East Division

Will 2019 finally be the year Jim Harbaugh and Michigan get over the hump and beat Ohio State? The Wolverines have an abundance of talent on the offensive side of the ball beginning with QB Shea Patterson. Harbaugh went out and hired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis to install and run an up-tempo spread offense. The defense loses Devin Bush to the NFL but returns guys like LB Josh Ross and CB Lavert Hill. Ohio State will have a new head coach in Ryan Day but not much should change. The Buckeyes will have a new quarterback in Georgia transfer Justin Fields.

The East Division will once again be loaded with the Wolverines, Buckeyes, Penn State, and Michigan State. The West should be an interesting race as Nebraska moves into Year 2 of the Scott Frost era. Quarterback Adrian Martinez should be even better than last season. Wan’Dale Robinson could be this year’s Rondale Moore (Purdue) and the Cornhuskers defense should be substantially better. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor will be among the Heisman Trophy finalists again and Iowa returns five starters on one of the nation’s best defenses.

**odds provided by Bovada

II

Ohio State	+175		Northwestern	+3300
Michigan	+175		Minnesota	+4000
Michigan St	+700		Indiana	+5000
Iowa	+900		Illinois	+5000
Nebraska	+900		Maryland	+5000
Wisconsin	+1400		Purdue	+10000
Penn State	+1800		Rutgers	+10000

Most Improved: Maryland
The Terrapins hired former Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin as their new head coach, instantly making Maryland better than their 3-9 finish last year. It will take some time, but Durkin will build a solid defense built around five returning starters. The Terps were a solid running team a year ago and four of the top five rushers return, including senior quarterback Perry Hills.

Biggest Disappointment: Indiana
Head coach Kevin Wilson has done a remarkable job at a school where basketball reigns supreme. The Hoosiers return six starters on offense but one of them is not record-breaking quarterback Nate Sudfeld. While Indiana will probably still put up points, slowing opponents down is not one of their strong suits. The Hoosiers were near the bottom of the nation in virtually every defensive statistical category in 2015. Wilson hired yet another new defensive coordinator, but the Hoosiers might take a step back from their 6-7 season last year before they move forward.

West Division

Winner: Iowa
The Hawkeyes were one of the biggest surprises of 2015 going unbeaten until the Big 10 title game when they lost to Michigan State. Quarterback C.J. Beathard returns to run a very efficient pro-style offense. Eight starters return from a defense that finished in the Top 20 nationally in most categories. The Hawkeyes will need to be careful early as they face rival Iowa State and five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State.

Most Improved: Nebraska
The Cornhuskers lost seven games in 2015 by a total of 31 points. They were in every single game and beat College Football Playoff qualifier Michigan State. This is the year that head coach Mike Riley will lead Nebraska back to notoriety. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong returns to lead the offense which also returns one of the Big Ten’s best receivers in Jordan Westerkamp (65 rec., 918 yds., 7 TDs). The defense, which finished ninth in the nation against the run, returns five starters.

Biggest Disappointment: Minnesota
The Golden Gophers have been one of the more inspiring stories in the Big 10. Now that former head coach Jerry Kill is gone, Minnesota may see a drop off in production. They did finish 6-7 last season and that was after winning a bowl game against Central Michigan. Senior QB Mitch Leidner returns along with six other offensive starters and seven starters return on defense. Still, the Gophers will be hard pressed to beat Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin, teams that Minnesota lost to in 2015.

Big 10 Champion: Michigan
Despite playing both Michigan State and Ohio State on the road, this is the year that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh proves to the nation that Wolverine football is back. With one of the best defenses in the country, a solid running game, and a physical nature that will just defeat opponents, Michigan will win the East Division and then walk all over Iowa, the West winner once again, in the Big 10 title game.

Other CFB Conference Predictions:

- Big 12 Conference

- Big Ten Conference

- ACC Conference

- PAC 12 Conference

- SEC Conference