Ryan and Clinton hit the homestretch touching on their first looks at the Big Ten in 2025, with Rutgers and Northwestern next up.

Rutgers had high expectations in 2024, mostly mediated by what was viewed as an exceptionally favorable schedule. The Scarlet Knights were still able to attain a bowl berth -- a 44-41 loss to Kansas State -- but a 7-5 regular season felt like something was left on the table. Injuries decimated this defense a year ago, and much of the defensive backfield has graduated. Will a bevy of transfer portal additions help shore up a unit that was 70th in scoring defense a year ago? Or will a schedule that features three likely preseason top-10 teams be too much to handle?

The Lakehouse returns for an encore in 2025 for Northwestern, but the Wildcats are hoping this year brings more success than last's 4-8 campaign. ...