Conference By Conference Preview: Big 10

With less than a week to go now before the college football season kicks off, it’s time for The Dirt to make some predictions. Beginning with conference standings and conference winners, I’ll take a look at all six BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC). Next up, the Big 10:

Big 10

·         Preseason Top 25 Teams

AP Poll                                                            Dirt Poll

10. Nebraska                                                   6. Wisconsin

11. Wisconsin                                                  11. Nebraska

17. Michigan State                                          21. Michigan State

18. Ohio State

·         Predicted Finish

Legends Division                                                  Leaders Division

1.      Nebraska 10-2 (6-2)                                        1. Wisconsin 11-1 (7-1)

2.      Michigan 9-3 (5-3)                                          2. Penn State 8-4 (5-3)

3.      Northwestern 8-4 (4-4)                                   3. Illinois 7-5 (4-4)

4.      Iowa 8-4 (4-4)                                                 4. Ohio State 7-5 (3-5)

5.      Michigan State 7-5 (4-4)                                 5. Purdue 5-7 (2-6)

6.      Minnesota 4-8 (1-7)                                        6. Indiana 5-7 (1-7)

·         Bowl Teams: (9)

o   Wisconsin

o   Nebraska

o   Michigan

o   Penn State

o   Northwestern

o   Illinois

o   Iowa

o   Ohio State

o   Michigan State

·         Big 10 Championship Game:

§  Wisconsin over Nebraska

·         Big 10 Champion: Wisconsin Badgers

·         Key Games:

o   11/12: #17 Michigan State Vs Iowa

o   9/10: Michigan Vs #16 Notre Dame

o   11/19: #10 Nebraska Vs Michigan

o   11/26: Michigan Vs #18 Ohio State

o   10/22: #11 Wisconsin Vs #17 Michigan State

o   10/8: #18 Ohio State Vs #10 Nebraska

o   9/10: Penn State Vs #2 Alabama

o   10/29: #18 Ohio State Vs #11 Wisconsin

o   10/1: #11 Wisconsin Vs #10 Nebraska

·         Big 10 Summary:

It appears this season is stacking up to be a good one for the Big 10. The addition of Nebraska, who comes into the season ranked #10, will help to replace the hole at the top left by Ohio State. No more Terrelle Pryor, no more Jim Tressel; looks like the hierarchal structure in the conference has shifted. Russell Wilson, an amazing athlete, transferred from North Carolina State to Wisconsin; and we all got a glimpse of what he is capable of doing last night in the Badgers romp of UNLV.

Wisconsin and Nebraska are the clear cut favorites in their respective divisions coming into the season; and an October showdown in Madison could be a preview of the conferences first title game. Michigan has a new head coach, and do everything quarterback Denard Robinson back to run Brady Hoakes offense. Joe ‘Pa’ is back for his 150^th season as head coach for Penn State, and they should have another strong season.

The conference could contend to have the most teams of any with bowl games; only Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana seem to be at odds with making post season play. Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan State, Illinois will all contend for 8 or so wins; and they are all very strong teams.

Then there’s Ohio State. They’ve had their run of conference dominance for around a decade; and does anyone else think they’ll have a bull’s eye on their back? They lost their swagger, and I think week in week out every conference team will bring their ‘A’ game to try and pay back the Buckeyes.

There aren’t very many big non conference games for the Big 10; Michigan will play their first ever night game against Notre Dame, which should be a good one. Other than that, most teams should cruise until their conference slate begins.

Wisconsin and Nebraska are my picks to make the first conference title game, and if both manage to lose only one regular season game; the winner could have a shot at a national title. I think Russell Wilson will make the difference, and Wisconsin will win the first 12 team Big 10 title.

With nine possible bowl teams, two teams with top 10 potential and Michigan out of the Rich Rod cloud; this is going to be one exciting conference to watch this season. 

Conference By Conference Preview: Big East

With less than a week to go now before the college football season kicks off, it’s time for The Dirt to make some predictions. Beginning with conference standings and conference winners, I’ll take a look at all six BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC). Next up, the Big East:

Big East

·         Preseason Top 25 Teams

AP Poll                                                            Dirt Poll

24. West Virginia                                            15. West Virginia

·         Predicted Finish

1.      West Virginia 10-2 (6-1)

2.      Pittsburg 7-5 (4-3)

3.      Louisville 8-4 (4-3)

4.      South Florida 7-5 (4-3)

5.      Syracuse 7-5 (3-4)

6.      Connecticut 6-6 (3-4)

7.      Cincinnati 5-7 (2-5)

8.      Rutgers 5-7 (2-5)

·         Bowl Teams: (6)

o   West Virginia

o   Pittsburg

o   Louisville

o   South Florida

o   Syracuse

o   Connecticut

·         Big East Champion: West Virginia Mountaineers

·         Key Games:

o   10/8: #24 West Virginia Vs. Connecticut

o   9/24: #24 West Virginia Vs #4 LSU

o   9/14: #25 USC Vs Syracuse

o   9/3: #16 Notre Dame Vs South Florida

o   12/1: South Florida Vs #24 West Virginia

o   11/15: #24 West Virginia Vs Pittsburg

o   11/5: #24 West Virginia Vs Louisville

·         Big East Summary:

It could be tough to find reasons to cheer this season, if you’re a Big East fan. But heck, when was the last time the Big East either boasted a legit BCS team or national title contender? Probably not since good ole’ Rich Rodriquez left West Virginia (anyone want to bet he regrets that decision?), along with Pat White.

Connecticut had their shot in the prime time last season, and got stomped by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Two things I noticed about that game; first, if you’re in a BCS bowl, you shouldn’t lose by more than 20 points. And secondly, if you can’t even sell all of your tickets, just don’t show up. I refuse to watch another BCS game with empty 300 level seats; that was a joke for not only the Connecticut, but also the Big East.

That was then and there though, so let’s look forward and check out what this season will be like for the Big East. West Virginia has a new head coach, again, and they by default come in as the preseason favorite to win the conference. Most preseason polls have them ranked in the #20-25 range; I moved them up to #15, though. They will have to face LSU in preseason play, but will get them at home. I figure a loss there, along with a conference loss; and there’s a 10 win season for the Mountaineers.

As for the rest of the conference, is TCU in town yet? Holy smokes it’s bad. Thankfully for them, the Big East gets to play a 5-game non conference schedule. What a joke. So that means a Big East team could go 5-0 out of conference, 1-6 in conference; and there’s a bowl team.

Pittsburg, Louisville and South Florida will be decent. With South Florida facing an early test at Notre Dame, that should be an indicator of where they’ll finish in the conference. Syracuse made a bowl game last season, and because I didn’t finish these blogs in time; they beat Wake Forrest last night to start out 1-0. The Orange should make it back to post season play; a good barometer check will be there game at USC.

In the future, I advise the Big East to desperately look to further expand. The Pac 12 got better by adding Utah; the Big 10 got better by adding Nebraska; the Big 12 lost two teams, but they boast the preseason #1 ranked team; the ACC has two legit title contenders this season; and nothing needs to be said to boost the SEC. That leaves the Big East in the dust. Adding TCU next season will be a step in the right direction, but it’s not good if you add a non BCS conference school and they immediately become the favorite (see, Utah picked to finish in middle of the Pac 12). The Big East is the only major conference this season without a horse in the National Title race. Who knows, maybe West Virginia will knock off LSU, then run the tables in conference play. But, don’t expect it. 

Conference By Conference Preview: Big 12

With less than a week to go now before the college football season kicks off, it’s time for The Dirt to make some predictions. Beginning with conference standings and conference winners, I’ll take a look at all six BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC). Next up, the Big 12:

Big 12

·         Preseason Top 25 Teams

AP Poll                                                            Dirt Poll

1. Oklahoma                                                    4. Oklahoma

8. Texas A+M                                                 9. Texas A+M

9. Oklahoma State                                          13. Oklahoma State

21. Missouri                                                    25. Texas

·         Predicted Finish

1.      Texas A+M 10-2 (8-1)

2.      Oklahoma 10-2 (7-2)

3.      Texas 9-3 (6-3)

4.      Oklahoma State 8-4 (6-3)

5.      Baylor 8-4 (5-4)

6.      Missouri 7-5 (5-4)

7.      Kansas State 6-6 (3-6)

8.      Texas Tech 5-7 (3-6)

9.      Iowa State 4-8 (2-7)

10.  Kansas 3-9 (1-7)

·         Bowl Teams: (7)

o   Texas A+M

o   Oklahoma

o   Texas

o   Oklahoma State

o   Baylor

o   Missouri

o   Kansas State

·         Big 12 Champion: Texas A+M Aggies

·         Key Games

o   9/17: #6 Florida State Vs #1 Oklahoma

o   9/24 #8 Texas A+M Vs #9 Oklahoma State

o   11/5: #1 Oklahoma Vs #8 Texas A+M

o   12/3: #9 Oklahoma State Vs #1 Oklahoma

o   10/8: Texas Vs #1 Oklahoma

o   9/2: Baylor Vs #14 TCU

o   11/24: #8 Texas A+M Vs Texas

·         Big 12 Summary:

Could be a big year for the Big 12, or should I say Big 10? Nebraska departed to the actual Big 10; while Colorado left for the new Pac 12, so who’s next? Well, recent news seems that it will be Texas A+M, with reports claiming they’re on their way to the SEC. So let’s begin with those Aggies, who I think will win the conference this year. Oklahoma may be the sexy #1 preseason pick, but Texas A+M seems like the best team to me. With ex-Green Bay Packer head coach Mike Sherman at the helm, they made a large step in the right direction last year – and I think this year they’ll take the next step. Though they will have to play at Oklahoma, the rest of their tough games will come at home.

Oklahoma will most likely finish in one of the top two spots, but everyone will bring their ‘A’ game against the preseason favorite Sooners. Landry Jones is a stud behind center, but the loss of DeMarco Murray will be a big one. Next in line, hopefully not surprisingly, is Texas. Does anyone think the Longhorns will finish below .500 again? I hope not. Oklahoma State and Missouri are both ranked in preseason Top 25 polls, but have the stench of overrated to me.

Baylor could be a surprise, Mr. Everything quarterback Robert Griffin is sure fun to watch. Look for them to have an unexpected season, winning 8 games. Kansas State should limp into a bowl game, and Texas Tech could also challenge to win 6 games. As for Iowa State and Kansas, better luck next year.

A big story line this season for the Big 12 will be an increase in conference games. They will step into Pac 10 (now Pac 12) territory as the only other conference to play 9 conference games in a season. Losing the chance to play one more patsy in nonconference play will hurt the lower teams, as will take a 3-0 out of conference record and 3 conference wins to make a bowl game.

Texas A+M is my pick to win the Big 12, though Oklahoma can easily challenge for the conference title. Both should win 10 games, and the team that finishes second could have a shot at an at-large BCS bid. 

Conference By Conference Preview: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

With less than a week to go now before the college football season kicks off, it’s time for The Dirt to make some predictions. Beginning with conference standings and conference winners, I’ll take a look at all six BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC). First up, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC):

ACC

·         Preseason Top 25 Teams

AP Poll                                                            Dirt Poll

6. Florida State                                               8. Florida State

13. Virginia Tech                                            10. Virginia Tech

·         Predicted Finish

Atlantic Division                                             Coastal Division

1.      Florida State 10-2 (7-1)                      1. Virginia Tech 11-1 (7-1)

2.      Maryland 8-4 (6-2)                              2. Georgia Tech 7-5 (4-4)

3.      Clemson 8-4 (5-3)                               3. North Carolina 5-7 (3-5)

4.      Boston College 6-6 (4-4)                    4. Miami (FL) 5-7 (3-5)

5.      North Carolina State 5-7 (3-5)            5. Duke 5-7 (2-6)

6.      Wake Forrest 2-9 (1-7)                        6. Virginia 4-8 (1-7)

·         Bowl Teams: (6)

o   Florida State

o   Virginia Tech

o   Maryland

o   Clemson

o   Georgia Tech

o   Boston College

·         ACC Championship Game

§  Florida State over Virginia Tech

·         ACC Champion: Florida State Seminoles

·         Key Games

o   9/17: #6 Florida State Vs #1 Oklahoma

o   11/10: Georgia Tech Vs #13 Virginia Tech

o   9/17: Maryland Vs #24 West Virginia

o   9/24: Clemson Vs #6 Florida State

o   10/1: #13 Virginia Tech Vs Clemson

·         ACC Summary:

The 2011 season is shaping up to be more exciting than any from recent memory for the ACC. With two teams in the preseason AP Top 25 poll; Florida State and Virginia Tech, the conference boasts two legit National Title contenders. However, both teams need to replace NFL drafted Quarterbacks; Christian Ponder from Florida State and ‘human highlight’ reel Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech. For the Seminoles, E.J Manuel is expected to step in and take over right away; though an early season matchup with Oklahoma will be a good test. Besides for the Sooners, Florida State will also have to beat instate rival Florida. As for Virginia Tech, the Hokies don’t have a single team on their schedule that’s ranked in the preseason Top 25. That easily could equal an undefeated season, though I expect they drop at least one game.

The rest of the conference doesn’t quite look as stunning. Maryland, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Boston College are the second tier of teams the ACC has to offer, but none should win nine games. The bottom of the conference is also looking pretty bleak. North Carolina and Miami are going through coaching changes and off field issues; as the Hurricanes just had to suspend 11 of the current players. It will be interesting to see how those teams bounce back. North Carolina State, Wake Forrest, Duke and Virginia will bring up the ACC caboose, and will struggle to finish at .500.

The conference title game should be a good one, I’m predicting the two ranked teams finish where they are picked. Virginia Tech and Florida State will be a great showdown in Jacksonville; and I think E.J Manuel will be the difference sending the Seminoles back to a BCS game with an automatic berth. If Virginia Tech can finish with 11 wins and a conference title game loss, they could be in the running for an at-large bid themselves.

All in all, the ACC should be intriguing. If Florida State can get by Oklahoma; and if Virginia Tech can beat the teams they’re supposed to, each could be in the national title hunt come November. The rest of the conference, well, not so much.