despite those numbers, there's reason for optimism. Armstrong's yards per attempt and passing efficiency weren't amazing, but they were average to slightly above average. Also, in the red zone, his completion percentage jumped to 58.3 percent and he had 12 touchdowns to only two interceptions.
Expecting Armstrong to suddenly develop into a pro-style quarterback that would have NFL scouts drooling is an unrealistic goal, but an improvement, even if it's only a slight one, would be a big boost for the Cornhuskers.
Let's not forget that only one of Nebraska's seven losses last season featured a two-score deficit. They were in every single game they played. Just by cutting down on interceptions Armstrong can have a major impact on this team.
3. Will a healthy Corey Clement revitalize Wisconsin's ground game? Paul Chryst returned to Madison last year, and his return was supposed to bring back the same old Wisconsin team we'd seen for most of the last 20 years under Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema. They were going to run the ball down your throat over and over again, and when you thought they'd finished, they were going to keep running the dang ball.
Well, that's not what happened last year. Wisconsin's ground game was the weakest it's been in years last season, as the Badgers rushed for only 150.3 yards per game and 3.82 yards per carry. Those numbers ranked 10th and 13th in the Big Ten respectively.
A big reason for this was the fact Corey Clement only played in four games for the Badgers. While Dare Ogunbowale and Taiwan Deal did respectable jobs filling in for Clement, the Badgers sorely missed their big-play threat.
With four of five starters returning on the offensive line, and a healthy Clement, the Badgers should be in a better position to grind opponents down with the run game this year. And considering the schedule, they're going to need to.
4. Will Northwestern figure out how to score points? Northwestern's 10-win season last year was one of the more remarkable accomplishments I've ever seen. The reason for this is because, for all of the rules and intricacies in the game of football, it all comes down to one fundamental principle: you have to score more points than the other team to win.
So to see a Northwestern team that averaged only 19.5 points per game last season win 10 games? That blew my mind, man. The six Power Five teams to average less points per game than Northwestern last season combined to go 17-55, averaging 2.83 wins apiece.
That 10-3 mark is clearly a testament to how Northwestern's defense played, but to ask the defense for a repeat performance in 2016 wouldn't be fair.
If Northwestern wants to compete for a division title in 2016, it's going to have to start scoring more points. While running back Justin Jackson can help move the ball down the field, he hasn't really shown big-play potential often enough to rely on him, particularly with defenses keying on him. That means quarterback Clayton Thorson will need to take a major step forward after struggling as a freshman.
5. Who is the division's sleeper team? While I believe any school in the division that isn't Iowa could be considered a sleeper -- well, maybe not Purdue -- one team that intrigues me a bit more than others is Illinois. What's interesting about the Illini is that in Wes Lunt, they have a quarterback that has the talent to be one of the best in the conference. Illinois will also be led by new head coach Lovie Smith, and it'll be interesting to see what Lovie is able to do on the college level.
I don't believe Illinois is going to truly compete for a Big Ten West title, but I think there are pieces in place for the Illini to have one of those surprising seasons they tend to put together every once in a while.
6. Which coach owns the hottest seat? There really is no option here other than Purdue's Darrell Hazell. Hazell is entering his fourth season at Purdue, and he does so with a record of 6-30 overall, and 2-22 in the Big Ten. Coaches usually don't get a fourth season with a record like that, and barring a major turnaround in West Lafayette, it's hard to imagine Hazell will get a fifth.
7. Which school has the best odds of reaching the College Football Playoff? I don't know that any school in the division has great odds of reaching the CFP, but like I said earlier, just about everyone felt the same way last year, and Iowa nearly pulled it off. I'd say the Hawkeyes have the best chance to do it again this year as well.