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2 0 1 9 K I C K O F F S P E C I A L WHAT THEY'RE SAYING BIG TEN MEDIA DAYS The Big Ten missed the College Foot- ball Playo> the past two seasons, making the cry for realigning the conference to better ensure a spot in college football's =nal four predictable. And so?. The subject has been a sore spot from Big Ten fans to outgoing Big Ten commis- sioner Jim Delany, who has said more than once that a conference realignment is on the table. You know what, Mr. Commissioner, you want your confer- ence to line up against Alabama and Clemson at the end of the season? Tell Ohio State not to lose to Purdue and Iowa. ... Now, before you say it's not fair to lay the conference torch at the feet of Ohio State, remember that the SEC has sent as many teams to the playo> as the Big Ten: two. It's just that that confer- ence's top program — Alabama — hasn't missed the playo> since it began =ve years ago. Because it doesn't lose to av- erage teams in its conference. SHAWN WINDSOR DETROIT FREE PRESS Nobody's quite sure what to make of Ohio State *yet*. Jim Harbaugh is right — Michigan deserves to be the presea- son frontrunner in the conference, but the Buckeyes probably have the greatest raw wealth of talent. That they seem to be =tted in behind the Wolverines speaks to the realities you face when evaluating a =rst-year head coach (full- time, of course) and a =rst-year starting quarterback. There could be growing pains. Or Ryan Day and Justin Fields could just keep the drumbeat going in Columbus, in which case, the Buckeyes will be a bear once again. ZACH OSTERMAN INDIANAPOLIS STAR Michigan was picked by a panel of 34 Big Ten writers to win the con=dence, and Harbaugh showed more con=dence than ever in the Wolverines at Big Ten Media Days. Then again, Ohio State did- n't do much talking before a 62-39 vic- tory against Michigan last season. This ception as a junior, but those seemingly unimpressive numbers were really a testament to how effective he was. Nobody threw in his direction if they could avoid it. Hill was a third-team All-American, and he won All-Big Ten honors for the second season in a row, setting the stage for a big senior year. JOSH METELLUS Saf. MICHIGAN Metellus has started 25 games over the past two seasons and won All-Big Ten notice both years (second- team last season, honorable mention in 2017). He =nished with three interceptions last year, including a game-changer against SMU. On the =nal play of the =rst half, Metellus jumped a route and took the interception 73 yards for a TD, giving Michigan a 21-7 lead heading into the locker room. MICAH PARSONS LB PENN STATE Parsons led the Nittany Lions in tackles last season, and he's just getting started. A true sophomore this fall, he's now been on campus for more than a year and has made a complete transi- tion from the defensive end spot he played in high school to outside linebacker, where he is expected to be a force for Penn State in 2019. KENNY WILLEKES DE MICHIGAN STATE A?er beginning his career as a walk-on, Willekes has developed into one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten. His 20.5 tackles for loss as a junior were the second-most in school history, and he led the team with 8.5 sacks. Although he's coming back from a bro- ken =bula he su>ered against Oregon in the Redbox Bowl, he's expected to be fully healthy this year and has appeared on an assortment of watch lists, ranging from the Walter Camp Award to the Nagurski and Bednarik trophies. CHASE YOUNG DE OHIO STATE Young came on strong at the end of his sophomore sea- son, racking up seven tackles for loss in the Buckeyes' =nal four games. The 6- 5, 265-pounder from DeMatha Catholic led the team in sacks with 10 and tackles for loss with 15.5. If he totals 10 or more sacks this year, he'll become only the sec- ond player in school history to have double-digit sacks in multiple seasons, joining Mike Vrabel. ■

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