Big Ten: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer molding young squad

CHICAGO -- During his first four seasons at Ohio State, Urban Meyer's resume includes a national championship and 50 victories in 54 games.

With quarterback J.T. Barrett returning from a team that was 12-1 in 2015, including a Fiesta Bowl victory against Notre Dame, the Buckeyes again are many experts' pick to win the Big Ten Conference championship and challenge for yet another national title.

But during Tuesday's Big Ten Media Days at the McCormick Place Hyatt Regency, Meyer said that despite the tradition in Columbus, Ohio, the 2016 Buckeyes will be a work in progress with only three returning offensive starters.

"We have to find a way to replace arguably one of the best groups of players ever to come through college football," Meyer said Tuesday. "They won 50 games in four seasons, they won a national title, they had the highest graduation rate in Ohio State University history and a record NFL Draft.

"So, I have been answering a lot of questions about a young team. The issue would be if it was a non-talented young team. And that is not the case at all. (August) probably will be the most critical coaching month that our staff -- I am also speaking for myself -- will have ever been through."

Of the Buckeyes' scholarship players, 44 never have played a down of college football.

SPARTAN POWER: Michigan State was the only team to beat Ohio State in 2015, and the Spartans went on to beat Iowa in the Big Ten title game in December in Indianapolis.

Coach Mark Dantonio, now in his 10th season in East Lansing, is 36-5 in the past three seasons, including 24-2 in Big Ten play.

"I think we have built a culture at Michigan State right now," Dantonio said. "We've sort of set the table in terms of what we have to do every year. So right now, our focus is trying to go back to back."

While there are many reasons Michigan State now challenges Ohio State and Michigan for Big Ten supremacy, Dantonio believes a key factor is the school's ability to retain assistant coaches.

Through nine years at Michigan State, Dantonio has lost only five assistants. Three have become head coaches and a fourth moved on to the NFL.

BACK TO SCHOOL: After spending 22 seasons coaching in the NFL, former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith has returned to college football as the head coach at the University of Illinois, which has struggled recently in the Big Ten, including 5-7 in 2015 with six losses in the final seven games.

Smith is eager to lead a college program.

"I just think you talk about coaching, whether it's the NFL, junior high, high school or college," Smith said. "I haven't seen many differences in it. Guys want to be coached. It's just that you have a different degree of athlete at every level. I'm talking about stressing fundamentals."

MAIN MAN UNDER CENTER: In C.J. Beathard, reigning Big Ten West champion Iowa has one of the conference's most experienced quarterbacks -- a player who led the Hawkeyes to a 12-0 regular season, passing for 2,809 yards and 17 touchdowns to go with only five interceptions.

"When we made the decision to go with C.J. last season, he had one career start and had come in relief in one other game," coach Kirk Ferentz said. "So, last year really was his first year playing. I thought he did a tremendous job. In terms of his ceiling for this year, we will see."

KNOWS THE BEST: New Maryland coach DJ Durkin has coached under Meyer and for Michigan's Jim Harbaugh. Now, he is in the same division with them -- the seven-team Big Ten East.

"I've been very fortunate in my career to work under and along with some great coaches," Durkin said. "Those guys obviously are two of the many. I think you learn things and take bits and pieces. As coaches, we're always stealing stuff from other guys we've worked with or for."

Durkin will coach against Harbaugh on Nov. 5 in Ann Arbor, Mich., and against Meyer on Nov. 12 in College Park, Md.

MARQUEE OPENER: Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst says his Badgers love a challenge, and for a second consecutive season, they open with a monster.

In 2015, Wisconsin opened with a loss to eventual national champion Alabama. On Sept. 3, the Badgers will open with LSU in Green Bay's Lambeau Field, home of the NFL's Packers.

"So many of our players who grew up in-state probably dreamed of playing in Lambeau Field," Chryst said. "Our kids are excited about it."

Wisconsin is coming off a 10-3 season, including a Holiday Bowl victory against Southern California.