Big 10 Season Preview: Let us all take a moment and rewind back to December of 2018, shall we? Ohio State just routed Northwestern 45-24 in the Big Ten Championship in Indy (you cannot blame that one on the cell phones Coach Fitz). Sitting at 12-1 and atop the Big Ten, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes missed the College Football Playoff at number six in the national rankings. For the second year in a row, the Big Ten was absent from the College Football Playoff.
In 2019, it might look even worse.
The 2018 Big Ten football season showed one of the most polarizing gaps between the top of the standings and the second tier, bowl bound teams. Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State were all AP Preseason top 25 teams with Ohio State. By the end of the season, those teams had a combined 18 losses and were competing against each other for a spot in the coveted Quicklane, Pinstripe, Holiday Rose Bowl. Ohio State rolled through their schedule with the exception of the “anomaly” game against Purdue.
The 2019 conference season has many clashes that would disrupt a potential playoff contender from the Big Ten. For the sake of efficiency, let’s narrow the conference down to its contenders for each division.
Big 10 Season Preview: The West
Northwestern Wildcats
Believe it or not, the Northwestern Wildcats are your reigning Big Ten West champions. Chicago’s perennial 7-5 Big Ten Team and has only gotten better in 2019. Pat Fitzgerald and his multi-million dollar practice and athletic facility have recruited a new breed of athletes that are finally trickling into play. Hunter Johnson is expected to easily transition into the starting quarterback role and make an impact after sitting a year. Linebacker Paddy Fisher is quickly being considered a defensive player of the year candidate in the Big Ten. The Wildcats are an unlikely playoff contender due to three tough road games at Stanford, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, not to mention Michigan State at home. Circle November 18th on your schedules, the Big Ten Championship rematch will take place at Ryan Field. More on that later.
My Prediction: 10-2 (7-2) Wildcats fall short of another Big Ten West title, and any hopes at the playoff.
Wisconsin Badgers
Last year, a top-five ranking and a preseason Sports Illustrated cover doomed the Wisconsin Badgers from the start. Soon followed mass injuries to the defense and offensive line, and an embarrassing 7-5 finish. That includes one at home against BYU, tough. Like many of their conference counterparts, the Badgers have an extremely competitive conference schedule. That includes Northwestern, Michigan, and Michigan State at home in the span of under a month, and then traveling to Ohio State in late November. In order for a playoff chance, Wisconsin would have to beat Northwestern for their best shot at winning the West. Also, they must win two out of the other three games listed, and win the Big Ten Championship. That is all assuming they sweep their favorited games, ahem BYU.
Granted, they have the best quarterback recruit in school history with incoming Freshman Graham Mertz. Jonathan Taylor will have a records-breaking season at tailback as well. However, it still looks unlikely, damn near impossible in my omniscient opinion, that Sconnie makes a run at the playoff.
My Prediction: 10-3 (7-3) Badgers fall to Ohio State on the road, and cough up a game at Nebraska/Minnesota. They take the Big Ten West title, but fall in the conference Championship.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Those who are familiar with how the Big Ten standings know exactly what I am thinking for the Iowa Hawkeyes. It is almost funny how cookie-cutter Iowa’s squad is for the upcoming season. They have a slightly above-average defense with a stud defensive end tandem in Epenesa and Chauncey Golston. Mediocre Big Ten offenses will have a tough time moving the ball.
On offense, Nate Stanley is the Hawkeye quarterback poster child. He will be another guy who sets school records this season, and his 9-9 record as a starter should improve. Also, the Hawkeye offense returns running back and receiver tandems that will be reliable enough to put up 10-17 points weekly. This is arguably the most “Iowa” Iowa offenses put out on the last few years.
Schedule-wise, contests at Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska will guarantee at least two losses. Their rivalry game in Aimes against Iowa State will be a shootout, as well as when they host Penn State.
My Prediction: 9-3 (7-2) A loss at Wisconsin holds Iowa from a shot at the conference title. Off to the Outback Bowl again!
Nebraska Cornhuskers
“But Scott Frost needed a year for his recruits to come in!” “Adrien Martinez is the best quarterback in the conference!” Save it. We will discuss in January.
My Prediction 7-5 (4-5) Bowl eligible.
Big 10 Season Preview: The East
Michigan State Spartans
Sparty is the Big Ten football team that everyone forgets was a mini-powerhouse in the early 2010’s with multiple Rose Bowl appearances. They could also be sneaky good this year. Last year, the Mark Dantonio’s Spartans quietly led the nation in rushing yards allowed and total defense. That same defense is returning nine starters.
Offensively, returning quarterback and experienced starter Brian Lewerke will run the show. After a down year, throwing for 11 interceptions to only eight touchdowns, Lewerke is healthy and playing under new offensive coordinator Brad Salem. Also, the offensive returns three receivers who missed a total of 12 games last season.
From a scheduling standpoint, MSU has to make appearances in the Big House, as well as Columbus Ohio and Camp Randall in Wisconsin. All three games essentially sure losses. Pair those with a home slip-up against Penn State and a tough contest at Northwestern and just like that, the Pinstripe Bowl is calling.
My Prediction: 8-4 (5-4) Have fun playing your bowl game in snow, Sparty.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Like Nebraska, I throw Penn State in so Nittany Lion Twitter can have a tiny speck of hope for this season. Truth is, nobody knows how Penn State will produce this year. Their core players from last season are either in the NFL, or have transferred somewhere in the SEC by now. Not to mention they entire coaching staff fled to Mississippi State and Alabama.
Apparently the Nittany Lions have a godlike punter in Blake Gilliken. we are talking 60-70 yard punts consistently. I found that in multiple Penn State stories, so I figured I would drop Blake a shoutout and give him the picture.
My Prediction: 8-4 (6-3) Penn State can start getting prepped for next year when they get Ohio State at home.
Ohio State Buckeyes
I hate Ohio State with a burning passion. So do most people; it is the college football fan’s common denominator. In the end, they are going to be exhilarating to watch this season.
It all starts with Justin Fields and the offense. Given Ohio State’s recruiting excellence, Fields has the weapons he needs at his disposal. Returning in the backfield is tailback J.K. Dobbins who reached the end zone 10 times last season. In the air, K.J. Hill looks to follow up an impressive 885 receiving-yard season. In addition, watch out for Chris Olave, who exploded for three scores against Michigan last year.
On defense, the departures of Nick Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones will hurt, especially in the already weak run-stopping game. But as we have seen before, more recruits will step up effectively. Incoming freshman and five-star recruit Zach Harrison is the guy to watch for a breakout season to kickstart his career.
Every game this season, the Buckeyes will have the most talent on the field. New head coach Ryan Day will most likely stick to his predecessor’s point-of-attack from a gameplay standpoint, so do not expect too much change. Their two true test are at Northwestern for the championship rematch, and at Michigan to end the season on rivalry week. Both games will be true shootouts, but the Buckeyes will undoubtably be favored.
My Prediction: 11-1 (8-1) Will that be enough for a playoff spot? That will depend on Michigan, keep reading we are almost there.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan enters the season across the board as a top-ten ranked team. They are being labeled as the only team with a shot at the conference title other than Ohio State, and I could not agree more. Athletically, Michigan is the only team that goes toe-to-toe physically with Ohio State. In addition, this looks to be the year the Wolverine offensive become dangerous.
Shea Patterson comes back at quarterback with essentially all of his receiving corps at his disposal. Donovan Peoples-Jones is often the first to come to mind. Also, their attack will open up into more of a spread offense with Patterson rarely calling plays in the huddle. New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis will bring an electricity to the Wolverine offense they have not see in years.
Michigan’s only road test will be in Wisconsin in September, and I do not see the Badgers figuring out their personnel problems by then. I also do not see Notre Dame getting it done in the Big House in primetime. That means the conference will come down to the Rivalry Week matchup at home against Ohio State. As a college football fan, writing that gave me world-class goosebumps.
My Prediction: 12-1 (10-1) I really wanted to put Michigan down as undefeated, but either way with a loss to Notre Dame or Wisconsin, they win the division with a victory against OSU.
Consensus
Now, why would I be writing this article about the Big Ten being screwed when I just put Michigan on a high horse? Truth is, it is impossible to tell. The SEC is too unpredictable. We have this argument every damn year. By now, it is clear that a competitive, one loss, non-champion SEC team will slide in over a one-or-more loss Big Ten Champion.
I believe Michigan will be really, really good this year. The fact of the matter is the non-conference schedules need to be eye-popping for Big Ten teams to be compared to SEC teams. People get caught up in the cupcake SEC non-conference schedules, but undervalue the conference gauntlet those teams endure every year.
Personally, the grit and low-scoring affairs of the Big Ten are addictive. I love watching the obsolete values to the game this great conference puts on display every year. But the game is evolving, and so should the Big Ten.
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