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We are all in for a treat when the Big Ten football season kicks off this September with four former Pac-12 schools joining the conference. UCLA and USC were announced as future members in the summer of 2022, while Washington and Oregon joined at the beginning of August.
With the extinction of the Pac-12 all but complete, Big Ten’s new look might be in for its most exciting season yet. This past year, Oregon and Washington, and to some extent USC, were some of the country’s top offenses. Contrary to the typical Big Ten conference game with low scores and gritty defense, the four newcomers were known for scoring touchdowns up and down the field.
The differences in styles will be fascinating to watch this year and to see how the new or old Big Ten teams adapt to unfamiliar opponents. How many Big Ten fans are looking forward to seeing an anemic Iowa offense go up against Lincoln Riley’s USC or Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks? We’ll have to wait for those exact matchups, but maybe Kirk Ferentz will slow down the Washington Huskies and introduce them to typical Big Ten football. Those new matchups will now be a regular fixture come the fall.
Undoubtedly, the Big Ten is about to be a lot stronger. There are no more divisions, just the two top teams going head-to-head for the conference title in December. Can it still be the Ohio State, Michigan show, or will the West Coast teams enter the fray with a vengeance? Only time will tell, but one thing is sure: going 9-0 in conference play will be next to impossible.
Let’s take a look at the top 20 Big Ten conference matchups this season, and there are quite a few exciting ones.
Ohio State at Oregon (Oct. 12)
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
No Bo Nix and no Marvin Harrison Jr., but this matchup still has all the makings of a top-2 matchup in the Big Ten. Dan Lanning and Ryan…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/top-20-big-ten-conference-110012436.html
Author : Nittany Lions Wire
Publish date : 2024-02-04 11:00:12
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