Handicapping Big 10 Football
The Big Ten Conference isn’t the dominant conference it used to be in college football. During the days of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler this was the most elite conference in the land. No longer is that the case.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Win Total: 10.5
Odds to win Big Ten Championship: -105
Odds to win BCS Championship: +1,200
Futures from sportsbook.ag
The Big Ten sits firmly behind the SEC and the Pac 12 now. Still, there are some good football teams in the conference.
Ohio State started 12-0 last year, but Michigan State took them out in the Big Ten title game. Ohio State is the favorite again this year, and I think they’ll take care of business this time around.
Reasons Ohio State Will Win the Big Ten:
Talent/Depth
The Buckeyes have the best mixture of high level talent at a bunch of positions as well as depth at many positions in the conference. Areas where the Buckeyes depth will help them a lot is at running back and on the defensive line.
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Speed
Team speed is so important in today’s game, and no team in the Big Ten can compete with Ohio State when it comes to overall team speed. Meyer prides himself on recruiting the fastest players at their respective positions.
Braxton Miller
Miller is the best player in the Big Ten when he is completely healthy. He can keep a play alive for a very long time, and that makes him very tough to defend. Miller was solely a runner when he first came to Columbus, but he has turned into a high quality passer over time.
He’s the perfect dual-threat quarterback, and he fits into Urban Meyer’s offense beautifully.
Schedule
Ohio State’s schedule isn’t as easy as it was a year ago, but they still have a nice road to the title. The game at Penn State in October will be tricky and the game at Michigan State in November will be very tough. Still, Ohio State gets to play Virginia Tech and Michigan at home this year.
They also have some easy games against opponents like Kent State, Rutgers, and Illinois.
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Meyer’s recruits
We’ll now be seeing more of Urban Meyer’s recruits on the field instead of Jim Tressel or Luke Fickell’s recruits. Meyer recruited these guys for a reason, and they should fit even better into his system.
Improved Defense
Defense was a major problem for Ohio State last year. Most people assume this year’s defense will be bad as well. I think their dominating defensive line is going to help this defense be quite a bit better than most people believe.
Guys like Michael Bennett and Joey Bosa have a big future ahead in the NFL, and they should make a lot of noise this year.
Coaching
Urban Meyer isn’t used to losing, and the fact that Ohio State lost two straight at the end of last year didn’t sit well with him. Meyer is one of the top coaches in the game, and he upgraded his coaching staff in the offseason. The Buckeyes aren’t going to get outcoached very often.
Prediction: 11-1
The Buckeyes aren’t a perfect team, but they are the best team in the Big Ten. Braxton Miller will likely carry this team on his shoulders (or legs) in many key games. Michigan State shouldn’t be as good as they were last year.
If Ohio State gets to the title game, I believe they match up well with a team like Wisconsin, Iowa, or Nebraska.
The road to the Big Ten title goes through Columbus many years, and I think that will be the case in 2014 once again.
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