The Big Ten Conference: Bowl or Stroll?

With the regular season in college football coming near a close, every game counts. There are plenty of teams that are still fighting to make it to a bowl game while some teams have no shot. Entering week 12, all the games that are being played are more impactful. Let’s go through the Big Ten and focus on the bubble teams predicting if they will play in the bowl game or if their seasons will end early.

Maryland (5-5): Stroll

Maryland has been super inconsistent in 2021 and it has started behind their quarterback play. Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa has 20 touchdowns, but he turns the ball over too many times as he has 10 interceptions. Not everything falls on the shoulders of the quarterback, the defense has been a complete liability. The Terrapins are letting opponents score 31.4 points per game and they let the opposing team move the football against them. Maryland is giving up 154.2-yards rushing per game. Maryland must face Michigan and Rutgers in the final two games of the season. I believe that the magic for the Terrapins will run out and they will struggle to have success against Michigan and Rutgers as both teams have legitimate defenses. After starting off 4-0, Maryland has lost five out of their last six games and the trend will continue putting the Terrapins out of bowl contention.

Rutgers (5-5): Bowl

The Scarlett Knights have had their best season since 2015 as second-year head coach Greg Schiano has guided his team to success. As Rutgers has entered conference play, they have been exposed but they have handed the teams they are supposed to. This weekend, the Scarlett Knights face Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania in a game Rutgers is likely to lose. However, in week 13 there is a showdown between Maryland and Rutgers. I believe that Rutgers will win this football game based on the running game Rutgers presents and the defense as well. Rutgers is averaging 145.7-yards rushing behind the efforts of Isaih Pacheco who has five touchdowns this year. The defense for Rutgers creates turnovers as they are averaging 1.7 takeaways a game. I think Rutgers takes advantage of the home field and they will get a victory in week 13 sending them to a bowl game over Maryland.

Illinois (4-6): Stroll 

All the credit to head coach Bret Bielema and Illinois for fighting this season but I believe they will be taking a stroll as they will miss out on bowl season in 2021. The Fighting Illini started at 1-4 but they have gone 3-2 in the past five games. Illinois probably pulled off one of the biggest upsets in 2021 when they took down Penn State who was ranked No. 7 at the time, they also beat Minnesota in week 10 who was ranked No. 20. To qualify for a bowl game, Illinois has to win out and beat both Iowa and Northwestern, I struggle to see them takedown the Iowa Hawkeyes. Illinois only scores 17.2 points per game and the offense is not dynamic enough to possess a threat to the defense of Iowa. The improved year for Illinois is great for the conference but their hopes of making a bowl will have to wait until 2022.

References: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Writer

-By: Justin Howard