College Football Expert Picks: Ten Big Predictions

The Big Ten has always been thought of as a power conference. The media have always had a love affair with them and it used to be for good reason. However, in recent years, they have been in decline. The SEC and Big 12 have gotten away with bragging rights to college football supremacy. For example, last year, the Big Ten boasted a 1-6 record in their bowl games. Some might argue that it’s great that they got seven teams into a bowl game. This is true, but when you lose six out of seven, your conference leaves something to be desired. For the past several years, the state of Ohio has been at the top. This year should be no different as they are re-loaded with another talented team. Let’s take a look at these free college football picks and see how “big” the conference will be this year.

1. State of Ohio – Ohio State University has been a soccer powerhouse for many years. With Jim Tressel as head coach, he always seems to recharge quickly. They lost “Beanie” Wells, James Laurinaitis and many more players, but they have a lot left in the stable. One of the most exciting things for Buckeye fans is new starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He’s a Michael Vick-like player (minus the baggage) with a huge advantage. If you can put together a good year, the rest of the Big 10 better watch out.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions – Joe Paterno has another very talented team this year. The last few years have been good and this year will be no different. They lost three of their best receivers last year, but with the return of quarterback Daryll Clark they should be fine. They will also be in good shape in the running game with Evan Royster carrying the stone. They also have a fantastic schedule with the other two best teams in the conference playing in their place.

3. Iowa Hawk Eyes – They are coming off a decent season last year and should improve this time. With quarterback Ricky Stanzi at the helm, Hawkeye’s offense should be pretty good. Although they lost running back Shonn Greene in the league, they still have enough to be productive on the field.

4. Michigan Wolverines – The Wolverines aren’t ready to compete with the Buckeyes yet, but that won’t stop them from winning a few games this year. At the moment, Rich Rodríguez is in the middle of some scandal. He faces allegations that his program has practiced more than the allowed limit. Despite the controversy, Michigan will remain decent this year with more Rodriguez recruits in the fold.

5. Michigan State Spartans – Mark Dantonio seems to be building a stronger team every year. His recruiting efforts have really started to pay off and he has built a solid core in Lansing. Expect them to struggle at times, but overall, they will also have a solid year.

6. Northwest Wildcats – The Northwest Wildcats are the epitome of the word “outstanding.” Even though they have never chartered any top flight, they always seem to be solid. Either Pat Fitzgerald is one of the best coaches in the country or he is one of the luckiest men in the world. I’m going to go with the first one. Prediction: 8-4

7. Illinois fights Illini – In recent years, Ron Zook’s squads have been up and down a bit, to say the least. They have all the talent in the world, but they can never put it all together. Juice Williams is very athletic, a great passer and a great leader. However, they can never put it all together. Expect the Illini to have some extremely high highs and some extremely low lows.

8. Wisconsin badgers – If Northwestern is the one to excel in the conference, Wisconsin has to be the underperforming team. Last year they started in the top ten in the polls, then quickly fell out of the top 25. They are very talented, but they don’t seem to be very well trained. Expect them to win some games and lose some to teams that they shouldn’t.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers – The best thing that happened to the Golden Gophers recently was having their own new stadium. While that always helps, it won’t be enough to allow them to challenge anyone in the Big Ten. They have several key guys coming back this year, but it won’t be enough to get the job done.

10. Purdue Boilermakers – The Purdue Boilermakers have had good teams in recent years. However, the mastermind behind those teams is now retired. With a new coach in the fold, it could be a bumpy ride this season. It usually takes a few seasons once a new coach takes over and this will be no exception.

11. Indiana Hoosiers – Indiana had a pretty decent team two years ago. Then last year came and he had to ruin the party. All the promise they showed was quickly erased with a terrible 2008. Don’t expect much from the Hoosiers this year. This time they will easily be the worst team in the conference.

The Big Ten is going to be a roller coaster of ups and downs all season long. If you want some free soccer picks, use this information to get an idea of ​​what to expect. While you never know how everything will play out until the season is over, we should have a pretty decent idea. Expect the Buckeyes and Penn State to battle it out again for first place in the conference. There could be a team of dark horses like the Michigan Wolverines or Michigan State Spartans make a career, but it would be surprising. Just expect the unexpected this time and it is very likely to happen.

Check out Vernon Croy’s expert college football picks this season.