Chicago - Every season has its changes, but the Big Ten's best are expected to continue performing at an elite level.
Michigan and Ohio State are again picked to finish as the top two teams in the conference, with Iowa placing third.
The Wolverines return 16 starters including sophomore quarterback Chad Henne and running back Michael Hart. Although Henne is the favorite to start because of a strong performance last season, head coach Lloyd Carr made it clear he will still have to work for the position.
"Chad tied a Michigan record for the most touchdowns in one season with 25 and had an exceptional year for a freshman," Carr said. "He's better than he was, and hopefully, he will continue to improve.
"But Matt Gutierrez is back as well, and Matt is a great competitor and wants the job back, and so that should make us strong at the quarterback position."
Ohio State returns 18 starters, nine on both sides of the ball, and Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel feels this will be a key part to their success this season.
"We're excited about the fact we have a lot of experience back, maybe more than we had a year ago, more maturity," Tressel said. "Our guys have had a variety of experiences that I think will serve them well this year."
The Buckeyes are picked for second in the conference and will be led by senior linebacker and preseason defensive player of the year A.J. Hawk. He led the Buckeyes last season with 141 tackles and is a two-time all-Big Ten selection.
Iowa returns 12 starters, six on offense, five on defense and one special teams member. Iowa is expected to be led by top preseason offensive player of the year pick and junior quarterback Drew Tate.
He led the Hawkeyes last season, throwing for 2,786 yards and 20 touchdowns. After his performance, head coach Kirk Ferentz likes the idea of Tate coming back this year after having so much experience previously.
"This is really the first year now that we have had back-to-back quarterbacks that have started every game the year before returning, so we are excited about that," Ferentz said. "We think Drew is a fine performer."
Aside from the same teams being picked to finish at the top, the two teams who finished at the bottom of the conference, Indiana and Illinois, have new coaches this season.
The Fighting Illini will be led into battle by former Florida coach Ron Zook. He will be working with 16 players from last season's roster. Although he might not have lived up to the expectations at Florida, he's looking foreword to this new opportunity.
"Any first-year program, you are going to be a program that's going to have a starting point, and obviously, we have to improve each week from there," Zook said. "I can't say enough about the attitude of the team and the way (the players) have bought into what we are trying to accomplish here."
Indiana will be led by Terry Hoeppner, former head coach of Miami (Ohio). He said he has been a Hoosier fan as long has he can remember and is looking forward to showcasing the football talents of what has been primarily known as a basketball university.
"The opportunity for me not only to be a football coach but to be the football coach at Indiana University in this great conference," he said. "It's truly, truly special."
