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Bowl games for 6 of 7 Big West programs in 2022?

Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports College Football preview magazines have hit the self as we approach the dog days of summer 2022.



Neither magazine went this far for Nebraska, but the race for Indianapolis appears interesting in 2022.

Four teams appear solid choices for bowl games in the Big Ten East, but could we see Illinois and Nebraska join Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin from last year?

A former walk-on, and sixth year player is considered the division's best QB.



The 2022 NFL Draft, and strength of division. "Led by Wisconsin’s five, the seven-team Big Ten West Division had 20 players selected — nearly matching the entire Atlantic Coast Conference’s 21 draft picks and not far behind the Pacific-12 and Big 12 (25 each). Purdue had a first-round pick in George Karlaftis and a third-rounder in David Bell; 3-9 Nebraska had two second-round picks; Minnesota had two guys taken in the first three rounds and four overall. Even Illinois had three players drafted." B1G West winner had only two drafted in 2022.
  1. Wisconsin is the favorite. The Badgers have won four of eight West division titles, since 2014. Back to back titles in 2016 and 2017, and the Badgers are 2-1 in New Year's 6 bowls (lost 2020 Rose Bowl to Oregon, 28-27). The Badgers haven't lost to Nebraska in a decade. Like Nebraska, the Badgers have a new OC and overhauled their offensive staff. Two guys flipped from non-offensive roles for 2022. Unlike Nebraska, HC Paul Chryst will go without a dedicated special teams coordinator in 2022. Biggest need: New starters at WR, TE, a freshman FB and the entire right side of offensive line will be manned by new personnel. Open B1G play at Ohio State in Week 5. B1G home opener is Bret Bielema's homecoming to Madison bringing his second edition lllinois team to play there.
  2. Purdue - Jeff Brohm is coming off 3-0 to finish 2021, including 48-45 bowl win against Tennessee in Nashville." Purdue has enough talent, depth and experience to contend for a division again this season," writer for Athlon Sports suggests. Last year, Wisconsin lost season opener at home to Penn State. Purdue hosts Penn State in a B1G home opener to kickoff 2022, followed by three OOC games, including at Syracuse, then back to back B1G road games at Minnesota and at Maryland. Like Nebraska, can they enter October with momentum in 2022? The Huskers won last trip to West Lafayette, during the pandemic.
  3. Iowa - Unlike Nebraska last season, "This might be a good opportunity to give an extra hat tip to Iowa’s coaching staff. Phil Parker’s defense and LeVar Woods’ special teams maximized their output to help the Hawkeyes go 7-0 in regular-season games decided by 10 points or less. And give credit to Brian Ferentz’s offense, too, for finding enough big plays to outscore Minnesota in a tense 27-22 win in November that ultimately tipped the West. Perhaps this is also a signal that there is quite a bit of punch still on the Hawkeyes’ 2022 roster?" Both Wisconsin and Iowa need to improve at quarterback, if they are going to compete for a chance to land on Indianapolis. They open Big Ten play at Rutgers to end September, then a huge home date in a rematch of last year's title game with Michigan. Jim Harbaugh is seeking his first win there, as either a coach or player.
  4. Minnesota - PJ Fleck last lost at Nebraska in 2018. It was a 53-28 win for the Huskers and Scott Frost's first B1G win as a HC in Lincoln. OC Kirk Ciarrocca was strong in 2019, and he is back to work with QB Tanner Morgan again. But, the offensive and defensive lines only return one starter each, so by the time they open B1G play at Michigan State and then at home against Purdue, we should know just how good these Gophers could be in 2022?
  5. Nebraska - the Huskers have a favorable schedule in 2022, opening against Northwestern in Dublin, then October 1 against Indiana. Oklahoma is under new management, and the game is in Lincoln, after a competitive game last year in Norman. A winning season is a must for Scott Frost, as he welcomes new OC Mark Whipple and other offensive coaches. This season will come down to the line of scrimmage, improved special teams and a sustained offensive attack, under new play calling and execution. Odds favor improvement, after 3-9 last year, with a 6 22 margin of loss.
  6. Illinois - Both Hayden Fry and Barry Alvarez came up short in their second seasons in the Big Ten. We shall see how Bret Bielema in Year 2 in Champaign, as he changes his OC, and commits to a "Wisconsin" mindset. He had success in Madison, but it wasn't a rebuild, when he replaced Barry there. The Illini face eight bowl teams in 2022, but like Nebraska, Indiana comes on their schedule too! The next B1G game is Week 5 at Wisconsin. The Illini get back to back B1G home games with a road trip to Lincoln sandwiched in, but end the season with back to back B1G road games, so it will be an interesting second season.
  7. Northwestern - In 2018 and 2020, the Wildcats won the Big Ten West. Thoughts of a even year repeat may go south in Week 0 in Dublin? We shall see. Many expected Nebraska to win at Illinois last season to kickoff the season. Quarterback play has impacted the past two losing seasons for Northwestern. Solid QB play lead them to two division titles, but a title in 2022 isn't likely. The best would be a .500 season, but it will start under center.
 
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I am sure 4 or 5 west teams will limp to 6 or 7 wins based on the fact none of them except Nebraska play anyone in the non-conference

then in league play every team is the exact same flavor of average, hence dork B1G fans posting lame stuff like this and thinking it's somehow a sign of prowess

will the B1G have a chance to win a national title this year? LMAO yea right
 
I am sure 4 or 5 west teams will limp to 6 or 7 wins based on the fact none of them except Nebraska play anyone in the non-conference

then in league play every team is the exact same flavor of average, hence dork B1G fans posting lame stuff like this and thinking it's somehow a sign of prowess

will the B1G have a chance to win a national title this year? LMAO yea right

What is your take on Wake Forest this year?
 
None

Wake plays VMI, Army, Vandy, and Liberty bibberty in non conference.

I don’t know what his point was, other than to copy and paste bullet points.
Liberty is a better opponent than many (most?) B1G teams have on their non-con schedules
 
None

Wake plays VMI, Army, Vandy, and Liberty bibberty in non conference.

I don’t know what his point was, other than to copy and paste bullet points.

Liberty is a better opponent than many (most?) B1G teams have on their non-con schedules

Liberty plays Wake, who play a light schedule, which was the complaint of @king_kong_

Liberty was 8-5, including a nice 56-20 bowl win over Eastern Michigan. They project likely similar in 2022.
 
Liberty is a better opponent than many (most?) B1G teams have on their non-con schedules

I won't deny Liberty is a quality Non Con opponent, but Wake Forest would be another Also Ran in the Big Ten. In fact, at 11-2 last season, they would've barely been a 1.5 to 2 pt favorite over a 3-9 Nebraska team if those two were matched in some Neutral site game.
 
I am sure 4 or 5 west teams will limp to 6 or 7 wins based on the fact none of them except Nebraska play anyone in the non-conference

then in league play every team is the exact same flavor of average, hence dork B1G fans posting lame stuff like this and thinking it's somehow a sign of prowess

will the B1G have a chance to win a national title this year? LMAO yea right
I mean Iowa doesn't play an powerhouses, but they have an in state rivalry game, an 8-5 Nevada team and a far better FCS opponent than we play. Just sayin
 
I mean Iowa doesn't play an powerhouses, but they have an in state rivalry game, an 8-5 Nevada team and a far better FCS opponent than we play. Just sayin

Yeah I mean all the other West teams at least play one power 5 OOC opponent (I think)...the difference is Nebraska plays Oklahoma, while all the other teams play Washington State, Syracuse, Duke, Iowa State, Virginia etc...yeah I guess they are power 5 schools, but all of them will be in the bottom half for sure. Iowa's OOC schedule is certainly no worse than anyone not named Nebraska...
 
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Yeah I mean all the other West teams at least play one power 5 OOC opponent (I think)...the difference is Nebraska plays Oklahoma, while all the other teams play Washington State, Syracuse, Duke, Iowa State, Virginia etc...yeah I guess they are power 5 schools, but all of them will be in the bottom half for sure. Iowa's OOC schedule is certainly no worse than anyone not named Nebraska...

How good will Oklahoma be in 2022?

Baylor and Oklahoma State were ahead of them last year.

PFF asked good questions:

BIGGEST WEAKNESSES
  • Player/personnel turnover
  • Coach Venables needs high level LBs, and they don’t have them
Not since 1999, when Bob Stoops arrived has OU had questions with transition

Kansas State has won 2 of last 3 over OU. Iowa State won last outing in Ames.

They did make the semi-finals in 2019. No coach yet at OU has won in a CFB Playoff game.

Will Brent Venables be the first?
 
The Big Ten went 6-3 in the Bowls. You're beloved SEC went 5-8.
imagine being such a pathetic dipsh*t that you not only feel the need to post the same fabrication of the truth for the 500th time, but you also cannot type the same 10 words without using the wrong form of "your"

very, very typical B1G fan

nobody cares what you say. everybody sees what our league does on the field/court year in and year out, the results of which have yielded a pitiful 2 national champions in the 3 major sports in 20+ years

you seem to enjoy baseball - is 2-for-60+ good? because that's the B1G's title avg over the past 2 decades, and it's good for dead last among its P5 peers

enjoy the money, though. and enjoy cheering for ohiost to make the playoffs, cuck.
 
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imagine being such a pathetic dipsh*t that you not only feel the need to post the same fabrication of the truth for the 500th time, but you also cannot type the same 10 words without using the wrong form of "your"

very, very typical B1G fan

nobody cares what you say. everybody sees what our league does on the field/court year in and year out, the results of which have yielded a pitiful 2 national champions in the 3 major sports in 20+ years

you seem to enjoy baseball - is 2-for-60+ good? because that's the B1G's title avg over the past 2 decades, and it's good for dead last among its P5 peers

enjoy the money, though. and enjoy cheering for ohiost to make the playoffs, cuck.

I thought you were referring to your own posting in this proclamation. Wash, rinse, and repeat in every post, Same shit, different day.
 
imagine being such a pathetic dipsh*t that you not only feel the need to post the same fabrication of the truth for the 500th time, but you also cannot type the same 10 words without using the wrong form of "your"

very, very typical B1G fan

nobody cares what you say. everybody sees what our league does on the field/court year in and year out, the results of which have yielded a pitiful 2 national champions in the 3 major sports in 20+ years

you seem to enjoy baseball - is 2-for-60+ good? because that's the B1G's title avg over the past 2 decades, and it's good for dead last among its P5 peers

enjoy the money, though. and enjoy cheering for ohiost to make the playoffs, cuck.
He gates the B1G so much, he keeps coming back for more. Like a woman in an abusive relationship who just can't stop coming back for that d...
 
I thought you were referring to your own posting in this proclamation. Wash, rinse, and repeat in every post, Same shit, different day.
as we Husker fans have grown accustomed to saying: winning will solve it

until then, I'll continue to be correct. sorry the truth triggers you so.

have you considered crying about it?
 
as we Husker fans have grown accustomed to saying: winning will solve it

until then, I'll continue to be correct. sorry the truth triggers you so.

have you considered crying about it?

I'm not triggered, just stating a fact inn regards to your post, it's always the same BS over and over. It predictive when your name shows up in a thread. Look, we get it, there isn't much in life you enjoy, especially when it comes to Nebraska or the B10.
 
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I'm not triggered, just stating a fact inn regards to your post, it's always the same BS over and over. It predictive when your name shows up in a thread. Look, we get it, there isn't much in life you enjoy, especially when it comes to Nebraska or the B10.
I get it. The truth isn’t for everybody.
 
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I get it. The truth isn’t for everybody.

The only truth is that you hate Nebraska and the B10 over and over again. Look, we get it so you don't have to regurgitate your two thoughts 10,000 times. Believe me, we all heard you the first 5,000 and we all know you hate everything B10 and Husker football.
 
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The only truth is that you hate Nebraska and the B10 over and over again. Look, we get it so you don't have to regurgitate your two thoughts 10,000 times. Believe me, we all heard you the first 5,000 and we all know you hate everything B10 and Husker football.
Post one thing I’ve said that makes you think I hate Nebraska

I am genuinely curious to see what you come up with
 
Post one thing I’ve said that makes you think I hate Nebraska

I am genuinely curious to see what you come up with
I'm not going back through threads, your constant negative for all things dealing with Nebraska and Big 10 is what it's based on. When a positive thread hits the board in jumps king kong to drag it down. You go back and look at your posting history and show me some positive things you said about the Huskers. My statement about you hating Nebraska is based on your constant negativity in everything you post, positive post appears and it's king kong from the top rope with an elbow. The only thing I can come up with is your a troll from another team trying to drag down anything positive.
 
I'm not going back through threads, your constant negative for all things dealing with Nebraska and Big 10 is what it's based on. When a positive thread hits the board in jumps king kong to drag it down. You go back and look at your posting history and show me some positive things you said about the Huskers. My statement about you hating Nebraska is based on your constant negativity in everything you post, positive post appears and it's king kong from the top rope with an elbow. The only thing I can come up with is your a troll from another team trying to drag down anything positive.
Exactly as disappointing as I figured it would be.

I love my alma mater. I hate the B1G. Everything I post here is accurate.

Lighten up, ya soft b*tch. We’ve won less than 6 games 5 years in a row & every week is a different circus-like calamity. Sorry I’m not brimming with positivity.
 
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You don't?
I did until this superconference stuff kicked up a notch. I'm now thankful we're at least at the table, with little to no excuse not to once again be competitive and add value to the league.

Main thing I hated was the covid debacle. But if this thing keeps trending the direction it seems to be heading, then eventually football will split off from the NCAA altogether. B1G won't make that same mistake ever again if it's only money from football on the line.

The SEC is just so... Southern and underwhelming when it comes to overall prestige (academics and whatnot). I respect the B1G in that regard, even if it lets that aspect blind them sometimes. Hopefully moving forward it'll be less of an issue and more of an asset as it should be - not a political crutch.
 
Exactly as disappointing as I figured it would be.
That how the majority here feel about your post
I love my alma mater. I hate the B1G. Everything I post here is accurate.
Then support it and quit bitching about everything!
Lighten up, ya soft b*tch. We’ve won less than 6 games 5 years in a row & every week is a different circus-like calamity. Sorry I’m not brimming with positivity.
Follow your own advise and lighten up. I'm not the one degrading every positive thread on this board. I know exactly where this team is and was. I experienced the glory year and watched every game I could catch on TV. So you say I'm soft? I missed the 90/91 season because I was in Desert Shield/Storm. I watched Nebraska finally beat Miami from Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, Florida from a base in New Mexico, and Tennessee from Kunsan AB in South Korea. After 24 years serving my country in some of the shit holes I've seen, I'm far from soft my friend!
 
That how the majority here feel about your post

Then support it and quit bitching about everything!


Follow your own advise and lighten up. I'm not the one degrading every positive thread on this board. I know exactly where this team is and was. I experienced the glory year and watched every game I could catch on TV. So you say I'm soft? I missed the 90/91 season because I was in Desert Shield/Storm. I watched Nebraska finally beat Miami from Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, Florida from a base in New Mexico, and Tennessee from Kunsan AB in South Korea. After 24 years serving my country in some of the shit holes I've seen, I'm far from soft my friend!
After reading every word of this, I’m not going to change.

thanks for the feedback and for your service. GBR
 
I don't use the ignore because every once in a while those same people contribute. I'm not so soft I need to ignore but will call someone out if need be.

I'm not asking king kong to change, just tone it down. Let a positive thread be positive since we all know his stance in the negative.
 
I don't use the ignore because every once in a while those same people contribute. I'm not so soft I need to ignore but will call someone out if need be.

I'm not asking king kong to change, just tone it down. Let a positive thread be positive since we all know his stance in the negative.
It clearly bothers you so there is that. If you want to call them out great, I guess, but call them out for what they specifically post not some sort of generalization. UHHH you are flat out asking him to change because you want him to tone it down, that is sort of the definition of change. I would either let it go and don't comment, unless of course, your desired outcome is to actually discuss things.
 
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