Connelly numbers project Minnesota, Wisconsin, NE, Purdue and Iowa as all pretty tight, with WI and MN the two best.
(WI #10 SP-plus in nation, MN #21).
"Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa are once again balancing potentially elite defenses and offenses with clear question marks. Purdue has balance and experience, but is missing maybe its two most important people from last season (receiver David Bell and defensive coordinator Brad Lambert). Nebraska is capable of almost literally anything. All five teams are projected within one win of the top of the standings. Buckle up."
(Projects WI at 5.8 W in Big, MN and NE at 5.4, PU at 4.9, IA at 4.8; WI at 8.7 total wins, MN at 8.3, NE at 7.6, PU at 7.3, IA at 7.3).
"Minnesota ranked seventh in offensive SP+ in 2019, Ciarrocca's last season as coordinator, but Ciarrocca left for Penn State and got dismissed after one season. His version of the Gopher offense was a platonic ideal of rushing and vertical shots on wrong-footed defenders. Tanner Morgan threw for 3,253 yards and 30 touchdowns that season, but has managed only 3,418 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 20 games since. Unlike Mertz, Morgan has an experienced receiving corps at his disposal, led by senior Chris Autman-Bell and big-play former blue-chipper Dylan Wright. He's also got running back Mohamed Ibrahim again after the senior missed almost all of last season with injury."
"These (WI and MN) are very similar teams -- physical, beefy and defense-oriented. Whichever coordinator fares better out of the gate might be the play-caller for the West champion."
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(WI #10 SP-plus in nation, MN #21).
"Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa are once again balancing potentially elite defenses and offenses with clear question marks. Purdue has balance and experience, but is missing maybe its two most important people from last season (receiver David Bell and defensive coordinator Brad Lambert). Nebraska is capable of almost literally anything. All five teams are projected within one win of the top of the standings. Buckle up."
(Projects WI at 5.8 W in Big, MN and NE at 5.4, PU at 4.9, IA at 4.8; WI at 8.7 total wins, MN at 8.3, NE at 7.6, PU at 7.3, IA at 7.3).
"Minnesota ranked seventh in offensive SP+ in 2019, Ciarrocca's last season as coordinator, but Ciarrocca left for Penn State and got dismissed after one season. His version of the Gopher offense was a platonic ideal of rushing and vertical shots on wrong-footed defenders. Tanner Morgan threw for 3,253 yards and 30 touchdowns that season, but has managed only 3,418 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 20 games since. Unlike Mertz, Morgan has an experienced receiving corps at his disposal, led by senior Chris Autman-Bell and big-play former blue-chipper Dylan Wright. He's also got running back Mohamed Ibrahim again after the senior missed almost all of last season with injury."
"These (WI and MN) are very similar teams -- physical, beefy and defense-oriented. Whichever coordinator fares better out of the gate might be the play-caller for the West champion."
Wisconsin? Purdue? Iowa? Minnesota? The Big Ten West is up for grabs
Big changes are coming to the Big Ten, but for now the Badgers, Boilermakers, Hawkeyes, Gophers and even the Cornhuskers could contend for a division title.
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