Blog Archives

The Big Ten had a very good regular season, but struggled through a bowl season that saw most its teams lose to out of conference competition. That being said, the conference will almost assuredly have some of the top squads in the nation in 2011, and here is an early look at who is most likely to win this year’s national championship.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be without their top quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the first five games of the season, but that doesn’t stop them from having a 2012 BCS National Championships line of +2,000. Only one of those games should even be close without their starters, based on their perennially dominant defense.

The 2010-2011 college football bowl season was one to remember. Many games were decided in the closing minutes, with some phenomenal upsets and individual performances along the way. While there isn’t enough time to recount all of the best moments, here are three that stick out:

Rose Bowl: The TCU Horned Frogs have been fighting for respect all year, going a perfect 12-0 in the regular season. They finally got the big game they were looking for, against the 11-1 Wisconsin Badgers. After a back and forth game, Wisconsin scored a touchdown with 2 minutes remaining. However, TCU stopped the 2 point conversion to win 21-19.

The 6th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes look for their first ever bowl win over a team from the SEC as the take on the 8th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. The Buckeyes’ lone loss this year came at the hands of Wisconsin, whom they tied with atop the Big Ten standings. Arkansas finished 10-2, with losses to Alabama and Auburn. The Razorbacks are a three point underdog in the college football odds.

Ohio State is led by their 14th ranked rushing attack. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor is the ultimate dual threat, combining for 3,190 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions passing and rushing.

Two of the nation’s premier quarterbacks and defenses face off in a Big Ten showdown this weekend as the 20th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes host the 9th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes (9-1) are coming off a come from behind victory over Penn State while Iowa dropped last week’s game to Northwestern, 21-17. Iowa is a three point underdog in the college football odds.

Senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi leads the Hawkeyes and has been very sharp once again this season. He has almost 2,500 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He throws for at least 200 yards consistently is usually very careful with the football. Adam Robinson is leading the team in rushing with 914 yards and 10 scores.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the new number 1 team in nation, and they will have a tough test immediately to prove they belong there. They travel to meet the 18th ranked Wisconsin Badgers in a game that should be very exciting. Ohio State hasn’t played many tough teams this year (none currently in the top 25), so this game will be a good measuring stick to determine if they belong in that top spot. The Badgers are a 4 point underdog in the NCAA football odds.

Revenge is on the wish list for the 12th ranked Miami Hurricanes as they travel up North to face the 2nd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. More than seven years after their loss in the Fiesta Bowl based on a disputed pass interference call, former Hurricanes are telling the new guard how much this game means to them.

Former ‘Canes and current NFL stars such as Andre Johnson and Jonathan Vilma are pushing for Miami to win, but will they have enough to overcome the college football odds of being a 9 point underdog?

2009 Total Offense Rank (yards per game): 68
2009 Total Defense Rank (yards per game): 5

2010 is poised to be another dominant year for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After an eleven win season in 2009, including a Rose Bowl win over Oregon, the Buckeyes return 16 of 22 starters. With question marks on some of the other national powerhouses, this could be the year Ohio State wins it all.