Ohio State did the Big Ten Conference proud by winning the inaugural College Football Playoff last season. The fourth-seeded Buckeyes bucked tremendous odds, beating Alabama and Oregon in the College Football Playoff to win their seventh national championship.
The Buckeyes may be the overwhelming favorite to win the Big Ten again this season, but a host of other teams are ready to prove their mettle and show that they can stand toe-to-toe with the national champions. Read on below as we take an in-depth look at this Division I conference. While you’re at it, you can also check out our Big 12 and Mountain West previews as well.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015 Big Ten Season Wins Preview
Ohio State Buckeyes
2014 Record: 14-1 (8-0)
Predicted Record: 13-0 (8-0)
Can the Ohio State Buckeyes be stopped? That’s the question on everyone’s lips ahead of the new season after their spectacular performance last campaign. The Buckeyes captured their seventh national title in emphatic fashion, destroying the Oregon Ducks in the championship game. The bad news for Ohio State’s opponents is that the title-winning squad remains largely intact for this upcoming season.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The quarterback position is locked and loaded with J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones still fighting for that starting spot. Barrett went 11-1 as a starter last year, breaking Drew Brees’s 16-year-old Big Ten record by throwing 45 touchdowns. His fractured right ankle, though, allowed Jones to lead Ohio State to memorable victories over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon late in the season.
Their running game is in safe hands as well with Ezekiel Elliot returning to the Buckeyes’ fold this season. He rushed for 1,878 yards and 18 scores last year. In those final three games against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, he rushed for a combined 696 yards, averaging 232 yards per game and 9.2 yards per carry. The sky’s the limit for this Ohio State team who’s the odds-on favorite to win it all this year.
Michigan State Spartans
2014 Record: 11-2 (7-1)
Predicted Record: 10-2 (7-1)
If there’s one team, though, that can stop Ohio State this season, it’s got to be Michigan State. The Spartans have claimed at least 11 wins in four out of the last five years and finished third nationally in 2013. They are poised for another championship run this season, especially with quarterback Connor Cook returning for his senior year. Cook has thrown 32 more touchdowns than interceptions the last two seasons.
What makes Michigan State a tough team to beat, though, is its stellar defense. The Spartans have allowed just 18.3 points per game since the 2010 season. Look for Michigan State to go over 9.5 wins this season.
Wisconsin Badgers
2014 Record: 11-3 (7-1)
Predicted Record: 9-4 (6-2)
Another team who’s expected to contend this season is the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers stormed to an 11-3 record last season, thanks in large part to their run-oriented offense. The Badgers finished third in the NCAA in rushing offense last season, averaging 320.1 yards per game. With Melvin Gordon (2,587 yards), now out of the lineup, though, the onus is on junior Corey Clement to lead the way for Wisconsin’s ground game. He gained 949 yards last year as Gordon’s backup.
Another key player for Wisconsin this season is Joel Stave. He struggled with his consistency last year, completing just 53.4 % of his passes. The fifth-year quarterback showed signs of improvement toward the end of 2014 and his form will be crucial for Paul Chryst as he begins his tenure as head coach. With that said, look for the Badgers to dominate the Big Ten’s West Division once again.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
2014 Record: 9-4 (5-3)
Predicted Record: 8-4 (5-3)
After enduring another nine-win season (their seventh in a row) under coach Bo Pelini, Nebraska finally decided that it was time for a coaching change. The Cornhuskers brought in Mike Riley from Oregon State to kickstart a football program that hasn’t won the national championship in 18 years. Riley led the Beavers to 93 wins and a 6-2 record in postseason bowl games.
With Riley implementing his quarterback-based pro-style offense with Nebraska this season, the onus is on Tommy Armstrong, Jr. to deliver the goods this year. Armstrong completed 53 percent of his passes for 2,695 yards and 22 touchdowns with 12 interceptions last year. Armstrong, the team’s second-leading rusher last season, is expected to become more of a pocket passer this year. If he can adapt quickly to that change, the Cornhuskers stand a good chance of winning this season.
Michigan Wolverines
2014 Record: 5-7 (3-5)
Predicted Record: 7-5 (4-4)
The Michigan Wolverines made a huge splash this past offseason with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as their new head coach. This is a guy who’s a proven winner in both the collegiate and professional levels. He led Stanford to the Orange Bowl title back in 2010 as well as guiding the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl game back in 2012.
For Harbaugh to enjoy some success with Michigan this season, he needs the Wolverines to improve on their pass efficiency. The Wolverines were 107th in the NCAA last season in that department, posting a rating of just 109.7. Fortunately for Harbaugh, the Wolverines’ stellar defensive unit remains largely intact for this season. The Wolverines allowed just 4.6 yards per play last year. With that defense in tow, the Wolverines record a winning season in Harbaugh’s first year in charge.
Penn State Nittany Lions
2014 Record: 7-6 (2-6)
Predicted Record: 7-5 (4-4)
One team who’s bound to surprise this year is Penn State. Despite a 2-6 record in conference play last year, the Nittany Lions boasted one of the nation’s top defenses, allowing just 4.1 yards per play last season. With defensive tackle Anthony Zettel returning for Penn State this year, that defense is expected to dominate once again.
For Penn State to improve on their standing, though, it needs Christian Hackenberg to break out from his sophomore slump. He finished last season with just 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. That’s a far cry from the 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions he posted in his rookie year. He can’t do it all alone, though, and he needs Penn State’s offensive line to stand tall this season. Hackenberg was sacked a Big Ten-worst 44 times last year.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
2014 Record: 8-5 (5-3)
Predicted Record: 8-4 (5-3)
The Minnesota Golden Gophers may have improved in each of Jerry Kill’s last four years at the helm, but they will have their work cut out for them when the new college football season starts this August. Only four starters will return for Minnesota this year on the offensive end. Kill needs quarterback Mitch Leidner to improve on his passing game if the Gophers are to take the next step this season. They were just 119th in passing offense last year.
Defense, though, will remain the Golden Gophers’ bread and butter this season. Minnesota will start four seniors in the secondary, including All-Big Ten cornerbacks Eric Murray and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. They combined for six interceptions last year.
Iowa Hawkeyes
2014 Record: 7-6 (4-4)
Predicted Record: 7-5 (4-4)
Let the C.J. Beathard era begin. Tha Hawkeyes will have a new starting quarterback this season with Jake Rudock transferring to Michigan. Rudock, who started 25 of Iowa’s last 26 games, had a 14-11 record as Iowa’s starting QB. He was criticized by the Hawkeyes faithful, though, for his conservative style of play.
That is certainly not the case with Beathard. He threw for 645 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in nine games for Iowa last season. With Beathard now running the show for Iowa, much is expected from wide receiver Tevaun Smith and tight end Jake Duzey this season. Smith led the Hawkeyes with 596 receiving yards while Duzey ended up third with 392 receiving yards.
Maryland Terrapins
2014 Record: 7-6 (4-4)
Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-5)
Maryland will face a tall task in the Big Ten this season with the Terrapins making wholesale changes to their lineup. Their passing game will be completely retooled this season with quarterback C.J. Brown and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long no longer in the squad. If that wasn’t enough, their defense is in a state of quandary with their coordinator and top pass rusher also bolting this past offseason.
For Maryland to contend this year, it’ll need to improve its ground game. They were ranked third from the bottom in the Big Ten with just 121.8 rushing yards per game last year. They will also need to address their defensive frailties which proved costly for them last season as they allowed 30.2 points per game. Maryland fans will hope Keith Dudzinski’s new 4-3 scheme will do wonders for them this 2015 campaign.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2014 Record: 8-5 (3-5)
Predicted Record: 5-7 (1-7)
Rutgers’ defense was left exposed in its first season in the Big Ten, ranking near the bottom of every meaningful statistic in the conference last year. It won’t get any easier for them this coming season with the Scarlet Knights’ schedule being one of the toughest in the Big Ten. Apart from their divisional matchups against Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan, the Scarlet Knights will also face Wisconsin and Nebraska in cross-divisional games.
Northwestern Wildcats
2014 Record: 5-7 (3-5)
Predicted Record: 6-6 (4-4)
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald is starting to feel the heat in Northwestern. The Wildcats have now missed the postseason two years in a row after going to five straight bowl games. The good news for Fitzgerald is that his squad remains largely intact with 15 of his starters returning this season.
Expected to lead the Northwestern attack this year is running back Justin Jackson. He had six 100-yard rushing games last year and ranked fourth among Power 5 freshmen in all-purpose yards (98.9 YPG). Also expected to contribute this season is the returning Christian Jones, Northwestern’s leading receiver in 2012 and 2013. He will boost a Wildcats passing offense that averaged just 216.5 yards per game last year, 76th in the entire NCAA.
Indiana Hoosiers
2014 Record: 4-8 (1-7)
Predicted Record: 6-6 (2-6)
2015 is going to be a big year for head coach Kevin Wilson. The pressure is on Wilson to finally deliver a bowl game to Indiana in his fifth year on the job. For Wilson to achieve that feat, he needs Jordan Howard to step up big time for the Hoosiers. Howard has some huge shoes to fill as he will replace Tavin Coleman, the best running back in Indiana history. The former Blazer ran for nearly 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns during his time at UAB. Offense is the least of Wilson’s problems, though. Their defense struggled mightily in 2014, allowing 433.8 yards and 32.8 points per game.
Illinois Fighting Illini
2014 Record: 6-7 (3-5)
Predicted Record: 7-6 (4-4)
There’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about Illinois’ chances this coming football season, particularly on the offensive end. Quarterback Wes Lunt is fully fit and raring to go after his injury-plagued campaign last year. He completed 64 percent of his passes last year with 14 touchdown passes and only three interceptions as he threw for 1,763 yards. Running back Josh Ferguson will also provide a major boost to Illinois’ ground game. He rushed for 741 yards and eight touchdowns last year.
There’s growing pressure, though, on head coach Tim Beckman after he was accused by former player Simon Cvijanovic of misusing and abusing his power. It’s safe to say only a bowl appearance will save Beckman from the axe this year.
Purdue Boilermakers
2014 Record: 3-9 (1-7)
Predicted Record: 3-9 (1-7)
There’s nowhere to go but up for Purdue after another horrible season last year. The Boilermakers finished the year with an atrocious 3-9 overall record, going 1-7 in conference play. For the Boilermakers to improve on that record this season, they need to step it up on the defensive end. Eight of their 12 opponents in 2014 scored 30 points or more against them.
It was understandable, though, considering their defense was largely made up of freshmen and sophomores. Leading the way for Purdue’s young defensive line this year is Ja’Whaun Bentley. The middle linebacker made 76 tackles as a freshman last season. Also expected to contribute this season is Jimmy Herman. The junior linebacker made 56 tackles for Purdue last year.
Writer’s Prediction
Ohio State storms to another Big Ten title. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the NCAA football action.
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