Earlier than the new-look Huge Ten’s first soccer season with 18 groups kicks off in 2024, 247Sports polled its deep roster of insiders for a program-by-program breakdown. The Huge Ten Survey requested a handful of questions, together with, “What difficulty retains your fan base up at night time?” This is a roundup of the solutions.

Jeremy Werner, Illini Inquirer

If Bret Bielema cannot do it, who can? Bielema has been a profitable Huge Ten coach and had a number of good years within the SEC. He is a robust and arranged CEO, nice marketer and has employed some spectacular staffs at Illinois. He is a no-doubt enchancment over the previous three many years of Illini coaches, notably Tim Beckman and Lovie Smith. His athletic director, Josh Whitman, additionally has poured sources into Bielema to make this work.

Up to now, Bielema has made strides to enhance this system, taking it from overmatched within the Huge Ten to frisky and aggressive. However the Illini took a step again final season, so there’s nonetheless a query of whether or not this system can really leap to a constantly profitable Huge Ten program just like Wisconsin or Iowa.

The Illini have developed effectively, however their recruiting rankings have ranked towards the underside of the Huge Ten regardless of a smart recruiting method by Bielema and his employees. So can Bielema out-develop and out-coach his friends to get Illinois to the center tier of the Huge Ten and doubtlessly extra?

This system has at all times been referred to as a “sleeping large” given its stature in a talent-rich space. But when Bielema struggles to really awaken it throughout the subsequent a number of years, some Illini followers will query if anybody can.

Jared Kelly, Peegs.com

It is actually the identical difficulty that is plagued Indiana for many years: That is arguably the toughest Energy 4 program to win at, for myriad causes. The Hoosiers’ dropping historical past cannot be missed, and it makes the job even tougher irrespective of who the pinnacle coach is.

That stated, Curt Cignetti has fully flipped the vibe and notion of this system since his arrival.

Cignetti has IU followers shopping for in once more, and he is captured the eye of these not inside the IU fan base. The 2024 season has a totally completely different really feel — a constructive one — with Cignetti on the helm.

In fact, the Hoosiers must show it on the sector this fall. Nevertheless it’s arduous not to take a look at this offseason as successful.

Sean Bock, Hawkeye Insider

What if the Tim Lester experiment does not work out? Is Iowa simply damaged on offense?

The principle issues with Iowa’s offense this fall are quarterback play and broad receiver, two positions the Hawkeyes have struggled to recruit the previous few seasons. Will Iowa ever be capable of repair it?

Jeff Ermann, InsideMDSports

Successful an enormous one. Locksley, getting into his sixth season, has made main enhancements to this system. However they have not been capable of pull off a breakthrough win in opposition to one of many conferences high groups, falling simply wanting upsets in opposition to Michigan in every of the previous two seasons and throwing a few scares into Ohio State.

The followers are determined for the kind of win they will brag about.

Sam Webb, The Michigan Insider

Not a lot nowadays. It is virtually eerie. The priority was once over whether or not Jim Harbaugh would signal an extension, however now that Harbs is with the Chargers, Michigan followers haven’t got that one factor they’re all obsessing over.

One factor which may make some toss and switch a bit is the pacing of their NIL initiatives. Some fear whether or not Michigan is transferring quick sufficient to maintain it among the many elites. However given what some members of the soccer workforce have been saying these days, these issues have gotten outdated.

Stephen Brooks, Spartan Tailgate

Most likely the concept, on this new panorama, MSU has a ceiling of merely reaching the playoff, however by no means profitable it. One might argue that was true within the four-team mannequin, although MSU’s 2013-15 run serves as proof the Spartans have been on the doorstep. The highs of the Dantonio period confirmed what was potential in East Lansing, and I do detect an underlying concern that the Spartans won’t ever attain these heights once more.

Will they spend sufficient? Will they recruit effectively sufficient? Is Smith the man to do it? For a younger coach, Smith’s resume is spectacular, however he is additionally not a confirmed winner on the highest stage.

MSU followers, after a style of greatness and particularly after the principally lukewarm decade since, are afraid the most effective they will ever be is an efficient program, not an incredible one.

Ryan Burns, Gopher Illustrated

P.J. Fleck’s passing recreation. It is not a secret that the passing recreation has been a problem for many of Fleck’s tenure. The one yr you’ll be able to level to within the final seven that the passing recreation was environment friendly and explosive was 2019, when Tanner Morgan exploded for 30 passing touchdowns with two NFL receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson.

Exterior of that, there have been too many Monday information conferences previously few years when Fleck has talked about inconsistencies with the quarterback’s accuracy, drops from the move catchers, or missed assignments in move safety.

All of it goes hand-in-hand, however the stats have not been type with the aerial assault. Minnesota hasn’t ranked increased than 122nd in move makes an attempt previously three seasons, which is how the Gophers averaged a putrid 143 passing yards a recreation final yr.

There’s hope with New Hampshire switch Max Brosmer now taking the snaps, nevertheless it’s additionally on Fleck to not pull the plug on the passing recreation the second issues go poorly.

Michael Bruntz, Husker247

As beforehand talked about, Nebraska hasn’t been to a bowl recreation since 2016 — the teaching matchup that day was Mike Riley (Nebraska) and Butch Jones (Tennessee). Nebraska is on its fourth head coach within the Huge Ten period and the query that at all times appears to be following Nebraska is when issues will flip.

Numerous staffs has tried and didn’t get Nebraska constantly again to the profitable column in recent times, and it is an understatement to say that Nebraska followers are rising impatient.

Jacob Epstein, The Day by day Northwestern

Quarterback has been a priority for the previous few seasons, particularly with an absence of continuity underneath middle. Northwestern has began a switch quarterback in each opener since 2018.

This pattern will seemingly proceed in 2024, with former Vanderbilt and Mississippi State quarterback Mike Wright being the presumptive QB1. Hopefully for Northwestern, the brand new rent in offensive coordinator and QB coach Zach Lujan will sign a marked shift, the place the Wildcats will lastly be capable of recruit and develop a QB from his highschool days into changing into the workforce’s eventual starter.

For now, the fan base awaits the reply to a extra fast query: Is the value Wright?

Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Beating Michigan, for certain. That was at all times the M.O., then after the Buckeyes posted a 17-2 document in opposition to the Wolverines from 2001-19, many took it with no consideration.

Zero Buckeye followers are taking it with no consideration any longer. The final word objective is to win the 2024 nationwide title. However the first objective is to beat Michigan in Columbus.

Erik Skopil, Duck Territory

That is a tough one. This system is well-run and, for the primary time in a few decade, longevity on the high appears to exist. If there is a stage of insecurity, it is about this system’s lack of historical past — and, extra particularly, the lack of a nationwide championship trophy within the trophy case.

Tyler Donohue, Lions247

The receiver spot. Manufacturing was frustratingly missing there final yr and Ohio State switch Julian Fleming is the lone skilled newcomer in a room that does not characteristic anybody with 600-plus yards of their PSU profession.

In the meantime, lead 2023 receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith left for Auburn this spring. Second-year place coach Marques Hagans is going through stress, and that is seen as a dynamic that may actually assist/damage quarterback Drew Allar’s growth.

Allen Trieu, 247Sports

Purdue performs at Ohio State with dwelling video games in opposition to Notre Dame, Penn State and Oregon. That leaves little room for error in opposition to the remainder of the convention. At Wisconsin, at Indiana and at Michigan State are large winnable swing video games that the Boilers will want for bowl eligibility.

Bobby Deren, Scarlet Nation

It has been the ineffectiveness of the passing recreation. Final season, Gavin Wimsatt threw three pick-sixes at important factors in video games in opposition to Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Up till these moments, Rutgers was in an excellent place to, a minimum of, push for an upset. Even when Rutgers has skilled success, it has not been due to a prolific passing recreation.

That has led to a much less thrilling offense, particularly when the teaching employees was typically calling operating performs on third-and-long by the top of final season. The shortcoming to determine a downfield passing recreation has been a shortcoming for Rutgers for fairly a while.

Tracy Pierson, Bruin Report On-line

Nightmares of Chip Kelly. Half-joking. For the upcoming season, there’s fear in regards to the new teaching employees and if it might truly subject an excellent workforce with good schemes.

There’s concern over whether or not this might be too large for Foster, who went from being a operating backs coach to the primary man, with no head teaching expertise. I feel for any of the Pac-4, there’s concern about how the Pac-12 model of soccer — which has at all times been about potent offenses with a excessive stage of quarterback play — matches up in opposition to the normal, defense-emphasized Huge Ten groups.

There are worries about making longer street journeys to locations UCLA followers have by no means been. However that is what makes this all an journey, proper?

Ryan Abraham, USCFootball.com

For me, I’m nearly to guide journey for my employees and that has had me anxious for a few years. For the followers, it’s all in regards to the defensive aspect of the ball and general toughness of the workforce.

Coming into the Huge Ten, the followers do not need to see groups that common 25 factors placing up 40 on the Trojan protection or having a low-scoring recreation the place USC will get pushed round on the traces of scrimmage due to lack of toughness.

Nick Osen, Badger247

I did a bit of little bit of crowdsourcing simply with some family and friends within the space, and the “difficulty” that seemingly popped up probably the most was energy and consistency alongside the defensive position — and their play.

Nicely, in comes EJ Whitlow, recognized to be a really robust developer alongside the DL in his respective historical past so far. And between Whitlow and Luke Fickell, together with stacking elevated recruiting courses, I see this being extra of a energy within the very close to future.

Followers are additionally anxious about accidents after final yr, however the Badgers are sitting effectively with extra depth in 2024 now, too.