Recent happenings in Columbus have shaken the college football world. But despite the uncertainty surrounding Urban Meyer, the Ohio State Buckeyes remain the favorite to capture another Big Ten title. The East Division is loaded with four of the five favorites playing on that side. Should the Buckeyes wilt under the pressure, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State are all there to claim the division and reach the title game.
Wisconsin is the class of the West and the second favorite behind Ohio State at +255 to win its first Big Ten Championship since 2012. All the Badgers have done under Paul Chryst is win football games, and they return several key players on offense. The East is a juggernaut and whichever team survives will likely have to get past Wisconsin in the title game.
2018 Big Ten Championship Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State +165
Wisconsin +255
Michigan +400
Penn State +465
Michigan State +845
Iowa +2350
Nebraska +4500
Northwestern +6000
Purdue +8000
Minnesota +12000
Maryland +30000
Indiana +35000
Illinois +100000
Rutgers +100000
Favorites
The Buckeyes have to replace their starting quarterback and plug a few holes on the lines. And that was before the domestic abuse allegations against an assistant coach that led to his termination and a suspension for Meyer. The situation will certainly leave a dark cloud over the program and how the team responds to Meyer, if he is reinstated, or whoever is coaching will impact the race in the East.
Strictly football related the Buckeyes boast plenty of talent to repeat as conference champions. Dwayne Haskins takes over for J.T. Barrett behind center and has possibly the best backfield in the country next to him. J.K. Dobbins rushed for over 1,400 yards and Mike Weber added 626. OSU has to travel to Happy Valley and Michigan State for games against contenders in the East, which could be troublesome.
For years Wisconsin relied on its defense to win football games. But this year the Badgers could have one of the most explosive offenses in college football with 10 starters returning. Jonathan Taylor ran for nearly 2,000 yards last season and finished sixth in the Heisman voting. Alex Hornibrook is back to lead the group and the offensive line returns intact. Bucky was a win away from reaching the CFP but was denied a trip with a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. It was their only loss and revenge is a powerful motivator.
Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are included in the next tier of favorites and are the only other teams with a realistic chance of winning the conference title. The pressure is on Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines could finally have a quarterback to make the offense work. Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson is a major upgrade and just the slightest improvement on that side of the football will make UM better. The defense is ferocious and will once again be among the national leaders in fewest points allowed. Penn State begins life without Saquon Barkley, however their schedule, while difficult, is favorable. The Lions get both Ohio State and Michigan State in Happy Valley and host Wisconsin and Iowa in crossover games. Sparty might be the most experienced team in the Big Ten with 19 starters returning, but that doesn’t always translate to victories.
Darkhorses
The middle ground in the Big Ten leans slightly downward as the divide between the best and the rest remains. While they enter the year with decent odds, the Spartans are more of a dark horse than a contender. The true darkhorse is Iowa with odds of +2350 to win the conference. The Hawkeyes benefit greatly from the schedule with Wisconsin coming to Iowa City and they don’t face Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State in cross over games.
Nebraska has been a non-factor since joining the Big Ten, but expectations ramped up after Scott Frost was hired to lead the program. Coming off an undefeated season at UCF with the nation’s highest scoring offense, Frost will instill the same principles. The only problem is that he doesn’t have a quarterback talented enough to run the show.
Longshots
Meyer can thank D.J. Durkin at Maryland for getting him out of the headlines. The toxic culture fostered by Durkin unraveled following the death of a player, and that’s something you just don’t overcome. The Terps didn’t have much of a chance to win the Big Ten, and what little they did have disappeared.
You can also count out Rutgers and Indiana since they compete in the East, and Illinois is likely to bring up the rear in the West. Northwestern always seems to surprise and they could do so again if Clayton Thorson returns from an injury he suffered in last season’s bowl game. Purdue made strides last year under Jeff Brohm and should be better offensively. However, the defense that allowed just 20.5 points per game had to be rebuilt.
Big Ten Predictions
The distractions at Ohio State have opened the door and now that Michigan has a quarterback to go along with its rock-solid defense, this is the year the Wolverines break the curse and get to their first Big Ten title game. It’s hard to envision anyone getting past Wisconsin in the West and after having their undefeated season ruined by Ohio State in the conference championship game last season, the Badgers are back to claim a victory.
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