With April already halfway over, the trees blooming, and shorts becoming more common, that means college football isn’t all that far off. Nobody knows exactly how that will look this year. I think it’s safe to say that the games will occur, but to say the stadiums will be at full capacity, is a big stretch. With sports betting growing, many people will lay some money down on certain teams to win more or less games than expected. I am here to try to help with these predictions. On a side note, these records are permitting that each team plays their full schedule of conference and non-conference games. Let’s dive into our first team.

Illinois:

Illinois is coming off a rough season, one that ended in them firing Lovie Smith after five seasons at the helm. They are bringing in a familiar face in big ten coaching in Bret Bielema, who coached Wisconsin from 2006-2012, where he has a lot of success, leading them to a 68-24 record over seven seasons. Despite that, it will likely be a rough first couple of years until Bielema can establish himself and bring in the necessary talent and experience to compete in the top half of the big ten. Expect Illinois to compete hard in week 1, as they host Nebraska. Trips to Iowa, and Penn State look to be tough, but Illinois does have a path to a bowl game (6 wins) if they can handle their business against Charlotte, UTSA, and then winning four games likely out of Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue, and Virginia. However, I think they will fall short and be wrapping their season up before Christmas

Record Prediction: 4-8

Indiana:

Indiana will try to add on to their historic 2020 season and see if they can crack the double-digit win barrier with a full schedule in 2021. Indiana brings back quarterback Michael Penix, but there are concerns over whether he can stay healthy for a full season, as he has had season ending injury in consecutive seasons. Indiana will have to replace wide receiver Whop Philyor, but got a big boost when Ty Fryfogle decided to return to Bloomington for another year. Indiana should challenge for one of the better teams in the big ten this year, but they need to come into the season with the same motivation, as teams like Michigan and Penn State will be hungry for revenge. An early non-conference showdown with Cincinnati will likely indicate where Indiana will go this year. I like Indian to have a solid year, but I do think their lack of recruiting blue chip guys will hurt them against some of the top teams in the conference, as the most talented teams usually win.

Record Prediction: 7-5

Iowa:

Kirk Ferentz has to wonder what if the ball bounced the other way in Iowa’s first two games this past season. If so, a big ten championship would’ve been on the line. That should be Iowa’s goal in 2021. This should be one of Iowa’s most talented teams in Ferentz’s tenure. Continued development at Quarterback may be needed to make Iowa a national contender, but I think between the line of scrimmage, this is a really solid team. Iowa like always should have a solid defense, but the one thing they really have going for them is a running game, especially with their offensive line. Looking at the schedule, road trips to Iowa City, and Camp Randall will prove to be huge, and Iowa will also have key home games against Penn State and Indiana. If Iowa can win three out of those four, they could be booking plane tickets to Pasadena.

Record Prediction: 9-3

Maryland: 

It’s very hard to predict Maryland because they barely had a season last year. Do I go based on them getting destroyed by Northwestern 44-3, or do I look at the Penn State and Minnesota games where they looked like a top 25 team? What I do know is that they have a strong quarterback in Taulia Tagovailoa and that they have some solid weapons in skills positions. Question marks would be whether their defense can hold up against a solid team and if their offensive and defensive lines can hold up. I think it’s reasonable to think Maryland can make a bowl, but much more than that may be a stretch. They do have the talent to potentially be a top 25 team national though.

Record Prediction: 6-6 

Michigan:

I assume Jim Harbaugh can’t sit too long in his chair in his office, or his seat will get too warm to the point where he has to get up. That’s an accurate description of Harbaugh’s job security in Ann Arbor right now. If he were in Texas, he’d have been gone long ago. However, Michigan is going to see if Bo Schembechler’s prodigy can turn it around. One thing Michigan does have is the athletes. Harbaugh has been able to consistently put up top 15 recruiting classes nationally. However, that doesn’t mean anything. Michigan has been unable to find an answer at quarterback, and that will likely determine their fate this season. An early date with Washington could really determine where this season is going for the wolverines.

Record Prediction: 8-4

Minnesota:

Minnesota is kind of at a crossroads this season. Will they be able to rise back up to their amazing 2019 season? Or will they show that 2020 really is the norm moving forward? I would argue the latter as Minnesota hasn’t been able to recruit with the top teams in the conference and now lose Rashod Bateman. They still bring back Tanner Morgan, but how will he look without two of the top receivers in the conference. One thing they do have is a great running back behind a solid offensive line. Defense is also a major concern as they were at the bottom of the conference in 2020. A winning record is attainable, but double-digit wins may be out of reach.

Record Prediction: 6-6

Michigan State:

At times, Michigan State looked pretty solid in 2020. From their upset of Northwestern to their win over rival Michigan, they looked like they could go bowling. Other times they looked like the worst team in the big ten. Wideout Jalen Nailor is back and will need to live up to expectations for Michigan State to have a strong passing game. On defense, Michigan State brings back eight starters, but improvement will be needed for their defense to scare anyone. I think Michigan State will be better, but I’m not sure how much better.

Record Prediction: 4-8

Nebraska:

So far, golden boy Scott Frost hasn’t been able to bring Nebraska back to the glory days. Long gone are the huge corn farmers that dominate college football. Since then, Nebraska has struggled to be average. Frost has put together some solid recruiting classes, but it hasn’t been able to translate in the win column. Adrian Martinez looks to have peaked, and Freshman quarterback Luke Mccaffery has transferred out of Lincoln. In addition, they only return four starters and they have found no real identity. Most of their defense is intact, but it wasn’t very well last year. Maybe this is the year Nebraska puts it together, but I’m at the I’ll believe it when I see its point with them.

Record Prediction: 5-7

Northwestern:

It’s hard to believe that Northwestern has made two out of the last three big ten championship games. A step back should be expected in 2021 because they only return six starters on the whole team. A team like Ohio State could replace those guys with blue chip talent that will have little to no dropoff. Northwestern, on the other hand, doesn’t recruit even close to that level. I wouldn’t put any amount of money on this team to win the west this year. However, I can’t count Pat Fitzgerald’s club out of making a bowl game. 

Record Prediction: 6-6

Ohio State:

Every year, Ohio State is the team to beat. They have the best players and usually have three first round picks on their team. This year, they do have to replace Justin Fields at quarterback, but they do bring back Garrett Wilson at Wideout along with Master Teague at running back. Their defense could be an issue, as they only return five starters, but with the way they recruit, a huge dropoff would be a surprise. Oregon will be a nice early test, but they are fortunate to have that game in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium, along with the Penn State game. “Ohio State is year in and year out the favorite in the big ten, and this year is no different, which is why I think they will win the conference again” says Oliver Smith, a major college football fan. I think Ohio State will fall somewhere, but only once.

Record Prediction: 11-1

Penn State:

You could’ve made a lot of money if you had Penn State going 0-5 to start the season. A rough season would be an understatement, to describe the 2020 campaign for the Nittany Lions. Their final four games though did show some spunk in the team and they looked like their old selves in many ways. “I think with the pandemic and their new coaches, it was hard for them to be ready going into the season. Then with the injuries to their best players and the way they lost to Indiana, it was a downward spiral from there,” says Dave Reice, a longtime fan, and graduate of Penn State. Penn State received good news when wideout Jahan Dotson announced he was coming back for another season along with Safety Jaquan Brisker. The biggest question heading into the season will be whether Sean Clifford can develop or at least return to the form he had in 2019. The hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich should help, but people said that about Kirk Ciarrocca. I think if Penn State limits the turnovers and does better in the red zone they should look more like themselves. However, do they have any elite players on their team, or is it just a team of all good to very good players? 

Record Prediction: 9-3 

Purdue:

Purdue started the season out strong and then came crashing down as they didn’t have a win past early November. The long term solution at quarterback is still up in the air. Whoever wins the job, won’t have the luxury of throwing to Rondale Moore. They will also be without safety Markus Bailey. Purdue does bring back fourteen starters, and I do like Jeff Brohm, so I think a bowl game should be the goal here and anything else should be viewed as gravy. 

Record Prediction: 6-6

Rutgers:

Rutgers wasn’t a complete laughing stock in 2020. That’s one more thing to add to the list of why 2020 was the weirdest year ever. Kidding aside, Greg Schiano is building a nice program at Rutgers. In the 2022 recruiting class, Rutgers is ranked in the top 10 currently. The problem is that it means nothing to this upcoming season. Greg Schiano did some nice things at Rutgers in year one, but he will need to start winning some bigger games and get Rutgres to a bowl to keep these recruits flowing to Piscataway. I do think Rutgers has a decent shot, as they bring back 19 starters, so I think they’re out of the cellar, but how far remains to be seen. 

Record Prediction: 5-7

Wisconsin: 

A down year it was for the Badgers in 2020. It was a choppy year for them because of covid infections throughout the team, and eventually injuries. So it’s hard to judge Wisconsin going into the season. One thing I know is that they will have a strong, physical defense like they always do. Add the offensive line, and a serviceable running back to that. The big key to Wisconsin’s success is how good Graham Mertz actually is. If he’s a strong quarterback then they should be in the Big Ten title game. If he struggles, then the badgers could be headed for 7-5. An early marquee matchup against Penn State will be telling.

Record Prediction: 9-3