By: David Ware (@Ware)
Back at it again with some way too early predictions and this time, we are looking at the Big10 conference. Last season Michigan not only won the conference title, but they went untouched throughout the regular season in conference play. The defending champions USC Trojans lost two conference games, but still went on a wild playoff run and took home the trophy. It is a fair assessment that last season the Big10 was the best conference as they had three of the final four teams in the playoffs. This year should not be different. The bold prediction for this conference is that they will only have one team that is under 0.500 winning percentage this season. Will a new season bring a new champion? Time will tell, but let’s have fun and break down the Big10 now and see what kind of chaos is at the top of the conference.
6th Michigan State
Prediction: 2-6 (0-5)
Michigan State’s record does not reflect their talent as they had a solid recruiting class. They are one of only a few to have 27 players or more on their roster. This year will be a little bit more of a learning curve for Michigan State as they will fight hard but come up just short in conference play and finish without any wins. Their season will not be in vain though as they will win two out of three out-of-conference games. The offense will be right on the verge and the Spartans will finish with a net point total no worse than negative 25 on the season. The Spartans will be a team that you can not sleep on though, because if someone does there could be some upsets.
5th Oregon
Prediction: 4-4 (2-3)
This is a situation where the record does not reflect the talent that a team has. The Ducks are a victim of being part of the Big10 as they will only win four games this year. Their playoff resume will be strong as they will upset Michigan State and Penn State in conference play as well as Oklahoma and North Carolina out of conference. Oregon’s four losses this season should all be by single digits as they are on the verge of taking it to the next level. They have become one of the top schools in recruiting.
4th Ohio State
Prediction: 4-4 (2-3)
Much like last season there is a log jam in the Big10 and Ohio State falls victim to it. Their overall record is part of a three-way tie in the conference but they will need to nail a couple of signature wins if they want a chance at the playoffs. Michigan State and Oregon will be their conference victories while Colorado and Virginia Tech will be the out-of-conference wins. I do expect close games for the Buckeyes even in their losses and the week eight matchup against Michigan could be for a playoff spot.
3rd Michigan
Prediction: 4-4 (3-2)
Last year’s conference champion has a slight dip this year as they will lose to Penn State and USC in the conference. Their playoff resume will include a big win against Auburn, which should help lock up a playoff spot. As mentioned above, the winner of Week Eight against Ohio State will probably be the team to get into the playoffs. The margin for error will be small for the Wolverines if they want to have a shot at that elusive national championship this year.
2nd USC
Prediction: 6-2 (4-1)
The defending champion Trojans will have the best overall record in the Big10 but a loss to Penn State will be what puts them in second place. This will lock a spot for the Trojans in the playoffs. They will get an opportunity to pick their first-round matchup as they should be the highest-ranked number-two team in the league. When it comes to out-of-conference games, USC will pull out two wins but fall just short against Kentucky. After an amazing playoff run last year, there is no reason to think that USC will not be one of the final teams left standing next season as they will try to do what only Kentucky and Notre Dame have done and win back-to-back championships!
1st Penn State
Prediction: 4-4 (4-1)
It is crazy to think that a team that is only .500 on the season can win the top conference, but the out-of-conference game schedule for Penn State is brutal. They will fall just short in each game to go winless. I am not sure how, but for the sake of a good troll, I will blame Horns for them not winning an out-of-conference game this season. Before you get upset about it, Horns deserves all the trolling you can throw at him. The three out-of-conference games will be a battle no doubt and people will question Penn State, but they will finish strong by winning four of the five conference games with a loss only to Oregon as time expires. The record is no slight for Penn State at all. They have a great Athletic Director who will put them in a great spot to win games. Penn State is always a team to watch out for and can make a run. Let’s see how many times we can tag Horns in chat and blame him for their out-of-conference losses.
The chaos of the Big10 will not let us down and we will see some great games. The conference will split the wins with their out-of-conference foes. Buckle up CFSL as we are sure to see some crazy scenarios come out of the Big10 this year and at least two teams will be left out of the playoffs that should probably be in it. Now if this doesn’t cause chaos, I am not sure what will. I will see you in league chat.
