The Big Ten saw the addition of plenty of talented teams, and this division that once stayed in the Great Lakes region now stretches from coast to coast. We are in for some fantastic football from this conference as the season gets underway soon. Not only do we have the defending National Champions, a #2 ranked Ohio State squad, but four new faces join in on the Big Ten fun.
Big Ten Additions
- Oregon Ducks
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Washington Huskies
Overall as a conference, the Big Ten now features 18 teams, with 6 of them breaking into the first AP Top 25 rankings. However they are fairly top heavy, as 4 teams made the Top 10, and 2 others skated into the final 3 spots.
Ranked Big Ten Teams
- #2 Ohio State
- #4 Oregon
- #8 Penn State
- #9 Michigan
- #23 USC
- #25 Iowa
Washington, Nebraska and Wisconsin also received some votes and are certainly within a Top 40, but the rest of the league is very underwhelming.
Odds to Win Big Ten Championship
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- Ohio State +135
- Oregon +190
- Penn State +500
- Michigan +800
- USC +1800
- Iowa +2000
- Nebraska +4000
- Washington +6600
- Wisconsin +6600
After those top 9 squads, the fall off is drastic.
- Maryland 100-1
- UCLA 100-1
- Michigan State 200-1
- Illinois 200-1
- Minnesota 200-1
- Purdue 250-1
- Indiana 250-1
- Northwestern 300-1
Like I said, extremely top heavy. And Vegas clearly agrees as the two favorite are both shorter than 2-1 odds, while only 4 total teams are within 15-1 to win the conference. In my eyes, we can also eliminate Michigan from contention as well, but we will get into that in a second. I see this conference being a two team fight between the Buckeyes and Ducks, with those two being head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Penn State could sneak their way into this 12 team playoff, but it would take them handling business all year long.
How Will Michigan Respond After Championship?
How will the Wolverines respond after Harbaugh’s departure?
After their head coach, starting QB and RB heading to the NFL, Michigan has more than enough issues. I see a huge Championship Hangover from this team, especially considering the tough schedule that they have. In the 2nd week, the Wolverines host an extremely hungry Texas team ranked 4th in the country. Two weeks later, they will have their hands full with #23 USC at the Big House as well. They get off easy with only having to play Oregon and Ohio State later in the season, but a game at Washington could also give this team some trouble.
I certainly see Michigan taking a step back this year, and I wouldn’t even bet on them to make the College Football Playoff.
Let’s Talk Buckeyes and Ducks
Can Gabriel lead the Ducks to a Big Ten Title in his first season?
Led by Oklahoma Transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon Ducks will be quacking all over teams in the Big Ten this season. They have a much easier schedule than some of their conference opponents, and Dan Lanning as proven to be a great leader.
Oregon won’t see a “solid” team until October 12th, when they host Ohio State for their 6th game of the season. This will more than likely be a Big Ten Championship preview, as I expect these both to be 1 loss teams at worst. The Ducks play two more bad Big Ten teams before going to the Big House to face Michigan. On November 2nd, it wouldn’t surprise me if Oregon was still undefeated and Michigan was already out of the Top 25. Oregon avoids Penn State, USC and Iowa this season, while hosting their toughest opponent. I love Lanning and the Ducks to make some noise in their first year in the Big Ten and potentially compete for the National Championship.
As for the Buckeyes, the #2 team in the country starts Kansas State transfer QB Will Howard to lead the offense this season. However the defense will certainly be a staple of this program. While the Buckeyes have to play Oregon and Penn State on the road, they host Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan, making their stronger conference schedule a bit easier. TreVeyon Henderson is another senior leader in the ground game, and he will have a huge workload for Ohio State. Personally, I see Oregon going undefeated with a 1 loss Buckeye squad meeting them in a rematch in the Big Ten Championship.
Any Love for the Nittany Lions?
Penn State returns plenty of starters for this offense
Not only are the Nittany Lions returning Drew Allar at QB, their tandem running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton is back and better than ever. This Penn State offense is very, very good, and they also arguably have a weaker schedule. The Nittany Lions play USC on the road, and host Ohio State later in the season, but as of right now, those are their only two ranked opponents this season. They play Washington and travel to Wisconsin, but avoid Michigan, Oregon, and USC this season. Because of this, I could see a 1 loss Penn State team making the College Football Playoff.
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Final Big Ten Predictions
- #1 Oregon
- #2 Ohio State
- #3 Penn State
- #4 USC
- #5 Michigan
- #6 Iowa
- #7 Nebraska
- #8 Wisconsin
- #9 Rutgers
- #10 Washington
- #11 Maryland
- #12 Michigan State
- #13 Minnesota
- #14 Illinois
- #15 UCLA
- #16 Indiana
- #17 Purdue
- #18 Northwestern
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