Ohio State Football: Big Ten Preseason Predictions

Middle of the pack in the East

Rutgers (5-7)

It feels weird not including Rutgers in the basement section, but Greg Schiano should be able to keep building on the groundwork he has going at Rutgers and improve the team. In his (second) first season as the Scarlet Knights’ head coach, Schiano stayed competitive for much longer.

While that may not sound like a lot, for Rutgers that is big progress. The crowning moment came when they narrowly lost to Michigan in overtime. While the team will likely not beat any of the blue blood programs, they have a schedule that lines up well to get a few wins and even knock at the door of bowl eligibility.

Michigan (7-5)

It seems like every year the Wolverines are hyped up and then there is the eventual letdown. This year, however, the hype seems even less deserved. Yes, Michigan will be better than they were in 2020 when they stumbled to a dismal 2-4 record and the highlight was not having to get beat by Ohio State.

This year with difficult games against Washington, at Wisconsin, at Penn State, and at home to the Buckeyes it seems a best-case scenario is winning one of those games. Pair that with losing a game or two they probably shouldn’t and this could be the worst (full-season) finish in the Jim Harbaugh era.