Expectations can make or break a program. Low expectations serve as motivation to prove all the doubters and naysayers wrong for some, while the weight of lofty expectations can prove too much to overcome for others. That’s why, at the end of every season, there’s a team that went 5-7 with a delighted fan base and a group of people who are miserable after watching their team go 10-2.
While every program and fan base sets the expectations, win totals are one of the few truly neutral projections for every team in the country. They’re a simple measure of looking at a team’s talent, its schedule and figuring out how many games you’re most likely to win.
Perhaps most importantly, win totals give us all a chance to prove we’re smarter than everybody else. I know I can never pass up the opportunity to do so, and I’ve gone through the entire Big Ten schedule for 2024 and figured out how many games each team will win. We don’t even need to play the season! The results are all here!
OK, so I might be wrong on some of these. I went 7-7 with my picks last year, so maybe these oddsmakers know what it is they’re doing. Let’s see if I can post a winning record in 2024 as the Big Ten adds four new teams.
Over/under 5.5 wins
Wins: Eastern Illinois, Central Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan State
Losses: Kansas, at Nebraska, at Penn State, Michigan, at Oregon, at Rutgers, at Northwestern
Analysis: I’ve seen some articles written with extremely low expectations for the Illini, and while I understand the concerns about a defense that lost some key pieces, they won with their offense last season. They could have one of the best offensive lines in the league, which should help them continue to score points. The primary obstacle is the schedule. Pick: Under…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2024-big-ten-win-totals-odds-picks-predictions-for-every-team-as-ohio-state-oregon-face-big-numbers/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2024-06-24 14:44:41
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