Ohio State vs. Maryland

The Buckeyes open conference play against the Terrapins, and it will certainly be a fun one to watch. Although Braxton Miller is likely out for the 2014 season, the Buckeyes are not short on playmakers. The receiving corps of Evan Spencer, Devin Smith, and Dontra Wilson will give the new quarterback plenty of weapons, and the running back depth is solid.

Meanwhile, Maryland has its own arsenal. Top receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long both return after suffering season-ending injuries in late October, and can stretch the field and make big plays. Sixth-year senior C.J. Brown also returns at quarterback, giving the Buckeyes defense an extra element to defend, as Brown is incredibly mobile.

If Ohio State is able to find some consistency on offense leading up to this game, the scoreboard will light up continuously when these two play.

Penn State vs. Michigan

With Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State all being re-aligned into the East division, and Ohio State losing Miller for the season, this game is crucial for the winner to keep pace with Michigan State.

Devin Gardner will lead Michigan into Big Ten play as he tries to put an inconsistent 2013 behind him and move forward. He will return weapons like Devin Funchess and will have former five-star recruit Derrick Green in the backfield with him, who could have a big game with Penn State defensive tackle DaQuan Jones moving on to the NFL.

Christian Hackenberg will try and have a repeat performance against the Wolverines, where he threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, as Michigan returns a lot of the secondary that he torched last season.

Nebraska vs. Michigan

These two teams played a tough game last year, that ended in a 17-13 Nebraska victory, as Ameer Abdullah scored on a five yard reception from Tommy Armstrong with 2:03 remaining in the game to lift the Cornhuskers to victory.

This game was Michigan’s season in a nutshell, where they were unable to get anything going on offense, only totaling 175 yards in the game, including -21 on the ground. With a more mature Gardner, Green taking over the running back role full time, and three returning starters along the offensive line, the Wolverines should have a better game on offense.

Abdullah returns at running back for the Huskers, and with the athletic Armstrong back at the helm, they give Nebraska a potent rushing attack. However, Michigan defended the run well last season, finishing 29th in rush defense, so if they can force Armstrong to pass the ball, they have a good chance of winning.

Wisconsin vs. Northwestern

Wisconsin and Northwestern lucked out in the conference re-alignment, avoiding the East division. With Nebraska and Iowa their toughest competition in the division, this game will be key in giving the winning team the upper hand in qualifying for the Big Ten Championship game.

Wisconsin recently named Tanner McEvoy, originally a South Carolina-commit, the starter for the 2014 season over Joel Stave, giving the Badgers a more potent passing game. However, they lost their top four pass catchers from last season, so they will rely heavily on their usually top notch rushing attack, led by Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement.

Northwestern had a mediocre run defense last season, but they will have an experienced front seven, returning five starters, including linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo and both defensive tackles. With an experienced front, they have the ability to make it tough on Gordon and Clement, forcing the ball in McEvoy’s hands.

The Wildcats recently lost Venric Mark to tranfer, so they will need to find a way to make plays on offense behind Trevor Siemien, otherwise, this game will not be close.

Ohio State vs. Penn State

Braxton Miller and co. demolished Penn State 63-14 in Columbus last season. This year, the Nittany Lions will look to get their revenge, as the Buckeyes come to “Happy Valley” and Miller will be on the sidelines.

Ohio State lost three of its four starters in the secondary from last season, so Christian Hackenberg will have the opportunity to throw all over the field against the Buckeyes.

As previously mentioned, Ohio State may have lost Miller, but they still return plenty of talent on offense to make this a competitive game.