OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
(11-2, first in the Big Ten)

Key returnees: QB Todd Boeckman, CB Malcolm Jenkins, RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, LB James Laurinaitis.
Player to watch: Even with all the returning superstars, this isn’t hard: freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit summed up the Pryor-mania perfectly when he said at Big Ten Media Day, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen in the history of mankind the hype that Terrelle Pryor received, ever in my life. And I almost feel bad for the guy because, can he live up to it? He has to win like three national titles and two Heismans to live up to it.” Regardless of how Boeckman and Pryor split time, Pryor will be the center of attention.
Reason for optimism: The Buckeyes lost few key players, meaning the learning curve will be slight. They know what it feels like to play in a national championship game.
Reason for pessimism: The Ohio State-Southern Cal game will be great television, but it could leave the Buckeyes 2-1, with their national championship hopes in jeopardy. If Ohio State loses, it’ll have to tread carefully the rest of the year if it wants to reach a third straight championship game.
Bottom line: It’s obvious the Buckeyes will be great, and with a win on September 13, they should be able to win it all. But history in big games just doesn’t seem to be on their side. 12-1.

WISCONSIN BADGERS
(9-4, third in the Big Ten)

Key returnees: RB P.J. Hill, LB DeAndre Levy
Player to watch: Hill. He notched over 1,200 rushing yards as a sophomore and can only get better.
Reason for optimism: Yes, sticking to a traditional offense could be considered obsolete — but with most teams preparing to face the spread, Wisconsin might find they actually have an edge. “From a physical standpoint, it’s definitely an advantage,” Levy said at Big Ten Media Day. “We have an offense that can pound.”
Reason for pessimism: Like Michigan, Wisconsin is also a little shaky at quarterback. With Tyler Donovan’s graduation, two relatively inexperienced quarterbacks are competing for the job. Evridge, who had just 12 pass attempts last season, did respectably against Akron — but how much that means isn’t yet clear.
Bottom line: Wisconsin has reached a January bowl each of the past four years. Expect this year to be no different. 10-3.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
(9-4, T-second in the Big Ten)

Key returnees: QB Juice Williams, WR Aurelious Benn, LB Brit Miller
Player to watch: Williams. After his stellar play in the Illini upset of Ohio State last year, it looks like this could be his breakout season. Though Illinois lost Saturday, Williams had career-high totals in yardage, completions and touchdown passes.
Reason for optimism: The offense as a whole should be impressive. With Williams’ arm and the speed of the wide receivers, the Illini should be able to rack up points on most opponents.
Reason for pessimism: Illinois’ defense was lauded going into the season, but it looked less than impressive Saturday against Missouri. The Illini also lost a strong graduating class that included J Leman, meaning leadership is a question mark this early in the season.
Bottom line: The Illini will be better than last year, but their record after the rest of its cupcake nonconference schedule (Eastern Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Michigan) might take a hit after a few tough Big Ten games. 10-3.

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
(9-4, T-fourth in the Big Ten)

Key returnees: DE Maurice Evans, CB Tony Davis, WR Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood
Player to watch: C A.Q. Shipley. He’s coming off a first-team All-Big Ten year and will be surrounded by returning players.
Reason for optimism: The Nittany Lions are returning eight starters on both offense and defense, meaning the core of the team should be consistently good.
Reason for pessimism: The off-the-field disciplinary problems are perennial distractions. It’s obvious Paterno is sick of talking about it — when asked at Big Ten Media Day how he’d deal with a problem player, Paterno impatiently said, “What are you going to do, crucify him?” But the problems have continued this season after police found marijuana in an apartment shared by four players (including Evans) Tuesday night.