** 2022 Previews: Athlon Sports Big Ten Predictions **

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
Athlon Sports Big Ten Football 2022 Predictions

The battle to win the Big Ten Championship in 2022 begins in the East Division once again, as Michigan and Ohio State top the list of CFB Playoff and title contenders. The Wolverines toppled the Buckeyes in the division last year, but coach Ryan Day's team is Athlon's pick to win the Big Ten in '22 behind quarterback C.J. Stroud and a high-powered offense. Michigan has major holes to fill on defense to get back to the conference title game, but a loaded offense gives coach Jim Harbaugh's team time to rebuild and make another run at Ohio State in late November. Look for Michigan State and Penn State to headline the next tier, while Maryland ranks ahead of Rutgers and Indiana in the East.

The outlook for contenders is significantly more unsettled in the West. Iowa won the division last season and is still in the mix, but Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota all could make a claim for the No. 1 spot this preseason. Nebraska seems due for better luck after a disappointing and unlucky 3-9 season last fall, but coach Scott Frost's team is a step behind the top contenders. Illinois and Northwestern are likely to be fighting to get bowl eligible.

How does Athlon Sports project the Big Ten for 2022? Steven Lassan predicts and ranks the East and West Divisions in the Big Ten for this fall:

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-2022-predictions
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5. Nebraska
The 2022 season is a make-or-break year for coach Scott Frost in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are 15-29 and have yet to earn a winning season or reach a bowl under his watch. Last year’s 3-9 record sparked major changes in hopes of a turnaround in ‘22, including the arrival of a new play-caller (Mark Whipple) on offense. Whipple is highly-regarded for his work in developing signal-callers, and that acumen will be tested right away with Texas transfer Casey Thompson (24 TDs last year) exiting spring as the frontrunner to replace Adrian Martinez under center. Omar Manning and Trey Palmer headline the weapons for Thompson in the receiving corps, while a backfield-by-committee approach is likely with Rahmir Johnson, Anthony Grant and Jaquez Yant in place. However, improvement on offense is unlikely without better play up front and fewer turnovers lost (18 last year). The defense has been a strength in each of the last two seasons and returns a strong linebacker unit anchored by Garrett Nelson and Luke Reimer. The rebuilding process up front was expedited by the transfer arrivals of Ochaun Mathis (TCU), Devin Drew (Texas Tech) and Stephon Wynn (Alabama). Coordinator Erik Chinander also has to rebuild a secondary that lost three starters, including All-Big Ten cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Special teams have also been a major issue in recent years, but the arrival of transfers Timmy Bleekrode (Furman) and Brian Buschini (Montana) could provide instant help.
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Athlon has us 5th in the West.  Pathetic.  But we have to earn it on the field before we get some respect.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-2022-predictions

5. Nebraska
The 2022 season is a make-or-break year for coach Scott Frost in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are 15-29 and have yet to earn a winning season or reach a bowl under his watch. Last year’s 3-9 record sparked major changes in hopes of a turnaround in ‘22, including the arrival of a new play-caller (Mark Whipple) on offense. Whipple is highly-regarded for his work in developing signal-callers, and that acumen will be tested right away with Texas transfer Casey Thompson (24 TDs last year) exiting spring as the frontrunner to replace Adrian Martinez under center. Omar Manning and Trey Palmer headline the weapons for Thompson in the receiving corps, while a backfield-by-committee approach is likely with Rahmir Johnson, Anthony Grant and Jaquez Yant in place. However, improvement on offense is unlikely without better play up front and fewer turnovers lost (18 last year). The defense has been a strength in each of the last two seasons and returns a strong linebacker unit anchored by Garrett Nelson and Luke Reimer. The rebuilding process up front was expedited by the transfer arrivals of Ochaun Mathis (TCU), Devin Drew (Texas Tech) and Stephon Wynn (Alabama). Coordinator Erik Chinander also has to rebuild a secondary that lost three starters, including All-Big Ten cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Special teams have also been a major issue in recent years, but the arrival of transfers Timmy Bleekrode (Furman) and Brian Buschini (Montana) could provide instant help.
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One for the Athlon thread, I guess.


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First one feels like it's gotta be an Ohio State coach. "In their division" would probably imply that it's a coach from the East division, and which East team has been on our schedule for each one of Frost's years?

And the one about Whipple being headstrong would presumably have come from someone who knows him at least somewhat well... but that doesn't narrow the list down a whole lot, considering the names he rattled off in his first press conference here:

"Well, I mean Ryan Day was a G.A. for me at UMass. His brother played quarterback for me. Ryan went to New Hampshire. You watch what they do. They're the No. 1 offense. Studied those guys. Kevin Wilson is a good friend. You study all of them. Donnie Brown is one of my best friends — he was at Michigan. Paul Chryst was at Pitt. My son was a G.A. (for him) for three years. I have a lot of respect for his program. Kirk Ferentz is a Pittsburgh guy, I've known Kirk for a long time. Bret Bielema, I've talked to a bunch, I saw him when I was at UMass and he was with the Patriots, we had breakfast together."
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If you look at the predictions you can tell how pretty much every team in the West is the same team.

If NU had not been the keystone cops the last 4 seasons we would have been talking about how another 9 win season was not going to be enough and how Frost need to have that breakout 11 win year.

NU has done a remarkable job of finding ways to lose games to teas that are super average.  

 
teachercd said:
NU has done a remarkable job of finding ways to lose games to teas that are super average.  
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This is what makes part of the Frost era so frustrating. The B1G West didn’t suddenly become this Murderer’s Row division where they’re all winning at some unattainable pace. They’re all basically winning at the same clip as they always were. With Wisconsin never really getting a stranglehold on the division, it’s been pretty open the last few years. Super frustrating that we could never take advantage of that, even more so with the end of divisions looming. 
 

 
Fru said:
This is what makes part of the Frost era so frustrating. The B1G West didn’t suddenly become this Murderer’s Row division where they’re all winning at some unattainable pace. They’re all basically winning at the same clip as they always were. With Wisconsin never really getting a stranglehold on the division, it’s been pretty open the last few years. Super frustrating that we could never take advantage of that, even more so with the end of divisions looming. 
 
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Bingo. The ethos of most of the Big West is to just not screw up. Nebraska has to stop beating itself to get out of this funk.

 
Saunders said:
Bingo. The ethos of most of the Big West is to just not screw up. Nebraska has to stop beating itself to get out of this funk.
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Ball control offense,  limit offensive possessions by the opposition by sitting on the ball, less man to man to prevent big plays due to the lack of backend speed, prioritizing field position. Agree 100%

 
Saunders said:
Bingo. The ethos of most of the Big West is to just not screw up. Nebraska has to stop beating itself to get out of this funk.
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Yep!

West fans b!^@h about their bad luck with the crossover games.

East fans are never like "The Big Ten is out to get us...we have to play at NW, at Minny and host Iowa"

 
Toe said:
One for the Athlon thread, I guess.




First one feels like it's gotta be an Ohio State coach. "In their division" would probably imply that it's a coach from the East division, and which East team has been on our schedule for each one of Frost's years?

And the one about Whipple being headstrong would presumably have come from someone who knows him at least somewhat well... but that doesn't narrow the list down a whole lot, considering the names he rattled off in his first press conference here:
Click to expand...
Unfortunately that coaches summary of Nebraska is spot on. Nothing but truth in that.

 
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