Late Kick Live Ep. The word: Bret Bielema expects a much-improved team after a 5-7 finish last fall, but unfortunately for the Fighting Illini, that may not show up in the win-loss column, given the brutality of the slate. He's a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, and that with a 85% catch percentage. Well, that could be entertaining. The word: With a much-improved defense and one of the nation's most explosive units offensively, an extremely hungry Ohio State team should be able to get through the regular season unscathed if the Buckeyes are able to avoid road losses to Michigan State or Penn State entering the rivalry showdown versus Michigan at the end of November. 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). And why not take Bret Bielema out to Las Vegas for a bowl game matchup with the Pitt Panthers. https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/lists/predicting-every-big-ten-football-teams-2022-record/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Will Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around (possible spoiler alert below)? https://nittanylionswire.usatoday.com/lists/big-ten-spring-football-bowl-projections-from-247sports/, Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech, ReliaQuest Bowl: Minnesota vs. South Carolina, Sugar Bowl, College Football Playoff: Ohio State vs. Georgia, Rose Bowl (College Football Playoff): Michigan vs. USC, College Football Playoff National Championship: Michigan vs. Georgia, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Day repeatedly used the word "edgy" at Big Ten Media Days to describe the team's mindset in the offseason. This team could surprise some people. Michigan won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, and finished with a 12-2 record and a No.3 finish in the AP poll. Look for Wisconsin to be a problem this season. There are plenty of questions across the Big Ten Conference in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. This will not be a "White Out" game for some reason; perhaps because Ohio State has won the last five meetings since the 2016 loss at Happy Valley. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports. Up front, OSU returns three starters plus Matthew Jonesa very regular player over the last two seasons. An early-midseason road game at Iowa and midseason home games against Penn State and MSU could provide trouble, but the Wolverines could, if not should, enter the Week 13 game in Columbus with maybe one loss, if not undefeated, provided the defense finds a way to retool after offseason losses. Much of that will be due to a 4-1 start prior to wins over Minnesota and Iowa during the final month of the campaign. Wins: Indiana State, at Syracuse, Florida Atlantic, Iowa,Northwestern, at Indiana, Losses: Penn State, at Minnesota, at Maryland,Nebraska, at Wisconsin,at Illinois. The word: The Hoosiers play eight straight games before their late-season open week prior to a home showdown with Penn State and by that time, they should be hovering near the .500 mark. The thing about college football is that its entirely impossible to pin down. There are a lot of questions across the Big Ten Conference, in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. Stroud and Ohio State having a field day against the Spartans secondary. No other Big Ten coach that begins the season is in imminent danger, though a nine-loss record certainly could change that. The goal for 2022 might just be to get into a bowl, this time with a winning record. Four-star safety Kye Stokes (Armwood, Seffner, Fla.) also was impressive in the spring game. It looks like there could be plenty of black and gold in the Bronx in this seasons Pinstripe Bowl with a matchup of Purdue and Wake Forest in a Big Ten-ACC clash. Michigan is the lone, scary crossover from the East, but it hosts Oklahoma and opens the season in Ireland against Northwestern. 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 Can they finish some of those close games in 2022? Big Ten Football B1G 2022 FULL Big Ten Record Predictions and 2022 Season Preview Who wins the West? really being the only question worth a damn here. That all does not bode well for next season. Last season, Ohio State lost to Whether the Iowa offense can score consistently is again a major question, but this defense should be fierce. Yes, MSU brought in former Wisconsin back Jalen Berger to replace Kenneth Walker III, but those are some mighty big shoes to fill. But you try herding these The Buckeyes have a tough opener against Notre Dame, but that's only going to help down the line in the College Football Playoff. Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports. Can Michigan [] Iowa, Wisconsin and Northwestern are 0-8 in the Big Ten championship game since the conference switched to the East and West division setup. The defense, however, was as good as any unit in the country. Bielema vs. Pat Narduzzi? This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. Thompson played in 15 games at Texas, where he had 30 TDs and nine interceptions. Projected Big Ten Champion: Ohio State Buckeyes. With Walker headed to the NFL, quarterback Payton Thorne returns to lead the offense. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. All 14 coaches returned to the Big Ten, but Nebraska's Scott Frost is on the hottest of hot seats. If they can get to a 6-3 finish in league play, that should be enough to win the division if two of those victories include Wisconsin and Nebraska. USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. Which teams can take a big step forward? Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But the 2022 schedule sets up quite nicely, with three breezy nonconference games before opening up the conference slate with Maryland at home. Alex Padilla and Spencer Petras both got time under center last season as the Iowa offense struggled to find consistency. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The Boilermakers lost their best overall player in defensive end George Karlaftis and wide receiver David Bell to the NFL draft. Northwestern was an awfully young team in 2021, which explains a bit of the struggles. The defense improved last season and will have to continue that upward trajectory. Sign up for the Nittany Lions Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. For good measure, Jestin Jacobs (53) finished fifth on the defense last season. Not to mention two elite defensive pieces in linebacker Harold Perkins and edge rusher Maason Smith, who will be back after his injury-shortened 2022 effort. However, it did well in a similar stretch in 2021, so dont count the Spartans out. However, the appeal isn't solely about the Buckeyes' superstar trio. C.J. Quarterback Aidan OConnell is back in the fold as the Boilers try and fill holes at receiver. The road to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game goes through Columbuseven though it technically starts in Ireland. Bret Bielema certainly improved the Illini in his first year in Champaign, and Illinois did somehow manage to beat Penn State on the road. Important tilts against Michigan State and Penn State come at home with the possible division-deciding game against Ohio State happening in Columbus this time around. For the first time in nearly a year, Penn State adds another commitment to the board for the Class of 2024. The Buckeyes led the FBS in points and total yards, and Stroud is at the controls of what should be an elite offense again in 2022. 1. However, this group will still be a tough out for anyone in the league. Win or lose that first game, the Boilermakers could be in a good spot in 2022. Despite being the fourth team in the Wisconsin has a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Engram, as Graham Mertz looks to put it all together at quarterback. Ohio State and Wisconsin had down years by their standards and missed the Big Ten Championship game entirely. C.J. Can Wisconsin get back to Indy? With the staffs comfort recruiting in the Sunshine State, it makes sense they would be right back there for the class of 2024.The Class of 2023 gave the Sooners CB Makari Vickers (early enrollee), DL Derrick LeBlanc (early . Yes, the Buckeyes are still a shining star in the conference, but they do have some issues. The Buckeyes will get preseason Heisman hopeful CJ Stroud back after an impressive first campaign as a starter and should comfortably be the preseason favorite in the Big Ten East. With the 2022 season inching closer, it is only appropriate to begin discussing the schedules and characteristics of each Big Ten team. The word: No team in the Big Ten faces a more brutal four-game stretch in November to close out the regular season than the Terrapins, who take on a likely nationally-ranked Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State over three consecutive weeks before the finale versus Rutgers. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards, the third-highest mark nationally. Below is a look at the bowl projections and playoff picks before all the fun begins for the 2022 season. Can any of those other schools disrupt that? Starting off the New Years Day bowl lineup could be the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are expected to have a solid season once again in the Big Ten West. If the Nittany Lions create one break and catch a fortunate bounce, they'll be in the picture. Score Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Washington State 24. Predicting every team's final record this far out is next to impossible, but peeking at matchups this early is whatevery staff does this time of year in prep for the new season. The Fighting Illini were led by Chase Brown on the ground and pulled off one of the weirdest wins of the college football season by taking down Penn State in nine, yes nine, overtimes. And then, when it comes to the Michigan game, while OSU acolytes will act confidently, remember: the last time that Ohio State beat the Wolverines was in 2019. Purdue played for the Big Ten championship this past season but the Boilermakers will have to settle for a bowl game in a baseball stadium according to 247Sports spring bowl projections. Share this story. Otherwise, the remainder is focused on key trips for Michigan and Ohio Statewhich both enjoy an 8:4 home/road split this season. There is a good chance this is the next top-10 perhaps top-five showdown in the series. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Projected finish: T-4th in Big Ten East. We're expecting a winner-take-all showdown in the regular-season finale at Ohio State. Northwestern vs. Illinois 11/27/21 FREE College Football Picks and Predictions on NCAAF Betting, NCAA Football 08 PS2 Campus Legend BJ Simmons And Your Heisman Award Winner Is, This I Remember: 2004 Michigan Football season, LIVE Texas vs Baylor Postgame Show | Bijan Robinson | Reactions | Big 12 | Longhorns. Thank you for visiting Win Big Sports Network and wbsnsports.com. 2022 Big Ten Football Predictions. Well, well, well, another year of being high on the Cornhuskers in preseason predictions. For more sports, news, and entertainment, follow us on Twitter @WBSNsports or like our page on Facebook. This should be a bowl team, but we saw how the team fell apart last year in every single game. The Spartans defeated their crosstown rivals, won 11 games, and had one of the best running backs in the country in Kenneth Walker III. Fleck waves to the University of Iowa Childrens Hospital after the first quarter against Iowa during the NCAA Big 10 conference football game on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Stroud will be near the top of preseason Heisman conversations, and despite losing star wide recievers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in the NFL draft, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is back to torture Big Ten defenses. Outbursts in those games keeps the national attention. Illinois will likely be leading the way with defense and run game, which Michigan showed can be a successful formula in 2021. The secondary and a thorny schedule are major obstacles, but Mel Tucker proved us wrong in 2021. The Buckeyes have won eight straight in the series, and the Badgers haven't won in Columbus since a 24-13 shocker in 2004. After sending two teams to the College Football Playoff in the 2022 season, could the Big Ten be preparing to send a pair of teams back to the playoff next season? This is a major chance at redemption after the Cougars took down the Badgers at Camp Randall in 2022. Stroud is big news (he still had to come back, obviously) for an offense that was firing on all cylinders and the team in Columbus certainly hopes the coaching revamp, led by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, pays big dividends. Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. follow. Will either Minnesota or MSU surge in the standings? The Huskers revamped the coaching staff this offseason, and the conference season kicks off Aug. 27 when Nebraska and Northwestern meet in Dublin, Ireland. Ohio State and Michigan each received a spot in the playoff field last season, and the Buckeyes and Wolverines could be set to make another playoff run in 2023 after being tossed in the semifinals last season. B/R's preview of the Big Ten includes star players, top storylines, key games and just about everything short of USC and UCLA. Here are the 10 players I think are primed for breakout seasons in 2023. Worst of all, the Huskers bottomed out in 2022. The word: The reigning Big Ten champions play four consecutive home games prior to their first road affair at Iowa and should be favored in 11 of 12 regular-season games in 2022. Nebraska also brought in a new passing game coordinator in Mickey Joseph from LSU. The schedule is brutal, with Western Kentucky and Cincinnati again on the nonconference. Nov 6, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan OConnell (16) drops back to pass the ball in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Even if Northwestern has another frustrating year, the program boasts one of the country's premier offensive linemen. The word: Can the Spartans get back to the New Year's Six as one of the hunted at the top of the Big Ten next season? Please check your email for a confirmation. That's the game that turns the Spartans' season one way or the other. 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. Wolverines' fans always get excited about five-star cornerbacks, and Johnson (Grosse Pointe South, Mich.) is the next in line. The home game with Iowa and battle at Minnesotaare two potential spots for wins if the Scarlet Knights out-execute the opposition. Crossovers against Nebraska and Minnesota certainly dont lessen the blow, either. Over/under: 11. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said those schools can help "carry some weight" for the Big Ten. Iowa Hawkeyes players Ryan Gersonde (2) Riley Moss (33) quarterback Spencer Petras (7) wide receiver Max Cooper (19) and defensive back Jack Koerner (28) get pumped up before an NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Indiana, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 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. The Buckeyes haven't lost to Michigan at Ohio Stadium since 2000, however. Sep. 24: Minnesota at Michigan StateOct. Record prediction: 10-2. The Spartans play at Washington, host Minnesota the next week, play at Maryland, host Ohio State and Wisconsin, have a bye week, and then go to Michigan. The first showdown on the listonly the seventh all-time meeting of Notre Dame and OSUdoubles as the best nonconference game of the 2022 season. Losing Tyler Linderbaum and Tyler Goodson hurts, but with Spencer Petras and Jack Campbell returning, the Hawkeyes are poised to continue their ascent in 2022. On the opposite side of the coin, Michigan redeemed themselves after a difficult 2020 season and outlasted Ohio State to take the Big Ten East crown. View 13 items Too-early 2023 Big Ten football game-by-game predictions by team. Here is a look at the spring way-too-early There is always an above-average squad, but there's rarely a national contender. The Big Ten sent two teams to the CFB Playoff in 2022 for the first time in conference history. With the stroke of midnight and the calendar flipping over, the Buckeyes once-promising 2022 campaign ended instantly in 2023. They open with Notre Dame, play Wisconsin and Iowa, to go along with the rest of the schedule. The other side of the ball is a question mark. The Buckeyes have won 25 straight conference games at home by an average of 30.9 points per game. You can view the entire list of bowl projections here. 3. Will the trend of a true breakout team continue in 2022? He completed 63 percent of his passes in 10 games for 2,407 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. There are enough soft spots to get this team back to bowl eligibility it looks like and the Boilermakers could push for seven or eight wins, if they're able to knock off one of the better teams on the schedule, but expecting this team to win the division will be a lot to ask. Once again, ESPN FPI is high on the Badgers as we enter the 2022 season. Sep. 24: Wisconsin at Ohio StateOct. Meaningful? Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. The Hawkeyes play cross-over games against Ohio State and Michigan. And Penn State has some good bowl history against the Vols. Is there more even-year magic in store? Fourth-year coach Ryan Day brings back a loaded offense that features Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. It would somewhat surprising if Northwestern made a push in 2022, because it feels about another year away. Well know more after the early-season contest against Ohio State. The Illinois Fighting Illini look poised for another positive season that could lead to a spot in a bowl game. It opens at Boston College, goes to Temple, and plays Iowa and goes to Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. Phil Steele predicts preseason AP college football top 10. Allen rushed for 1,268 yards, averaged 6.8 yards per carry and finished with 12 TDs as a freshman for the Badgers, and that was with a limited role in the first month of the season. 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. While that was just our projections, we were pretty in-line with mainstream thought. A QB competition is the highlight of the offseason, as Noah Vedral brings experience while Gavin Wimsatt and Evan Simon await an opportunity. 2022 CFN College Football Preview of Every Team Big Ten Preseason Predictions: East Big Ten East Predicted Finish 1.
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