2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicappers featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in college football betting this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-11, 0-8 in 2007, last place in Big 10)
Last season was an absolute disaster for the Golden Gophers as the program only registered one win and lost to Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, and I-AA North Dakota State to only name a few. The Gophers can only improve off of their horrific 2008 performance.

Offensive Outlook: Gone are the days when the Gophers churned out a RB seemingly every year (Marion Barber, Laurence Maroney, etc.) and last year’s starting RB Amir Pinnix (563 rushing yards and five touchdowns) has moved on. QB Adam Weber (2895 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions) will have to play better in 2008 and not throw as many interceptions if this offense expects to improve.

Defensive Outlook: Last year’s stop unit was the worst in the Big 10 allowing an eye popping 36.7 PPG. Gone is leading tackler S Dominique Barber (100 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 8 pass breakups in 2007) and most of the team’s senior leadership. Only three seniors are projected starters, but 2006 2nd team All Big-10 DE Willie VanDeSteeg is one of those starters trying to improve this unit.

2008 Outlook: The Golden Gophers get a chance for revenge early by taking on both Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic in the first four weeks of the season. Second year HC Tim Brewster has a lot of growing to do if he hopes to get this program back to where it was under predecessor Glen Mason, but road games at Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois make that task difficult.

2008 will be a success if… Minnesota can make some improvement and show that they are turning things around after that terrible 1-11 season. Fifteen returning starters will go a long way towards helping Brewster try to get this team back on track, but a daunting Big 10 schedule could make that a tall order.

The Golden Gophers can only get better in 2008 and almost have to have more wins this season. An early season match-up against mediocre I-AA squad Montana State almost assures the Gophers of at least one win, leaving eleven other chances to at least double last season’s output.

Prediction: 3-9, last place in Big 10

2008 Purdue Boilermakers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in college football betting this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Purdue Boilermakers (8-5, 3-5 in 2007, 7th place in Big 10)
Last season the Boilermakers opened the season strong, starting 5-0 before getting roughed up at home by Ohio State, 24-7, and closed the season losing five of their last seven. Only 12 starters return from 2007 and questions abound if anyone can step up on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensive Outlook: The good news for Purdue is that senior QB Curtis Painter (32 starts, 8763 passing yards, and 54 touchdowns in his career) is one of the better quarterbacks in the Big 10 and has loads of experience. However, four of his five leading receivers don’t return in 2008 meaning that Greg Orton (752 yards receiving and three touchdowns) has to play a huge role this year.

Defensive Outlook: Five of the top six leading tacklers for the Boilermakers will need to be replaced, but LB Anthony Heygood (14 tackles for loss in 2007) does return to provide stability to the defense. This unit was gashed on the ground last year surrendering more than 150 yards rushing in seven of their games, and the front seven will need to show improvement.

2008 Outlook: The Boilermakers have two tough non-conference match-ups against Oregon and Notre Dame and can’t sleep on MAC favorite Central Michigan. The Boilermakers have made ten bowl appearances in Joe Tiller’s eleven seasons of coaching the team and want to send the coach out with one more bowl bid.

2008 will be a success if… The Boilermakers can make yet another bowl game and finish 2008 with a winning record. This has become the norm to expect in West Lafayette and what the team has accomplished virtually every year this decade.

The Boilermakers had only made four bowl appearances before Joe Tiller arrived and with the help of all time leading school passer Drew Brees, put Purdue on the map and made them a perennial contender in the tough Big 10. In his swan song, Tiller hopes to take the Boilermakers to one last bowl before he rides off into the sunset, but it will be tough after losing 23 lettermen.

Prediction: 5-7, 10th place in Big 10

2008 Indiana Hoosiers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are interested in college football betting this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Indiana Hoosiers (7-6, 3-5 in 2007, 9th place in Big 10)
The Hoosiers made a bowl game for the first time in 14 years in 2007, an achievement to former HC Terry Hoeppner’s memory, who lost his battle with brain cancer just before the start of the season. Indiana is now trying to register back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Offensive Outlook: 2nd Team All Big-10 QB Kellen Lewis (3779 total yards and 37 total touchdowns in 2007) is the undisputed leader of this offense that averaged 31.7 PPG last season. However the offense does have to replace superstar WR James Hardy (1125 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns) who was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills. Cause for concern for HC Bill Lynch will be the offensive line where three sophomores are expected to start and only one senior is listed on the depth chart.

Defensive Outlook: 1st team All Big-10 CB Tracy Porter left the team after an outstanding 2007 in which he recorded six interceptions and his contributions in the secondary will be sorely missed. NCAA leading sacker and 1st team All Big-10 DE Greg Middleton (16 sacks in 2007) is back to harass quarterbacks though along with DE Jammie Kirlew (12.5 tackles for loss in 2007). How quickly the Hoosiers can find a replacement for Porter will determine the effectiveness of this defense in 2008.

2008 Outlook: The Hoosiers start the season with three nobodies (Western Kentucky, Murray State, and Ball State) before they start conference play. Indiana is fortunate enough not to draw perennial powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan and will be looking to capitalize on not having to play either school. Kellen Lewis might be the best quarterback in the Big 10 and will be looking to prove it this year.

2008 will be a success if… The Hoosiers can post a winning record and go bowling again. Thirteen returning starters and the loss of Hardy and Porter means their work is cut out for them, but a winning season is not out of the question.

The Hoosiers were only favored in two of their Big 10 contests last season and are still looking for the respect that rivals Illinois and Purdue have been given in recent years. A winning season in 2008 will go a long way to earning that respect.

Prediction: 6-6, 9th place in Big 10

2008 Michigan State Spartans College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Michigan State Spartans (7-6, 3-5 in 2007, 8th place in Big 10)
Though the Spartans finished eighth in the Big 10 last season, their four out of conference wins assured them of their first bowl appearance in the past four seasons. However, replacing the offensive production of RB Jehuu Caulcrick (21 touchdowns in 2007) and WR Devin Thomas (1260 yards receiving and eight touchdowns in 2007) will be a tall task for this team in 2008.

Offensive Outlook: Michigan State had one of the best offenses in the Big 10 last season, averaging 33.1 PPG with a balanced attack that averaged 417 YPG. Though Caulcrick and Thomas have left, senior QB Brian Hoyer (2725 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2007) and star RB Javon Ringer (1447 rushing yards and six touchdowns) return to HC Mark Dantonio’s squad. The question for this group is can they sustain the numbers that they put up last season.

Defensive Outlook: The Spartans have not had a solid defense in years and if they expect to compete against the Ohio State’s and the Penn State’s of the Big 10, then the defense will need to improve by leaps and bounds. Only six starters from 2007 return to this group which will be anchored by the secondary and SS Otis Wiley who led the team with four interceptions last season en route to an Honorable Mention spot on the Big 10 All-Conference team.

2008 Outlook: Sparty starts the season with a difficult road test at California and has two relatively tough non-conference games at home against Notre Dame and Florida Atlantic before starting conference play. Though the Spartans don’t have to play Illinois, not having cellar dweller Minnesota on their conference slate deprives them of a winnable game. If Hoyer continues to improve and Ringer or another RB can fill Caulcrick’s short yardage role then the Spartans will have a very good offense again in 2008.

2008 will be a success if… The Spartans can make back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in over a decade and at least get to .500 in conference play.With 13 returning starters, the Spartans can compete in 2008 but will need the defense to vastly improve and a WR to step in for Devin Thomas if the Spartans want to be mentioned amongst the Big 10 elite in ‘08.

Prediction: 6-6, 8th place in Big 10

2008 Northwestern Wildcats College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Northwestern Wildcats (6-6, 3-5 in 2007, 10th place in Big 10)
The Wildcats needed one more win to go bowling in 2007, and the place that they had to look back and shake their heads was a home loss to the lowly Duke Blue Devils in the third week of the season. That win would have given the Wildcats only their third winning season this decade.

Offensive Outlook: Northwestern returns seven starters to an offense that averaged 25.8 PPG last season and over 300 yards passing a game. The Wildcats boast their best backfield in years with QB CJ Bacher, who threw for 3656 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2007, and RB Tyrell Sutton (who had an injury plagued 2008 season) leading the way. Sutton is the most talented player on this team, having been named Big 10 Freshman of the Year in 2005, and having rushed for 2996 yards in his 26 starts in Northwestern’s backfield. That said; can their spread offense continue to be effective in the Big 10 now that more and more teams have adopted it?

Defensive Outlook: The Wildcats defense was not very good in 2007, allowing 31 PPG on average. This season the Wildcats have eight starters returning and three of those players (DT John Gill, DE Corey Wootton, and SS Brendan Smith) were Honorable Mention Big 10 players last year. The defensive line will be the strength of this defense as all four starters up front return this year.

2008 Outlook: The Wildcats start the season off with four very winnable games (vs. Syracuse, @ Duke, vs. Southern Illinois, vs. Ohio) before entering Big 10 play. If they can manage to pull off three or four wins in conference, Northwestern should be going bowling in 2008.

2008 will be a success if… Northwestern can make their fourth bowl game of this decade and finish with a winning record. With 15 returning starters, an easy non-conference schedule, and not having to play Penn State or Wisconsin in conference play, a winning season could be on the horizon in Evanston.

Pat Fitzgerald enters his third year at Northwestern still looking for the school’s first bowl appearance since the tragic passing of former HC Randy Walker. If Sutton can stay healthy and the defense improves, Northwestern has a very good chance to lace up their bowling shoes.

Prediction: 7-5, 7th place in Big 10

2008 Michigan Wolverines College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Michigan Wolverines (9-4, 6-2 in 2007, 2nd place in the Big 10)
Michigan came into 2007 with a Top 5 ranking and a team that had all the makings of a national championship contender. Then, little known Appalachian St. came into town led by Armanti Edwards, and in a feat that will be replayed for the rest of the century, the I-AA Mountaineers stunned Lloyd Carr and the Wolverines in the Big House 34-32, crushing the Wolverines BCS title hopes before they even began. The Wolverines were able to recover from their disastrous start to earn 2nd place in the Big 10 and ended the season on a high note with an outgoing win for Coach Carr against Florida.

Offensive Outlook: EVERYONE from last year’s team is pretty much gone through graduation, transfers, or choosing to leave early. Gone are Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Steve Breaston, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, and Jake Long. Even heralded backup QB Ryan Mallett transferred to Arkansas instead of trying to conform his drop back style to new coach Rich Rodriguez’s system. This offense is going to struggle greatly while it undergoes the total transformation from a pro-style drop back offense to a spread option attack. Redshirt freshman Steven Threet is going to be the starting QB and his development will go a long ways in determining the success of the Wolverines in 2008. Unfortunately he only has three starters returning from the 2007 team and RB Kevin Grady is having legal troubles and might not be able to suit up in ‘08. Rodriguez’ high-powered offense will certainly go through growing pains as the players Michigan has are not well-equipped to run it.

Defensive Outlook: Although the Wolverines lost highly respected defensive coordinator Ron English, this group returns seven starters from 2007 and their entire defensive line. The Wolverines have a tall task in replacing star LB Shawn Crable however, and some of their top recruits will need to step up to help stop the run. Last year Michigan was unusually porous against the run giving up an average of 157 yards per game.

2008 Outlook: As usual, the Wolverines have scheduled a relatively tough out of conference slate and will be challenged right off the bat when a very talented Utah team visits Ann Arbor. If Michigan can hold off the Utes upset bid, they then have a tougher than expected match-up against Miami (OH) and a road game in South Bend against rival Notre Dame. The Wolverines also have to play Penn State and Ohio State on the road, so the schedule is a difficult one though they do dodge Iowa in conference play.

2008 will be a success if… The Wolverines can have a winning record and reach a bowl game. To expect to contend for the Big 10 title this season is just foolish with a new coach, brand new offensive scheme, and nothing but new faces on the offensive side of the ball. If Rich Rodriguez can get the Wolverines to a bowl game, then he has successfully laid the groundwork for many successful years to come.

Michigan is going to have a very challenging beginning of the season installing a new offense with virtually no starters from last year but should come on at the end of the year.

Prediction: 7-5, 6th place in the Big 10

2008 Iowa Hawkeyes College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Iowa Hawkeyes (6-6, 4-4 in 2007, 6th place in Big 10)
Last season was a highly disappointing one for head coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes as they were left home during bowl season for the first time in the past seven years. The Hawkeyes lose quite a few starters from last year, which includes some key defensive players that they will need to replace in order to improve on last season’s mediocre record.

Offensive Outlook: Heralded QB Jake Christensen is back for his junior season after a pretty good 2007 campaign. Christensen only threw six interceptions in 370 attempts last year and personifies the term game manager. The offense also brings back their entire offensive line and all of them are potential NFL draft choices in the coming years, led by LT sensation Bryan Bulaga. The Hawkeyes will have to replace the RB duo of Albert Young and Damian Sims; the two combined for almost 1500 yards rushing in 2007. The WR group returns last year’s leading receiver in Derrell Johnson-Koulianos as well.

Defensive Outlook: Last season’s defense performed dramatically below their expectations, particularly the secondary that allowed over 300 yards in the air four times last season. This season, the defense has to replace six outgoing starters and have seven sophomores in their starting 11. Kirk Ferentz is going to look to his D-Line to anchor this unit and hope that seniors Mitch King and Matt Kroul can answer the bell. This defense is going to have to grow up very fast in order to have a successful ‘08.

2008 Outlook: The Hawkeyes start 2008 with two easy wins over Maine and Florida International before getting the chance to exact a little revenge against Iowa State back home in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes then have to travel to Pittsburgh for an early test against Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers. The schedule makers did Iowa a favor though by leaving powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan off the Hawkeyes schedule, leaving Iowa a very manageable schedule which they should be able to become bowl eligible with.

2008 will be a success if… The Hawkeyes can have a winning record and reach another bowl game, something Kirk Ferentz had great success doing until last year. With such a young defense, growing pains are to be expected and if Iowa can just give their fans some place to go for the holiday season, 2008 will get the program back on the right track.

Iowa has the offense needed to win games in the Big 10, but the loss of starters on the defensive side of the ball will keep this team from contending for the Big 10 title.

Prediction: 7-5, 5th in the Big 10

2008 Illinois Fighting Illini College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Illinois Fighting Illini (9-4, 6-2 in 2007, 3rd place in Big 10)
Last year was a magical season for Illinois and head coach Ron Zook. The school not only made their first bowl appearance in the past six seasons, but received a Rose Bowl invitation for the first time in almost 25 years!

Offensive Outlook: The Illini do get star QB Juice Williams back for 2008, but lose their super stud RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall’s production of nearly 2000 yards and 19 TDs will be sorely missed and either JUCO transfer Daniel Dufrene or redshirt frosh Troy Pollard will have to provide a suitable replacement. Coming back alongside Williams will be super freshman Arrelious Benn who will give the Illini the most lethal QB to WR threat in the Big 10. The offensive line will have to replace last year’s LG and RT positions with underclassmen, so this leaves cause for concern.

Defensive Outlook: The Illini defense was a below average unit last year that gave up chunks of yards through the air. USC, Penn State, Wisconsin, Missouri, and even Northwestern shredded this defense with their passing attacks last season, so the secondary is the first area that needs improvement. Unfortunately for the Illini faithful, both safeties are converted quarterbacks and underclassmen, but 1st team All-Big 10 CB Vontae Davis is back for his junior year to provide help at the position. The strength of their defense will be the defensive line that returns 3 of their 4 starters from last season. This group is young and only returns six starters; there is major cause for concern about the defense in Champaign.

2008 Outlook: The Illini open their season against rival Missouri in what is sure to be another high scoring affair between the two schools. They then follow that up with two cakewalks out of conference before jumping back into Big 10 play by traveling to Happy Valley and Ann Arbor in successive weeks. The Illini should then pick up a pair of victories at home against Minnesota and Indiana before the tail end of their schedule has them facing Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State (who will be craving a chance for revenge), and Western Michigan (who the Illini can’t afford to underestimate). If the defense can play out of its’ minds and a RB can emerge to replace Mendenhall, this team may just be able to replicate some of the magic of last season.

2008 will be a success if… Illinois fans would be crazy to expect another fairytale season like 2007. The Illini will be happy just to make a New Year’s Day bowl game and finish in the top half of the Big 10. Wins against Missouri and or Ohio State will be tough to come by, but if the Illini could steal a win in one of those games, it would make the season a resounding success.

It would be near impossible for Illinois to duplicate last year with the loss of Mendenhall and the abundance of new faces on a defense that was below average last year.

Prediction: 7-5, 4th place in Big 10

2008 Wisconsin Badgers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Wisconsin Badgers (9-4, 5-3 in 2007, 4th place in Big 10)
The Badgers were pegged by many pundits to win the Big 10 last season and contend for a national championship, but those hopes were extinguished quickly as Wisconsin didn’t even break double-digit wins in 2007. Their defense did not live up to the lofty expectations exalted upon them and struggled to stop rushing and passing attacks alike.

Offensive Outlook: The Badgers will have quite a task ahead of them in replacing one-year starter Tyler Donovan. Although Donovan wasn’t great statistically, he was a gritty senior who was the heart of this offense. Fortunately, this year’s starter, Allan Evridge, does have previous starting experience from his short time at Kansas State. Evridge does have a few recognizable faces to help him ease into the starting job. P.J. Hill is back at running back and is poised for at least another 1200 yard season, and TE Travis Beckum is a great safety valve f when he’s in trouble.

Defensive Outlook: The Badgers return nine starters from a unit that by all accounts underachieved in 2007. Gone is star CB Jack Ikegwuonu and Wisconsin must find a solid cornerback to replace him. The good news though is that last year’s Big 10 interception leader FS Shane Carter returns, as well as the entire linebacking corps. Also returning is standout DE Matt Shaughnessy who has been wreaking havoc on Big 10 offensive tackles the past few years.

2008 Outlook: The Badgers have three cupcakes on their non-conference slate and their only real out of conference test will come when they have to travel to Fresno State on September 13th. After their “bye” week, the Badgers face the brunt of their schedule by playing Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois in consecutive weeks which will go a long way to determining the success of their season. Luckily, Wisconsin does have the veterans to make it through such a stretch.

2008 will be a success if… Wisconsin can reach 9-10 wins and make their fifth straight appearance in a New Year’s Day bowl. The Badgers have maintained their status as one of the best programs in the Big 10, even through the coaching transition from Barry Alvarez to Bret Bielema, so a top half conference finish should be expected from Wiscy every year.

The big question is if Allan Evridge can replace the solid Tyler Donovan and solidify the quarterback position. If Evridge is able to do this, Wisconsin might be able to crack double-digit victories, if he can’t, then the Badgers might be playing their bowl game in 2008 for the first time since ‘03.

Prediction: 9-3, 3rd place in Big 10

2008 Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Penn State Nittany Lions (9-4, 4-4 in 2007, 5th place in Big 10)
2007 was a mildly disappointing year for Penn State, especially in Big 10 play. After making a New Year’s Day bowl game the previous two seasons, the Nittany Lions had to settle for an Alamo Bowl bid last year.

Offensive Outlook: The Nittany Lions are returning everyone but their starting backfield from 2007. However, they must replace starting QB Anthony Morelli and their RB duo of Rodney Kilyaw and Austin Scott. Morelli was never accepted by Nittany Lion faithful after his self-destruction in the 2006 Ohio State game. Expect to see Daryll Clark and star recruit Pat Devlin have a close battle for the starting job and Paterno to keep a short leash on the starter. The RB position will be a lot easier to replace as Evan Royster showed a lot of promise with his workload last season. The WR corps also returns intact led by the much heralded Derrick Williams. If the quarterback play is there, this should be one of the top three offenses in the Big 10.

Defensive Outlook: “Linebacker U” is finally back to its’ former status after the spectacular college careers of Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor. Sean Lee had looked to be ready to take over the reigns from Connor this season but tore his ACL in the spring and will miss the entire 2008 season. Losing Connor and Lee means that the highly recruited underclassmen (Chris Colasanti and Bani Gbadyu) are going to have to step up this season. If the inexperienced linebackers can fill their shoes, this unit will be the second best in the Big 10.

2008 Outlook: Penn State should cruise through their non-conference slate before beginning Big 10 play in earnest by facing Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State over the next five weeks. Needless to say, this five game stretch will make or break the Nittany Lions season. Their success, or failure, will ultimately tell us if they can reach another New Year’s Day bowl game or if they’ll again finish in the middle of the pack in the conference. The schedule makers also did Penn State no favors by leaving Big 10 creampuffs Northwestern and Minnesota off the Nittany Lions’ schedule for the second straight season.

2008 will be a success if… The Nittany Lions can make it back to their third New Year’s Day bowl game in the last four seasons and record double digit wins in 2008. However, with a daunting Big 10 schedule, this will be difficult to do.

IF the quarterback position can be aptly filled and IF the young LB corps can do what is needed, Penn State will have an outside chance to contend for the Big 10 title and a BCS at-large berth.

Prediction: 10-2, 2nd place in Big 10