Fall camp starting up means we inch closer and closer to real live game action. This may lead to some thoughts that should just be thoughts or you end up letting everyone know these ideas anyway. That’s what this article is about. Despite the Big Ten being fairly predictable over the years, this year seems to have some sneaky players/teams that could make some headlines. Let’s get into some of the bold predictions that will of course happen during the season:
1.The Big Ten Sends Five Teams to the College Football Playoff
The 12-team CFP format gives the Big Ten room to flex and it will. The Big Ten will send 5 teams to the college football playoff this year. Yes, that's right 5 which will only add onto the resume for why they might be the best conference in the land. They will send 5 from the group of: Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Washington. The two surprises I mentioned were Washington and Iowa. Washington is in year 2 of Jedd Fisch and Demond Williams so look for a big improvement. Iowa might’ve finally found a QB in Mark Gronowski from South Dakota St so if they get any offensive production they could rival some of the leagues top teams. It marks the beginning of an era where the Big Ten regularly sends more teams than any other conference to the postseason, firmly establishing itself as the sport’s most dominant league.
2.USC Struggles throughout the season and especially in the Cold leading to another down year
USC’s second season in full Big Ten campaign brings a harsh reality check. The loss of Caleb Williams has been more than the Trojans could overcome, and the defense, while slightly improved, is still not up to Big Ten standards. Big Ten’s depth and physicality will be too much to handle for this team once again and Lincoln Riley’s team limps to a subpar season having 6-7 wins. The pressure intensifies in Los Angeles, and rumors swirl about Riley’s long-term future possibly leading to his dismissal.
3. Fernando Mendoza will be the conferences best Quarterback
Plenty of analysts see Drew Allar as the conferences top QB choice for the 2025 season. If not Allar then the lists have included Luke Altmeyer, Julian Sayin, Dante Moore even talk of Dylan Raiola near the top. The one guy flying under the radar is a transfer on Indiana, I know we’ve heard this story before with Kurtis Rourke last year. Rourke didn’t get the attention he deserved when he transferred there and Mendoza isn’t getting the attention either, although more than Rourke. Draft analysts are all over Fernando being a possible top signal caller but when it comes to Indiana’s success college experts are still weary. If Mendoza plays the way he’s supposed to after showing growth in each start from a year ago and Cignetti helps his development the same way he did for Rourke, then he could bring this team back to the CFP. Can Cignetti strike gold twice for his team? Time will tell.
4. Ohio State beats Michigan and knocks them out of CFP contention
Saying Ohio State beats Michigan doesn’t sound like such a bold prediction but this rivalry has been dominated by Michigan over the years (4 in a row to be exact). Everyone is in Ryan Day’s head about this even asking questions about this at media days despite winning a National Championship last year. Finally the Buckeyes get over the hump in the last game of the year and beat Michigan! They have the urgency and talent to get this rivalry back on track in their favor. The other kicker in this prediction is that Michigan gets knocked out of the CFP contention after this loss. They could be a borderline playoff team come November and they should field a much better offense with whoever is under center, Bryce Underwood or Mikey Keene. Although a loss to Ohio State isn’t a write off for them getting in or not this just goes to show how on the border they were. This creates more opportunities for other teams, either in the SEC or Big Ten, to jump them leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the voters.
5. Penn State does the unthinkable and wins the big game(s)
Penn State and James Franklin have been scrutinized for not winning the big games over the years. Well this is the year they do it and more. They end up only having one loss or less finishing up at 11-1 or 12-0. They beat both Oregon and Ohio State or just losing to one. Everything clicks for them as a team and mainly as an offense with Drew Allar taking the next step. They get to the Big Ten championship game winning that big dance and then earning a bye in the CFP ultimately winning the whole thing too. That’s right, they win the college football championship after years of dealing with the media and other experts saying they can’t. James Franklin leads a new era in Penn State history and the Big Ten wins the chip for the third straight year in a row. Don’t tell SEC fans they’ll call mayday.
Plenty of other bold predictions can be made before the season but these seemed pretty juicy to talk about. That’s the beauty of the preseason, you can say things like this and it might raise eyebrows but it also seems believable until it’s actually not. So much can happen from now until January but let me hear about how outlandish some of these BOLD predictions may seem.
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