The B1G Picture: Way-too-early season predictions

We may not have the final regular season results from the 2021 Big Ten slate fresh off the presses from the future, but here at Rivals.com we’ve got the next best thing.

In the final edition of our 10-part B1G Picture series, chronicling the hottest topics around the conference this offseason, representatives from all 14 Big Ten team sites in the Rivals network have provided 12-game predictions for how they believe the forthcoming season will go for the team they cover.

With a slew of unanswered questions about each program still floating around in the midst of the offseason void, these predictions may still be a bit premature given what the preseason could have in store.

However, that doesn’t mean our analysts and insiders don’t have fully formed opinions on the matter, and explanations to back up exactly why they think so.

Without further ado, check out how each team is expected to finish this season by those that cover them the closest.

ALSO: The B1G Picture: Coaching changes

Ohio State hasn’t lost a regular season game in the past two seasons, so why should I doubt the Buckeyes now?

I could certainly be talked into the possibility of one Buckeye loss during the first 12 games considering the long list of legitimate question marks at the linebacker and defensive back positions, not to mention the uncertainty and inexperience at quarterback.

However, Ohio State avoids playing Wisconsin or Iowa out of the west, and outside of a tricky game against Indiana last season, has begun to separate itself from traditional East Division rivals in recent years.

– BuckeyeGrove team writer Griffin Strom

Based on the schedule, Indiana will finish the season 10-2. This team is as deep as anyone in the Big Ten, brings back a ton of experience and talent on both sides of the football, have added quality pieces through the NCAA Transfer Portal and have a coach who is entering his fifth season and is ready to prove to everyone that last year was not a fluke.

Indiana showed a season ago what it was capable of. Now the question remains, can they stay there. If, and this is a big if, Penix can stay healthy and the defense picks up where they left off a season ago, there is no reason to think Indiana cannot win 10 games this season.

– TheHoosier staff writer Paul Gable

Maybe the Murphy’s law nature of Penn State’s 2020 season means that the program’s fortunes have to turn to the extreme in the other direction this year, but I’m not sure I’m on board with that idea yet.

I think at Wisconsin, at Iowa, and at Ohio State represent long odds for this Penn State team on initial glance, and Auburn, Indiana, and Michigan represent big hurdles themselves. Managing to emerge with a mark of 1-2 in the road games and 2-1 in the home games would seem to be enough to get to 9-3, but I’ll take the middle ground and say 8-4 is most likely.

– BlueWhiteIllustrated senior editor Nate Bauer

8-4. One of the biggest tests will be West Virginia in the opener. If they can get by the Mountaineers, they have seven home games in total next season with four of their road games coming at Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State and Rutgers.

Ohio State is the lone road game where they will almost certainly be underdogs. They should be heavy favorites over Howard and Kent State. If they can go 2-2 in their remaining home games and win 3 of their 4 winnable road games, that’s 8 total wins.

– TerrapinSportsReport publisher Scott Greene

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Rutgers will be bowling in 2021.

As you all know, the Scarlet Knights had three conference wins in 2020 and arguably could’ve had four or even five had they not choked the Illinois game and made a couple of questionable decisions in the 3PT thriller versus Michigan.

Regardless the schedule is set up pretty good for Rutgers to make some early noise as they should go 3-0 in OOC play (Delaware, Syracuse, Temple) then they take on a Michigan team who is beatable, and after that I think they could win two or more games against Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State or Penn State.

Watch out for this year’s Scarlet Knights offense as Sean Gleeson is paid among the top OCs in the nation for a reason.

– TheKnightReport publisher Richard Schnyderite

My record prediction is 8-4 right now (subject to change, of course), after increasing that from 7-5 back during spring practices.

That would obviously be a disappointment, but Michigan has a tough slate, including a non-conference game against Washington and Big Ten crossover contests at Wisconsin, at Nebraska and versus Northwestern. I have the Wolverines losing to Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and one other opponent.

– TheWolverine staff writer Clayton Sayfie

I think Michigan State can win at least six games in year two of Tucker’s tenure in East Lansing and I think that’s doable because the Spartans had a normal off-season with adequate time to rep the schemes that were installed hastily a year ago.

Regardless of whether its Thorne or Russo at quarterback, I think Michigan State will be improved at the position. Receiver should be a position of strength and the running game should also be reliable in most games, which wasn’t the case year ago.

I have some reservations predicting anything more than 6-6 because I don’t know summer-arrival transfers will fit. I do, however, think six wins is doable if the Spartans can avoid the inconsistency in performance that plagued them a year ago.

– SpartanMag associate editor Paul Konyndyk

It’s tough to predict Northwestern any season.

Who thought, before the 2020 season, they would make the Big Ten championship game and wind up 10th in the final AP poll? The Wildcats often lose one game they shouldn’t (a non-conference game at Duke, maybe?) and win one they shouldn’t (At Wisconsin?).

I say the Cats stumble early but win four of their last five to finish 8-4 overall. I don’t see them making it back to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game, but they should get a nice trip somewhere warm for the holidays.

– WildcatReport publisher/managing editor Louie Vaccher

On paper, Iowa should be favored, at least slightly, in 10 of the 12 regular season games.

The Hawkeyes will be underdogs (heading into the year) when they travel to Iowa State and Wisconsin. Otherwise, the early lines say Iowa should win. Vegas has Iowa’s win total at 8.5, which reflects that expectation. However, Iowa always finds one game where they stumble, so let’s go with 9-3 in 2021 for the Hawkeyes.

– HawkeyeReport publisher Tom Kakert

Right now — and maybe I’m optimistic for the program in a potential resurgence after a lackluster 4-3 season during a truncated, less than “normal” 2020 campaign — but I see another 10-win outcome for Chryst and company.

The Notre Dame contest will be difficult, though on a neutral field, but I expect that to be a close game. Within the Big Ten schedule, Penn State and Michigan will be competitive cross-divisional clashes as well that should challenge Wisconsin (plus rivalry games with Iowa and Minnesota are always a battle).

For now, I’ll say either 10-2 or 11-1. There’s talent on both sides of the ball, and the projected starters on offense match up well with opponents and should give opponents fits. It’s now whether the team’s starters stay healthy, and if not, can others emerge and keep the execution at the same level.

– BadgerBlitz senior writer Jake Kocorowski

I think 8-4 is a reasonable prediction.

Loss to Ohio State is a fairly easy one to predict, but going on the road at Iowa, at Indiana, and home against Wisconsin the last three games to close out the season is a brutal stretch. After Ohio State game one, there is a chance Minnesota can rattle off eight straight wins at home against Nebraska, Maryland, and Illinois and on the road against Purdue and Northwestern. I still think 8-4 is a solid guess at this time, with 9-3 being the upside if they can grab one out of the past three to close the season.

Offense should hum behind All-American Mo Ibrahim and a whole offensive line returning. Pounding the run game and controlling the clock, then getting enough outside to keep the defense off balance. Defense will be improved with the experience and transfers gained from the past season, but still don’t see them being dominant. Offense will be good, defense will be solid enough.

– TheGopherReport staff member Alex Carlson

Many questions on defense loom for Brohm’s fifth Purdue squad. Couple that with a challenging schedule, special teams that have been inconsistent and an unproven o-line and the Boilermakers likely are looking at a 6-6 or 7-5 mark … at best.

But that would be good enough to reach a bowl, which should please fans and set up a promising 2022.

– GoldandBlack associate editor Tom Dienhart

Nebraska may have the most difficult schedule right now in the Big Ten. What I like though is they have three very winnable games out of the gate to get things figured out.

As long as they start out 3-0, I see no reason why the Big Red can’t be a 7-5 type team in 2021 and go back to a bowl game.

– HuskerOnline publisher Sean Callahan

Eternally optimistic, I’ll predict a 6-6 record and an appearance in a minor bowl game. Bret Bielema has me believing the hype, and this is a mature team that shouldn’t be overmatched physically.

The offensive should be competitive. Peters isn’t a superstar, but he fits better in the pro-style scheme and has enough arm strength and accuracy to move the ball. A solid stable of running backs, a veteran offensive line, and two talented tight ends in Ford and Daniel Barker are more reasons for hope.

If the defense can be average, the Illini should go bowling.

– OrangeandBlueNews publisher Doug Bucshon