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Big Ten Football 2018 preview: Breakout stars, biggest games, predictions

By Brad Weiss

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 25: Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins waits for the snap during the third quarter of Ohio State's 31-20 win over Michigan during a college football game on November 25, 2017, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Lon Horwedel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 25: Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins waits for the snap during the third quarter of Ohio State's 31-20 win over Michigan during a college football game on November 25, 2017, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Lon Horwedel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Predicted order of Finish

East Division

  1. Ohio State
  2. Penn State
  3. Michigan
  4. Michigan State
  5. Indiana
  6. Rutgers
  7. Maryland

The East Division will once again be the best in the Big Ten, as their are four teams who could legitimately vie for the chance to play in the Big Ten Championship Game. Based on the talent they have on both sides of the ball, the Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2018 season as the favorite to repeat in the East Division, but they will have a tough road ahead of them to do so.

Michigan should be improved at quarterback with Shea Patterson coming in, and while they are losing Saquon Barkley, Penn State reloaded this past offseason, and has a Heisman candidate in quarterback Trace McSorley. Michigan State went 6-3 in the conference last season, and has studs coming back on offense, including quarterback Brian Lewerke, and senior running back L.J. Scott.

West Division

  1. Wisconsin
  2. Iowa
  3. Northwestern
  4. Purdue
  5. Nebraska
  6. Minnesota
  7. Illinois

In the West Division, it is once again Wisconsin’s to lose, and they will likely steamroll through the rest of the teams in 2018. They just have more talent than every other team in the West, and with arguably the best running back in all of football, they are going to be hard to overtake, especially with head coach Paul Chryst running the show.

Iowa is always tough, and should be close to the top of the division, as will be Purdue this season. Nebraska and Minnesota have two elite head coaches in Scott Frost and P.J. Fleck, and with Frost in his first year with the Cornhuskers, look for them to turn some heads. Illinois is headed towards the cellar of the West Division once again, and for head coach Lovie Smith, his time with the school could be coming to an end.