Illinois
Last season: 7-5.
Coach: Lou Tepper.
Record at school: 18-17-1.
Coach’s bowl record: 1-2.
Returning starters: 12.
Key players to replace: LBs Dana Howard and John Holecek, TE Ken Dilger, OT Mike Suarez.
Top returnees: RB Ty Douthard (179 attempts, 765 yards), QBs Johnny Johnson and Scott Weaver, OT Ken Blackman, C Chris Koerwitz, NT Paul Marshall, LBs Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy.
Top newcomer: TE Conrad Adams, a redshirt freshman.
Key stat: Worst rushing attack in the Big Ten last year averaging only 130.7 yards a game.
Going bowling if: Linemen can open holes for Ty Douthard and give the quarterbacking duo of Johnny Johnson and Scott Weaver time to throw.
Home for holidays if: Flop in first three games: Michigan, at Oregon, Arizona.
Indiana
Last season: 6-5-0.
Coach: Bill Mallory.
Record at school: 63-61-3.
Coach’s bowl record: 2-4.
Returning starters: 13.
Key players to replace: QB John Paci, WR Eddie Baety, P Jim DiGuillo, OG Andrew Greene, OT Chris Smith, TE Tom McKinnon.
Top returnees: C Jay Seib, DT John Hammerstein, CBs Kris Mucci and and Eric Smedley, QB Chris Dittoe (58 of 107 for 631 yards, 6 TDs, 1 Int.), TB Alex Smith.
Top newcomer: LB Bryan Bombay.
Key stat: Alex Smith set a Big Ten rushing record for freshmen with 1,475 yards.
Going bowling if: Offense, which features tailback rushes, can give an inexperienced linebacking corps enough time to mature. .
Home for holidays if: Stumble against reasonably soft early schedule (Western Michigan, Kentucky and Southern Mississippi at home followed by Big Ten opener at Northwestern.)
Iowa
Last season: 5-5-1.
Coach: Hayden Fry.
Record at school: (116-69-6).
Coach’s bowl record: 4-6-1.
Returning starters: 13 Key players to replace: DT Parker Wildeman, SS Pat Boone, LB John Hartlieb, FS Bo Porter, FB Kent Kahl.
Top returnees: QB Ryan Driscoll (78 of 154 for 1,018 yards, 3 TDs, 8 Int.), RBs Sedrick Shaw and Tavian Banks, OG Matt Purdy, LBs George Bennett and Bobby Diaco, CB Tom Knight, DT Jon LaFleur.
Top newcomer: DT Corey Brown.
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Key stat: Shaw only second sophomore in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,002).
Going bowling if: Survive gruesome twosome on schedule at the end of October, home to Penn State then at Ohio State.
Home for holidays if: Can’t take advantage of a schedule that does not include Michigan.
Michigan
Last season: 8-4.
Coach: Lloyd Carr.
Record at school: First year.
Returning starters: 15.
Key players to replace: QB Todd Collins, LB Matt Dyson, TB Tyrone Wheatley, FB Che’ Foster, MG Tony Henderson, OT Trezelle Jenkins.
Top returnees: TB Tim Biakabutuka, SE Amani Toomer, FL Mercury Hayes, OG Joe Marinaro, OT Jon Runyan, DT Jason Horn, LB Trevor Pryce, SS Clarence Thompson, FS Chuck Winters.
Top newcomer: LB Rasheed Simmons.
Key stat: Toomer caught 54 passes for a school record 1,096.
Going bowling if: A relatively inexperienced but talented line can give the Wolverines talented receiving corps time to get open for a very inexperienced group of quarterbacks.
Home for the holidays if: Turmoil of Gary Moeller’s depature carries over into season.
Michigan State
Last season: 5-6-0.
Coach: Nick Saban.
Record at school: First year.
Returning starters: 12.
Key players to replace: OTs Shane Hannah and Brian DeMarco, C Mark Birchmeier, DE Juan Hammonds.
Top returnees: QB Tony Banks (145 of 238 for 2,040 yards, 11 TDs, 6 Int.), FL Nigea Carter, G Bob Denton, LBs Reggie Garnett, Ike Reese and Yakini Allen.
Top newcomer: CB Amp Campbell.
Key stat: Tony Banks had the best rating (143.1) of any returning QB in conference.
Going bowling if: Miracle happens and they handle schedule that includes Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Home for holidays if: They play to form.
Minnesota
Last season: 3-8-0.
Coach: Jim Wacker.
Record at school: 9-24-0.
Coach’s bowl record: 0-0.
Returning starters: 13.
Key players to replace: DTs Ed Hawthorne and Doyle Cockrell, SE Aaron Osterman, WR Chuck Rios, QB Tim Schade, OGs Pat O’Brien and Rich Thome.
Top returnees: RB Chris Darkins, OT Mike Giovinetti, FL Johnny Woodson.
Top newcomer: QB Jason Murdock, a junior college transfer.
Key stat: Darkins rushed for a school record 1,443 yards last season.
Going bowling if: New QB coach Jim Zorn, former NFL Seattle star, can somehow infuse his knowledge and experience into Murdock.
Home for holidays if: RB Darkins fails in school-backed campaign for Heisman Trophy, which is a certainty.
Northwestern
Last season: 3-7-1.
Coach: Gary Barnett.
Record at school: 8-24-1.
Coach’s bowl record: 0-0.
Returning starters: 15.
Key players to replace: Chris Gamble, WR, OT Todd Baczek, RB Dennis Lundy, TE Luther Morris.
Top returnees: QB Steve Schnur (61 of 117 for 899, 4 TDs, 10 Int.), TB Darnell Autry (120 rushes for 556 yards, 1 TD, FS William Bennett, SS Eric Collier, CBs Chris Martin and Rodney Ray.
Top newcomer: WR D’Wayne Bates.
Key stat: William Bennett, Chris Martin and Rodney Ray combined for 166 tackles, three interceptions, 20 deflected passes and two fumble recoveries.
Going bowling if: Upset teams like Air Force and Wisconsin.
Home for holidays if: Miracle doesn’t happen.
Ohio State
Last season: 9-4-0.
Coach: John Cooper.
Record at school: 54-26-4.
Coach’s bowl record: 1-6.
Returning starters: 15.
Key players to replace: OT Korey Stringer, LBs Lorenzo Styles, Craig Powell, WRs Joey Galloway, Chris Sanders.
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Top returnees: QB Bobby Hoying (2,155 passing, 17 TDs), RB Eddie George (1,442 rushing, 12 TDs, 16 catches), WR Buster Tillman (33 catches), TE Rickey Dudley, OT Orlando Pace, C Juan Porter, DE Mike Vrabel (12 sacks), NG Luke Fickell, DE Matt Finkes (11 sacks), LB Greg Bellisari.
Top newcomer: P Patrick Doyle.
Key stat: George is first back in Buckeye history to rush for over 200 yards in a game twice in a season (206 at Northwestern, 219 at Michigan State).
Going bowling if: Buckeyes bowl-bound but big season is there only if they survive nasty stretch (Notre Dame, at Penn State, at Wisconsin).
Home for the holidays if: If Buckeyes are home for holidays, Cooper won’t have a job.
Penn State
Last season: 12-0-0.
Coach: Joe Paterno.
Record at school: 269-69-3.
Coach’s bowl record: 16-8-1.
Returning starters: 11.
Key players to replace: QB Kerry Collins, RB Ki-Jana Carter, TE Kyle Brady, LBs Brian Gelzheiser, Willie Smith.
Top returnees: QB Wally Richardson, RBs Mike Archie (303 rushing), Brian Milne (267 rushing, 8 TDs), OGs Jeff Hartings, Marco Rivera, OTs Keith Conlin, Andre Johnson, WRs Bobby Engram (52 catches, 19.8 per catch, 7 TDs), Freddie Scott (47 catches, 20.7 per catch, 9 TDs), LB Terry Killens (3 sacks), CB Brian Miller (15 passes broken up).
Top newcomer: P Scott Stephens.
Key stat: Led nation in scoring (47.8 a game, fourth highest in NCAA history), and total offense (520.1).
Going bowling if: Defense improves, Rose Bowl beckons again. They’ll be somewhere.
Home for the holidays if: No way for that, but lesser bowl awaits if Paterno can’t replace so much departed offensive talent.
Purdue
Last season: 4-5-2.
Coach: Jim Colletto.
Record at school: 13-29-2.
Coach’s bowl record: 0-0.
Returning starters: 18.
Key players to replace: OTs Mike Cardona and Ryan Grigson, CB John Jackson, SE Burt Thornton, LB Bart Conley.
Top returnees: FB Mike Alstott, QB Rick Trefzger (74 of 131, 1,137, 3 TDs, 6 Int., FL Craig Allen, OG Damon Lewis, TB Corey Rogers, C Chris Sedoris, CB Derrick Brown, DE Mike Burchfield.
Top newcomer: OT Mike Bigongher.
Key stat: Fullback Mike Alstott was considered the bet at his position in the country; first Purdue player in 19 years to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,188).
Going bowling if: TB Corey Rogers retains his eligibility and Allsott performs as expected.
Home for holidays if: Can’t take advantage of having three of first five at home.
Wisconsin
Last season: 7-4-1.
Coach: Barry Alvarez.
Record at school: 28-27-2.
Coach’s bowl record: 2-0.
Returning starters: 11.
Key players to replace: S Jamel Brown, S Jeff Messenger, C Cory Raymer, CB Donny Brady, RB Brent Moss.
Top returnees: QB Darrell Bevell (1,544 passing, 17 TDs, 10 ints.), WR Tony Simmons, OT Jerry Wunsch, LBs Pete Monty and Eric Unverzagt, DT Jason Maniecki.
Top newcomer: P Brian Alexander.
Key stat: Simmons set Big Ten freshman records for yardage (588), TD catches (8).
Going bowling if: Bevell and talented Simmons compensate for loss of 6 defensive starters.
Home for the holidays if: Opposing QBs pick on inexperienced secondary.