2 hours and 21 minutes
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1. Michigan's Nonconference and Big Ten Teams 18-15
Starts at 0:54
We welcome in Alex Drain to go over Michigan's nonconference games and the rest of the Big Ten.

Western Michigan
Pretty good for a MAC team, they won the MAC last year.  Last year they were an offensively driven team, but they've lost their defensive coordinator to the LA Chargers. They have big offensive linemen (including Ben Roebuck). Michigan's questions at defensive tackle and linebacker will get an early test. 

UTEP
It's bad. Like... really bad. They're starting over with FCS guys. 

Oklahoma
They get John Mateer back (which can be good or bad at any given moment). His stats in the second half of last year weren't great, how much of that was because of injury? He's an athlete when he has to run the ball. They bring back All-SEC WR Isaiah Sategna. Their run game overall was really bad, it brought down their overall offensive SP+ to 51st. Current SP+ projections are 27th. Cole Sullivan might not even start. The starting line is Michigan -2.5 so consider it a toss-up.

18 - Purdue
7-29 in the last three years since losing Jeff Brohm, and there's not much optimism going into this year either. Their schedule might be a little easier at least. This is year two of a coach starting over for Baryy Odom. Can you name the Michigan player who is a projected starter for Purdue? 

17 - Michigan State
Pat Fitzgerald is... a weird hire. They bring back QB Alessio Milivojevic for some continuity, also PFF really likes UConn RB Cam Edwards. The offensive line looks okay-ish. However, Fred Moore is a projected starter. Do they get four wins? 

16 - Rutgers
Nobody cares about them except for Bryan Mac. Last year they had their best offense since 2007 but their defense was 131st in success rate. They have KJ Duff who has a claim for the 2nd best wide receiver in the Big Ten. The offense is projected at 37th in SP+, the defense at 90th. 

15 - Maryland
Someone always has to die in the Maryland preview. They're #2 in returning production in SP+. Give Locksley some credit for returning a lot of young and talented players. A nonconference game against James Franklin's Virginia Tech could be exciting. 
[The rest of the writeup and the player after THE JUMP] 
2. Big Ten Teams 14-8
Starts at 38:57
14 - Northwestern
They have Chip Kelly and a new stadium (we all liked Ryan Field, though). They start with South Dakota State and then get a week two bye, oddly enough. Can they fix Aidan Chiles? They have some returning wide receivers that are decent. 

13 - Wisconsin
The shell of Wisconsin, the week they though Luke Fickell would get fired he got an extension. They bring in QB Colton Joseph, the Sun Belt player of the year. Old Wisconsin would never have to go into the portal for a running back. By extending Fickell they gave him a bigger NIL budget which he used to get seven defensive starters.

12 - UCLA
They have a new coach. The weird Deshaun Foster era ended before it started. Bob Chesney comes in from James Madison. Nico Iamaleava comes back (for better or worse). James Madison was in the playoffs last year, you might recall. There is a lot of reason to be optimistic about this hire. Semaj Morgan is there! 

11 - Nebraska
They did not get year-three Matt Rhule, there was no lift-off and Raiola left. They picked up QB Anthony Colandrea from Virginia. They need a new RB. They're on their 4th defensive coordinator in five years, despite a soft schedule they still finished 7-6 last year. It feels like another 7-5 ish season. Is that Matt Rhule or is that just Nebraska now? 

10 - Minnesota
68% returning production. They're always around here and they always win a bowl game. QB Drake Lindsey is appearing on 1st round mock drafts?? They're projecting 71st on offense and 24th on defense. They're Minnesota. 

9 - Illinois
They lose Luke Altmyer to the Detroit Lions and bring in Katin Houser (MSU plays three of their former QBs). Only one starter returns on the offensive line. They bring in Bobby Hauck as defensive coordinator, he left Montana claiming college football wasn't fun anymore and then took this job five days later. He might be their Wink. The defense needs to be fixed up a bit.

8 - Washington
They forcibly detained QB Demond Williams for another year so... I guess we'll see how that goes. Last year he could just toss it up to Denzel Boston but he's out the door. They bring in a RB from Oregon and Christian Moss from Kennesaw State. Four of five starters return on the offensive line which could be solid. They lost some pretty good guys in the secondary, defensive tackle is still worrying since they have FCS and MAC guys to plug in positions. Their schedule is very favorable, they could even sneak into the playoffs (and get demolished).
3. Hot Takes and Secondary
Starts at 1:19:11
Takes hotter than the hottest hot take that anyone has ever given the Sklars after one of their shows. 

7 - Iowa
They're Iowa. They haven't had an SP+ defense worse than 6th since 2018. They got all the way up to 37th last year in offensive SP+ (turns out Brian Ferentz was not good at offensive coordination). There are some all-Big Ten guys on the offensive line. Do they have any receivers? Ehhh. They have tight ends. Seth read three preview magazines and they all listed different starting QBs. They lost a lot on defense but they always rebuild. This could be a worrying game for Michigan (if Iowa can score). 

6 - Penn State
Well, the good news is last year they weren't as bad as they looked. Despite everything that happened they were close to beating Indiana at the end of the season. Matt Campbell comes in with Rocco Becht. A lot of players came over from Iowa State, it's just a matter of how quickly they can fit it all together. Their schedule is a joke, they could even sneak into the playoff or the Big Ten title game. Michigan should still be a favorite. 

5 - USC
They bring back QB Jayden Maiava, but they replace Makai Lemon. The receiver conveyer belt is moving. Everybody loves Waymond (and they bring back King Miller). Their new defensive coordinator is Gary Patterson (yeah that Gary Patterson). Too bad they don't play Northwestern. They always have a top 10 offense and they just need the defense to be okay. The schedule is brutal, though. Are they just permanently the 15th best team in college football under Lincoln Riley?

4 - Michigan?
See: all other content.

3 - Indiana
They are the portal team now. Despite losing so many players they recruited the transfer portal like an SEC team. QB Josh Hoover comes in from TCU, he's a good conference starter. They also bring in Nick Marsh (MSU) and Shazz Preston from Tulane. Add that to Charlie Becker and their WR room is stacked (also two time winning national champion Tyler Morris!). They bring in a RB named Turbo! They reload on defense and keep their defensive coordinator. Brian is not a believer and predicts 8-4, Alex thinks they'll be really good, Seth is somewhere in between.

2 - Oregon
They get Dante Moore back with the regular trope of skill position players. The offensive line is a big question mark and they replace both of their coordinators with in-house hires. The defense has some good players including one of the best corners in the country. They have a Rimmington-quality center but that's about it for the line (the starting right tackle is a true freshman). Their talent is undeniable, but can they win the big game? 

1 - Ohio State
Last year they had the Penn State schedule of this year. Sayin's stats looked unbelievable through 12 games, then they couldn't score against Indiana and Miami. That needs to improve. Jeremiah Smith is a generational wide receiver, Chris Henry Jr will be really good but probably not quite Jeremiah Smith's level. The offense will need to make that next step. The defense was what was considered generational on SP+. They lose 9 of 11 starters on defense but they always have a conveyer belt. They had to portal some guys, though. They'll probably take a step back on defense but the offense stepping forward probably cancels that out. The schedule is pretty brutal. 
 
4. Lightning Round
Starts at 2:09:30
Predictions! List yours in the comments.

-Who will be offensive MVP?
-Who will be defensive MVP?
-Breakout player on offense? 
-Breakout player on defense?
-X-factor on offense? (Most variable in your estimation)
-X-factor on defense?
-Biggest strength on offense?
-Biggest strength on defense? 
-Biggest concern on offense?
-Biggest concern on defense?
-Who's your guy on offense?
-Who's your guy on defense?
-Michigan's record?
 
MUSIC:
<ul>
<li>"The Latter Teens"—Vansire</li>
<li>"Black Bear"—Hey, Nothing</li>
<li>"Funky Fanfare"—Keith Mansfield</li>
<li>“Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   </li>
</ul>

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