Minnesota head football coach P.J. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said those schools can help "carry some weight" for the Big Ten. Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) April 21, 2022, Nov 28, 2020; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen looks on from the sideline in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Losing Kenneth Walker III is going to be huge, but with Payton Thorned back and a talented wide receiving corps, the offense will still be able to move the ball. The schedule is no breeze. The Buckeyes have a tough opener against Notre Dame, but that's only going to help down the line in the College Football Playoff. However, it did well in a similar stretch in 2021, so dont count the Spartans out. Kicking off the Big Ten bowl season could be Iowa, who is paired up with the Florida Gators in the Music City Bowl in a Big Ten vs. SEC bowl matchup. They'll figure it out. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. Can Michigan [] Iowa will go as far as its offense can carry it. 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. 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. The schedule sees the Scarlet Knights land Minnesota, Oct 2, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Brandon Peters (18) hands the ball off to running back Chase Brown (2) in the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Look for a season similar to what we just saw in 2021. Big Ten football predictions 2022: Conference standings, impact transfers, best games, Michigan restores rivalry with Ohio State with dominant win. Heres our too-early 2022 game predictions now that the schedule is set. Up and down puts it mildly when talking about the 2021 Illini. (soft launch) Air Force Falcons. Alex Padilla and Spencer Petras both got time under center last season as the Iowa offense struggled to find consistency. Michigan and Michigan State shocked everyone and finished well Will Allen break through for the Heisman like Ron Dayne did in 1999? It should be a good season, but can the Wolverines repeat? It will be tough, but there is talent in Happy Valley. 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. 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. 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. Illinois won't be favored in any of those and the see-saw non-league battle versus Virginia will be a considerable challenge given the strength of quarterback Brennan Armstrong. 3. 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. Yes, the Buckeyes are still a shining star in the conference, but they do have some issues. The RP Predictor calculates the final score of each game based on each team's offense, defense, It almost always comes down to The Game, and the Wolverines revived the rivalry with a 42-27 victory last season. The season opener against Penn State will set the tone, and thats the only top team from the East that Purdue faces. How can the sophomore improve his chances? 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 . Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. He also gets book-end big stage games at The Shoe against Notre Dame and Michigan. He's the next elite back off the Wisconsin assembly line. MOST RECENT. It opens at Boston College, goes to Temple, and plays Iowa and goes to Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras (7) stands with teammates tight end Bryce Schulte (48) and defensive back Riley Moss (33) after an NCAA college football game in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Credit: USA TODAY Sports Network. Gone is quarterback Adrian Martinez, but hell be replaced by former Texas QB Casey Thompson. 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. Will there be another shakeup this season? 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. Here is a look at early team-by-team record predictions for Big Ten squads in 2022: Sep 3, 2021; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald reacts after a play against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Ryan Field. Akron Zips. And Penn State has some good bowl history against the Vols. Can Wisconsin get back to Indy? Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Yes, MSU brought in former Wisconsin back Jalen Berger to replace Kenneth Walker III, but those are some mighty big shoes to fill. Grant Stec, a four-star tight end and class of 2024 Badger commit from Algonquin, Illinois was ranked as the fourth best at his position in the country by ESPN. Will Nebraska finally go bowling? Iowa was ranked No.2 at some point in the season but finished with a 10-4 record. The quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy is ongoing and very likely makes its way into the regular season. Athlon Sports Early Big Ten Predictions: Like and subscribe for more amazing content! Wisconsin has a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Engram, as Graham Mertz looks to put it all together at quarterback. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Broussard (Colorado) and Berger (Wisconsin) are tasked with replacing the production from Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for 1,636 yards and 18 TDs last season. 17: Penn State at Auburn; Michigan State at Washington. But, as always, its difficult to suddenly project that a young team will be good the following year. Maryland does travel to Ann Arbor in Week 4, but it will face a rebuilding Michigan defense, which could help matters. The secondary and a thorny schedule are major obstacles, but Mel Tucker proved us wrong in 2021. Here are the 10 players I think are primed for breakout seasons in 2023. The Spartans have won the last two in the Paul Bunyan Trophy series, and Tucker hasn't backed down from the Wolverines at all. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. Ohio State has seemingly rescinded offer to star quarterback Dylan Raiola, Latest Mel Kiper NFL mock draft has three Ohio State players in first round, Top ten Ohio State rated quarterback recruits since 2000, Top-rated recruit from every state for Ohio State football since 2000, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He recorded 17 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns while playing in six games this year. Spring ball is on for most teams, and if it hasnt already, its on the horizon. Michigan and Michigan State shocked everyone and finished well above their projections. This will no doubt be a Big Noon Kickoff Game and it could be a conference championship preview. Stroud | Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Peter Skoronski | Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Jim Harbaugh | Michael Hickey/Getty Images, Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Payton Thorne | Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Scott Frost | Steven Branscombe/Getty Images, Blake Corum | Gregory Shamus/Getty Images, Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Harry How/Getty Images, Riley Moss | Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Nick Herbig and Dean Ingram | Patrick McDermott/Getty Images, TreVeyon Henderson | Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. They miss Penn State and Ohio State but have to play Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan on the road along with home dates versus Iowa and Michigan State. 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. No other Big Ten team has averaged 500 yards per game. 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. Nebraska lost nine games by nine points or less last season, and Northwestern is trying to bounce back after its own nine-loss season. Fleck's team intends on toppling Iowa and Wisconsin down the stretch to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game. Five other schools in the conference have a winning percentage better than 60% in the CFP era. 2022 Summary Casey Thompson turned in a season-long performance worthy of mixed reviews. Penn State may not be making the New Years Six cut on these bowl projections, but getting a chance to end the year in a matchup with Tennessee could make for an entertaining end to the year. 1: Michigan at IowaOct. in 2017. The Spartans defeated their crosstown rivals, won 11 games, and had one of the best running backs in the country in Kenneth Walker III. Are you ready for a playoff rematch? Nebraska makes a bowl this year and gains some much-needed momentum. In our 2021 too-early power rankings, eventual Big Ten champion, the hometown Michigan Wolverines, were slated at No. If the Nittany Lions create one break and catch a fortunate bounce, they'll be in the picture. Which teams can take a big step forward? Dont expect Michigan to get the fortune and results it got this past season. However, realistically, the Scarlet Knights are probably still a year or so away from making a significant jump in results on the field. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. 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. The Buckeyes, however, are the prohibitive favorite to strike back in 2022. 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. Up front, OSU returns three starters plus Matthew Jonesa very regular player over the last two seasons. The season was one of chaos that no one predicted. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. + Show More. The Nittany Lions lost a lot of talent in the NFL draft, and will have to restructure a defense that was in the bottom third of the conference last season. We may be months away from the start of the 2023 season, but it is never too early to start making bowl projections, right? 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. Expect Indiana to find its neutral level after extremes in either direction over the past two seasons. 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. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. Can they finish some of those close games in 2022? Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) runs for a long first down in the third quarter against Nebraska Cornhuskers safety Myles Farmer (4) during their football game Saturday, November 20, 2021, at Camp Randall in Madison, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Last season, Michigan was the only other Big Ten team to average more than 35 points per game at 37.7. They'll likely need to split those two contests and get help elsewhere to advance. Will that allow a school such as Purdue or Minnesota to sneak up the standings this year? There are still question marks at quarterback, the defense was less than stellar, the offense stagnant, and key pieces will need to be replaced. It's hard to say, but it's usually safe to pencil inthe Hawkeyes surpassing their preseason Vegas win total given Kirk Ferentz's track record at the program. The giant-killers now know what they have at quarterback, with Aidan OConnell leading the charge. Ohio State Buckeyes (-225 to win the Big Ten) 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) National title odds: +320. 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? And why not take Bret Bielema out to Las Vegas for a bowl game matchup with the Pitt Panthers. TRENDING. Sep. 24: Minnesota at Michigan StateOct. Iowas defense could make for a scrappy game in this bowl matchup as neither team has had much of a dangerous offense. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. This marks the third straight season Penn State has opened a college football season on the road against a Big Ten opponent. Apr 17, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud (7) during the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium. The Big Ten conference will be fascinating once again in 2022. Please check your email for a confirmation. Ferentz just re-upped his contract and will have a talented, veteran team this upcoming season. The schedule is a bit more daunting for the Buckeyes. 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. Ohio State's high-powered offense will be too much for Michiganand then Wisconsin in the conference championship gameto contain. 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