Big Ten Football: 2016 season preview and predictions

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes shakes hands with head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines after a 42-13 Ohio State win at Michigan Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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A preview of the Big Ten this year, including who emerges victorious from the two divisions and competes for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Ever since Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State in 2012, the Big Ten has been on the rise. High-end recruits have followed Meyer from the SEC to the Big Ten, with his class ranking in the top five every year he has been there. And let us not forget that it was the Buckeyes who hoisted the inaugural College Football Playoff trophy.

Meyer’s arrival at Ohio State has led to a trickle-down effect in the Big Ten. Michigan State upended them last year, and look to stay in the hunt, while Jim Harbaugh arrived from the NFL to lead Michigan to a bowl berth in his first year. While Harbaugh’s recruiting tactics are much more aggressive than Meyer’s, they still paid off when he landed Rashan Gary, the best prospect in the land this past February.

While the Big Ten is very much a three-headed monster, and one that the West division has almost no chance of beating, they are one of the conferences that can challenge the SEC’s dominance. In this year’s preseason AP Poll, the ratio of SEC teams to Big Ten is 6-4. Last year’s was 8-3, even when Ohio State was considered a unanimous favorite.

While the Big Ten West could see another surprise contender emerge just like Iowa last year, the Big Ten East will be an absolute dogfight at the top. It’s going to be extremely fun to watch, especially if The Game is what ends up deciding the winner of the conference.

So what exactly does the Big Ten conference have in store for us on the gridiron this year?

Next: Biggest dark horse to win the conference