COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY 13
The Favorite
This seems to be a preseason constant in the Big Ten, but
Urban Meyer’s teams consistently put the most talent out
on the field, so we’ll roll with the Buckeyes. With a plethora
of projected draft picks on both sides of the ball, the
Buckeyes will be tough to stop, and quite frankly, their talent
is just better than every other team in the conference.
The Forgotten
Half of the Big Ten could fall in this category each year as
the bottom of the conference is routinely delegitimizing
of some top teams playing cupcake schedules. Rutgers, a
once nationally relevant team under Greg Schiano, has
suffered ever since they made the transition to the Big Ten
in 2014. In conference play their record is 7-27 and the
future does not look to be on the incline anytime soon.
The same could be said for Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, etc.
The Dark Horse
Granted Michigan struggled last year, but they return
almost all of their starters on both sides of the ball. They also
scored with Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, who will be
available immediately and fills a position where the Wolverines
suffered at in 2017. Patterson gives them hope as he’s likely
the best quarterback Harbaugh has had at Michigan.
On the Hot Seat
Lovie Smith, the former Chicago Bears coach, is going
into his third season at Illinois. He has an overall record of
5-19 and 2-16 in conference play. If the fighting Illini do
not make drastic improvement, his days are numbered.