CFB’s Five Coaches Poll Teams from the Big Ten Conference
As we approach the start of the college football season, we were given one more treat that ignites our excitement. On Tuesday, August 10th, USA Today unveiled the Preseason coaches poll for the upcoming 2021-22 college football season. It symbolizes that the college football season is just right around the corner.
The top 25 featured six SEC teams, five Big Ten teams, four Big-12 teams, three ACC and Pac-12 teams, and then Notre Dame, Louisiana, and Cincinnati round out the rest of the rankings. The top two teams that are receiving votes but didn’t make it are Northwestern and Michigan.
The five Big Ten teams that were included were Ohio State at No. 4, Wisconsin at No. 15, Indiana at No. 17, Iowa at No. 18, and Penn State at No. 20. Overall, the rankings seem accurate and there aren’t many things I would change if I was creating my rankings. I do believe that the Northwestern Wildcats should be put in the top 25 potentially replacing Coastal Carolina or Louisiana but I understand because of their new quarterback coming in as an unproven transfer.
I will be focusing on each ranked team and predicting if they will finish above or below their initial ranking by the time the year is over.
Ohio State - No. 4: Above
Currently, the teams ahead of Ohio State are Oklahoma, Clemson, and Alabama. I think that the Buckeye return once again to the college football playoff and make it in as a top 3 seed. Oklahoma, while insanely offensively talented, doesn’t possess the defense that Ohio State has. Josh Proctor and Sevyn Banks are two highly talented prospects and the defensive front for the Buckeyes is going to be elite again. I see them finishing the year at 13-0 and advancing with a top 3 seed for the playoff.
Wisconsin - No. 15: Above
Graham Mertz is back for the Badgers and has a year of experience under his belt. Coming back will be two solid receivers that Mertz can trust in Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor. The offensive line is returning many starters and the defensive is too. Last year the Badgers defensive was dominant holding opponents to 17.4 points a game. They should finish the season higher than No. 15 and could potentially make a run for the conference title.
Indiana - No. 17: Below
While all the hype is on Indiana this year, and I can even admit I have ridden their hype train, I think that they finish in the top 25 but lower than No. 17. They returning Michael Penix Jr. but there are injury questions still there after he tore his ACL. Ty Fryfogle comes back as well who is a top receiver in the conference and nation. However, I believe that their program will come back to reality slightly as it returns to a bit more normalcy this year. I think we will see better Penn State and Michigan teams this year than we saw last. They open the year against a legit Iowa team and in week three they face a Cincinnati team that could finish undefeated and make a push for the playoff. As well, they have to face Ohio State and Penn State. I think the schedule will be too much and they will finish at 9-3 or 8-4.
Iowa - No. 18: Above
I love Iowa and what they could be this year. They have an offensive line that could be graded as one of the highest in the country this year. The offensive line was elite in 2020, allowing them to average 170 yards rushing a game. They had a penetrated defense in 2020 allowing 16 points per game and they play tough football. They limit turnovers and grind out victories. Look for the Hawkeyes to represent the West in the championship game if they defeat Wisconsin.
Penn State - No. 20: Above
I think Penn State comes back to the program we all know them to be after a rough 2020 season. They finished the season with four straight wins and James Franklin knows what he is doing. Sean Clifford comes back after a down junior year and he will want to prove he can lead his team to success. I think that Penn State is the second-best team in the Big Ten East but their schedule doesn’t help. They need to come out swinging as they play Wisconsin and Auburn early. I think they will lose to Wisconsin week one and lose to Ohio State week eight as both games are away. They should finish with two losses putting them higher than No. 20 on the rankings.
References: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/
Writer
-By: Justin Howard