We've taken this week to outline -- and rank -- all of the Big Ten's offensive triplets. Who makes up the league's top trio, and who has the most to prove? We've laid it all out here.
We've essentially chosen the top three skill players on every team. Some squads might have a quarterback and two receivers (Nebraska), others might have three pass-catchers (Michigan). In the event of a tie or close call, we settled on QB-RB-WR.
It's now time for No. 1 on our list: the Ohio State Buckeyes.
QB J.T. Barrett: He finished fifth in the 2014 Heisman voting and is an obvious preseason candidate in 2016. He's simply the best quarterback in the conference. No returning Big Ten quarterback boasted a better QBR last season in the face of the blitz (79.7), and only Iowa's C.J. Beathard had a better QBR in the final quarter. Barrett is one of the nation's top signal-callers. He can torch a defense with his arm or his legs.
RB Mike Weber: He technically hasn't yet locked down the starting job. But look at this transformation and try not to be impressed. He's physical, he's fast, and he should cause plenty of headaches for opposing defenses in 2016. (Here's a preview from the spring game of what to expect.) He's already garnered comparisons to former Ohio State back Carlos Hyde. So even though he's not a "proven" commodity at this point, Weber is just oozing with potential.
WR Noah Brown: He generated a lot of buzz last spring before breaking his leg and missing all of 2015. He's slowly starting to build that hype back up. Fellow wideout Terry McLaurin went so far as to say, "Personally, I feel he was one of the best receivers, him and Mike [Thomas] were pretty much unguardable last camp." BTN's Tom Dienhart has already ranked Brown as one of the conference's top receivers, so opposing DBs won't get much of a break in 2016. Brown appears to be the real deal and should be 100 percent by the fall.
Evaluation: When you boast one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, that'll certainly boost your rankings here. Barrett's ability is tough to ignore, but Weber/Brown have enough potential to allow us to look past any unknowns. Urban Meyer's offenses -- and trios -- are always dangerous, and 2016 shouldn't be an exception. These are three great players and, even if you disagree with our No. 1 ranking now, you should change your mind by November.
PAST RANKINGS
No. 2: Nebraska
No. 3 Penn State
No. 4: Michigan
No. 5: Indiana
No. 6: Iowa
No. 7: Michigan State
No. 8: Minnesota
No. 9: Illinois
No. 10: Wisconsin
No. 11: Northwestern
No. 12: Rutgers
No. 13: Purdue
No. 14: Maryland