2019 Big Ten football spring preview: 7 biggest questions/storylines

2019 Big Ten football spring preview: 7 biggest questions – Finally Jim Harbaugh’s year?

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 29: Shea Patterson #2 and head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate the first quarter touchdown against the Florida Gators during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 03: Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ricky Smalling (4) scores on a 62-yard touchdown pass as Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Dominic Stampley (6) during a Big Ten Conference football game on November 3, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Can Illinois or Rutgers make the step up and announce their return?

Illinois and Rutgers have been towards the bottom of the Big Ten for many of the past years. Their histories in the Big Ten couldn’t be farther from different, with Illinois having a few historically-great teams to pair with more-recently terrible teams, and Rutgers having no luck since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

That being said, their fans have felt a similar sense of dread in past years, with both school’s lacking any major successes in revenue sports. Both teams have been historically bad of late, during the rebuilding of each program. The real question remains, is it time for these two teams to win some games, and maybe reach a bowl?

Illinois’ Lovie Smith experiment will be supplemented by two of the best recruits in program history, in star quarterback Isaiah Williams and highly-touted Marquez Beason. Both can be played at multiple positions, and come into the seasons with very high expectations to lead a floundering Illinois team back into the spotlight. Backed up by a returning core of juniors and sophomores, Illinois could surprise some teams down the stretch, as they did last year with P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Rutgers landed 21 three-star recruits in the Class of 2019, with an average rating of .8444 according to 247sports. In Chris Ash’s fourth season as head coach, after going 1-11 just last year, major improvements are necessary. Gaining a recruiting class full of young, talented three-star players could help the Scarlet Knights’ program immensely, as you never know who could come in and be a program changer, especially when backed up by a solid core of young players.

Both teams are in sticky situations heading into spring football, with plenty of room for improvement thanks to the addition of young, talented recruiting classes. I think if either (and it may be a longshot), Illinois could make the leap and land a bowl game. Don’t count out Rutgers to surprise some teams this season, however, as the odds of them finishing 1-11 once again is quite low.

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