It wasn’t that long ago when the Big Ten was a prestigious football conference. Teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State ran college football. It seems like those days have passed, however. Michigan has slid into mediocrity, and Penn State has been struggling ever since the NCAA sanctions.

There have been arguments about the Big Ten being the worst Power Five conference. The Big Ten knew things needed to change, so they invited Nebraska into the conference in 2011. Nebraska has failed to return to glory and many college football fans believe they made a mistake in leaving the Big XII. Things are looking up, however. Ohio State has returned to prominence under Urban Meyer and is now playing in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

With Penn State’s recent bowl win, that program looks to be back on the rise, and Jerry Kill has done a great job of turning Minnesota into a respectable program. Don’t forget about Michigan State who has been consistently a top 25 team under Mark Dantonio. Nebraska has also shown that it is serious about returning to national prominence with their coaching change. It will be interesting football in the Big Ten again. Ohio State and Michigan games in the future will be very fun with Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh facing off. It may take a few years, but the Big Ten will return. One thing is for sure, the Big Ten will be fun again