College Football: 2018 Saturday Blitz staff season projections

Big Ten

Champion: Wisconsin

East: Ohio State

The Big Ten East has claimed the last five conference titles, something not too surprising considering the talent of its more powerful members. Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are some of the biggest brands in college football, but the Saturday Blitz staff has decided this year things will turn out differently.

Wisconsin is the pick here, narrowly edging out projected East winner Ohio State in the championship game. Like in the ACC, this would be another championship game rematch. Unlike the ACC, though, the Badgers held their own against the Buckeyes, falling 27-21 in heartbreaking fashion.

The Badgers might not be as unconventional of a championship pick as it seems. They return one of the preeminent running backs in college football – Jonathan Taylor rushed for 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2017 – and an experienced starting quarterback, Alex Hornibrook. If he can limit mistakes and make one or two big plays in crucial moments there’s no reason to cast the Badgers aside as worthy national championship contenders.

One more thing

The Big Ten remains the most contentious conference to predict. Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are all preseason Top 15 teams with a ton of talent and equally-high expectations.