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. Since returning to his alma mater in 2018, the former Nebraska quarterback is 15-29 overall with a 10-25 conference record. Well, that could be entertaining. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. Nebraska lost nine games by nine points or less last season, and Northwestern is trying to bounce back after its own nine-loss season. See College Football News stories in your feed, 2022 College Football Schedules By Teams: All 131 Schools, College Basketball Predictions, Lines, How To Watch: Wednesday, March 1, Auburn at Alabama Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, DePaul at UConn Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Pitt at Notre Dame Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Oklahoma at Kansas State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Chicago State at Gonzaga Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Vanderbilt at Kentucky Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Xavier at Providence Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Texas at TCU Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. 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. But dont be deceived. Last season, Ohio State lost to How it will unfold: Arguably the toughest team to project in 2023, UPDATE 12/27/22 Welcome to Football Alliance! It looks like there could be plenty of black and gold in the Bronx in this seasons Pinstripe Bowl with a matchup of Purdue and Wake Forest in a Big Ten-ACC clash. It's not going to be easy in 2022. The defense is good enough, but losing George Karlaftis will certainly set it back. Which teams can take a big step forward? https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/lists/too-early-big-ten-power-rankings-winter-2022-edition-college-football/, Notable Michigan football position switches under Jim Harbaugh, Who could be next? Penn State womens basketball wins first Big Ten tournament game since 2018. We saw some improvement from Illinois during the season, but it was an inconsistent one at best. And crossovers against Penn State and Ohio State certainly dont help matters. C.J. The question is: can the Boilermakers sustain that success in 2022? The Huskers also have a new offensive coordinator in Mark Whipple, who worked with Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett at Pitt last season. 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. And can Matt Rhule finally get Nebraska back into the postseason? Here's a game-by-game look at every team's schedule in 2022 and final predictions for every program in the Big Ten. Following a tremendous start to 2021 spurred by beating Wisconsin in Week 1, the Nittany Lions faltered down the stretch. 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. Ohio State The path to a Big Ten title should go through Columbus in 2022. I am much higher on Luis Robert Jr. than most analysts, 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. With the staffs comfort recruiting in the Sunshine State, it Starting off the New Years Day bowl lineup could be the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are expected to have a solid season once again in the Big Ten West. The quarterback battle between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy is ongoing and very likely makes its way into the regular season. The giant-killers now know what they have at quarterback, with Aidan OConnell leading the charge. Can Wisconsin get back to Indy? 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. It's a safe bet to project next season's Big Ten champion back in the College Football Playoff, given the expectation the conference will produce several elite teams in 2022. All eyes are now off the rearview mirror and onto the horizon with 2023 approaching. We help YouTubers by driving traffic to them for free. For more sports, news, and entertainment, follow us on Twitter @WBSNsports or like our page on Facebook. Penn State That's Wisconsin (.745), Iowa (.693), Michigan (.680), Penn State (.643) and Michigan State (.643). One key contract detail to know: Frost's buyout drops from $15 million to $7.5 million after Oct. 1. 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. Nov 6, 2021; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Scott Frost (right) looks onto the field during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. They'll have to go through arguably the league's toughest four opponents to get there and October is the most important month with battles against Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State defining the month. The name may have changed, but that doesnt mean you dont have to order a bloomin onion for the game. The narrative feels the same in 2022, as Iowa and Wisconsin face the likelihood of low-ceiling offenses. The defense has the potential to be in the upper half of the conference, but solving an offensive that sputtered last season will be the question. The hiring of Luke Fickell by Wisconsin is expected by many to lead the Badgers quickly back to the top of the Big Ten West. Graham Mertz might finally put everything together, and the running attack is going to be fantastic again with Braelon Allen and a physical offensive line. Ohio State is 7-3 in New Year's Day Six bowls, too. 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. 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. If new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles can do anything with the defense, we could be talking about national title aspirations again. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. 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. It feels like a run the table year for Ohio State in 2022. Wins: South Dakota State, Iowa State, Nevada, at Rutgers,at Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota, Nebraska, Losses: Michigan, at Ohio State, at Purdue. Gone is quarterback Adrian Martinez, but hell be replaced by former Texas QB Casey Thompson. Can Michigan [] It will be difficult to repeat last years magic. Tuimoloau will revive the pass rush that was missing last season. 1. Sep 4, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. That's the next step. There is always an above-average squad, but there's rarely a national contender. 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. Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Rasheed Walker (53) and linebacker Jesse Luketa (40) and safety Jaquan Brisker (1) and safety Jonathan Sutherland (0) walk on the field for the coin flip prior to the game Illinois Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman voting last season after putting up 4,435 passing yards and 44 TDs as a first-year starter. 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. https://nittanylionswire.usatoday.com/lists/big-ten-spring-football-bowl-projections-from-247sports/, Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech, ReliaQuest Bowl: Minnesota vs. South Carolina, Sugar Bowl, College Football Playoff: Ohio State vs. Georgia, Rose Bowl (College Football Playoff): Michigan vs. USC, College Football Playoff National Championship: Michigan vs. Georgia, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Sept. 3: Notre Dame at Ohio StateSept. The Wildcats have several possible quarterbacks, but dont necessarily have an obvious starter. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. Thank you for visiting Win Big Sports Network and wbsnsports.com. Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. 2022 College Football Game Result (Winner and Score) Predictions (RP predictor): - predictions of the winner, score, margin of victory, probability of victory of each game in the season. Everything sets up for the Wolverines to defend their crown, and ultimately, it will likely come down to Michigan and Ohio State, once again. Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) runs the ball against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half of action Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at Spartan Stadium. USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. Most notably, Zach VanValkenburg was the lone departure on the line. 3. 1. Score Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Washington State 24. Big Ten football order of finish predictions for 2022 season from Phil Steele. USA TODAY - Bryant Crews 1h. Stroud and the offense have sensational upside, but a highly inconsistent defense has much to prove under new coordinator Jim Knowles. Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen walks along the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NCAA Division I football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Yes, the Buckeyes are still a shining star in the conference, but they do have some issues. Michigan and Iowa square off Saturday in a Big Ten confrontation that sets up as a defensive struggle if the Hawkeyes have it their way. Based on our own way-too-early top 25 at 247Sports, it appears Michigan will take on four nationally-ranked teams in its quest to return to the College Football Playoff. Sign up for the Nittany Lions Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Sep 17, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema walks off the field after the loss against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Five other schools in the conference have a winning percentage better than 60% in the CFP era. What about the Big Ten West? The defense, however, was as good as any unit in the country. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Stacy Revere / Contributor, Getty), (Photo: Matthew OHaren, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports), at Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota, Nebraska, (Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire, Getty), in our preseason bowl projections in the New Year's Six and Playoff. 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. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports. Luis Robert Jr., CF, White Sox. Its time to predict the entire Big Ten, not just the Iowa Hawkeyes! Ibrahim and Henderson will be sharing the spotlight with Wisconsin bruiser Braelon Allen, who powered his way to 1,268 yards and 12 scores in his first college season. The promising news is the defense should be superb, and the conference slate is quite manageable. The first showdown on the listonly the seventh all-time meeting of Notre Dame and OSUdoubles as the best nonconference game of the 2022 season. 2022 Big Ten Football Predictions. The rest of the slate is treacherous. The opener against Notre Dame could be worrisome as well. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. 2022 Summary Casey Thompson turned in a season-long performance worthy of mixed reviews. Penn State is 4-5 in Big Ten play each of the last two seasons. However, this group will still be a tough out for anyone in the league. Any time you lose your far-and-away best offensive player, its not an ideal situation. Be more involved in the big games. Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports. That stretch included some truly awful offensive days, something that may appear occasionally again in 2022. Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Teradja Mitchell (3) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste (8) come together to tackle Maryland Terrapins running back Challen Faamatau (29) during the second quarter of their NCAA college football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on October 9, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports. Heading into 2022, there are major questions for just about everybody not named Ohio State. Notably, those struggles came against the top of the conference including C.J. The 2021 Big Ten Football season had plenty of surprises. Michigan has to travel to Ohio State this season, so thats going to be an issue too. That all does not bode well for next season. While we are still a few months away from the 2022 This is a major chance at redemption after the Cougars took down the Badgers at Camp Randall in 2022. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports. 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. 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. Can the defense hold up alongside an offense that put together multiple massive games last season? The secondary and a thorny schedule are major obstacles, but Mel Tucker proved us wrong in 2021. 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. Here is a look at the spring way-too-early Greg Schiano has improved this team greatly, but the schedule is brutal in 2022. The season opener against Penn State will set the tone, and thats the only top team from the East that Purdue faces. Michigan won the league last year, but Ohio State enters the 2022 college football season as the overwhelming Big Ten favorite. These are just some of the questions that will be asked as the Big Ten enters a new season. Will Cade McNamara comfortably retake his starting job or can former five-star talent J.J. McCarthy make a push? Can any of those other schools disrupt that? Penn State may not be making the New Years Six cut on these bowl projections, but getting a chance to end the year in a matchup with Tennessee could make for an entertaining end to the year. Its difficult seeing a path for the Hoosiers to get back onto the winning side of things, at least this year. Sep. 24: Minnesota at Michigan StateOct. The opener in Dublin is a huge tone-setter for both teams. Bielema vs. Pat Narduzzi? Aug 28, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska head coach Scott Frost watches his team in the first quarter with Illinois at Memorial Stadium. 17: Penn State at Auburn; Michigan State at Washington. It was part of a ridiculous season where Smith-Njigba had 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine TDs. All eyes are now out of the rearview mirror and on the horizon as 2023 approaches. 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. 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