early big ten football predictions 2022

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 Highs will include a home win over Iowa while the lows could feature a road loss to Illinois for Jeff Brohm's group. That's going to be tough. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Projected finish: T-4th in Big Ten East. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. It was a strange 2021 campaign for Bret Bielema in his first year at Illinois. The word: Perhaps one of the more surprising teams in the Big Ten next season could be the Nittany Lions, who underachieved in 2021, but will be on a mission to get to double-digit wins in 2022. No team is probably more anxious to get the season started than the Ohio State Buckeyes. Stroud will likely be heading back to New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, too. The Buckeyes have won 25 straight conference games at home by an average of 30.9 points per game. Wins: South Dakota State, Iowa State, Nevada, at Rutgers,at Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota, Nebraska, Losses: Michigan, at Ohio State, at Purdue. Ohio State has the makings of a potential national champion in 2022. Iowa, Wisconsin and Northwestern are 0-8 in the Big Ten championship game since the conference switched to the East and West division setup. But dont be deceived. It helps that Iowa gets Michigan at home, but facing the Wolverines and Buckeyes in one season isnt exactly cause for celebration. Aug 28, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska head coach Scott Frost watches his team in the first quarter with Illinois at Memorial Stadium. 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. Athlon Sports Early Big Ten Predictions: Like and subscribe for more amazing content! 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. Iowa has several key pieces to replace, but every unit of the defenseone that ranked seventh nationally in yards allowed per play last seasonreturns a couple of starters. follow. Akron Zips. But Artur Sitkowski isnt exactly the ideal quarterback, and this is a roster mostly bereft of talent. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. Three Big Ten teams appeared earlier this month in our preseason bowl projections in the New Year's Six and Playoff, so we expect another banner year from the nation's most competitive league. Riley Moss, the league's 2021 Defensive Back of the Year, headlines the secondary. The Big Ten added USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 starting in the 2024; a blockbuster realignment move that could lead to further expansion for the soon-to-be 16-team conference. If quarterback Sean Clifford remains healthy and can be the star he was at the beginning of the year, the rest of the roster is talented enough to surprise and contend for the Big Ten championship. Michigan looks to repeat but Ohio State is coming back with a vengeance. Itll have to show that it can win big games before we can place the Cornhuskers higher. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. On the final weekend of September, division favorites Wisconsin and OSU square off in Columbus. He recorded 17 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns while playing in six games this year. Michigan State and Penn State will stay in the mix in the Big Ten East, but it still comes down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. However, the reigning-champion Wolverinesalong with Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin in particularare aiming to keep the Buckeyes off the pedestal once again. How we are betting the Michigan Wolverines as they look to oust the Iowa Hawkeyes. 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. These Big Ten West rivals have traded three-score wins in each other's houses the last three years, and the series moves back to Kinnick Stadium in 2022. Look for Wisconsin to be a problem this season. Early Big Ten Football Predictions for 2022 East Division 1. They are 6-7 in New Year's Day Six Bowls, and the Spartans and Wolverines were routed in their lone CFP appearances. 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. It should be a good season, but can the Wolverines repeat? That means there are few Buckeyes who have actually experienced beating their rival on this 2022 team. + Show More. The featured image in this article is the thumbnail of the embedded video. Iowas defense could make for a scrappy game in this bowl matchup as neither team has had much of a dangerous offense. Bielema vs. Pat Narduzzi? Share this story. They open with Notre Dame, play Wisconsin and Iowa, to go along with the rest of the schedule. Penn State Michigan won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, and finished with a 12-2 record and a No.3 finish in the AP poll. The Scarlet Knights went bowling for the first time in forever, and while it didnt go well against Wake Forest, things are shaping up for improvement in Piscataway and New Brunswick. Although the West will continue lagging behind the East overall, both divisions should have a tense race into the final weekend. USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. Penn State opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Purdue. MOST RECENT. The 6-foot-6, 220 pound athlete committed to Wisconsin in late January, becoming the first pass-catcher to join the program for 2024. The Huskers revamped the coaching staff this offseason, and the conference season kicks off Aug. 27 when Nebraska and Northwestern meet in Dublin, Ireland. But the 2022 schedule sets up quite nicely, with three breezy nonconference games before opening up the conference slate with Maryland at home. Ohio State's high-powered offense will be too much for Michiganand then Wisconsin in the conference championship gameto contain. Wins: at Boston College, Wagner, at Temple, Nebraska, Indiana, Losses: Iowa, at Ohio State, at Minnesota, Michigan, at Michigan State, Penn State, at Maryland. The Buckeyes haven't had a Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006. The opener in Dublin is a huge tone-setter for both teams. Oct 30, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Nick Herbig (19) strips the ball away from Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras (7) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Losing the senior receivers wont help him, but at least we know that Wisconsin can get back to its formula and has the pieces to make that work. Michigan has to travel to Ohio State this season, so thats going to be an issue too. Consequently, it's more fiscally responsible for Nebraska to not pull a USCwhich ditched Clay Helton after two games last season. This might not be giving Minnesota enough credit here. At linebacker, Iowa has a pair of 100-tackle returners in Jack Campbell (143) and Seth Benson (105). Please check your email for a confirmation. It's still the toughest road test on the Buckeyes' schedule and part of a thrilling day in the Big Ten East. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. 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. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. Then in November, the main contenders in the West and East divisions, respectively, meet for potentially decisive games. 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. 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. 36:46-38:23 Conclusion, #collegefootball #ohiostatefootball #michiganfootball #nebraskafootball #michiganstatefootball #pennstatefootball #wisconsinfootball #collegefootballrecruiting #football. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. Aidan Hutchinson going No. Oct 16, 2021; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan OConnell (16) reacts with fans after a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. 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. Can they finish some of those close games in 2022? Palmer should thrive in a more pronounced role and will emerge as a breakout player for the Huskers. Stroud, Henderson and Smith-Njigba are top-15 players nationallyand that's probably a conservative number. Especially since the Nittany Lions have Ohio State at home (queue up whiteout conditions). Michigan is the pick from 247Sports to win the Big Ten and claim a spot in the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff. Three Big Ten teams appeared earlier this month in our preseason bowl projections in the New Year's Six and Playoff, so we expect another banner year from the Spring ball is kicking off for most teams, and if it hasnt already, its on the horizon. Wisconsin should be the preseason favorite out west, but Iowas defense and Minnesotas offense will have legitimate questions to ask. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports) Projected finish: T-4th in Big Ten East. However, this group will still be a tough out for anyone in the league. The thing about college football is that its entirely impossible to pin down. With the staffs comfort recruiting in the Sunshine State, it Most notably, Zach VanValkenburg was the lone departure on the line. What PFF Says. The Buckeyes, however, are the prohibitive favorite to strike back in 2022. Can Michigan [] Here is a look at the spring way-too-early 17: Penn State at Auburn; Michigan State at Washington. 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. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. View 13 items Too-early 2023 Big Ten football game-by-game predictions by team. There are plenty of questions across the Big Ten Conference in the final season before USC and UCLA join the fray. Given the brutal cross-over schedule both teams have, this is a gotta-have-it-game if you want to make it to Indianapolis. This marks the third straight season Penn State has opened a college football season on the road against a Big Ten opponent. They could be mitigated by Payton Thorne and Jayden Reed returning, but the defense will need some major work to be able to stop the increasingly good passing attacks in the conference. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! The Nittany Lions came up short against Indiana in 2020 but edged Wisconsin But, as always, its difficult to suddenly project that a young team will be good the following year. Last season, Michigan was the only other Big Ten team to average more than 35 points per game at 37.7. 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. Penn State was much better than its record indicated last season. Wins: Notre Dame, Arkansas State, Toledo, Wisconsin, Rutgers, at Michigan State, Iowa, at Penn State, at Northwestern, Indiana, at Maryland, Michigan. Smith-Njigba's last impression was a 15-catch, 347-yard, three-TD effort in the Rose Bowl against Utah. C.J. 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. The Vols are coming off a strong season in 2022 and could be in for another good season. There probably isn't much resistance to labeling them all top-10 talents, which is genuinely absurd for a single offense. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports. Big Ten football order of finish predictions for 2022 season from Phil Steele. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards, the third-highest mark nationally. It almost always comes down to The Game, and the Wolverines revived the rivalry with a 42-27 victory last season. Knowles will bring a more aggressive defense, and sophomores Jack Sawyer and J.T. However, it did well in a similar stretch in 2021, so dont count the Spartans out. Out east, the usual suspects lead the way in the projections. That's what it'll take for Minnesota to be a serious factor in the division, if P.J. Michigan is the lone, scary crossover from the East, but it hosts Oklahoma and opens the season in Ireland against Northwestern. While Wisconsin fans can often count on a game that is too close for comfort when the Badgers meet the Wildcats, this Northwestern team is going to once again have a difficult time generating offense. You bet. Kaevon Merriweather is back at safety, so the only new starters are the Cash hybridlikely Cooper DeJeanand safety Quinn Schulte. The home game with Iowa and battle at Minnesotaare two potential spots for wins if the Scarlet Knights out-execute the opposition. What to expect: FPI gives Michigan a nearly 10 percent chance to take the Big Ten East and is a shade under 15 percent to get back to 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. They lost to both teams at home in 2021. In our 2021 too-early power rankings, eventual Big Ten champion, the hometown Michigan Wolverines, were slated at No. 12: Wisconsin at IowaNov. Its time to predict the entire Big Ten, not just the Iowa Hawkeyes! 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. Any time you lose your far-and-away best offensive player, its not an ideal situation. Will Nebraska finally go bowling? 3. Iowa was ranked No.2 at some point in the season but finished with a 10-4 record. Still, a return to Indianapolis would be a welcomed sign for Wisconsin. This will no doubt be a Big Noon Kickoff Game and it could be a conference championship preview. 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 goal for 2022 might just be to get into a bowl, this time with a winning record. The schedule is a bit more daunting for the Buckeyes. This is a major chance at redemption after the Cougars took down the Badgers at Camp Randall in 2022. Ohio State is the runaway favorite. Which teams can take a big step forward? Fourth-year coach Ryan Day brings back a loaded offense that features Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Sept. 3: Notre Dame at Ohio StateSept. 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. And can Matt Rhule finally get Nebraska back into the postseason? Meaningful? Worst of all, the Huskers bottomed out in 2022. 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. The word: What are the outside expectations for the Badgers in 2022? All 14 coaches returned to the Big Ten, but Nebraska's Scott Frost is on the hottest of hot seats. Over the next two weekends, Wisconsin, Penn State and MSU take on a seldom-seen power-conference opponent. 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. Thompson replaces four-year starter Adrian Martinez, who transferred to Kansas State. Will either Minnesota or MSU surge in the standings? Bret Bielema certainly improved the Illini in his first year in Champaign, and Illinois did somehow manage to beat Penn State on the road. 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. The defense loses some key components and the Wolverines arent dynamic enough on offense to have the same success they enjoyed this year. Way-too-early Big Ten football power rankings for 2022 Share this article 3.9k shares Phil Harrison January 14, 2022 2:53 pm ET Now that the college football USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. The Buckeyes have a tough opener against Notre Dame, but that's only going to help down the line in the College Football Playoff. 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. With the stroke of midnight and the calendar flipping over, the Buckeyes once-promising 2022 campaign ended instantly in 2023. Penn State losing to Purdue is his upset pick of the year in the Big Ten. Can any of those other schools disrupt that? The sophomore began to live up to the hype this year in his first season as a starter. Henderson averaged 87.6 yards with five rushing TDs in six games against ranked opponents last season. 8: Ohio State at Michigan StateOct. The Spartans defeated their crosstown rivals, won 11 games, and had one of the best running backs in the country in Kenneth Walker III. 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. The Big Ten conference will be fascinating once again in 2022. Ohio State is 93-11 in the College Football Playoff era, an .894 winning percentage. 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. Yes, the Buckeyes are still a shining star in the conference, but they do have some issues. The lone remaining ranked team in the preseason AP poll, Michigan State is attempting to build on an impressive year. Yes, MSU brought in former Wisconsin back Jalen Berger to replace Kenneth Walker III, but those are some mighty big shoes to fill. Ohio State 2. Northwestern went 3-9 that season, then surged to 7-2 with a West Division crown in 2020. 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. This past season saw Ohio State not win the Big Ten for the first time in five years, withMichigan surprising everyone, finally acting like an American football team for once. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. 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. Contact/Follow us@BuckeyesWireon Twitter, and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. 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. They will have to if Scott Frost wants to stay in Lincoln. Other than it being the first conference matchup of the season, probably not. 4 days. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Ohio State Buckeyes (-225 to win the Big Ten) 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) National title odds: +320. Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano walks on the field during pregame warmups before an NCAA Division I football game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. But overhauls are never sure things, even with the collection of talent that OSU has. The Wolverines do get Michigan State and Penn State at home, but Harbaugh is 3-4 against those schools at the Big House. Dec 30, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz (5) warms up before facing the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. Will it be Tommy DeVito or Artur Sitkowski under center when Week 1 rolls around? 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. 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 . All eyes are now out of the rearview mirror and on the horizon as 2023 approaches. The Big Ten sent two teams to the CFB Playoff in 2022 for the first time in conference history. Alex Padilla and Spencer Petras both got time under center last season as the Iowa offense struggled to find consistency. They also lost at home to Rutgers and UTSA. 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? Following a tremendous start to 2021 spurred by beating Wisconsin in Week 1, the Nittany Lions faltered down the stretch. 29: Michigan State at MichiganNov. The defense has to be better, especially against the pass. Thank you for visiting Win Big Sports Network and wbsnsports.com. Ohio State is 7-3 in New Year's Day Six bowls, too. Can Harbaugh erase the heartaches of 2016 and 2018 in The Shoe? Up and down puts it mildly when talking about the 2021 Illini. Not since 2010-13 has OSU gone The schedule doesn't let up at any point once the non-conference slate is over and there are a few 50-50 games that may not going in the Wildcats' direction. 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). 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 Wildcats did win the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020. The quarterback controversy will be a fascinating story to follow in the months leading up to the season. The road game at Iowa probably determines which one of those two squads reaches the conference championship game. Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. 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