While it’s normally perennial Big Ten powers such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State who garner attention on the national stage, it’s instead a pair of often-overlooked programs in Northwestern and Purdue that will start the 2018 season in the spotlight.
The Wildcats are coming off a 2017 season in which they rattled off eight straight victories following a 2-3 start. With all-time leading rusher Justin Jackson having departed for the Los Angeles Chargers, Northwestern’s 2018 hopes are tied to QB Clayton Thorson’s recovery from the ACL reconstruction surgery he had in January after suffering an injury in the team’s Music City Bowl win over Kentucky.