What’s the biggest question facing each Big Ten football team in 2024?

The two teams who played for a national title last season are now in the Big Ten. And while Washington will have to adjust to a whole new league, Michigan has a new coach and new QB. Oregon figures to be in the mix for a title and Ohio State has reloaded in the transfer portal.

Here are the biggest questions facing each Big Ten football team this season as asked by writers who cover the league for USA TODAY Sports Network.

ILLINOIS: Will Illini survive B1G open?

How will the Illini handle opening the Big Ten slate with back-to-back road games at Nebraska and Penn State? — Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star

INDIANA: Who plugs holes on defense?

Curt Cignetti and staff added some intriguing, potentially important transfers on defense, but the Hoosiers are still dangerously thin (or inexperienced) at some key spots. In particular, Bryant Haines — IU’s first million-dollar coordinator — will need some best-case scenarios along his defensive line and in his secondary, where even just a handful of injuries would be cause for concern. Haines built remarkably disruptive defenses in his time with Cignetti at James Madison. He will need the very best from some key players to replicate those performances in Bloomington. — Zach Osterman, IndyStar

IOWA: Will Hawkeyes offense get better?

The Hawkeyes have turned the page to a new era at offensive coordinator with the hiring of ex-Western Michigan coach Tim Lester this offseason. Much of the buildup to the season will be surrounded by what that unit looks like after multiple seasons of dreadful production. — Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register

MARYLAND: Who’s going to start at QB with Taulia Tagovailoa gone?

Billy Edwards Jr. is back after appearing in eight games and leading the Terps to a Music City Bowl win over Auburn last year. But Maryland also added former North Carolina State quarterback MJ Morris via the transfer portal this offseason, and he was named MVP of the team’s spring game. Redshirt sophomore Cameron Edge is also in contention for the starting job heading into the preseason. — Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY Network

MICHIGAN: Who is the starting quarterback?

Gone are the days of a top-10 NFL selection in J.J. McCarthy, and headed into fall camp the Wolverines appear poised for a QB battle. It’s largely between junior Alex Orji, senior Davis Warren and graduate Jack Tuttle with junior Jayden Denegal on the outside of the mix and freshman Jadyn Davis not entrenched in the competition for the starting job. Orji is the favorite for the position, but in his two years in Ann Arbor he’s been trusted to throw one pass and that went for five yards. He has tantalizing ability with his legs — he’s run 21 times for 123 yards and three scores in his career — but as he said earlier this summer, “it’s hard to play quarterback without throwing the ball.” His teammates are confident he can, but he will first have to win the job. — Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press

Quarterback, of course.

The Wolverines must replace first-round selection J.J. McCarthy, and they don’t have a proven passer among the five candidates vying to succeed him. The chosen starter will likely determine Michigan’s fortunes. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press

MICHIGAN STATE: Michigan State’s defensive line.

What was a strength earlier this year is now a weakness after defensive tackles Derrick Harmon and Simeon Barrow left via the transfer portal during the spring. Their departures leave major voids within a defense new coordinator Joe Rossi will try to resurrect. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press

MINNESOTA: Was Gophers’ slide just a hiccup?

Heading into last season, the Golden Gophers appeared to be on the upswing, with a 32-14 record in their previous three seasons. In 2023, however, they struggled to a 6-7 mark. Was last season an aberration marred by a staid offense? Or was it a sign of things to come for a program that no longer has the benefit of competing in the noticeably weaker Big Ten West Division? — Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network

NEBRASKA: Can Huskers return to winning tradition?

The Cornhuskers have not had a winning season since 2016 and have yet to win more than three conference games since that same season. Even with an improved roster, Nebraska faced an uphill road in Year 2 under Matt Rhule in a vastly improved conference with the additions USC, UCLA, Oregon and defending national runner-up Washington. — Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY Network

NORTHWESTERN: What will Wildcats’ offense look in second year under David Braun?

In 2023, for the second straight season, Northwestern ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in offensive production. The Wildcats finished 10th in the Big Ten in total offense (3,951 yards) and 13th in rushing offense (1,325 yards). — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Network

OHIO STATE: Offensive line.

The line and the quarterback are really the only position groups with major questions. Ohio State’s line should be better than it was last year. Tackles Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar are now experienced. Seth McLaughlin should be an upgrade at center as a transfer from Alabama. Donovan Jackson has All-American potential at left guard. The right guard is a question mark, with Carson Hinzman (last year’s center), Luke Montgomery and Tegra Tshabola the front-runners. — Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch

Quarterback.

Will Howard, a veteran Kansas State transfer with 27 career starts, is the favorite to take over for Kyle McCord following his transfer to Syracuse. If he prevails in the competition in August, he’ll need to lead a talented supporting cast. — Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch

OREGON: How quickly can the Ducks put the pieces together?

Oregon is bringing back quite a bit of talent, but have to replace its top passer, rusher, and receiver from last season along with three of its top DBs and its best pass rusher. The talent is there to compete with the best of the Big Ten, it’s just a matter of how well Dan Lanning and company can get the new pieces to gel in short order. — Alec Dietz, The Register-Guard (Eugene)

PENN STATE: How much can Nittany Lions elevate a staggering offense?

Proper talent appears in place for new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, especially in the backfield and at tight end. This morphs into a Big Ten championship and top playoff contender if QB Drew Allar can finally unlock the downfield pass game. — Frank Bodani, York (Pa.) Daily Record

PURDUE: Will Hudson Card take next step?

Many ways to go here. Can Purdue stay healthy (a concern after the way 2023 panned out)? How is this coaching staff better entering Year 2? Obviously Purdue is known for its quarterback lineage, so the biggest question mark is: Can Hudson Card take the next step? Card played hurt last season through rib and shoulder injuries and, because of that, had limitations. It wasn’t until he sat out the Northwestern game that it was evident how much Card was in pain, something he admitted after the season. Card showed glimpses of what we’d heard in the spring camp and early in the 2023 season. If Card’s good performances are more consistent, the Boilermakers might surprise some teams against a loaded schedule. — Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier

Purdue averaged merely 13.3 points per game in six Big Ten losses in 2023. It needs a higher level of consistent performance against one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Hudson Card can aid that cause in his second season as the starting quarterback. He finished eighth among Big Ten quarterbacks in passing efficiency last season. He’s bulked up a bit in an attempt to stay healthier and has some additional receiving weapons via the transfer portal and Jahmal Erdine’s return from injury. — Nathan Baird, IndyStar

RUTGERS: Can Scarlet Knights get more production at quarterback?

That task now will fall on Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis, who’s reunited with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Rutgers needs Kaliakmanis to be more accurate than his predecessor Gavin Wimsatt to ignite what’s been a lackluster passing game. — Chris Iseman, The Bergen Record/NorthJersey.com

UCLA: New coach. New conference. A lot of questions.

Many of the questions facing the Bruins are larger and more existential, from the athletic department’s financial woes to the adjustment to a conference in which the vast majority of its opponents are thousands of miles away. For the 2024 season, though, the biggest uncertainty is likely coach DeShaun Foster, who was elevated into the role after Chip Kelly left to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Foster is a former UCLA star who was the Bruins’ running backs coach for the past seven seasons and was beloved by his players. But how will a first-time head coach who has never been more than a position coach fare in one of college football’s most difficult conferences? — Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network

USC: Can D’Anton Lynn fix Trojans’ D?

USC’s defense was torched all season in 2023, and now has a new defensive coordinator in D’Anton Lynn from UCLA. Can Lynn, along with a slew of defensive transfer additions, be able to compete in a physical conference like the Big Ten? — Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network

WASHINGTON: Can Jedd Fisch keep up program’s momentum?

Fisch not only enters his first season at a new program, but also must lead the Huskies into a new conference. Washington also lost an abundance of talent, including 10 players to the NFL draft. — Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network

WISCONSIN: Who steps up on OL?

UW had to replace five offensive linemen, including two who transferred to Big Ten schools (Indiana, Penn State) and one who transferred to the Big 12 (Iowa State). The Badgers brought in five freshmen to compensate but the result was a stunning lack of depth in the spring. UW can’t afford injuries on the line because of the lack of experienced depth. — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Big Ten football media days are July 23-25 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Big 10 football 2024 preview: Biggest question for each Big Ten school