2016 BIGTEN CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Tweet

Tweet

BRETT CIANCIA
Co-Owner
August 1st, 2016

Defending National Champions Ohio State entered the season as the first unanimous preseason #1 in AP Poll history, but offensive inefficiencies and a rain-soaked loss to Michigan State cost the Buckeyes the shot at a repeat.  Iowa’s 12-0 Cinderella season came to a halt in Indianapolis as Michigan State claimed its second league title in three years.  The two division champs were both stomped in bowl season, but the other power programs showed up well as Ohio State beat Notre Dame, Michigan beat Florida, Nebraska beat UCLA, and Wisconsin beat USC.

Heading into 2016, it looks like “The Rivalry” is back at full strength, as Harbaugh looks to take that next step at Michigan.  But no one in this league reloads like the Buckeyes, who are our pick to win the East and the conference behind star quarterback JT Barrett and a deep stable of blue-chippers.

​The West is wide open, and while every preseason publication is blindly calling for an Iowa repeat, I am not as sold.  I am calling for both Iowa and Nebraska to go 6-3 in Big Ten play for a tie atop the division.  No other team in America had the string of bad luck that the 2015 Huskers had, and I expect those close losses to reverse in Mike Riley’s second season.  Talent-wise, Wisconsin is right there too, but a brutal cross-division slate will cause an 0-3 start to conference play.

                                            Click on the Division Names for our team-by-team previews:

EAST

1. OHIO STATE

2015 Record: 12-1
Defensive Returning Starters: 4
Offensive Returning Starters: 3
Head Coach: Urban Meyer

---

2. MICHIGAN

2015 Record: 10-3
Defensive Returning Starters: 6
Offensive Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh

---

3. MICHIGAN STATE

2015 Record: 12-2
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 6
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio

---

4. PENN STATE

2015 Record: 7-6
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: James Franklin

---

5. INDIANA

2015 Record: 6-7
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 6
Head Coach: Kevin Wilson

---

6. MARYLAND

2015 Record: 3-9
Defense Returning Starters: 5
Offense Returning Starters: 5
Head Coach: DJ Durkin*

---

7. RUTGERS

2015 Record: 4-8
Defensive Returning Starters: 6
Offensive Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Chris Ash*

---

WEST

T-1. IOWA

2015 Record: 12-2
Defensive Returning Starters: 8
Offensive Returning Starters: 6
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz

---

T-1. NEBRASKA

2015 Record: 6-7
Defensive Returning Starters: 6
Offensive Returning Starters: 8
Head Coach: Mike Riley

---

3. WISCONSIN

2015 Record: 10-3
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 5
Head Coach: Paul Chryst

---

4. NORTHWESTERN

2015 Record: 10-3
Defensive Returning Starters: 7
Offensive Returning Starters: 5
Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald

---

5. MINNESOTA

2015 Record: 6-7
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 6
Head Coach: Tracy Claeys*

---

6. ILLINOIS

2015 Record: 5-7
Defensive Returning Starters: 5
Offensive Returning Starters: 4
Head Coach: Lovie Smith*

---

7. PURDUE

2015 Record: 2-10
Defensive Returning Starters: 6
Offensive Returning Starters: 7
Head Coach: Darrell Hazell

---

 

---

2016 PREVIEW
QUICK LINKS

---

ACC 
    Atlantic  Division
    Coastal Division
Big Ten 
    East Division
    West Division
BIG 12
SEC 
    Eastern Division
    Western Division
PAC-12 
    North Division
    South Division
Notre Dame

Playoff Prediction
Top 25
Top 40 BIG BOARD


OFFSEASON FEATURES

Football Factories

Recruit Survey: Uniforms/Brands

"Position U"

Playoff Simulations
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013

Throwback Thursday
    1990s Florida State
    3rd & 57
    Red River Roy ('01)
    Seneca Wallace ('02)
    One-Point Safety
    Dual-Sport Legends
    OhioSt-Mich ('73)
    Georgia Tech 222-0
    Texas HS Craziness
    Earthquake Game

Champions Gauntlet
    '13 FSU vs. '98 Tenn
    '13 FSU vs. '99 FSU
    '13 FSU vs. '00 OU
    '13 FSU vs. '02 OSU
    '13 FSU vs. '05 Texas
    '13 FSU vs. '08 UF
    '13 FSU vs. '11 Bama
    '13 FSU vs. '01 Miami
 
​

SEE ALSO:
Welcome to the Big Ten: Maryland, our Q&A with SB Nation
Welcome to the Big Ten: Rutgers, our Q&A with SB Nation