Big Ten Football: 5 incredibly early bold predictions for the 2023 season
By John Buhler
Big Ten football fans only have a few months left before another splendid season is under way.
While the Midwest is finally enjoying some good weather, Big Ten football will be back before you even know it.
Despite having not won a College Football Playoff since 2014, the league is quickly separating from the three other Power Five conferences, along with the SEC, of course.
The Big Ten is dripping with one talented head coach after another. Although it doesn’t have the players top to bottom like the SEC does, you can usually count on Big Ten teams to play well and entertain you.
So with that in mind, I have been to the future, came back, and have some bold predictions for you.
Way-too-early bold predictions for the Big Ten in 2023
5. Matt Rhule does the unthinkable and has Nebraska going bowling in Year 1
It usually takes a year or two to rebuild a program, but Matt Rhule has a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder.
His NFL tenure with the Carolina Panthers was a disaster. Although it could have done more damage to his reputation, Rhule had been rock solid in the collegiate ranks. He was able to turn around the Baylor Bears and the Temple Owls before that, so how hard could the Nebraska Cornhuskers be?
Fueled by Runza and Omaha food court Cinnabons, Rhule will be the best thing to happen to Nebraska football since Cory Schlesinger, or at least Ndamukong Suh. Either way, Big Red is going bowling, y’all! Penny is going to drag Leonard to that bowl game, wherever it is. The reason this is such a huge deal is because Rhule usually does not get his program turned around until Year 2.
The Scott Frost erasure will be extraordinary. I mean, he is going to be seen as Nebraska’s version of Mike Shula. While I don’t anticipate the Huskers getting to Indianapolis, they will hold bowl game practices for the first time since I was a FanSided employee. These practices are about getting better faster and reinvesting your dividends to help you grow that pie and dominate, bro!
If you thought Kansas getting to 6-6 was life-changing, just keep an eye on Nebraska this season.