2013 Big Ten Football Preview

Ohio State is the overwhelming favorite to win the Big Ten in the 2013 season

2012 was an interesting year for the Big Ten conference. It was full of underachievers, and bowl in-eligible overachievers. Who saw Penn State finishing 8-4 in the wake of the Sandusky Scandal, or Northwestern reaching ten wins? These are reasons why teams take the field on Saturday, because teams are not always as good as they are on paper (USC was a strong example of this last year). The Big Ten saw Braxton Miller become a stud, and this year he will be a Heisman Trophy candidate.

 I'll start previewing the 2013 season by first reviewing the 2012 year. The final Big Ten standings were as followed:

Legends Division:
Nebraska: 10-4
Michigan: 8-5
Northwestern: 10-3
Michigan State: 7-6
Iowa: 4-8
Minnesota: 6-7

Leaders Division:
Ohio State: 12-0
Penn State: 8-4
Wisconsin: 8-6
Purdue: 6-7
Indiana: 4-8
Illinois: 2-10

Braxton Miller looks to lead Ohio State in 2013

First off, Legends and Leaders are really stupid division names, and I'm glad to see them gone with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers in 2014. Anyways, There are some obvious things to take away from 2012. The first, Ohio State was very lucky. It took overtime for the Buckeyes to defeat Purdue, with home field advantage, and they also narrowly escaped Madison without a loss to Wisconsin, pulling out a narrow overtime victory against the Badgers. The Buckeyes also failed to show up in other games, beating Cal by only seven, and UAB by only two scores when favored by 35 at home! Ohio State simply will not run the table in 2013.

Michigan State looks to avoid bad luck in 2013

While Ohio State had some luck, Michigan State didn't seem to have any. The Spartans had five losses in conference play in 2012, all of which were decided by four points or less. Michigan State will not be that unfortunate in 2013, as they won't have to play Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Penn State, but will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and a highly underrated Northwestern team, both on the road in 2013.

Bill O' Brien leading the Nittany Lions out of the tunnel

The third and final thing I'd like to note, is Bill O'Brien, and his success in his first season at Penn State University. In the wake of the Sandusky Scandal, and the media wrongfully disgracing Joe Paterno, Penn State football was changed completely. The widely respected and great Paterno passed away, leaving his legacy tarnished by one mans evil actions. Penn State was burdened by with heavy sanctions, the most hurtful being the four-year bowl ban.

Happy Valley found it's leaders in Michael Mauti, Matt McGloin, and Bill O' Brien. Nothing was expected of Penn State, but the Lions roared to an 8-4 record, that really was a roller coaster ride from start to finish. Watching Penn State recover is so great, and it is something that State College, Pennsylvania desperately needs.

These were all great stories for 2012, but what does 2013 have in store? First, I will say that I will admit that I'm not a big believer in Ohio State. I mean come on, this team doesn't show up so often that it is exciting to watch their games no matter who they play because they play down to their opponents level, and always try to turn it on, and can't always do it. Though even with that in mind, here's what I think the Leaders division will end up like:

2013 Leaders Final Predictions:
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Penn State
Purdue
Indiana
Illinois

I see Ohio State doing enough to at least make the Big Ten Championship, I mean let's be realistic, Penn State can't play in it, and Wisconsin won't beat Ohio State. Then the Legends division should pan out like this:

2013 Legends Final Predictions:
Michigan State
Nebraska
Northwestern
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota

Now, this should surprise some of you, but think about it. Michigan State returns 15 starters, and won't play Ohio State or Wisconsin. Most people will be shocked by Michigan fourth, but the Wolverines have Penn State, Michigan State, and Northwestern all on the road, and you throw in a final game against Ohio State, and Michigan is toast.

So this gives you an interesting match-up:

2013 Big Ten Title Game:
Ohio State vs Michigan State

Now depending on records, the winner of this game will for sure be in the Rose Bowl due to the BCS tie-in, or maybe even the winner in the National Title, and the loser in the Rose Bowl. Most people by now must really think I'm hating on Ohio State, but so be it, Michigan State comes away with the win, and becomes Big Ten Champions. This is a little bold, but we will just have to wait until the cleats hit the turf the last week of August. It's going to be an awesome year.



Credits:

Brutus Photo:

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/ohio-state-football/images/28922114/title/brutus-buckeye-midfield-wallpaper
Braxton Miller Photo:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-12-06/sports/ct-spt-1207-big-ten-silver-football--20121207_1_big-ten-ohio-state-s-braxton-miller-nebraska-s-taylor-martinez
Spartan Mascot Photo:
http://huskersgameday.com/2011/04/28/big-ten-legends-division-michigan-state-spartans-football-facts/
Bill O' Brien and PSU photo:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1533329-penn-state-football-way-too-early-game-by-game-schedule-predictions-for-2013
*Stats and info taken from Phil Steele's 2013 College Football Preview