2023 College Football Review: Big Ten

Photo by CBS Sports

What a weird, weird year for the Big Ten.

Scandals, suspensions, bad offense with record setting O/U totals.

You gotta love it.

Here is how the Big Ten ended up.

East

1. Michigan Wolverines [Conference Champion] (My Prediction: 1 & Conference Champion)

The super duper easy schedule helped, but so did the excellent coaching and in game adjustments of placeholder coach Sherrone Moore who took over for the suspended Jim Harbaugh due to the sign stealing scandal.

Moore led Michigan to big wins over Penn State and Ohio State to get the Wolverines back into the college football playoff.

Again, he deserves a head coaching job.

Maybe he takes over Michigan if Harbaugh bolts to the NFL.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (My Prediction: 2)

Like I said, if Ohio State couldn’t beat Michigan with CJ Stroud, I don’t think they will with Kyle McCord.

They didn’t. But hey, it was another 11-1 year for the Buckeyes.

The question is, how long that will be good enough if the one loss each year is to Michigan…

3. Penn State Nittany Lions (My Prediction: 3)

I said I could see Penn State going 10-2 with losses to Michigan and Ohio State.

They did!

I also said they’d be really, really good.

And I’m not sure they were.

Offensively, there are a ton of questions for Penn State going into 2024.

Let’s see if it can improve, because it wasn’t super fun in 2023.

4. Maryland Terrapins (My Prediction: 4)

Started 5-0.

Ended 7-5.

Ah, September Maryland.

Never change…

5. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (My Prediction: 6)

The slow turn around for Rutgers is getting better and better, as the Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible yet again.

Only 6-6, but hey!

That’s better than nothing!

6. Michigan State Spartans (My Prediction: 5)

I was curious how Mel Tucker would respond after a putrid 2022 season.

How did he respond?

Good question! He was fired for sexual assault just weeks into the season and Michigan State went into a total nosedive!

So.

Yeah.

7. Indiana Hoosiers (My Prediction: 7)

Tom Allen got a gigantic extension and raise for his 2020 season.

It went horribly, and now he’s gone.

Tough, but the future is bright with Curt Cignetti coming to town after a great stint with JMU.

West

1. Iowa Hawkeyes (My Prediction: 2)

Iowa went 8-5 last year with a putrid offense.

This years offense was worse!

They set the record for lowest O/U 5 times! And it went under every single time!

And they won all of them! And won 10 games!

What a team.

2. Northwestern Wildcats (My Prediction: 7)

This team was supposed to be terrible, and that was WITH Pat Fitzgerald.

After Fitzgerald got fired for a hazing and harassment scandal, I didn’t see any scenario in which it could be anything more than a total disaster.

Enter, David Braun.

Braun, who should easily win coach of the year, got Northwestern to 7 wins, a bowl game, and the full head coaching job at Northwestern after righting the ship.

Just an absolutely amazing job by Braun.

3. Wisconsin Badgers (My Prediction: 1)

I was probably a little bit too high on Luke Fickell’s year 1 in Madison.

Stuff like this takes some time, and that became very clear very quickly for Wisconsin.

Hopefully, this will be the last of the growing pains.

4. Nebraska Cornhuskers (My Prediction: 6)

Hey, compared to past Matt Rhule year ones (2-10 at Temple, 1-11 at Baylor), 5-7 is an excellent season!

If they cut those turnovers down next year, they could be headed on the right path!

5. Purdue Boilermakers (My Prediction: 5)

I said patience had to be a virtue for Purdue, and it does.

4-8 doesn’t look good, but it’s not the end of the world.

Like I said, jobs like this take time.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini (My Prediction: 4)

Again, a rebuilding year for the Illini due to losing so many key pieces.

Still, getting blown out by Purdue and losing the last two games of the year by a combined 4 points don’t help build morale.

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (My Prediction: 3)

Minnesota was 5-3.

Not tremendous, but not horrible by any means.

And then they lost 4 straight, including tough ones to Illinois, Purdue and rivals Wisconsin.

A top finish was on the cards for them, but the late season collapse instead has them on the bottom.