Nov 6, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost (right) looks onto the field during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. Both coordinators exited for new opportunities, while Michigan lost five draft picks and a half-dozen more pro signings. That's what it'll take for Minnesota to be a serious factor in the division, if P.J. The road to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game goes through Columbuseven though it technically starts in Ireland. Michigans third consecutive playoff appearance and Big Ten title could finally be capped with a national title for Jim Harbaugh, although a matchup with Georgia going for the first national title three-peat in nearly 90 years is no easy hurdle to clear (Minnesotas run from 1934-1936 is the last three-peat national title run in the FBS). The Buckeyes won the conference's only titles in the CFP era (2014) and BCS era (2002). You could use consensus thought, preseason polls and betting odds, but ESPN's Football Power Index giving the Buckeyes a 73.7 percent chance of winning the Big Ten is wild. There probably isn't much resistance to labeling them all top-10 talents, which is genuinely absurd for a single offense. Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Teradja Mitchell (3) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (8) come together to tackle Maryland Terrapins running back Challen Faamatau (29) during the second quarter of their NCAA college football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on October 9, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. The secondary and a thorny schedule are major obstacles, but Mel Tucker proved us wrong in 2021. PSU wasnt the same team after that, and still has loads of talent. March 1, 2023 12:56 pm CT. College football writers are taking notice of the Longhorns loaded returning roster. Ohio State Buckeyes (-225 to win the Big Ten) 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) National title odds: +320. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. The season opener against Penn State will set the tone, and thats the only top team from the East that Purdue faces. It's still the toughest road test on the Buckeyes' schedule and part of a thrilling day in the Big Ten East. We saw in the Big Ten Championship Game how far away the Hawkeyes were from the Wolverines, so itll be interesting to see if they can even the scales a bit this upcoming year. C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Score Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Washington State 24. Michigan and Michigan State shocked everyone and finished well Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. He completed 63 percent of his passes in 10 games for 2,407 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Heres our too-early 2022 game predictions now that the schedule is set. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. And with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State expected to rank as But, as always, its difficult to suddenly project that a young team will be good the following year. Michigan State had a rough 2022 season but the odds are probably pretty good that the Spartans will at least make a return to the postseason next bowl season. Will Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around (possible spoiler alert below)? Stec is a multiple sport athlete, playing both football and basketball at Jacobs High School back home and his junior season was his first with the football team. 2022 Maryland Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5 CFN 2021 Spring Prediction: 5-7 Maryland 2021 Final Record: 7-6 Maryland 2022 Schedule & Analysis 9 Are you ready for a playoff rematch? Wins: Western Michigan, Akron, at Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, at Illinois, Rutgers, Indiana. Smith-Njigba's last impression was a 15-catch, 347-yard, three-TD effort in the Rose Bowl against Utah. February 22, 2023 12:24 pm ET. And crossovers against Penn State and Ohio State certainly dont help matters. Bill Bender is a national college football writer for The Sporting News. Thank you for visiting Win Big Sports Network and wbsnsports.com. Michigan State Spartans. Granted, he was a major one (15 tackles for loss), but the Hawkeyes have unleashed a different player with 10-plus TFLs in every season since 2013. 7566. The schedule doesn't let up at any point once the non-conference slate is over and there are a few 50-50 games that may not going in the Wildcats' direction. That weight is on the big stage, and Ohio State is all-but penciled in to get back to the CFP in 2022. Until last season, the Badgers hadn't had a drought longer than two seasons since the conference split in 2011. Especially since the Nittany Lions have Ohio State at home (queue up whiteout conditions). Stroud will likely be heading back to New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, too. Now that the college football season is over, and Ohio State is basking in its Rose Bowl victory, its time to look ahead to 2022. Breaking down the five best futures bets, picks, and predictions for the 2022 season. Notably, those struggles came against the top of the conference including C.J. 2022 Summary Casey Thompson turned in a season-long performance worthy of mixed reviews. The defense has the potential to be in the upper half of the conference, but solving an offensive that sputtered last season will be the question. On the final weekend of September, division favorites Wisconsin and OSU square off in Columbus. Will Allen break through for the Heisman like Ron Dayne did in 1999? The offense will reset the Big Ten record book in several areas. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. They get Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin at home, have the best offense in college football, and are coming off of a Rose Bowl victory in 2021. Iowa has several key pieces to replace, but every unit of the defenseone that ranked seventh nationally in yards allowed per play last seasonreturns a couple of starters. Four-star running back Kaytron Allen (IMG Academy) also will be in the mix for carries. This team could surprise some people. Was that an indirect shot at the rest of the competition? Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. Based on our own way-too-early top 25 at 247Sports, it appears Michigan will take on four nationally-ranked teams in its quest to return to the College Football Playoff. WebAll that plus Josh revisits 5 more bold predictions from the preseason.

follow. Dont expect Michigan to get the fortune and results it got this past season. That's Wisconsin (.745), Iowa (.693), Michigan (.680), Penn State (.643) and Michigan State (.643). The name may have changed, but that doesnt mean you dont have to order a bloomin onion for the game. Wins: Wyoming, Virginia,Chattanooga, Purdue,at Northwestern, Losses: at Indiana, at Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, at Nebraska, Michigan State, at Michigan. They are 6-7 in New Year's Day Six Bowls, and the Spartans and Wolverines were routed in their lone CFP appearances. It helps that Iowa gets Michigan at home, but facing the Wolverines and Buckeyes in one season isnt exactly cause for celebration. Sep. 24: Wisconsin at Ohio StateOct. Where is Ohio State? The question is: can the Boilermakers sustain that success in 2022? Since returning to his alma mater in 2018, the former Nebraska quarterback is 15-29 overall with a 10-25 conference record. He's the next elite back off the Wisconsin assembly line. If MSU is going to contend, itll need to really excel during that brutal stretch. The Big Ten conference will be fascinating once again in 2022. The Buckeyes, however, are the prohibitive favorite to strike back in 2022. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Projected finish: T-4th in Big Ten East. The schedule is no breeze. Michigan is the lone, scary crossover from the East, but it hosts Oklahoma and opens the season in Ireland against Northwestern. The Wolverines do get Michigan State and Penn State at home, but Harbaugh is 3-4 against those schools at the Big House. Ryan Day's team still finished 11-2 last year and returns All-American quarterback C.J. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. With plenty of time to change our minds, as were currently in the thick of winter conditioning, here are our far-too-early Big Ten power rankings. However, this group will still be a tough out for anyone in the league. It starts with taking full advantage of a slate that misses Penn State and Michigan from the other side of the conference and taking care of business in the 50-50 games. By Sam Marsdale Aug 11, 8:56 AM. Football. Not since 2010-13 has OSU gone two-plus seasons without standing atop the conference. The Buckeyes haven't had a Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006. It was a strange 2021 campaign for Bret Bielema in his Minnesota head football coach P.J. If quarterback Sean Clifford remains healthy and can be the star he was at the beginning of the year, the rest of the roster is talented enough to surprise and contend for the Big Ten championship. Losing Adrian Martinez via transfer to Kansas State wont help matters in 2022, but perhaps Scott Frost has the pieces outside the quarterback position that could help the Huskers get over that hump. UPDATE 12/27/22 Welcome to Football Alliance! Behind them, Michigan and Wisconsin are the prime contenders. The Scarlet Knights went bowling for the first time in forever, and while it didnt go well against Wake Forest, things are shaping up for improvement in Piscataway and New Brunswick. Well, well, well, another year of being high on the Cornhuskers in preseason predictions. And if these projections prove to be accurate, there will be a good number of Big Ten teams taking part in a bowl game next season, and it could be another year with two playoff bids. The word: Bowl hopes for Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights may come down to the regular-season finale at Maryland, unless Rutgers is able to beat a Big Ten rival as an underdog in the previous weeks. He also gets book-end big stage games at The Shoe against Notre Dame and Michigan. The defense improved last season and will have to continue that upward trajectory. A new-look offense will be headlined by former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson. Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen walks along the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NCAA Division I football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. March 1, 2023 12:56 pm CT. College football writers are taking notice of the Longhorns loaded returning roster. The offense should be really good with Tanner Morgan deciding to come back for one more season under center, and running back Mohamed Ibrahim back from injury, but there are still issues to address. There's incredible talent on Ohio State's offense. The Spartans have won the last two in the Paul Bunyan Trophy series, and Tucker hasn't backed down from the Wolverines at all. Will either Minnesota or MSU surge in the standings? 0:00-1:26 Introduction Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox. For good measure, Jestin Jacobs (53) finished fifth on the defense last season. in 2017. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. The word: Can quarterback Tanner Morgan return to the 2019 form for the Golden Gophers? Nebraska needs more consistency on both sides of the football next fall, but missing Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State from the other side of the conference is a schedule blessing. They lost to both teams at home in 2021. Now that the Badgers know they have a workhorse in Braelon Allen, it changes things in Madison. But dont be deceived. (soft launch) Air Force Falcons. USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. You'll now receive the top Buckeyes Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Michigan State had a rough 2022 season but the odds are probably pretty good that the Spartans will at least make a return to the postseason next bowl season. Overall, this unit is stacked. 8: Ohio State at Michigan StateOct. Ohio State is the runaway favorite. Though the frontline talent is at a level that Maryland can win games against some quality teams, Im still not sold on the depth and physicality the program will need to be consistently competitive in the Big Ten. This is a major chance at redemption after the Cougars took down the Badgers at Camp Randall in 2022. Ferentz just re-upped his contract and will have a talented, veteran team this upcoming season. In our 2021 too-early power rankings, eventual Big Ten champion, the hometown Michigan Penn State losing to Purdue is his upset pick of the year in the Big Ten. Washington State quarterback Cam Ward has opted to return to school in 2023, and this should be a down-to-the-wire fight in Pac-12 country. And while quarterback Spencer Petras will be better with another year of seasoning, hes not the type that is going to put the team on his shoulders and win games against the more athletic and talented teams out there. With the staffs comfort recruiting in the Sunshine State, it Ohio State got punched in the mouth a few times last year, and while itll try to respond better in 2022, its not so easy as to say that it will. Illinois Fighting Illini: 5-7, 2-7 BIG. Riley Moss, the league's 2021 Defensive Back of the Year, headlines the secondary. If new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles can do anything with the defense, we could be talking about national title aspirations again. These Big Ten West rivals have traded three-score wins in each other's houses the last three years, and the series moves back to Kinnick Stadium in 2022. Wisconsin should be the preseason favorite out west, but Iowas defense and Minnesotas offense will have legitimate questions to ask. TRENDING. Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports. Stroud and the offense have sensational upside, but a highly inconsistent defense has much to prove under new coordinator Jim Knowles. 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