The very first official college football national champion, Ohio State, came from the most disparaged of the Power Five conferences. The Big Ten, or B1G as their marketing people like to call it, does have a few contenders for national honors once again. It also has a bunch of teams among the worst of the major programs. Here are my odds to win the B1G, which most likely will punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff, followed by notes from ATN’s College Football Preview eMagazine. Ohio State 9-5; Wisconsin 3-1; Michigan State 7-2; Nebraska 8-1; Iowa 25-1; Penn State 25-1; Michigan 25-1. Northwestern 40-1; Indiana 50-1; Minnesota 50-1; Rutgers 75-1; Maryland 100-1; Purdue 200-1; Illinois 300-1. Big Ten-plus look Ohio State: The quarterbacks got the publicity, but a lot of the credit should go to the offensive line, which returns almost intact. The defense was fantastic. They should be just as good. The only caveat I will give is they peaked late in the season and might do the same this year. Wisconsin: There is always an adjustment period with a new coach. They lose 6 offensive starters, including 3 offensive linemen and RB Melvin Gordon, but the biggest concern comes from their returning QB, Joel Stave. Michigan State: They should be strong contender for the national championship, but do have rematches with both Oregon and Ohio State. The rest of the schedule isn’t so bad. Nebraska: They lost top skill position players as well as some key losses on the OL. Add the fact of a new coach, Mike Riley, who will drastically change the system. The D is in pretty good shape. Iowa: They had an incredibly favorable schedule last season. It was a typical Iowa season. …
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