Griffiths: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Nebraska in mix for Big Ten title
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
The Big Ten has to be sick and tired of hearing about its lack of recent success in college football.
It knows Ohio State’s 2002 national title was the last time the conference was king of the sport. In fact, the Big Ten has had just two national champions since 1970.
It knows it’s thought of as a poor man’s SEC at best.
Consider this: The SEC has won the last seven national championships, while the Big Ten has none. Plus, in April the Big Ten had just one player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft compared to the SEC’s 12.
Even Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who used to call the SEC home when he was at Florida, has taken note. In early February, Meyer called out his Big Ten brethren with regards to the league’s average recruiting performance.
The Big Ten also knows it hasn’t exactly set the world on fire when it has come to bowl games recently.
The Big Ten finished just 2-5 this past bowl season, including 1-4 in New Year’s Day bowl games, and suffered a 44-point loss (Oklahoma State’s 58-14 drubbing of Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl).
The two wins came from Northwestern, which won its first bowl game since 1949, and Michigan State. Sorry Wildcat and Spartan fans, but your programs don’t carry near the clout that say, a Michigan or Ohio State does.
Not including the lopsided loss suffered by Purdue, the Big Ten’s four bowl game losses came by a total of 20 points. That’s very respectable and nothing to be ashamed about, but moral victories count for nothing in this day and age of win, win, win.
Of course, the Big Ten was hurt by not having two of its better teams – Ohio State and Penn State – involved in the postseason last season due to NCAA sanctions. But adding insult to injury is the fact that the Big Ten’s postseason woes aren’t short lived either. In bowl games the last 10 seasons, the Big Ten is a mere 28-47. In major bowl games on New Year’s Day or later, the league is only 17-28.
If those numbers aren’t alarming enough, try this … since we ushered in the 21st century, the Big Ten has won the Rose Bowl just twice. Last year, Wisconsin put up a very good fight before falling to Stanford.
This season, the Buckeyes will be eligible for a bowl game, while the Nittany Lions enter Year Two of their long postseason ban.
Ohio State enters the 2013 season bearing the weight of the Big Ten’s shoulders. That’s because the Buckeyes should easily be the best the league has to offer.
In Meyer’s first year in Columbus, he guided the Scarlet and Gray to a perfect 12-0 season, but was prevented from playing for a national championship because it violated NCAA rules. If the Buckeyes could run the table again, it would be a huge boost for the conference, which has been taking a regular beating for its shortcomings.
Going undefeated again is well within reason. You see, Ohio State is absolutely loaded, especially with the return of Braxton Miller, perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback the nation has to offer.
Here are highlights from Miller’s 2012 season, courtesy of College Football Live:
In addition to Miller, the Buckeyes have a receiving corps second to none and a secondary that will be tough for opposing offenses to crack.
Wisconsin could challenge Ohio State for the final Leaders Division championship.
As you know, next year when Rutgers and Maryland join the Big Ten, the 14-team league will be realigned and put in East and West divisions.
The race in the Legends Division should be much more hotly contest as four teams – Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Northwestern – all have a shot at the title.
IndySportsLegends.com assistant editor Doug Griffiths sizes up the Big Ten race with the start of the college football season about nine weeks away.
LEADERS
1. Ohio State —With just about everybody back on offense, it’s hard to fathom how the Buckeyes will lose a game in the regular season. They have a very manageable schedule and if the defense comes around after losing seven starters, the Buckeyes will run the table and play for a national title.
Record: 12-0 overall, 8-0 in the Big Ten
2. Wisconsin — The Badgers have pretty much owned the Big Ten, winning three straight conference crowns. They’ll be good again this year, too, but likely not good enough to make it four in a row. New coach Gary Andersen should have a memorable honeymoon in Madison, especially playing a schedule that doesn’t feature Michigan, Michigan State or Nebraska.
Record: 10-2 overall, 7-1 in the Big Ten
3. Indiana – Coach Kevin Wilson is pointing to 2013 as a breakthrough season in terms of getting bowl eligible. There’s a lot of skill returning on offense so it should be productive. The defense, which has been this program’s problem since Bill Mallory left, must be better if another bowl-less season is to be avoided in Bloomington. That won’t be easy, however, when you consider IU’s top two defenders from a year ago – Larry Black, Jr. and Adam Replogle – have departed.
Record: 6-6 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten
3. Penn State (TIE)— If Bill O’Brien comes close to duplicating what he accomplished in Year One in Happy Valley, his stature should be erected outside Beaver Stadum. O’Brien’s program might really begin to feel the harsh NCAA sanctions this season as his roster is hovering around 65 scholarship players. Replacing star QB Matt McGloin will be a very tough task, and so, too, will be filling the voids left by linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti.
Record: 6-6 overall, 2-6 in the Big Ten
5. Purdue – Darrell Hazell has been welcomed to West Lafayette with open arms as well he should be as he’s breathed a breathe of fresh air in a Boilermaker program in desperate need of new leadership after being filled with blunder after blunder during the Danny Hope Era. Unfortunately for Hazell, he inherits a program that will have a new quarterback, lost its best defensive player and faces a daunting schedule that includes home games against Orange Bowl participant Northern Illinois, BCS National Championship Game participant Notre Dame, Ohio State, which didn’t lose in Meyer’s first year, and Big Ten Championship Game participant Nebraska. Good luck Coach.
Record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in the Big Ten
6. Illinois — Could Tim Beckman be in trouble if his Fighting Illini don’t put up much of a fight in just his second year at the helm? Absolutely. That’s because Beckman was about the fourth or fifth choice to replace Ron Zook and his first year in Champaign included an 0-8 Big Ten record. The biggest problem for Beckman is his program lost a ton on defense. The offense has plenty of familiar faces returning, but navigating through the month of November with any success looks close to impossible and the rest of the slate is far from a cakewalk.
Record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 in the Big Ten
LEGENDS
1. Nebraska —There’s no shortage of offensive firepower in Lincoln. Bo Pelini’s bunch could have first-team All-Big Ten honorees at quarterback, running back and receiver. Don’t be surprised if the Cornhuskers go undefeated in Big Ten play with Ohio State not on the schedule.
Record: 11-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big Ten
2. Michigan State —The Spartans have the unenviable task of trying to replace stud running back Le’Veon Bell, who departed early for the NFL. Last year, Michigan State’s offense struggled mightily. If the same holds true this year, picking Mark Dantonio’s squad here will be laughable. With that in mind, one look at MSU’s schedule and you’ll see why a nine-win season is well within reach.
Record: 9-3 overall, 6-2 in the Big Ten
2. Michigan (TIE) — A five-loss season might as well be a losing season in Ann Arbor, so Brady Hoke’s bunch should have a chip on its shoulder this year after going 8-5 a year ago. With quarterback Devin Gardner and receiver Jeremy Gallon returning, offense shouldn’t be a problem. Losing leading tackler Jake Ryan to a knee injury, however, is really painful. Without Ryan, the defense is shaky enough that will likely prevent the Wolverines from playing for a Big Ten title.
Record: 9-3 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten
4. Northwestern — Perhaps no season in recent memory has been more anticipated than the upcoming one. That’s because the ‘Cats have a ton of returning starters (15 total). With that said, the schedule makers didn’t do Pat Fitzgerald’s squad any favors since Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska dot the slate. No doubt, Northwestern has a lot of momentum heading into the fall and could easily enjoy a Cinderella type season and wind up in Indy. If this team can win close games this year – two of its three losses a year ago were by seven points or less – things could really be magical in Evanston.
Record: 8-4 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten
5. Minnesota – Thanks to Coach Jerry Kill, the Golden Gopher program is ascending. The offense should be good with 10 starters returning, but it’s probably a long shot to think Minnesota can make a run at the division’s top spot since it faces a very tough stretch in October.
Record: 7-5 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten
6. Iowa —The Hawkeyes are thinking one thing: a bounce back season after last year’s disappointing campaign. If that’s going to happen, though, their offense is going to have to be better than expected. Making things tough on Iowa is there is a new quarterback at the controls and very few playmakers on that side of the ball. Plus, Iowa’s schedule features the Big Ten’s best teams. All that potentially adds up to Kirk Ferentz being on the hot seat.
Record: 3-9 overall, 0-8 in the Big Ten
A Very Early Big Ten Bowl Forecast
BCS National Championship — Alabama vs. Ohio State
BIG TEN TIE-INS
Rose Bowl Game (Pasadena, Calif.) — Big Ten vs. Pac-12
Prediction: Nebraska vs. Stanford
Outback Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) — Big Ten vs. SEC
Prediction: Northwestern vs. South Carolina
Capital One Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) – Big Ten vs. SEC
Prediction: Michigan vs. Georgia
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Fla.) — Big Ten vs. SEC
Prediction: Wisconsin vs. Florida
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Tempe, Ariz.) — Big Ten vs. Big 12
Prediction: Michigan State vs. Oklahoma
Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Houston, Texas) — Big Ten vs. Big 12
Prediction: Minnesota vs. TCU
Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas, Texas) — Big Ten vs. Conference USA
Prediction: Indiana vs. Tulsa
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Detroit, Mich.) — Big Ten vs. MAC
Prediction: At-Large vs. Ohio
Please Note: We’ve included 10 Big Ten teams in our bowl projection. Of course, Penn State is ineligible for the postseason and if Ohio State plays in the national championship game as we predict, the Big Ten won’t have enough teams to fill its eight bowl tie-ins. If that’s the case, the Little Caesars Bowl will have to search for an at-large team to fill its vacancy.
