Athlon's 2012 B1G prediction

[Smart]

Ohio State is back at our house. Michigan State is back at our house. No Iowa, our usual thorn in the side. O'Brien may be new to the team but he's not a first year starter. He'll be taking his job seriously. We lost our top safety, but according to Bielema the tandem back there now is the best he's seen since he's been here. DT play will be solid again. DE play should improve. Devin Smith could and should have a Fenelus type year. Cromartie literally can't get any worse, but he may lose his starting job anyway.

Ball is back. Abbredaris is back. The left side of the line is potentially top in the country again, the right side will gel. The backfield is deep. The Tight Ends will be deep. Duckworth will be solid enough to make plays now and then, and you never know who will step up at WR this year. Special teams could be rough but we usually find someone to step up.

I like our odds of losing less than 3 games. The two losses last year during the regular season were painful, but they were lost on boneheaded plays. They were games that should have been won despite being back to back and on the road. This year the test isn't quite the same, in my opinion.

I'm with you completely (and actually take it a step further). I'm not sure how anyone can look at our returning players and how they performed in the past and then look at our schedule and see more than two losses. We have the most returning experience of any of the top B1G teams, and they are coming from the best team in the conference. Add in a schedule where our toughest road game is against a team that we beat down by 31 last year who has a QB totally incapable of shredding our defense, and I see a team that will lose at most two games.

 

[ForkEmBucky]

Right. You never know until the games are played, I just like our odds a lot better than a 9-4 prediction. We have said that before, however.

 

[herky]

I hope we surprise the shit out of everyone and meet Sconnie in the CCG. I would definitely be making the drive for that one.

 

[ForkEmBucky]

I hope we surprise the shit out of everyone and meet Sconnie in the CCG. I would definitely be making the drive for that one.

Me too.

 

[USCDoom]

If I had to predict the Big 10 for 2012 right now this is what I think. (records are not accurate just projections)

1. Wisconsin 6-2
2. Illinois 4-4
3. Ohio State 4-4
4. Penn State 3-5
5. Purdue 2-6
6. Indiana 1-7

1. Michigan 7-1
2. Michigan State 6-2
3. Nebraska 6-2
4. Iowa 3-5
5. Minnesota 2-6
6. Northwestern 1-7

 

[ForkEmBucky]

Illinois?!