The Big Ten has always been considered a power conference. The media has always had a love affair with them and it used to be for good reason. However, in recent years, they have been on the decline. The SEC and Big 12 have gotten away with the bragging rights to college football supremacy. For example, last year, the Big Ten went 1-6 in their bowl games. Some might argue that it’s great that they put seven teams in one game of bowls. This is true, but when you lose six out of seven, your conference leaves something to be desired. For the past few years, Ohio State has been at the top. This year should be no different as they reload with another talented team. Let’s take a look at these free college football picks and see just how “big” the conference is going to be this year.

1. State of Ohio – The Ohio State University has been a powerhouse in football for many years. With Jim Tressel as head coach, he always seems to recharge quickly. They lost “Beanie” Wells, James Laurinaitis and many more players, but they have a lot left in the stable. One of the most exciting things for Buckeye fans is new starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He’s a Michael Vick player (minus the baggage) with a huge upside. If he can put together a good year, the rest of the Big 10 better watch out.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions – Joe Paterno has another very talented team this year. The last few years have been good and this year will be no different. They lost three of their best receivers from last year, but with the return of quarterback Daryll Clark, they should be fine. They’ll also be in good shape in the running game with Evan Royster carrying the rock. They also have a fantastic schedule with the other top two teams in the conference playing in their place.

3. Iowa Hawkeyes- They are coming off a decent season last year and should improve this time. With quarterback Ricky Stanzi leading the way, Hawkeye’s offense should be pretty good. Although they lost running back Shonn Greene in the league, they still have enough to be productive on the field.

4. The Michigan Wolverines – The Wolverines aren’t quite ready to compete with the Buckeyes just yet, but that won’t stop them from winning a few games this year. At the moment, Rich Rodríguez is in the middle of a scandal. He faces accusations that his program has practiced more than the allowed limit. Despite the controversy, Michigan will still be decent this year with more of Rodriguez’s recruits in the fold.

5. Michigan State Spartans – Mark Dantonio seems to be building a stronger team every year. His recruiting efforts have really started to pay off and he has steadily built a strong core in Lansing. He expects them to struggle at times, but overall, they’ll also have a solid year.

6. Northwest Wildcats – The Northwestern Wildcats are the epitome of the word “overachiever.” Despite never having top tier recruits, they always seem to be solid. Either Pat Fitzgerald is one of the best coaches in the country or he’s one of the luckiest men alive. I’m going with the coach. Prediction: 8-4

7. Illinois Fighting Illini – In recent years, Ron Zook’s squads have had their ups and downs, to say the least. They have all the talent in the world, but they can never put it all together. Juice Williams is very athletic, a great passer and a great leader. However, they can never put it all together. He expects the Illini to have some extremely high highs and some extremely low lows.

8. Wisconsin Badgers – If Northwestern is the top-performing team in the conference, Wisconsin has to be the underperforming team. Last year they started in the top ten in the polls, then quickly fell out of the top 25. They’re very talented, but they don’t seem very well trained. Expect them to win some games and lose some against teams they shouldn’t.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers – The best thing that happened to the Golden Gophers recently was getting their own new stadium. While that always helps, it won’t be enough to allow them to challenge anyone in the Big Ten. They have several key guys coming back this year, but it won’t be enough to get the job done.

10. Purdue Boilermakers – The Purdue Boilermakers have had good teams in recent years. However, the brains behind those teams are now retired. With a new coach in the fold, it could be a bumpy ride this season. It usually takes a few seasons once a new manager takes over and this one will be no exception.

11.Indiana Hoosiers- Indiana had a pretty decent team two years ago. Then last year came and I had to crash the party. Any promise they showed was quickly erased by a terrible 2008. Don’t expect much from the Hoosiers this year. They will easily be the worst team in the conference this time.

The Big Ten will be a roller coaster of ups and downs throughout the season. If you want some free soccer picks, use this information to give yourself an idea of ​​what to expect. While you never know how everything will play out until the season is over, we should have a pretty decent idea. Expect the Buckeyes and Penn State to battle for the top spot in the conference again. There could be a team of dark horses like the Michigan Wolverines or Michigan State Spartans make a career, but it would be amazing. Just expect the unexpected this time and there’s a good chance it will happen.

Check out Vernon Croy’s expert college football picks this season.