It is the dawn of a new era in the Big Ten as the addition of Nebraska this season not only adds to the overall quality of the competition, it paves the way for a conference title game as the 12 teams have been broken up into two divisions; the Leaders and the Legends.
The following is a brief preview of each team in the Big Ten along with their current odds to win the conference as provided by SportsInteraction.com
Leaders Division
Illinois +2000
For the Fighting Illini to have a fighting chance in the Big Ten this season, they will need to squeeze every drop of talent from a team that returns nine starters on offense including All -Conference OT Jeff Allen and six starters on defense, including safeties Tavon Wilson and Trulon Henry. They get a break with their schedule having to face Minnesota and Michigan from the other division, but not Nebraska or Michigan State.
Indiana +8000
The Hoosiers won just one conference game last season and the prospect for any kind of dramatic turn around this year is not that promising. They do have a new head coach in Kevin Wilson and a physical presence on offense with WR Damarlo Belcher, but also have a defense that was ranked 102nd in the nation last season in points allowed with 34.
Ohio State +500
The turmoil this offseason along with the loss of Head Coach Jim Tressel and QB Terrelle Pryor is bound to have a negative impact on this perennial power. The other contributing factor to a down turn in 2011 is the loss of 14 starters from last year’s team. The Buckeyes still have RB Dan Herron, who rushed for 1,155 yards in 2010, but will be faced with the task of filling in numerous holes on both sides of the ball.
Penn State +250
The ageless one Joe Paterno has his youthful Nittany Lions poised for a breakout season in 2011. They return eight starters on both offense and defense including sophomore QB Rob Bolden, would gained experience through a baptism of fire last year. The schedule favors a manageable start for the Lions, but they face Nebraska, Ohio State, and Wisconsin to close out the regular season.
Purdue +6000
Boilermakers are another team that only managed one conference victory last season. They return nine starters on defense and will have to hope that the experience will improve a unit that gave up close to 30 points a game last year. Purdue’s biggest impact player could be place kicker Carson Wiggs, who kicked a 67-yard field goal in this year’s spring game.
Wisconsin +550
A traditional Big Ten power, the Badgers could be the surprise team this season to come out of this conference. They lost half their starters from last year’s 11-2 team, but have reloaded with some quality recruits as well as a few upperclassmen that are poised to make an impact this year. One player to watch is WR Nick Toon, who should be the primary receiving threat in this offense after catching 36 balls for 469 yards last season.
Legends Division
Iowa +800
QB James Vandenberg is the likely replacement for the departed Ricky Stanzi, who is now in the NFL. Fortunately he will have RB Marcus Coker and WR Marvin McNutt to help ease the transition. The bigger problem could be replacing the six starters that helped the Hawkeyes rank seventh in the country in points allowed. Iowa does have both its starting CB’s back including All-Conference player Shaun Prater.
Michigan +1500
The Wolverines are another team to watch this season as they will look to build on last year’s success with the return of 18 starters including Heisman Trophy hopeful QB Denard Robinson. Last season he passed for 2,570 yards and 18 TD’s and ran for 1,702 yards and 14 TD’s. The key to how far Michigan goes this year will really hinge on a defense that needs to improve on the 35.2 points per game it gave up in 2010.
Michigan State +800
The schedule does not favor another 11-2 campaign for the Spartans as they will have to go on the road to face Notre Dame, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Iowa. They return seven starters on offense including QB Kirk Cousins and RB Edwin Baker. The defense will be anchored by DT Jerel Worthy, who is already catching the eye of several NFL scouts.
Minnesota +10000
The Gophers are a prohibitive longshot to win the Big Ten, but have a decent chance to improve upon last season’s 3-9 record. New Head Coach Jerry Kill should be able to open things up on offense with the versatility of QB MarQueis Gray. Also, look for RB Duane Bennett to give Minnesota a legitimate ground game which was missing last season. Defense remains a huge question mark for this team after giving up 33 points a game last year.
Nebraska +150
The Cornhuskers enter their first year in the conference as the favorite to win it all and for good reason. They return seven starters to a defense that is already considered one of the best in the country. The line features DT Jared Crick and DE Cameron Meredith and the secondary will be anchored by CB Alfonzo Dennard. Sophomore QB Taylor Martinez will lead Nebraska’s offense. Last season, he threw for 1,631 yards and ran for 965 more.
Northwestern +1500
The Wildcats were 3-5 in the conference last season, but knocked off Iowa, which was ranked 13th at the time, 21-17. With nine starters returning on offense and seven returning on defense, Northwestern should have the opportunity to pull off a few more upsets this season. All-Conference QB Dan Persa is back as is WR Jeremy Ebert and RB Mike Trumpy. Look for CB Jordan Mabin, a legitimate pro prospect, to be one of the primary playmakers on defense.
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