Five best college football futures bets to make, including our Syracuse Orange, who return 80% of their starters this season. It should be enough to keep things at the level they were last season, but you have to believe that some of those close games will actually go in the win column in 2022. 2022 Big Ten Football Predictions. The 6-foot-6, 220 pound athlete committed to Wisconsin in late January, becoming the first pass-catcher to join the program for 2024. Any time you lose your far-and-away best offensive player, its not an ideal situation. Henderson grabbed national attention as a freshman with a 277-yard outburst against Tulsa last season, and he's yet another home-run hitter in Ohio State's loaded offense. Day repeatedly used the word "edgy" at Big Ten Media Days to describe the team's mindset in the offseason. Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports. There is still news were waiting on with NFL decisions, transfers and all of that, but were taking a stab at what we believe the landscape of the conference will look like once all the games are gloriously shown on a television or streaming device near you next fall. MORE:SEC predictions| Big 12 predictions |Bowl projections|2022 All-America team. Sign up for the Nittany Lions Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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. This marks the third straight season Penn State has opened a college football season on the road against a Big Ten opponent. The 2021 Big Ten season was filled with surprises based on preseason expectations. The offense will reset the Big Ten record book in several areas. Michigan State Spartans. 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. Granted, he was a major one (15 tackles for loss), but the Hawkeyes have unleashed a different player with 10-plus TFLs in every season since 2013. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports. 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. It should be a good season, but can the Wolverines repeat? The Wildcats did win the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020. Tuimoloau will revive the pass rush that was missing last season. Dec 30, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) celebrates after a victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second half during the 2021 Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Without knowing how two-deep depth charts are going to shake out, we'll take a stab anyway at way-too-early final record predictions for every team in the conference entering the offseason with a caveat these will be amended after spring practice and just before games kickoff in the fall. 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. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. You'll now receive the top Buckeyes Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Will there be another shakeup this season? Can Michigan [] Will Michigan repeat as Big Ten champions or will Ohio State reclaim top dog status? The offense will be one of the best in the country again with C.J. 17: Penn State at Auburn; Michigan State at Washington. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. But the 2022 schedule sets up quite nicely, with three breezy nonconference games before opening up the conference slate with Maryland at home. 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. The RP Predictor calculates the final score of each game based on each team's offense, defense, December 27, 2023 12:00 am Mike Margittai. 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. Not since 2010-13 has OSU gone The Nittany Lions likely would have fared better overall had Sean Clifford not left the Iowa game with injury. That defense returns much of the same personnel and will once again be near the top of the Big Ten. Michigan State rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit in 2021, and Harbaugh who is 3-4 against the Spartans can't lose another one at the Big House. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. #GoBlue, Cant wait to see what he does in his first year at #Michigan! Following a 5-0 start last season, Penn State tumbled to six losses in the last eight games. 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. Stroud, Henderson and Smith-Njigba are top-15 players nationallyand that's probably a conservative number. The word: For the first time in Scott Frost's tenure, the Huskers will appear in a bowl game in 2022 with the collective backs against the wall in the Big Ten. 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 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. The Buckeyes return quarterback C.J. Below is a look at the bowl projections and playoff picks before all the fun begins for the 2022 season. Sean Clifford returns for his fifth season in Happy Valley after he threw 21 touchdowns in 2021. It would somewhat surprising if Northwestern made a push in 2022, because it feels about another year away. Not since 2010-13 has OSU gone two-plus seasons without standing atop the conference. Late Kick Live Ep. NCAA F January 27, 2022 News Bot The 2021 Big Ten Football season had plenty of surprises. TRENDING. The Gophers could take on an interesting South Carolina team in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the new namesake of the old Outback Bowl. Athlon Sports Early Big Ten Predictions: Like and subscribe for more amazing content! 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 . 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. The featured image in this article is the thumbnail of the embedded video. Are you ready for a playoff rematch? And can Matt Rhule finally get Nebraska back into the postseason? Michigan is the lone, scary crossover from the East, but it hosts Oklahoma and opens the season in Ireland against Northwestern. That's Wisconsin (.745), Iowa (.693), Michigan (.680), Penn State (.643) and Michigan State (.643). Breaking down the five best futures bets, picks, and predictions for the 2022 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 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. Consequently, it's more fiscally responsible for Nebraska to not pull a USCwhich ditched Clay Helton after two games last season. Ohio State Buckeyes (-225 to win the Big Ten) 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) National title odds: +320. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, the result will flip in 2022. Dec 29, 2021; New York, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) runs the ball as Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Dax Hollifield (4) pursues during the second half of the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. The reigning Big Ten champions could theoretically have a difficult time holding onto their crown. Michigan State Spartans. After an upstart 2020 campaign, Indiana fell flat in 2021 as the Hoosiers failed to win a conference game. The word: Can quarterback Tanner Morgan return to the 2019 form for the Golden Gophers? Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Wins: South Dakota State, Iowa State, Nevada, at Rutgers,at Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota, Nebraska, Losses: Michigan, at Ohio State, at Purdue. Though the frontline talent is at a level that Maryland can win games against some quality teams, Im still not sold on the depth and physicality the program will need to be consistently competitive in the Big Ten. Palmer should thrive in a more pronounced role and will emerge as a breakout player for the Huskers. 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. Michigan looks to repeat but Ohio State is coming back with a vengeance. The Big Ten sent two teams to the CFB Playoff in 2022 for the first time in conference history. The schedule is brutal, with Western Kentucky and Cincinnati again on the nonconference. 7566. Ohio State was as close to beating Georgia as anyone came last season but a missed field goal haunted the Buckeyes all offseason. 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. For more sports, news, and entertainment, follow us on Twitter @WBSNsports or like our page on Facebook. 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. 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. Wins: Illinois, Idaho, Western Kentucky,Maryland, Losses: at Cincinnati, at Nebraska, Michigan,at Rutgers, Penn State, at Ohio State, at Michigan State, Purdue. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. Bielema vs. Pat Narduzzi? #GoBucks. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. Ohio State isn't used to finishing second in the Big Ten East, let alone losing to rival Michigan. Expect Indiana to find its neutral level after extremes in either direction over the past two seasons. Over the next two weekends, Wisconsin, Penn State and MSU take on a seldom-seen power-conference opponent. The Buckeyes won the conference's only titles in the CFP era (2014) and BCS era (2002). The Wildcats have no favors from the Big Ten schedule, as they have to head to Penn State and welcome Ohio State at home. Penn State opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Purdue. This is a team that lost to Bowling Green at home yet beat Wisconsin to take the Big Ten West crown away from the Badgers (and give it to Iowa). Can the defense hold up alongside an offense that put together multiple massive games last season? Look for the Spartans to take a wee bit of a step back in 2022. Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox. This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. 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. Gone is quarterback Adrian Martinez, but hell be replaced by former Texas QB Casey Thompson. Minnesota should be competitive, but none of Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois and Nebraska are particularly inspiring. No other Big Ten coach that begins the season is in imminent danger, though a nine-loss record certainly could change that. This might not be giving Minnesota enough credit here. DECOURCY: Michigan restores rivalry with Ohio State with dominant win. We saw some improvement from Illinois during the season, but it was an inconsistent one at best. Penn State losing to Purdue is his upset pick of the year in the Big Ten. 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. Ryan Hilinski is the expected starting quarterback, but reports from spring football are that redshirt freshman QB Brendan Sullivan could push him for the job: #Northwestern redshirt freshman QB Brendan Sullivan has put himself in position to push Ryan Hilinski for the starting job after a strong spring, per coach Pat Fitzgerald. Football. 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. By Kevin Flaherty 5 hours ago. 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. Michigan has a solid roster, but a reasonably soft schedule will boost the Wolverines along the way. Bill Bender is a national college football writer for The Sporting News. It was a strange 2021 campaign for Bret Bielema in his But Ohio State could be right back in the playoff mix and paired up with the two-time defending national champions in the Sugar Bowl. 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. 7 of 14. By Sam Marsdale Aug 11, 8:56 AM. That's the next step. 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. Both coordinators exited for new opportunities, while Michigan lost five draft picks and a half-dozen more pro signings. 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. After a solid 2021 season, Purdue will be looking to fill massive holes on either end of the football. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. While that was just our projections, we were pretty in-line with mainstream thought. The defense improved last season and will have to continue that upward trajectory. Isaiah Hole. They will have to if Scott Frost wants to stay in Lincoln. Record prediction: 10-2. The best-worst team in the country, Nebraska lost all of its games, except for Ohio State, by just one score, and its loss against the Buckeyes is another one it should have won. If the Nittany Lions create one break and catch a fortunate bounce, they'll be in the picture. 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. Riley Moss, the league's 2021 Defensive Back of the Year, headlines the secondary. Iowa will go as far as its offense can carry it. Aidan Hutchinson going No. Greg Schiano has improved this team greatly, but the schedule is brutal in 2022. Well this would be a dream scenario for the Big Ten. Up and down puts it mildly when talking about the 2021 Illini. Stroud (7) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl against the Utah Utes in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2022. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. This article was gathered automatically by our news bot. The Spartans defeated their crosstown rivals, won 11 games, and had one of the best running backs in the country in Kenneth Walker III. Sep. 24: Minnesota at Michigan StateOct. This is a team and program hoping to get back to winning the Big Ten East and competing for playoff spots. Palmer, who had 41 catches for 458 yards and three TDs with the Tigers the last three seasons, followed Joseph. Yes, MSU brought in former Wisconsin back Jalen Berger to replace Kenneth Walker III, but those are some mighty big shoes to fill. The question is: can the Boilermakers sustain that success in 2022? The Buckeyes haven't had a Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006. 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. Since returning to his alma mater in 2018, the former Nebraska quarterback is 15-29 overall with a 10-25 conference record. That all does not bode well for next season. Northwestern went 3-9 that season, then surged to 7-2 with a West Division crown in 2020. Everything sets up for the Wolverines to defend their crown, and ultimately, it will likely come down to Michigan and Ohio State, once again. Thats the question that holds they key to Iowas potential in 2022. 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 other side of the ball is a question mark. The Hawkeyes play cross-over games against Ohio State and Michigan. If new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles can do anything with the defense, we could be talking about national title aspirations again. Will Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around (possible spoiler alert below)? Notably, those struggles came against the top of the conference including C.J. For good measure, Jestin Jacobs (53) finished fifth on the defense last season. That is what 247Sports has done with a spring edition of its way-too-early bowl projections for the 2023 season. 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