1. Northwestern: The Wildcats are the defending West Division champs and are picked to finish third. But they return only seven starters and could struggle on offense.
2. Indiana: Hoosiers coach Tom Allen is talking the talk after his team went 6-1 in Big Ten play last season. But how will Indiana react to having a target on its back for the first time in forever? And can star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finally stay healthy?
3. UW: What if Graham Mertz struggles again and the running game fails to get going? The Badgers only can rely on their defense so much and can’t be flat early in the season, with games against Penn State and Notre Dame in the opening month.
4. Penn State: A tale of two 2020 seasons for the Nittany Lions included a double-digit home loss to Maryland as part of an 0-5 start. A four-game winning streak to end the season is a big reason Penn State is picked to finish second in the Big Ten East. But the Nittany Lions are closer to Indiana, Michigan and Maryland than they are to Ohio State.
5. Iowa: The Hawkeyes always walk a fine line. While you can pencil them in for at least seven wins, a run at the Big Ten West title depends on whether quarterback Spencer Petras can be more accurate than he was during his first season as a starter.
