**2019 Previews: ESPN - Bill Connelly's Big Ten Preview**

[Saunders]

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Big Ten West preview: Almost anything is possible this season.

Sometimes the most interesting divisions and conferences are not the most relevant from a national title perspective. The Big Ten West is a good example. Barring a(nother) second-year miracle from Scott Frost at Nebraska, it's quite likely that there won't be any division team involved in the CFP race come mid-November. But that doesn't stop it from being maybe the most fascinating division in FBS.

Depending on how you feel about Jeff Brohm's ability to rebuild on the fly at Purdue for the second time in three years, you can make a pretty solid case for up to six West teams winning the division. (Sorry, Illinois.) Nebraska obviously has a fantastic young coach and potentially thrilling young quarterback.

Minnesota was actually both better and younger than Nebraska last year and flashed massive upside. Northwestern won the division in 2018 with smoke and mirrors, but Pat Fitzgerald has an endless supply of such. Wisconsin is Wisconsin. Iowa is Iowa. The volume of story lines here is immense.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27204865/big-ten-west-preview-almost-anything-possible-season

 

 

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Big Ten East preview: Could this be the year for Harbaugh and Michigan?

Now's the time, right? It seems coach Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverineshave never had a better chance to get over the hump than they do in 2019. Ohio State is finally not employing Harbaugh conqueror Urban Meyer anymore. Penn State has a new quarterback. Michigan State could still be hopeless offensively. The dominoes are all lined up and ready to be tipped.

Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State are also all potential top-15 teams. The Buckeyes still have all the talent in the world. Penn State could have its best defense yet under coach James Franklin, and said new quarterback Sean Clifford is pretty well-regarded. And hey, Sparty has beaten Michigan and won tons of games without an offense before. This still will be a heavyweight division in 2019. Michigan's not going to be able to back into a breakthrough.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27204380/big-ten-east-preview-the-year-harbaugh-michigan

 

 

[DevoHusker]

1 hour ago, Saunders said:

Connelly says:

"Minnesota was actually both better and younger than Nebraska last year and flashed massive upside."

 

seriously? we hung 53 points on a team that was "younger and better" than us a week after a crushing OT loss to a team we beat all day long...? smdh 

[Salsa Red]

16 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

seriously? we hung 53 points on a team that was "younger and better" than us a week after a crushing OT loss to a team we beat all day long...? smdh 

They made a bowl game and blew out Wisconsin, Purdue and Georgia Tech. Though I'm not totally sold that they are going to be as good as predicted. I see them going 8-4 due to easy schedule.

[Saunders]

26 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

seriously? we hung 53 points on a team that was "younger and better" than us a week after a crushing OT loss to a team we beat all day long...? smdh 

If you read the whole preview, he makes a fair point.

[DevoHusker]

14 minutes ago, Saunders said:

If you read the whole preview, he makes a fair point.

 

I did...from the full read:

 

"Minnesota started 3-0, lost four straight games by at least 16 points each, then won four of six to finish the season. The Gophers ended up 45th in S&P+, but that's misleading -- they basically either played like a top-20 or bottom-50 team in a given week."

 

and

 

"The schedule alternates between likely wins and fascinating tossups. Per S&P+, the Gophers are slight favorites at Fresno State, Purdue and Northwestern, and at home against Nebraska. They are also one-score underdogs at Iowa, and at home against Penn State and Wisconsin. There might not be a sure loss on the schedule, but there might be only four or five sure wins, too. Hello, Big Ten East wild card."