You can often get a pretty good idea of which teams are going to take a step forward and which will take a step back based on how many starters and key playmakers return year-over-year. It’s not an exact science, as young talent can coalesce or perhaps there’s an older player who is inexperienced but has been waiting his turn.
Every offseason, we get a good glimpse into the future when ESPN’s Bill Connelly puts out his ranking of each team’s returning experience. (subscription required) For the Wolverines, unlike last year when they were near the top, now they’re near the bottom. But in 2021, the maize and blue won the Big Ten despite having not so much returning production.
With that in mind, here is how each Big Ten team ranks, both overall and against each other, in terms of returning experience.