Fall preview: Top 3 position battles to watch in the Big Ten

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Big Ten teams enter the season mired by quarterback questions, but not every program will be bogged down by that specific stressor come fall.

Of all the position battles coming to the Big Ten, here are three of the most important, featuring a pair of powerhouses and a program hoping to become one:

Michigan State - QB

An expected step back at quarterback has many predicting Michigan State to take two steps back as a team in 2016. Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry are the lead candidates to step into the shoes once occupied by Connor Cook, but true freshman Messiah deWeaver might actually be the best signal-caller of the bunch. Still, it's far more likely coach Mark Dantonio calls on one of his two more experienced throwers to hold the position down when the Spartans break camp.

Nebraska - DT

If games really are won and lost in the trenches, Nebraska better start digging for more manpower. The Cornhuskers desperately need playmakers to emerge on the defensive line, after their ninth-ranked run-stopping defense from a year ago lost stud interior linemen Maliek Collins and Vincent Valentine to the NFL, as well as Greg McMullen - who split time at tackle and end - to the classroom. Even if Tommy Armstrong makes progress at quarterback, he likely won't make enough of it to compensate for Nebraska's looming deficiencies along the D-line.

Michigan - QB

On the surface, Michigan's stable of quarterbacks seems far more desirable than its state rival's. The Wolverines have given no indication as to who might be leading the race going into the fall, instead leaving junior Wilton Speight, fellow junior Shane Morris, and former Houston transfer John O'Korn to battle it out from scratch during camp. True freshman Brandon Peters, the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class, could figure into the mix if coach Jim Harbaugh loses his patience with the others.