College football 2021: Most underrated, overrated teams by P5 conference
By John Scimeca
Big Ten
Most overrated: Penn State Nittany Lions
Head coach James Franklin would like everyone to forget about last season. The Nittany Lions notoriously stumbled out of the gate in the pandemic-shortened season, dropping their first five games before rallying to finish the season with a 4-5 record. For a coach who has guided the program to three 11-win seasons (and three Top 10 finishes), it was a surprising setback.
The defense lost its best players to the NFL draft, including linebacker Micah Parsons and Odafe Oweh, who were both first-round selections. Quarterback Sean Clifford has struggled to find consistency, too. The team is projected to finish second place in the Big Ten’s East division.
The pieces are there for a strong run in 2021, but Penn State isn’t capable of standing toe-to-toe with Ohio State. September games against Wisconsin and Auburn will go a long way in determining Penn State’s fate this fall.
Most underrated: Minnesota Golden Gophers
The media pundits predict that Minnesota will finish fourth in the Big Ten West this upcoming season, behind Northwestern, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
The Golden Gophers have an experienced, rebuilt offensive line and have some quality additions set to join the team, such as Texas A&M transfer wide receiver Dylan Wright. Running back Mohamed Ibrahim, the Big Ten Running Back of the Year, also gives second-year offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. a talented attack.
The Golden Gophers flew under the radar last year, finishing 3-4 after having multiple games canceled. Most of the nation has quickly forgotten the “row the boat” mania of 2019 that head coach P.J. Fleck captured while Minnesota finished 11-2 and had reached the No. 7 ranking in the nation. I predict that Minnesota will surprise people this year and recapture some of that program-defining momentum from two years ago.