And the band played on.

For the first time in its four years, the College Football Playoff bypassed the Big Ten last season, with Alabama snagging the No. 4 seed over Ohio State. (Any lingering gripes disappeared faster than you can say Tua Tagovailoa.)

No Power Five conference wants to get shunned in back-to-back seasons. So on top of being asked about college football’s new redshirt rule (playing up to four games is kosher) and the possibility of creating a national weekly injury report, Big Ten coaches and players will be queried on the league’s best hope to dethrone Nick Saban & Co.

What else will they be asked Monday and Tuesday at the downtown Marriott? Here’s a preview for each team, listed in order of over-under win totals according to BetDSI:

Ohio State (10.5): Do the Buckeyes have a weakness?

As rated by talent guru Phil Steele, Ohio State is top-two among Big Ten teams in seven of the nine position groups, including coaching. The exceptions? Linebacker (many new faces) and quarterback, where J.T. Barrett gives way to a potentially devastating combo of Dwayne Haskins (6 of 7 off the bench versus Michigan) and the Tebow-esque Tate Martell.

Wisconsin (10): Will this be THE year?

The Badgers are 3-0 in bowl games under Paul Chryst. They’ve won the West twice. They’ve gone 9-0 in Big Ten play. All that’s left to do is win the Big Ten — and the national title if you want to get a little greedy. The soft nonconference schedule (Western Kentucky, New Mexico and BYU, all at home) is balanced out by crossover games at Michigan and Penn State.

Penn State (9.5): Shouldn’t Trace McSorley be a Heisman Trophy favorite?

You’d think, considering his brilliant (7,369 yards, 59 TD passes) and high-profile career. Yet seven quarterbacks and two Big Ten players (running backs Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin and J.K. Dobbins of Ohio State) have lower odds than McSorley, an 18-1 shot.

Michigan (8.5): Is Shea Patterson the Big Ten’s most polarizing player?

Absolutely. And he hasn’t played a down at Michigan. Walterfootball.com projects him as the first pick in the NFL draft. Some detractors/SEC fans will tell you Patterson — who was awful (no TDs, five interceptions) last season against Alabama and LSU — would have been second string had he remained at Ole Miss.

Michigan State (8.5): Are the dark days in the rearview?

The football program imploded in 2016 amid arrests, transfers and reported racial tension. The university is still healing after the Larry Nassar scandal and the ESPN “Outside the Lines” report that led to athletic director Mark Hollis’ resignation. The school is counting on new AD Bill Beekman to rid the stench.

Northwestern (7.5): Is Northwestern still the Little Program That Could?

Nope. The new $270 million lakefront practice facility would draw wows from megaboosters T. Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State) and Phil Knight (Oregon). Coach Pat Fitzgerald makes at least $3.5 million a year. And the Wildcats enter the season on an eight-game winning streak. So much for underdogs.

Iowa (7.5): Will Kirk Ferentz go on a bender after surpassing Hayden Fry?

Ummm … doubtful. A wild night for Ferentz involves polishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. He needs only one victory, his 144th, to become Iowa’s winningest coach. First opponent: Northern Illinois.

Athletic director Bill Moos believes Nebraska football is in an elite class, saying its uniform “should be worn with tremendous pride ... like a New York Yankees uniform. Or Green Bay Packers. Or Boston Celtics.” Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne combined to win five national titles from 1970-97. But is Nebraska still an elite job? Where does it rank in the Big Ten? Similar to our exercise for Big Ten basketball, the Tribune consulted with coaches and industry analysts to devise a list that reflects each school’s facilities, tradition, fan base and resources. We asked: If every Big Ten job opened up tomorrow and you had to win a conference title in the next five years, which job would you want to take? (Teddy Greenstein) (Teddy Greenstein)

Minnesota (6): Is the boat still afloat?

P.J. Fleck’s first season left some Gophers fans seasick. The team sank from 9-4 to 5-7, getting outscored 70-0 by Northwestern and Wisconsin to end the season. Fleck needs to identify a quarterback who is also a true believer in his brash style and novel lingo.

Nebraska (5.5): Can the Huskers become the Huskers again?

The program of Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne became unrecognizable under the likes of Bo (Bleeping) Pelini and Mike (Mister Rogers) Riley. New coach Scott Frost knows what it takes to win in Lincoln: He went 24-2 as the starting quarterback in 1996 and ’97.

Indiana (5.5): Why did Brandon Dawkins select Indiana?

The speedy quarterback played for Rich Rodriguez at Arizona before losing his spot to the wondrous Khalil Tate. As a graduate transfer, he might split time with incumbent Peyton Ramsey. “I’m not some jerk coming in to steal everybody’s job,” Dawkins told the Indianapolis Star.

Purdue (5): Are two better than one?