Michigan - back to back Big Ten titles for the first-time in this century, as Jim Harbaugh has found himself in Ann Arbor, after the pitch forks and brimstone moments in 2022.
It is early to judge 2023, with the transition into the NIL & portal era of College Football. One West program clearly has some challenges ahead, despite becoming the fourth West program to win a trip to Indy, in past nine seasons.
Iowa has eight scholarship players in the portal. While numbers and depth are always a challenge for teams in the West. Overall, the state of the program has more good to reflect on, then bad.
The portal could have an impact positively or negatively throughout the Big Ten. Here's one player who could really boost the defensive side of the Hawkeyes.
Michigan and Ohio State are clearly in Tier 1 of the conference. In 2024, when UCLA and USC join the conference, the Trojans will attempt to make a run for Tier 1, but unlike the B1G 2, the Trojans haven't found their way into the College Football Playoff, since it began in 2014.
Tier 2:
It is early to judge 2023, with the transition into the NIL & portal era of College Football. One West program clearly has some challenges ahead, despite becoming the fourth West program to win a trip to Indy, in past nine seasons.
Iowa has eight scholarship players in the portal. While numbers and depth are always a challenge for teams in the West. Overall, the state of the program has more good to reflect on, then bad.
The portal could have an impact positively or negatively throughout the Big Ten. Here's one player who could really boost the defensive side of the Hawkeyes.
Michigan and Ohio State are clearly in Tier 1 of the conference. In 2024, when UCLA and USC join the conference, the Trojans will attempt to make a run for Tier 1, but unlike the B1G 2, the Trojans haven't found their way into the College Football Playoff, since it began in 2014.
Tier 2:
- Iowa
- Penn State
- Illinois is seeking it with Bret Bielema and he has found ways to beat the two other programs, since joining the B1G, but loss to Purdue was a major set back
- Wisconsin - the Luke Fickel era begins in 2023!
- Minnesota - PJ Fleck got a nice raise for his coordinators
- Purdue - another urban renewal project
- Maryland - #4 in East, but not a good track record against West, let alone top West teams
- Michigan State - Mel Tucker has a fat contract, but more questions growing in East Lansing, post-2022
- Nebraska - do you buy their most recent hire for the Huskers?
- Rutgers - 🤔
- Northwestern - Pat Fitzgerald is struggling, after a very solid season in 2020
- Indiana - Tom Allen had a neat breakout year in 2020, but like NW, IU is not showing much, beyond their season opening win over Illinois.
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