The college football season does not feel near until the release of Bill Connelly‘s comprehensive conference preview series.
That series has been rolling out over the last few weeks. But the season now feels right around the corner after the release of his preview of the new-look Big Ten Conference.
Related: Reasons why Wisconsin football will or won’t make College Football Playoff in 2024
That new-look conference includes newcomers Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC. Their arrival coincides with the conference eliminating its East-West Division model and introducing a new pool play format.
The 2024 Big Ten landscape will look and feel different than it has in any previous year. That inarguably makes it more difficult to project. Classic contenders including Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan will still all play big roles. But questions surround what the former Pac-12 powers can do upon their respective arrivals, and where the movement leaves programs like Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.
Connelly’s Big Ten preview takes a shot at projecting the first year of the new-look conference. His recap of ESPN’s updated conference title odds gives Wisconsin just a 1.2% chance of winning it.
The leaders, to no surprise, are Ohio State at 30.9%, Oregon at 26.1%, Penn State at 17.8% and Michigan at 17%. Then there is a substantial dropoff before Iowa at 2%, USC at 1.8% and Wisconsin.
* 4-team race? Or 2?
* That's a whole lotta new, Michigan & Washington
* Penn State Eliteness Watch, Year 9
* Nebraska will bowl! Maybe!
* Everyone's got a great CB2024 (Very) Big Ten Preview, aka the longest piece I've ever written for ESPN, lol:https://t.co/cD61IDt6R6
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) July 16, 2024
The Badgers’ low title odds are thanks to the elimination of the Big Ten West and a gauntlet schedule in the first year of the new format. Wisconsin will need to go 8-1 or 7-2 against a Big Ten schedule that includes games against Oregon, Penn State, USC, Nebraska and Iowa. It’s a tall ask given the current caliber of those top teams.
Wisconsin fans will likely look for areas of improvement in year two under Luke Fickell. The Badgers went 7-6 in 2023 in his first season in charge. Material improvements are needed to have the program pointing in the right direction moving forward.
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More 2024 Big Ten preview work:
Team Previews: Indiana Hoosiers — Purdue Boilermakers — Illinois Fighting Illini — Northwestern Wildcats — Minnesota Golden Gophers — Nebraska Cornhuskers — Iowa Hawkeyes — Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Maryland Terrapins
Position Previews: Quarterbacks — Running Backs — Wide Receivers — Offensive Lines — Tight Ends — Defensive Line — Linebackers — Cornerbacks