We’ve discussed players to watch, surprise teams, and even graded the East and West division non-conference schedules. Today, we’ll answer the all-important question: which team will win the Big Ten?
Q. Which team will win Big Ten this year?
Kevin Causey
On Twitter @CFBZ
Michigan has yet to play in a Big Ten Championship Game since it started in 2011. Michigan State and Wisconsin have two titles and Ohio State has one. Is this the year that Michigan gets back to the top of the Big Ten?
As our good friend Lee Corso would say…..not so fast my friend.
Michigan has rose quickly under Jim Harbaugh but I’m not ready to buy in hook, line and sinker just yet. I am ready to buy in with what Urban Meyer is doing at Ohio State.
The gap is getting closer but my money is on Urban and Ohio State this season.
Terry Johnson
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
The answer: Jim Harbaugh and Senator John Blutarsky.
The question: name two things that resonate with people when they hear the words “zero point zero”.
While almost everyone is familiar with the good senator’s GPA, many people don’t know why this number is associated with Harbaugh. The answer is simple: it’s the number of conference titles he’s won at the FBS level.
Like Kevin, I question all the hype surrounding Jim Harbaugh. Are the Wolverines a better team under his leadership? Absolutely. Will they finish at near the top of the East Division? Yes, they will. Is Harbaugh a great coach? Certainly.
However, the conversation about Michigan football needs to focus on the players and not the coach. I’ve yet to figure out why someone that’s never won a conference title at the FBS level gets more press coverage than Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, who both have won national championships.
So, who will win?
I think it’s going to be Ohio State. Sure, the Buckeyes only return six starters this year, but there’s still enough talent on the roster to win the Big Ten. J.T. Barrett is the best quarterback in the league — if not the country — and will help the players around him get better each week. Defensively, OSU should be fine with Tyquan Lewis (14 TFL, 8 sacks), Sam Hubbard (8 TFL, 6.5 sacks), and Raekwon McMillan (119 tackles) leading the way. The addition of Greg Schiano as defensive coordinator, will make an already-talented unit even better.
Phil Harrison
On Twitter @PhilHarrisonCFB
Though I hate to fall in line here, I am going to agree with the pick of Ohio State. Yes, I know, I know there’s a slew of talent that was lost to NFL Sundays that can’t be replaced, but if you’ve been listening to Urban Meyer at all during Big Ten Media days, he loves the talent he has on this roster. In fact, Meyer has been quoted as saying that this is his most talented team top to bottom of any he has had — anywhere.
Not that Ohio State doesn’t normally recruit well, but under Meyer, the type of athlete has gotten even just a bit better, and he’s hit home runs (if not grand slams) every time those letter of intents have come across yearly. That means there is an abundance of talent — more so than any team in the Big Ten, and perhaps even the country. Now, all that’s left to do is coach them up and get them ready to play as the next man up.
And I like Meyer’s track record of developing talent.
RB Mike Weber will be the next great running back, Corey Smith and Noah Brown will be play makers at wide-receiver, Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis will be monsters on the defensive line, and the returners you know like Raekwon McMillan (MLB), J.T. Barrett (QB), and Pat Eflein (center) will be the leaders that bring this group along on the field.
Get ready for some new household names to fill the void. It won’t be easy with Michigan and Michigan State in the East, and an underrated Wisconsin team in the West, but this team will get it together in time to hoist the trophy in Indianapolis.
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