Odds to win the 2014 Big Ten Conference Title
The Big Ten has expanded to 14 teams for the 2014 season, but there are still just a few solid contenders to win this year's conference title. The following is a closer look at these teams along with the odds to win the conference for all the teams in the Big Ten based on odds provided by Bovada.
Ohio State Buckeyes
- Odds to win the Big Ten East Division 2/5
- Odds to win the Big Ten Championship 10/11
- Odds to win a National Championship 10/1
All eyes were on Ohio State last season after new head coach Urban Meyer led the team to a perfect 12-0 record in 2012 even though the Buckeyes were ineligible for postseason play. Things went according to plan through the first 12 games, but a stunning 34-24 loss to Michigan State as 5.5-point favorites in the Big Ten title game ended this amazing 24-game run. The Oddsmakers remain bullish on another title run in 2014 despite the 14 players that have departed for the NFL.
The Buckeyes will have quarterback Braxton Miller back, which is a huge plus. The Heisman hopeful passed for 2,094 yards and 24 touchdowns last season while completing 63.5 percent of his throws. He also added 1,068 yards and 12 more scores on the ground. This helped Ohio State rank third in the nation in scoring with 45.5 points per game. The defense had its issues down the stretch and it was completely exposed in the loss to the Spartans and again in a loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. While a solid chunk of talent remains, this could be the Buckeyes' Achilles Heal this year.
Michigan State Spartans
- Odds to win the Big Ten East Division 13/5
- Odds to win the Big Ten Championship 4/1
- Odds to win a National Championship 25/1
The Spartans have a solid foundation to build off in 2014 after last season's Big Ten title that was followed-up with an impressive 24-20 victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl as a 6.5-point underdog. The main problem they face is living up to some lofty expectations after clearly exceeding everyone's last year. They went undefeated in conference play behind a defense that was ranked third in points allowed (13.2 PPG), but they will need better production from an offense that was ranked 65th in scoring.
The first step will be the continued development of quarterback Connor Cook. He managed the game well last season with 2,755 yards passing and 22 touchdown throws against just six interceptions, but head coach Mark Dantonio would love to see improvement on a completion rate that fell below 60 percent. The good news is that Cook was playing his best ball against at the end of the year. On defense, Shilique Calhoun is back to anchor the front seven and the only major loss in the secondary was Darqueze Dennard.
Wisconsin Badgers
- Odds to win the Big Ten West Division 6/5
- Odds to win the Big Ten Championship 9/2
- Odds to win a National Championship 33/1
The Badgers went 6-2 in Big Ten play last season with an expected loss to Ohio State as 6.5-point road underdogs and a stunning collapse against Penn State as 25-point home favorites in their regular season finale. That carried over to a loss to South Carolina in the Florida Citrus Bowl to finish 9-4 overall. They will quickly have to put that disappointing finish in the rear view mirror with a season opener against LSU on Aug. 30.
Second-year head coach Gary Anderson will once again rely heavily on a rushing attack that averaged 283.8 yards a game and a defense that was ranked sixth in the nation in points allowed (16.3 PPG). Joel Stave is back at quarterback and running back Melvin Gordon is poised for another big year after gaining 1,609 yards on 206 attempts for an average of 7.8 yards a carry. The Badgers' defense will need to fill a few holes in their front seven, but they still have some solid experience in throughout the secondary.
The Rest of the Big Ten
The odds to win the conference for the best of the rest in the Big Ten include Nebraska at 11/2, Michigan at 9/1 and Iowa at 14/1.
Things drop off dramatically from there with Northwestern next on the list at 40/1 followed by Minnesota at 50/1. Illinois and Indiana are listed at 100/1 and Purdue's odds are set at 250/1. The two newcomers to the Big Ten are Maryland at 100/1 and Rutgers at 200/1. Penn State remains ineligible for postseason play.