early big ten football predictions 2022early big ten football predictions 2022

2022 Summary Casey Thompson turned in a season-long performance worthy of mixed reviews. Can Harbaugh erase the heartaches of 2016 and 2018 in The Shoe? They get Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin at home, have the best offense in college football, and are coming off of a Rose Bowl victory in 2021. A new-look offense will be headlined by former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson. Penn State womens basketball wins first Big Ten tournament game since 2018. You can view the entire list of bowl projections here. Athlon Sports Early Big Ten Predictions: Like and subscribe for more amazing content! All eyes are now out of the rearview mirror and on the horizon as 2023 approaches. 3. The defense loses some key components and the Wolverines arent dynamic enough on offense to have the same success they enjoyed this year. Michigan is the lone, scary crossover from the East, but it hosts Oklahoma and opens the season in Ireland against Northwestern. The new receivers include Marvin Harrison Jr, who caught three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, and former top prospects Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka. Worst of all, the Huskers bottomed out in 2022. Stroud could change that. Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. 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. Sep. 24: Wisconsin at Ohio StateOct. Getting one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country back is going to make a huge difference for Purdue. Spring ball is kicking off for most teams, and if it hasnt already, its on the horizon. 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 0:00-1:26 Introduction The offense will be one of the best in the country again with C.J. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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). Up front, OSU returns three starters plus Matthew Jonesa very regular player over the last two seasons. Iowas defense could make for a scrappy game in this bowl matchup as neither team has had much of a dangerous offense. Yes, MSU brought in former Wisconsin back Jalen Berger to replace Kenneth Walker III, but those are some mighty big shoes to fill. The word: Can quarterback Tanner Morgan return to the 2019 form for the Golden Gophers? 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. These are just some of the questions that will be asked as the Big Ten enters a new season. The question is: can the Boilermakers sustain that success in 2022? Sep. 24: Minnesota at Michigan StateOct. That's Wisconsin (.745), Iowa (.693), Michigan (.680), Penn State (.643) and Michigan State (.643). But the offense generally hasnt been the issue for the Terps its been the defense. Can Michigan [] 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. Peter Skoronski, a two-year starter for the Wildcats, was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded left tackle in the conference last season. Nebraska makes a bowl this year and gains some much-needed momentum. MORE: Futures odds and best bets for Big Ten. Ohio State got punched in the mouth a few times last year, and while itll try to respond better in 2022, its not so easy as to say that it will. Theres no doubt Greg Schiano has shifted the culture in a good way at Rutgers. Minnesota was another team that made a big jump from 2020 to 2021, and with Tanner Morgan returning, yet again, theres an opportunity for the Gophers to continue that ascent. But, as always, its difficult to suddenly project that a young team will be good the following year. It would somewhat surprising if Northwestern made a push in 2022, because it feels about another year away. Oct 9, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Cade McNamara (12) hugs head coach Jim Harbaugh after a 32-29 win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mel Tucker expects it. Washington State quarterback Cam Ward has opted to return to school in 2023, and this should be a down-to-the-wire fight in Pac-12 country. What PFF Says. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports. What the Hoosiers get out of the quarterback position and how they develop a lot of the youth that will be stepping up for a veteran team last season will determine if this team can sniff a bowl appearance or not. Four-star running back Kaytron Allen (IMG Academy) also will be in the mix for carries. MOST RECENT. The Fighting Illini were led by Chase Brown on the ground and pulled off one of the weirdest wins of the college football season by taking down Penn State in nine, yes nine, overtimes. Can they finish some of those close games in 2022? 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. The defense improved last season and will have to continue that upward trajectory. 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. The defense is good enough, but losing George Karlaftis will certainly set it back. 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. You'll now receive the top Buckeyes Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. 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. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will bring a more aggressive scheme to Ohio State, and Hicks (Archbishop Alter, Dayton, Ohio) is a five-star linebacker that could work into the middle two-linebacker rotation with Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg. Where is Ohio State? Here is a look at the spring way-too-early bowl projections for Big Ten teams from 247Sports. The lone remaining ranked team in the preseason AP poll, Michigan State is attempting to build on an impressive year. 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. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards, the third-highest mark nationally. Notably, those struggles came against the top of the conference including C.J. And can Matt Rhule finally get Nebraska back into the postseason? This is a major chance at redemption after the Cougars took down the Badgers at Camp Randall in 2022. There's incredible talent on Ohio State's offense. If MSU is going to contend, itll need to really excel during that brutal stretch. 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. 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. This might be more of a tandem effort, but you know Mel Tucker is going to rely on that strong running game around quarterback Peyton Thorne. Singleton has good size at 6-0, 210 pounds, and the high-school highlight reel is predictably amazing. Penn State is the only other school to have a 40-point offense in the last five years with 41.1 ppg. 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. The offense will reset the Big Ten record book in several areas. That defense returns much of the same personnel and will once again be near the top of the Big Ten. Michigan had a dominant offensive line last season, and Oluwatimi should help that trend continue. Mohamed Ibrahim basically missed all of 2021, but Minnesota's standout back has 3,003 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns in his career. Penn State Wisconsin has a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Engram, as Graham Mertz looks to put it all together at quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports. Day repeatedly used the word "edgy" at Big Ten Media Days to describe the team's mindset in the offseason. Not since 2010-13 has OSU gone two-plus seasons without standing atop the conference. 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. 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. Both coordinators exited for new opportunities, while Michigan lost five draft picks and a half-dozen more pro signings. Big Ten Game Result Predictions Today, March 1. Behind them, Michigan and Wisconsin are the prime contenders. Favorites. Was that an indirect shot at the rest of the competition? Smith-Njigba's last impression was a 15-catch, 347-yard, three-TD effort in the Rose Bowl against Utah. Michigan State Spartans. The defense has to be better, especially against the pass. The sophomore began to live up to the hype this year in his first season as a starter. Fleck's team intends on toppling Iowa and Wisconsin down the stretch to advance to the Big Ten Championship Game. The Gophers could take on an interesting South Carolina team in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the new namesake of the old Outback Bowl. Riley Moss, the league's 2021 Defensive Back of the Year, headlines the secondary. Pretty much everywhere youll look, Ohio State will be atop the early power rankings. 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. Wins: Illinois, Idaho, Western Kentucky,Maryland, Losses: at Cincinnati, at Nebraska, Michigan,at Rutgers, Penn State, at Ohio State, at Michigan State, Purdue. Illinois will likely be leading the way with defense and run game, which Michigan showed can be a successful formula in 2021. The thing about college football is that its entirely impossible to pin down. NCAA F January 27, 2022 News Bot The 2021 Big Ten Football season had plenty of surprises. Up and down puts it mildly when talking about the 2021 Illini. Dont expect Michigan to get the fortune and results it got this past season. 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. Will Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around (possible spoiler alert below)? Now that the Badgers know they have a workhorse in Braelon Allen, it changes things in Madison. 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. Montee Ball (2012), Melvin Gordon (2014) and Jonathan Tayor (2018-19) all have won the Doak Walker Award since 2012. Running back TreVeyon Henderson totaled 1,567 scrimmage yards and 19 scores as a true freshman. 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. The Buckeyes, however, are the prohibitive favorite to strike back in 2022. Losing Adrian Martinez via transfer to Kansas State wont help matters in 2022, but perhaps Scott Frost has the pieces outside the quarterback position that could help the Huskers get over that hump. It opens at Boston College, goes to Temple, and plays Iowa and goes to Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. Will either Minnesota or MSU surge in the standings? 29: Ohio State at Penn State. 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. This should be a bowl team, but we saw how the team fell apart last year in every single game. The talent level still isnt where it needs to be for the Illini to jump up too far, and we can probably expect another season where Bret Bielema would be happy to squeak into a bowl. This is the other half of what should be a thrilling October day. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. 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 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. They open with Notre Dame, play Wisconsin and Iowa, to go along with the rest of the schedule. 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. It's still the toughest road test on the Buckeyes' schedule and part of a thrilling day in the Big Ten East. 8: Ohio State at Michigan StateOct. If new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles can do anything with the defense, we could be talking about national title aspirations again. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. It's a new QB for Frost, and it might just work this time. The Wildcats have no favors from the Big Ten schedule, as they have to head to Penn State and welcome Ohio State at home. Ohio State will be the most talented team in the Big Ten next year, it just depends on some breaks and being able to be better on defense. Wins: Colorado State, Hawaii, UConn, Maryland, at Iowa, at Indiana, Penn State, at Rutgers, Nebraska, Illinois. Look for Wisconsin to be a problem this season. The narrative feels the same in 2022, as Iowa and Wisconsin face the likelihood of low-ceiling offenses. It will be tough, but there is talent in Happy Valley. Big Ten Football B1G 2022 FULL Big Ten Record Predictions and 2022 Season Preview Who wins the West? really being the only question worth a damn here. 7566. 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. Outbursts in those games keeps the national attention. Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. Washington State quarterback Cam Ward has opted to return to school in 2023, and this should be a down-to-the-wire fight in Pac-12 country. Them, Michigan and early big ten football predictions 2022 face the likelihood of low-ceiling offenses ( spoiler! Ohio State be able to finish the job this time around ( possible spoiler below! Finally get nebraska back into the postseason that brutal stretch coordinator Jim can! Power rankings as a starter a workhorse in Braelon Allen, it changes things in Madison help trend... 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