Spring practices are underway in Big Ten country, and we've spent the last several weeks looking at the Ohio State roster from top to bottom. The quarterback battle in Columbus is one of the hottest national storylines, and this past week Dwayne Haskins made it abundantly clear that he's preparing as if he is the starter.
Other key storylines for the Buckeyes include replacing a trio of pass rushers, Isaiah Pryor and a new look in the secondary, as well as some potential reshuffling along the offensive line as the staff deals with the departures of Jamarco Jones and Billy Price.
Elsewhere in the East Division, there are a number of other stories to be on the lookout for over the next few months. The spring and summer workouts often go a long way in defining a team, and this year's key storylines may help to shape the division in 2018.
New-look Nittany Lion Offense
James Franklin and the Nittany Lions finished No. 3 in the division a season ago as they fell against the Buckeyes and Spartans. The biggest loss for Penn State likely came in late November when offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead accepted the head coaching job at Mississippi State. Every Big Ten defense has to still be happy about that news.
This year's NFL Draft should be good to Penn State. Saquon Barkley is considered by most to be the top overall talent while Mike Gesicki is one of the top tight ends and will surely hear his name called in the first two rounds. Both put up stellar performances at the NFL Combine.
The problem is that now the offense is looking for others to step up. Barkey, Gesicki, and wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton totaled 39 touchdowns in 2017. That is a lot of firepower that's now off to the NFL. The good news is that Trace McSorley is back and Franklin's recruiting has been solid over the last several years.
Miles Sanders is the heir apparent at running back, but the junior has rushed for just 375 yards and three touchdowns in his career. Talent has never been the question here, and now Sanders will get to see a real workload. There's also plenty of talent at receiver as Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins should lead the way. I'd also keep an eye on true freshman Justin Shorter, but the five-star won't arrive until the summer.
There's no one on the current roster than can replace Gesicki; at least not as a pass catcher. Jon Holland caught just three passes last year, though he likely is a better blocker than Gesicki ever was. Sophomore Danny Dalton and true freshman Zack Kuntz – an early enrollee – should also factor into the equation.
Quarterback Questions Still Swirling in Ann Arbor
Jim Harbaugh is heading into his fourth season in Ann Arbor, and he's yet to develop a quarterback as most expected he'd do with relative ease. This issue has plagued the Wolverines for some time now despite John O'Korn's lol-worthy claims that he is the most NFL-ready quarterback in the upcoming draft.
The most obvious answer to this concern is currently outside of the Wolverines control as Michigan awaits the NCAA's decision on Shea Patterson. The Ole Miss transfer is hoping to be eligible for the 2018 campaign, and if that is the case he can likely be penciled in as the starter. In 10 games at Ole Miss, Patterson through for over 3,139 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The NCAA decision is expected to come any day now. If Patterson starts and is unable to give Michigan any sort of boost at the position, then that's going to be a really bad situation for Harbaugh.
Brandon Peters is the other main contender right now, and the redshirt sophomore had his ups and downs in 2017. Following the Outback Bowl performance against South Carolina, the Michigan faithful doesn't appear to be too confident in Peters. He completed just 20 of 44 passes for 186 yards and a pair of interceptions; including one of the worst ones you'll ever see.
I suppose redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey is also worth mentioning. The younger brother of Carolina Panther running back Christian McCaffrey was a top-rated quarterback coming out of high school in 2017. While he's the youngest of the contenders, he may be able to push for playing time; especially if Patterson is ruled ineligible.
Young Offensive Line in East Lansing (Still)
Michigan State had to be one of the country's biggest surprises last season. It shouldn't ever be a surprise that the Spartans are good, but I don't think anyone was expecting a 10-3 season following the abysmal 3-9 campaign in 2016.
A season ago Mark Dantonio was operating with one of the youngest offensive lines in college football. Brian Allen was a senior and the anchor in the middle, but the second team All-Big Ten center was flanked by freshman and sophomores. Allen's younger brother Matt – a redshirt sophomore – is the favorite to take over at center, and the line is likely to once again feature just one upperclassman.
There were moments in 2017 when the freshmen and sophomores were simply no match for the opposing defenses. The Buckeyes recorded six sacks against the Spartans when they met in November. They put together a much better effort in the October win over their in-state rivals as the Wolverines didn't get to the quarterback once.
The line took its lumps last year, but put up a respectable effort for a young unit that went through a number of injuries. Another year for them to gel and put in work in the weight room should go a long way.
The Terrapin Quarterback Carousel
I'm not sure a team has ever been hit with with injuries at quarterback quite like Maryland was in 2017. The Terrapins ended up starting five different players under center and it all started in week one when Tyrrell Pigrome went down with a torn ACL during the team's thrilling win in Austin. True freshman Kasim Hill then suffered the same injury a few weeks later.
New offensive coordinator and quarterback guru Matt Canada has some talent to play with, but it's going to take a bit of time before he can really get a feel for things.
The quarterback battle really won't get underway until the fall since both Pigrome and Hill are being held out as they recover from the injuries. Max Bortenschlager played in 12 games last season and the junior will be the guy this spring. He's a much different type of quarterback and doesn't bring the excitement of the other contenders. D.J. Durkin will most likely be faced with a decision when Pigrome and Hill are able to battle it out in practice.
Meanwhile, the other big question mark revolves around how the Terps will replace their biggest weapon. D.J. Moore has been climbing up NFL Draft boards and is expected to be a first or second-round pick next month. Former Ohio State commit Taivon Jacobs should be the team's best wideout, but someone else will have to step up.
Rayshad Lewis – a transfer from Utah state – is one candidate to help fill the void. The son of former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis, he recorded 476 yards and scored two touchdowns at Utah State in 2016. Senior Jahrvis Davenport was the team's No. 3 receiver last year, but he only tallied 13 receptions.
I have long thought that Maryland can be a dangerous team in the East. If its quarterbacks can stay healthy this season, then the Terps may be able to make some noise. D.J. Durkin already has one of the conference's top all-purpose players in tailback/return man Ty Johnson. The defense was No. 87 in America last season, so that continues to be a concern.
