Jim Harbaugh’s arrival at Michigan signaled the Wolverines’ arrival to the party at the top of their conference in 2015 as they joined Michigan State and Ohio State as programs with the potential to become perennial Big Ten championship contenders. The Spartans came out on top by the slimmest of margins in the battle for Big Ten supremacy a year ago but they will have a very tough time defending their title with the Wolverines and Buckeyes reloading with their focus on a conference title. Ultimately, the best players on each team will play the biggest role determining which program comes out on top and we took the time to break down the rosters and predict which stars will have the biggest impact. Here is a look at the four best preseason candidates to be the MVP in the Big Ten East.
QB: J.T. Barrett
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes lost 12 draft picks including nine underclassmen and that means they will have just six returning starters in 2016. It also means Barrett will be that much more important as the starting quarterback on a roster that is still loaded with talent but lacking in experience. Barrett showcased his skillset as a dual-threat quarterback down the stretch at Ohio State last season as he threw for 992 yards and 11 touchdowns with 682 rushing yards and 11 scores in a part-time role. Another year of experience and maturation should really help Barrett’s development as the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes and there is no doubt they will need him to lead the way on offense as the most important player on their roster.
CB: Jabrill Peppers
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan’s defense was among the biggest reasons for its turnaround from 5-7 to 10-3 a year ago and Peppers was clearly their most important player. The star cornerback played 10 different positions as a redshirt freshman in 2015, recording 45 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 10 passes defended while lining up all over the field on defense. Meanwhile, Peppers also ran the ball 18 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns and caught eight passes for 79 yards on offense, while also chipping in on special teams as a return man. Harbaugh has raved about Peppers’ incredible ability as a special talent that can do it all for the Wolverines and there is no doubt he will be their MVP in 2016.
DT: Malik McDowell
Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans will have an extremely difficult time repeating as Big Ten champions in 2016 with just nine returning starters in total and a handful of key losses on both sides of the football. However, they will have their star junior defensive tackle McDowell back in the mix and his incredible combination of size, speed, power and athleticism will once again make him a force on their defensive line. McDowell had 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries for Michigan State a year ago and he has the potential to match those numbers for the Spartans in 2016. There is no doubt he will be the most disruptive force on Michigan State’s defensive line and he could be the most disruptive defensive linemen in the entire Big Ten this coming season.
RB: Saquon Barkley
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State might not be ready to challenge the Spartans, Wolverines and Buckeyes for Big Ten supremacy in 2016 but they should be a good team with a substantial amount of talent on both sides of the football. The key to their success will be transitioning on offense with a new coordinator in Joe Moorhead and a new quarterback following Christian Hackenberg’s graduation to the NFL. That will make Barkley more important than ever to the Nittany Lions’ success on offense with the potential to be the breakout star on that side of the football. Barkley ran for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns with 20 catches for 161 yards and another score in his freshman year at Penn State and he should be able to top those numbers as one of the leaders of their offense in 2016.
