Howe: Forecasting the '19 Big Ten Football Race

So if Robs predictions all come true, who in the west would get to go to Indianapolis? Rob has Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska all at 6-3 in the big ten, with head to head being a wash. What's the next tiebreaker?
 
So if Robs predictions all come true, who in the west would get to go to Indianapolis? Rob has Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska all at 6-3 in the big ten, with head to head being a wash. What's the next tiebreaker?

Guessing 2nd tiebreaker after H2H would be division record

Neb 4-2
Iowa 4-2
Minn 3-3

So Minn drops out.

Then the tiebreaker between Neb and Iowa reverts back to head to head, which Neb won.

So Neb wins the division :(
 
A VAST over-simplification, Rob. One of the certainties of college FB is the upsets. For example, Illinois, almost every year (including last year) ends up upsetting 1-2 teams in the B1G. It would be nice if you at least tried to pick a few (more) of those.

As for Iowa, pay attention to what has happened to them the last several years. "IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Camp Randall recently than they have vs. the Badgers in Iowa City." "IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln than they have vs. the Shuckers in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played every bit as good in Ames the last couple of times (especially offensively) than they have vs. the Cyclones in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Northwestern than they have vs. the Wildcats in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played every bit as good at the Big House (and as good as any other team in the country) than they have vs. the Wolverines in Iowa City.

Does that mean they win all these games? It means I like their chances not only against these teams, period, but also where we are playing every one of these games. None of these road venues intimidate the Hawks.
 
4-0 against the group of Penn State, Purdue, @Northwestern, Minnesota seems optimistic.
We inexplicably lose at least one of these 'we should win' games every year.
 
A VAST over-simplification, Rob. One of the certainties of college FB is the upsets. For example, Illinois, almost every year (including last year) ends up upsetting 1-2 teams in the B1G. It would be nice if you at least tried to pick a few (more) of those.

As for Iowa, pay attention to what has happened to them the last several years. "IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Camp Randall recently than they have vs. the Badgers in Iowa City." "IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln than they have vs. the Shuckers in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played every bit as good in Ames the last couple of times (especially offensively) than they have vs. the Cyclones in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played better at Northwestern than they have vs. the Wildcats in Iowa City." IT COULD BE SAID that Iowa has played every bit as good at the Big House (and as good as any other team in the country) than they have vs. the Wolverines in Iowa City.

Does that mean they win all these games? It means I like their chances not only against these teams, period, but also where we are playing every one of these games. None of these road venues intimidate the Hawks.

It could be said that Iowa is 0-6 against Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue the last two seasons and I picked Iowa to beat two of them. I even predicted Iowa to score more than 10 points against Northwestern, which it hasn’t done the last two seasons.
 
Nice article Rob. I think we drop one more but 8 wins is possible. I think Wisconsin gets the division with Nebraska a close second.
 
Nice article Rob. I think we drop one more but 8 wins is possible. I think Wisconsin gets the division with Nebraska a close second.

I'm going with Wisconsin too. Until proven otherwise this is still their division and last season was a hiccup. All the more reason Iowa should have capitalized when it had a chance. But I shouldn't even get started on that.
 
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Nebraska?
 
All this Nebraska love makes me sick. Iowa pushed them around pretty much the whole game, but coaching decisions at critical times hurt us...sorry KF, you kick the field goal to go up by three scores. Everyone talks about how they came back to tie it...well, absolutely everything had to go right for 15 minutes to do that...a fake punt at your own 12 yard line...seriously? Martinez making play after play. Ok.

I just don't see how you make up that much ground physically in one year. Depth is going to kill them...because injuries happen. A black Friday game at the end of the season with everyone dinged up, favors Iowa. If the weather is bad...favors Iowa. The good thing...is that in a month...we will know if Nebraska is really good or not...or if it's a good offensive team with a mediocre defense...which is what I expect.
 
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We are the chosen ones in 19! Come on 90s magic! Tommy Frazier going to light it up this year!
 
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All this Nebraska love makes me sick. Iowa pushed them around pretty much the whole game, but coaching decisions at critical times hurt us...sorry KF, you kick the field goal to go up by three scores. Everyone talks about how they came back to tie it...well, absolutely everything had to go right for 15 minutes to do that...a fake punt at your own 12 yard line...seriously? Martinez making play after play. Ok.

I just don't see how you make up that much ground physically in one year. Depth is going to kill them...because injuries happen. A black Friday game at the end of the season with everyone dinged up, favors Iowa. If the weather is bad...favors Iowa. The good thing...is that in a month...we will know if Nebraska is really good or not...or if it's a good offensive team with a mediocre defense...which is what I expect.
Agree.

B1G football, especially in November when the wind is blowing and the weather is nasty, is trench warfare. They just don't have the talent or depth in either line to win a B1G division and the longer the season goes the more that is exposed.
 
It could be said that Iowa is 0-6 against Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue the last two seasons and I picked Iowa to beat two of them. I even predicted Iowa to score more than 10 points against Northwestern, which it hasn’t done the last two seasons.

No lunch today for me. The Northwestern part made me vomit in my mouth. Gary’s writing up a pay raise and contract extension as I post. Kirk is Gary’s hero.

 
I feel like there's a little anti-homerism infused into Rob's picks. The residual of Miller's 12-0 2010 forecast still casts a shadow nearly a decade later. But, Nebraska? I could stomach Wisconsin, but Nebraska?
 
I think Wisconsin and NW will be down from last year. MN and NEBR will have to prove something to me. N’s qb is really good, but that is only part of being a contender.
 

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