That’s what they’ve been under Paul Chryst: really darn good, but not quite good enough for the playoff. 2019 Defensive Rank: 8 . 2019 Scoring Defense: 16.2 . Related: Athlon Sports' College Football Top 25 for 2020. We’ll see if that changes this year without Jonathan Taylor. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Allen and the Hoosiers seemed primed for an encore. Nebraska’s other crossover game is Penn State. The unit loses several key players too. The rest of his game is somewhat unknown, as he’s only attempted 11 passes in his Michigan career. Up front, where former South Carolina defensive line coach John Scott Jr. has taken over, Penn State returns Shaka Toney at weakside defensive end and has two solid contenders for the strongside spot in Jayson Oweh and Adisa Isaac. Two other key vacancies — the punt- and kickoff-return jobs — have a cloudier outlook.

The tall lefty bulked up to 218 pounds, a gain he hopes will help him avoid the injuries that limited him last season. To be fair, the Boilermakers were bit by the injury bug last season. Purdue got some great news on Thursday that could go a long way in preventing a second straight dismal season. Jahan Dotson returns, as well as Daniel George and Cam Sullivan-Brown. Hey, Scott Frost, you wanted a Big Ten fall football season so bad? Six of the team’s scholarship receivers will have freshman eligibility, and they’re not the only newcomers. Coming off of an 11-2 season and a blowout win over Memphis in the Cotton Bowl, the Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the top contenders to win the Big Ten in 2020 as well as one of the final teams playing for the College Football Playoff. You likely didn’t come here to learn whether Ohio State was considered “good” entering this unique, abbreviated season. He still managed to win the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award twice.

Click ... 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Preview, 2020 Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Preview, 2020 College Football Early Preseason Power Rankings. Rashod Bateman would like to return to school after initially opting out. Taylor’s replacement is not obvious, there is a battle at QB, and the top receivers are gone. But there is still a lot to figure out with this unit and still some unknowns. He should have a solid line in front of him: three starters and a few others with significant experience return. All five offensive lineman are back, along with the starting quarterback and, Fleck hopes, the Big Ten’s best receiver. All Rights Reserved.