Here’s what you need to know as we head in
Big Ten Media Day begins later this week in Indianapolis, and Maize n Brew will be in attendance bringing you the latest and greatest updates as it pertains to the Michigan Wolverines . But today, let’s take a 10,000-foot view of the conference as a whole as we head into the final stretch of the summer prior to kickoff next month.
New Teams
USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon all come over from the now-deceased Pac-12 Conference to compete with some of the best teams in the nation. All four of these schools are expected to bring a lot to the gridiron in 2024 and future seasons, with arguably three of the four anticipated to compete right away (UCLA perhaps being the outlier).
A new age of Big Ten football is officially upon us.
First-Year Head Coaches
- Curt Cignetti – Indiana
- Sherrone Moore – Michigan
- Jonathan Smith – Michigan State
- David Braun – Northwestern (was the interim in 2023)
- DeShaun Foster – UCLA
- Jedd Fisch – Washington
Early Prediction
The only national media outlet that has a prediction out currently for the Big Ten Championship is Athlon Sports , which has Ohio State defeating Oregon for the conference title this season. Additionally, Athlon has Michigan finishing in third place. Here is what they had to say about that:
Keeping Michigan at the top of the Big Ten won’t be easy for new coach Sherrone Moore. Although a strong interim stint during Jim Harbaugh’s suspension showcased Moore’s ability as a head coach, the Wolverines return only five starters and enter ‘24 with uncertainty on offense.
The strength of Moore’s first team is clearly on the defensive side of the ball. Linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant anchor one of the nation’s top fronts, with Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann leading the way at the second level. Former NFL assistant Wink Martindale takes over the play-calling duties and a couple of late transfers boosted the depth in a secondary that returns one of college football’s top cornerbacks in Will Johnson.
As mentioned previously, the offense (Moore’s side of the ball) enters ‘24 with major concerns. All five starters from the offensive line, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, and receiver Roman Wilson have departed Ann Arbor. The quarterback battle could extend deep into fall practice, with Alex Orji the likely frontrunner after seeing limited snaps last year. Donovan Edwards is poised for a huge year as the team’s No. 1 running back, while tight end Colston Loveland is an Athlon Sports first-team All-American.
Betting Odds
Below are the odds for each team to win the Big Ten, according to DraftKings Sportsbook .
- Ohio State +155
- Oregon +215
- Penn State +500
- Michigan +600
- USC +2,200
- Iowa +4,000
- Nebraska +5,500
- Wisconsin +6,500
- Washington +8,000
- Maryland +10,000
- Rutgers +12,000
- UCLA +15,000
- Minnesota +18,000
- Northwestern +20,000
- Michigan State +20,000
- Indiana +20,000
- Illinois +20,000
- Purdue +30,000
Final Thoughts
Overall, it appears the Big Ten will be pretty top-heavy again in 2024, but there are a few dark-horse teams that could be in the mix as well.
Under second-year head coach Luke Fickell, Wisconsin could be a team that sneaks into the conversation this season. Things didn’t pan out well for Fickell and the Badgers in 2023, but with an experienced quarterback in former Miami Hurricane Tyler Van Dyke now in Madison and a bulk of the offense and defense returning this fall, things could be on the up and up for Wisconsin.
Another team that could be sneaky good in 2024 is Nebraska. Matt Rhule had a rough start to his tenure in Lincoln last season, but former five-star quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola could be just what he and the Cornhuskers need to put up a good fight in the new-look Big Ten Conference.
Finally, with an always stingy defense and several returning contributors on offense, along with a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester, I could see Iowa causing some havoc once again and upsetting some teams in the process.
All in all, the Big Ten should be incredibly competitive this season, and that would have been the case without the addition of the aforementioned West Coast teams.