Conference Champions: Ohio State Buckeyes

The transition from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day has given people the feeling that there is supposed to be a drop-off, but the talent across the OSU roster is still elite.

Justin Fields will be entering his first season as a starter, but we just saw this last season with Dwayne Haskins. The story ended with the most prolific passing season in Big Ten history. J.K. Dobbins is still at running back and with Fields running ability it will force defenses to stay honest during zone-reads. That will open up Dobbins and allow him to return to his 2017 form. Offense line may need some time with four new starters, but if you watched the team closely in 2018, those change maybe for the better at most spots.

Defensively is what’s going to help keep the Buckeyes at the top. They underachieved big time last season, and the coaching was subpar at best. They return nine starters, and if they play as they should, it will give the offense the time they need to get right.

The schedule is no cakewalk, but it is also not an unrelenting gauntlet. The four-week stretch from Nebraska to Wisconsin is a severe test, and they’ll probably lose one of those. Penn State seems bound for regression and Michigan has to prove they can keep up with the Buckeyes before actually picking them to win the conference.