The college football season is now officially over. So we're already looking ahead to 2016 with our ridiculously-early first Big Ten power rankings.
These will be highly subject to change over the next several months. But for now, this is how our panel of six writers voted on the league power structure for the coming year (also, here's Mark Schlabach's national way-too-early Top 25):
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Four first-place votes): The Buckeyes are losing nine underclassmen to the NFL draft, plus some valuable senior starters. It's a testament to the job Urban Meyer has done that they still are first in these rankings. But Meyer undoubtedly has a lot of major holes to fill. At least quarterback isn't one of them.
2. Michigan Wolverines (Two first-place votes): Fresh off a 10-win season and an impressive showing in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, the Wolverines could be a trendy pick to win the Big Ten in Year 2 under Jim Harbaugh. They bring back a lot of talent but must find a new quarterback as Jake Rudock leaves after one successful season.
3. Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans love to play with a chip on their shoulders, so here's that chip: We're picking the defending Big Ten champions third in their own division right now. They will have to replace the winningest quarterback in school history in Connor Cook, along with All-America offensive linemen Jack Allen and Jack Conklin and defensive end Shilique Calhoun. But Mark Dantonio has shown that his program can reload.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes: Don't count on another 12-0 season. But the Hawkeyes bring back quarterback C.J. Beathard, Thorpe Award winner Desmond King and plenty of other starters. They deserve, at least, to be the favorites to repeat in the West.
5. Wisconsin Badgers: The National Funding Holiday Bowl win over USC could help jump-start some improvement in Year 2 under Paul Chryst, especially if running back Corey Clement can stay on the field. Two major concerns, however: the loss of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, and a brutal schedule that sees the Badgers open with LSU and begin Big Ten play traveling to Michigan State and Michigan before hosting Ohio State.
6. Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats may be hard-pressed to win 10 games again unless their offense improves significantly. But the defense, led by linebacker Anthony Walker, should hold steady, and rising sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson gained valuable experience.
7. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Was the Foster Farms Bowl win over UCLA a sign that Mike Riley and his staff have started to turn things around? Maybe so, if the Cornhuskers can run the ball and get smart decision-making from Tommy Armstrong Jr. the way they did against the Bruins. A manageable crossover schedule -- Indiana and Maryland, in addition to Ohio State -- could help Nebraska increase its win total, though a nonconference date with Oregon looms.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions: It should be a very interesting third year for James Franklin, who will operate without defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, quarterback Christian Hackenberg and star defensive linemen Austin Johnson, Carl Nassib and Anthony Zettel. Rising sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley showed some promise in the second half of the TaxSlayer Bowl, and Franklin may finally get to run his preferred style of offense with new coordinator Joe Moorhead.
9. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Tracy Claeys enters his first full year as head coach, and he will have a senior quarterback in Mitch Leidner and some talented young running backs in Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith. The schedule eases up, and Minnesota can't have much worse injury luck than it experienced in 2015. A team to watch.
T-10. Illinois Fighting Illini: Bill Cubit got the permanent head-coaching job but only a two-year contract. Illinois will eventually hire a new athletic director someday, we think, which makes this a big year for Cubit and the Illini. Senior quarterback Wes Lunt will look to go out with a bang.
T-10. Indiana Hoosiers: Can the Hoosiers carry over the momentum from their first bowl appearance since 2007? They'll have to do it without quarterback Nate Sudfeld, but the defense remains the main issue in Bloomington.
12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: New head coach Chris Ash has plenty of work to do, especially in a stacked division. But the Scarlet Knights should at least have a lot less off-the-field drama.
13. Maryland Terrapins: The D.J. Durkin era begins. Up first: finding a consistent, turnover-adverse quarterback.
14. Purdue Boilermakers: Darrell Hazell, who's just 6-30 overall and 2-22 in the Big Ten, changed both coordinators this offseason. It had better work.