SBNation: 4 reasons the Big Ten West could be deeply entertaining in 2019

[Saunders]

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The 2018 season was fairly unique for the Big Ten West, and not just because Northwestern won it despite finishing fifth in S&P+ in the division.

Wisconsin has been the class of the West since the division was established in 2014. The Badgers have finished with the highest S&P+ margin every season and won the West three times, with their defeats coming in 2018 and 2015, when they similarly lost to Iowa by four points and Northwestern by six. In other words, when Wisconsin gets things right, they tend to dominate the West.

However, if you survey the Vegas odds, the West is regarded as pretty open in 2019. Gauging by the odds on winning the B1G title, the West shakes out as:

Tier 1: Nebraska and Wisconsin at +1600
Tier 2: Iowa at +2000, Northwestern at +2200, and Purdue at +2500
Tier 3: Minnesota at +6600 ... and Illinois at +8000

There are several reasons why the B1G West should be much more entertaining this season than in prior years.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2019/6/25/18691708/big-ten-west-2019