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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ATLANTA, GA DECEMBER 29: Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines and the Florida Gators on December 29th, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7. Is there a College Football Playoff-caliber team?

One of the biggest talking points of last year’s college football season was the internal-slaughterhouse that was the Big Ten conference, particularly, in the Big Ten East. With this came the discussion of how such a talented conference failed to reach the College Football Playoff. We saw multiple upsets cost teams like Ohio State (see: Purdue) and Michigan (see: Ohio State) a chance at the Playoff, and therefore the National Championship.

Preseason Top 10s like the aforementioned Buckeyes and Wolverines come into this year with a great chance at making the College Football Playoff and adding to the historic successes of the Big Ten conference. Currently, Vegas has Ohio State and Michigan at 12-1 and 14-1 odds to win the national championship, respectively.

This means that the Big Ten has not one, but two teams in the Top 5 in odds to win the National Championship. Though the odds are relatively far behind Clemson and Alabama, the Big Ten provides two teams that have a legitimate chance at glory at the end of the season. Following behind them are Nebraska at 25-1, and Wisconsin at 50-1, with the Cornhuskers in the top 10, and the Badgers in the top 15.

It’s not going to be an easy thing to do, but after a disappointing showing from the Big Ten last year, the Big Ten could really use some stand-out performances, and preferably a berth in the College Football Playoff, from its top teams in the 2019-2020 season.

Though not necessarily a “spring-only” question ahead of the new season, this question looms large as teams will begin the shift form weight-training regimens to actual football drills. It all starts in the spring.

There are a lot of questions about each individual team headed into the new season in August, but most importantly, the conference itself has some identity questions to answer as they attempt to not be shut out of the nation’s spotlight when 2020 rolls around.

Next. Spring football: Top 25 rankings. dark

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