Games in which Indiana will be a heavy favorite:
Indiana State
@UMass
Ball State
Games in which Indiana will be a heavy underdog:
Michigan State
Ohio State
Wisconsin
@Penn State
Favorable matchup games:
None
Unfavorable matchup games:
@Northwestern
@Navy
@Illinois
Iowa
@Purdue
Kevin Wilson is going to have a tough time finding his first B1G win, but I think he will find it somewhere like maybe @Illinois or @Purdue. The Hoosiers got most of the B1G heavyweights at home and they aren’t ready to pull off such an upset even in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. Most of their “matchup” games are on the road, so the Hoosiers are going to have to pull off a slight upset on the road to get on the board in B1G play. The B1G as a conference seems to be getting stronger and the same can’t be said about the Hoosiers as a program. Wilson and company will squeak out a win or two in B1G play, but they are a long ways away from becoming bowl eligible.
Prediction: 4-8
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Schedule Analysis: Illinois
Games in which Illinois will be a heavy favorite:
Charleston Southern
Louisiana Tech
Games in which Illinois will be a heavy underdog:
@Wisconsin
@Michigan
@Ohio State
Favorable matchup games:
Western Michigan
Indiana
Purdue
Unfavorable matchup games:
@Arizona State
Penn State
Minnesota
@Northwestern
Prediction: 5-7
Tim Boeckman takes over for Ron Zook. Boeckman did a serviceable job at Toledo. I have no idea if Boeckman is up to being a BCS head coach. This has the makings of a boom or bust hire. I think Boeckman is going to be great or a complete failure. He will have his work cut out for him in year 1. The Illini have a brutal B1G road slate and need inconsistent, but talented QB Nathan Scheelhaase to have his best year yet to return to a bowl for the third straight year.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Schedule Analysis: Iowa
Games in which Iowa will be a heavy favorite:
Northern Iowa
Central Michigan
Games in which Iowa will be a heavy underdog:
None
Favorable matchup games:
Northern Illinois @ Chicago
Iowa State
Minnesota
Penn State
@Indiana
Purdue
Unfavorable matchup games:
@Michigan State
@Northwestern
@Michigan
Nebraska
Iowa has been the classic overachieving program relative to their talent level under Kirk Ferentz. However, with that being said they have also been the classic underachieving team when expectations have been high. Luckily for Iowa not much will be expected of this team. Most pundits will pick Iowa to win 7 or 8 games this year. Iowa will have a relatively young and undersized front seven on defense, but somehow someway Iowa always produces stars along the defensive front and at linebacker and this year shouldn’t be much different. The passing attack will be potent with James Vandenberg throwing to C.J. Fiedorowicz and Keenon Davis and it may have to be given the Hawkeyes lack of depth at running back. True freshman Greg Garmon, whom many considered to be the front runner to land the starting running back gig may face disciplinary action after being arrested for marijuana possession last week.
As far as the schedule is concerned Iowa won’t be heavy underdogs in any games and even their unfavorable matchup games are winnable. I suspect this team will improve as the season progresses and they will end up with 8 or 9 wins.
Prediction: 8-4
Northern Iowa
Central Michigan
Games in which Iowa will be a heavy underdog:
None
Favorable matchup games:
Northern Illinois @ Chicago
Iowa State
Minnesota
Penn State
@Indiana
Purdue
Unfavorable matchup games:
@Michigan State
@Northwestern
@Michigan
Nebraska
Iowa has been the classic overachieving program relative to their talent level under Kirk Ferentz. However, with that being said they have also been the classic underachieving team when expectations have been high. Luckily for Iowa not much will be expected of this team. Most pundits will pick Iowa to win 7 or 8 games this year. Iowa will have a relatively young and undersized front seven on defense, but somehow someway Iowa always produces stars along the defensive front and at linebacker and this year shouldn’t be much different. The passing attack will be potent with James Vandenberg throwing to C.J. Fiedorowicz and Keenon Davis and it may have to be given the Hawkeyes lack of depth at running back. True freshman Greg Garmon, whom many considered to be the front runner to land the starting running back gig may face disciplinary action after being arrested for marijuana possession last week.
As far as the schedule is concerned Iowa won’t be heavy underdogs in any games and even their unfavorable matchup games are winnable. I suspect this team will improve as the season progresses and they will end up with 8 or 9 wins.
Prediction: 8-4
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Schedule Analysis: Minnesota
Games in which Minnesota will be a heavy favorite:
New Hampshire
Western Michigan
Games in which Minnesota will be a heavy underdog:
@Wisconsin
Michigan
@Nebraska
Favorable match-up games:
@UNLV
Syracuse
Northwestern
Purdue
Illinois
Unfavorable match-up games:
@Iowa
Michigan State
Minnesota's schedule is considerably less daunting then last year's slate. There is no trip to the LA Coliseum to take on USC, no team from the Dakotas will be coming to TCF (enter punch line here____), and most of the match-up games are at home. However, people need to be careful before they assume that the Gophers are going back to a bowl game for the first time in three years just because there are seven games on the schedule that they "should" win. The fact is this team is still a ways away. Don't get me wrong, I like Jerry Kill and what he is doing for the long term health of the program, but the simple fact is this team isn't good enough to win all the games it should. They still lack a play maker along the defensive line and are thin at linebacker and safety. Minnesota also lacks a feature back and despite what the coaches are saying about JUCO transfer James Gillum, until I see it on the field I'm not a believer yet. Minnesota also lacks a go to receiver. You know they are in trouble at the position when true freshman Andre McDonald and Jamel Harbison are going to get looks at cracking the starting lineup.
Minnesota is still a couple years away from competing for anything more than a lower tier bowl game, however Kill's teams will improve as the years go by and not regress like his predecessors did.
Prediction: 5-7
New Hampshire
Western Michigan
Games in which Minnesota will be a heavy underdog:
@Wisconsin
Michigan
@Nebraska
Favorable match-up games:
@UNLV
Syracuse
Northwestern
Purdue
Illinois
Unfavorable match-up games:
@Iowa
Michigan State
Minnesota's schedule is considerably less daunting then last year's slate. There is no trip to the LA Coliseum to take on USC, no team from the Dakotas will be coming to TCF (enter punch line here____), and most of the match-up games are at home. However, people need to be careful before they assume that the Gophers are going back to a bowl game for the first time in three years just because there are seven games on the schedule that they "should" win. The fact is this team is still a ways away. Don't get me wrong, I like Jerry Kill and what he is doing for the long term health of the program, but the simple fact is this team isn't good enough to win all the games it should. They still lack a play maker along the defensive line and are thin at linebacker and safety. Minnesota also lacks a feature back and despite what the coaches are saying about JUCO transfer James Gillum, until I see it on the field I'm not a believer yet. Minnesota also lacks a go to receiver. You know they are in trouble at the position when true freshman Andre McDonald and Jamel Harbison are going to get looks at cracking the starting lineup.
Minnesota is still a couple years away from competing for anything more than a lower tier bowl game, however Kill's teams will improve as the years go by and not regress like his predecessors did.
Prediction: 5-7
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