The 2021 season was an interesting campaign for the Big Ten. Ohio State didn’t win the conference, and if not for an early-season loss to Oregon by the Buckeyes, it might have matched the SEC with two College Football Playoff teams. Instead, Michigan knocked off Ohio State on a snowy afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the conference and reached the playoff, while Michigan State went 11-2 and finished in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 to give the conference three top-10 teams.
Of course, there was a downside to that. The only other Big Ten team to finish the season ranked in the AP poll was Iowa at No. 23, which accurately reflects the divide between the conference’s best last season and everybody else. How different will things look this year? Can Michigan hold off Ohio State yet again?
There are a lot of questions to answer all over the conference, and with spring practices kicking into high gear, we’re going to examine the most significant question facing all 14 Big Ten programs as they begin preparation for 2022.
Will anybody emerge as a big-play receiver? While Illinois ran the ball well on offense in Bret Bielema’s first season, the team struggled to move the ball in the passing game. Whether it was Brandon Peters or Artur Sitkowski at quarterback, nobody emerged from an inexperienced group to be a reliable chain-mover. Former QB Isaiah Williams showed plenty of promise, leading the team in receptions (47), yards (525) and touchdowns (4) in his first season as a receiver, but he averaged only 11.2 yards per catch. Two of the team’s top four receivers — tight end Daniel Barker and receiver Donny Navarro — have transferred. Duece Spann, another converted QB, was the team’s occasional big-play monster, catching five passes for 124 yards and…
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