Sep. 24: Wisconsin at Ohio StateOct. The road game at Iowa probably determines which one of those two squads reaches the conference championship game. Well, well, well, another year of being high on the Cornhuskers in preseason predictions. It would be incredible to see four teams from a single Power Five division to hit at least 10 victories, but it could happen given the overall strength at the top of the Big Ten. 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. Then in November, the main contenders in the West and East divisions, respectively, meet for potentially decisive games. The defense will still be feisty, but there still needs to be O-line improvement, as well as more consistency from quarterback Graham Mertz. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, the result will flip in 2022. Sign up for the Nittany Lions Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Illinois will likely be leading the way with defense and run game, which Michigan showed can be a successful formula in 2021. It's a safe bet to project next season's Big Ten champion back in the College Football Playoff, given the expectation the conference will produce several elite teams in 2022. This article was gathered automatically by our news bot. 2022 Summary Casey Thompson turned in a season-long performance worthy of mixed reviews. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. You can view the entire list of bowl projections here. Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. To get there, James Franklin's squad will need to beat Auburn and Minnesota, whom we consider to be the toughest matchups after Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Ohio State Buckeyes (-225 to win the Big Ten) 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) National title odds: +320. Michigan football might not go back to the playoff in 2022, but dont expect a big dropoff from the Wolverines. Nebraska was the best 3-9 football team in the history of the sport last season. And while the Rose Bowl is hosting a College Football Playoff matchup next bowl season (more on that in a bit), the Badgers could be landing in the Orange Bowl for a New Years Six matchup with potential ACC champion Florida State. The Wolverines finally broke through under coach Jim Harbaugh for the program's first Big Ten championship since 2004, and that snapped Ohio State's run of four straight conference titles. That's when the campaignultimately swings in the wrong direction with a brutal stretch versus the Nittany Lions followed by road games against likely top-10 teams Ohio State and Michigan State. #GoBucks. Ohio State and Wisconsin had down years by their standards and missed the Big Ten Championship game entirely. Peter Skoronski, a two-year starter for the Wildcats, was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded left tackle in the conference last season. Quarterback Aidan OConnell is back in the fold as the Boilers try and fill holes at receiver. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports. Up front, OSU returns three starters plus Matthew Jonesa very regular player over the last two seasons. After a brutal 2021 campaign followed a miraculous 2020 season, Tom Allen and the Hoosiers retooled by adding Missouri transfer quarterback Connor Bazelak. Will Ohio State earn revenge? Will Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around (possible spoiler alert below)? The word: What are the outside expectations for the Badgers in 2022? The Gophers could take on an interesting South Carolina team in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the new namesake of the old Outback Bowl. On the final weekend of September, division favorites Wisconsin and OSU square off in Columbus. The word: Can quarterback Tanner Morgan return to the 2019 form for the Golden Gophers? But Artur Sitkowski isnt exactly the ideal quarterback, and this is a roster mostly bereft of talent. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Sept. 3: Notre Dame at Ohio StateSept. After a 7-6 season in 2018, Minnesota climbed as high as seventh in the AP poll and finished 11-2 in 2019. Whether the Iowa offense can score consistently is again a major question, but this defense should be fierce. The Buckeyes haven't lost to Michigan at Ohio Stadium since 2000, however. The rest of the slate is treacherous. Four-star safety Kye Stokes (Armwood, Seffner, Fla.) also was impressive in the spring game. Quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim are back in the Twin Cities as the offense will have familiar personnel. Unique? They lost to both teams at home in 2021. Stroud could change that. Clifford returns, and a road game at Auburn is daunting, as is playing at Michigan. Can Wisconsin get back to Indy? Taulia Tagovailoa returns as one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, and he should be getting some help back in Dontay Demus and Rakim Jarrett. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. Michigan 3. 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. So, though college football media tends to be quite reactionary (we include ourselves in that estimation) were taking yet another too-early stab at the complexion of the Big Ten conference, now taking into account personnel losses, the schedule, and overall trajectory for each team. Five other schools in the conference have a winning percentage better than 60% in the CFP era. Nov 20, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) drops back for a pass in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at TCF Bank Stadium. Since returning to his alma mater in 2018, the former Nebraska quarterback is 15-29 overall with a 10-25 conference record. Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports. It would somewhat surprising if Northwestern made a push in 2022, because it feels about another year away. This is the other half of what should be a thrilling October day. Score Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Washington State 24. Any time you lose your far-and-away best offensive player, its not an ideal situation. There are a lot of questions across the Big Ten Conference, in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. 1. Penn State is 4-5 in Big Ten play each of the last two seasons. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. Michigan is the pick from 247Sports to win the Big Ten and claim a spot in the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff. Oct 16, 2021; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on in the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ryan Field. The word: There's a chance Northwesterncould lose eight straight Big Ten games, if the Wildcats aren't careful next season, after a promising three-win stretch following a calendar-opening loss to Nebraska. Akron Zips. The Illinois Fighting Illini look poised for another positive season that could lead to a spot in a bowl game. Phil Steele predicts preseason AP college football top 10. The Huskers revamped the coaching staff this offseason, and the conference season kicks off Aug. 27 when Nebraska and Northwestern meet in Dublin, Ireland. They also lost at home to Rutgers and UTSA. Sean Clifford returns for his fifth season in Happy Valley after he threw 21 touchdowns in 2021. 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. Michigan won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, and finished with a 12-2 record and a No.3 finish in the AP poll. Overall, this unit is stacked. The question is: can the Boilermakers sustain that success in 2022? All eyes are now off the rearview mirror and onto the horizon with 2023 approaching. Notably, those struggles came against the top of the conference including C.J. Thompson played in 15 games at Texas, where he had 30 TDs and nine interceptions. Are you ready for a playoff rematch? Iowas defense could make for a scrappy game in this bowl matchup as neither team has had much of a dangerous offense. After an upstart 2020 campaign, Indiana fell flat in 2021 as the Hoosiers failed to win a conference game. Fleck's team intends on toppling Iowa and Wisconsin down the stretch to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game. Can either Padilla or Petras develop into a consistent starter this season? The lone remaining ranked team in the preseason AP poll, Michigan State is attempting to build on an impressive year. Wins: Duke, Southern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Losses: Nebraska (Dublin, Ireland), at Penn State, Wisconsin, at Maryland, at Iowa, Ohio State, at Minnesota, at Purdue,Illinois. While the defense loses Jack Sanborn, Leo Chenal, and others to the NFL, Wisconsin has shown their ability to reload under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. There are plenty of questions across the Big Ten Conference in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. Stroud and the offense have sensational upside, but a highly inconsistent defense has much to prove under new coordinator Jim Knowles. 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. Factor in Ryan Day's proven offensive system, and the Buckeyes seem destined for another powerful year. Worst of all, the Huskers bottomed out in 2022. It was a strange 2021 campaign for Bret Bielema in his first year at Illinois. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. C.J. The Scarlet Knights will have to get through nonconference unscathed if it really wants to turn the corner, because the early conference schedule is no joke. Ohio State has the makings of a potential national champion in 2022. Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports. Michigan State Spartans. The running back room will lead the way as Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi return to form a duo with unlimited potential. 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. The offensive line led the way last year, and while there will be some losses, it still should provide enough push for whoever ends up carrying the ball, given what we saw last year. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards, the third-highest mark nationally. And why not take Bret Bielema out to Las Vegas for a bowl game matchup with the Pitt Panthers. Ferentz just re-upped his contract and will have a talented, veteran team this upcoming season. It was part of a ridiculous season where Smith-Njigba had 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine TDs. PJ Mustipher made it clear who he things should be Penn State's next defensive line coach. Wins: Western Michigan, Akron, at Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, at Illinois, Rutgers, Indiana. This offseason included an aura of bitterness despite the team posting an 11-2 record and Rose Bowl victory last year. They are 6-7 in New Year's Day Six Bowls, and the Spartans and Wolverines were routed in their lone CFP appearances. Still, this is a team that will be struggling to make a bowl game, especially with another game against Virginia to go along with cross-divisional games against Michigan and MSU. With Walker headed to the NFL, quarterback Payton Thorne returns to lead the offense. It's not going to be easy in 2022. Record prediction: 10-2. The offense will reset the Big Ten record book in several areas. The metric recently predicted the outcome of the 2022 Big Ten season, and the rest of the Big Ten West expectations may surprise some Badger fans. 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. Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. Here is a look at the spring way-too-early 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. Michigan State beat Michigan and finished with an 11-2 record and a No.9 finish in the AP poll with a Peach Bowl victory. That stretch included some truly awful offensive days, something that may appear occasionally again in 2022. But overhauls are never sure things, even with the collection of talent that OSU has. The secondary and a thorny schedule are major obstacles, but Mel Tucker proved us wrong in 2021. Rutgers was on the wrong end of lopsided losses to the Big Tens best a year ago, although the Scarlet Knights found themselves in a last-minute bowl game against Wake Forest. Sign up for the Buckeyes Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, Let's get ready to cheer on the Lady Bucks this weekend. Ibrahim and Henderson will be sharing the spotlight with Wisconsin bruiser Braelon Allen, who powered his way to 1,268 yards and 12 scores in his first college season. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound cornerback has the versatility to play either in the slot or safety think Dax Hill and that could lead to early playing time for new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. After a solid 2021 season, Purdue will be looking to fill massive holes on either end of the football. Nov 20, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks with quarterback Cade McNamara (12) after during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. But will Penn State have what it takes to make another New Years Six berth after winning the Rose Bowl last season? Ohio State The path to a Big Ten title should go through Columbus in 2022. Purdue was one of the bigger surprises in 2021, and looked more like what people thought it would when Jeff Brohm turned down his alma mater in Louisville a few years back. Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Rasheed Walker (53) and linebacker Jesse Luketa (40) and safety Jaquan Brisker (1) and safety Jonathan Sutherland (0) walk on the field for the coin flip prior to the game Illinois Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. The season was one of chaos that no one predicted. His 76.7 grade was a top-10 mark among Power Five guards this year while his nine big-time blocks were tied for sixth. Here is a look at the spring way-too-early bowl projections for Big Ten teams from 247Sports. Be more involved in the big games. 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. Honestly, if everything clicks, the Gophers have what it takes to be in Indy in December. 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