Big Ten Football: 5 Bold Predictions for 2012

With Urban Meyer's arrival at Ohio State, the turnaround at Penn State, Heisman hopefuls in Denard Robinson and Montee Ball along with countless other stories, the Big Ten is looking to be one of the most intriguing conferences to follow in 2012.

But how will it all shake out in the long run?

Here are five bold predictions for the Big Ten Conference in 2012.

As always, be sure to leave comments below.

Northwestern Will Win Their First Bowl Game Since 1949

Yes, Northwestern has not won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl in a victory over California.

I'm not saying Northwestern will be any better in 2012 than they were in 2011 though. The Wildcats lose many notable weapons on offense including quarterback Dan Persa, wide receiver Jeremy Ebert, tight end Drake Dunsmore and left tackle Al Netter.

However, quarterback Kain Colter—with his dual-threat capability—will only get better.

In addition the Wildcats will have one of the best linebacker corps in the Big Ten with David Nwabuisi, Damien Proby and Collin Ellis. Northwestern's leading tackler safety Ibraheim Campbell also returns for 2012.

While Northwestern will not be close to a BCS bowl, the Wildcats should be good enough to have another 6-6 season.  

The schedule helps too.

The Wildcats have non-conference games against Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Boston College and South Dakota where they should go 2-2 at worst.  The Big Ten slate sits well too as Northwestern does not play Ohio State or Wisconsin.

It's typical for Northwestern to take one game every year they shouldn't (see: at Iowa in 2010, at Nebraska in 2011), which should net them another win.

With a 6-6 season, the Wildcats are likely to play in the Little Caesars Bowl against a MAC opponent—a game which on paper, they should likely win.

62 seasons is long enough. It's time for Northwestern to get the monkey off their back.

Penn State Will Not Make a Bowl Appearance

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure Bill O'Brien is walking into a tough situation at Penn State—on and off the field.

The on-the-field troubles begin at quarterback.

Neither Matt McGloin or Rob Bolden have established themselves as the go-to guy for Penn State's offense, and the Nittany Lions were 112th in the nation last year in passing efficiency.

Running back Silas Redd will be the bright spot on the offense, but finding room to run will be difficult with only one starter returning on an inexperienced offensive line.

The defense isn't much better with only five starters returning, but outside linebacker Gerald Hodges will lead the Nittany Lions and look to improve on his 106 tackles from 2011.

The schedule doesn't help either. While not incredibly difficult, Penn State faces a much-tougher-than-it-seems non-conference slate with Ohio, Virginia, Navy and Temple. The Nittany Lions miss Michigan and Michigan State in Big Ten play, but still face Ohio State, Wisconsin, and tough road tests against Nebraska and Iowa.  

While the schedule is not terribly difficult, no game is even close to a guaranteed victory.

I think it is realistic to see Penn State go just 2-2 in non-conference play and 3-5 in Big Ten play.

With a totally revamped coaching staff and lack of firepower on offense, Penn State will miss their first bowl game since 2004.

Indiana Will Be Much, Much Better

Of course, Indiana can only improve after a 1-11 season, one which lacked a single victory over an FBS opponent.

However, the Hoosiers could not have made a better hire given Kevin Wilson's track record at Northwestern and Oklahoma. I am a firm believer Wilson will turn the Hoosiers around—he just needs the time.

In 2011, Indiana was just too young.

There are reasons to be optimistic this season though, as almost all of Indiana's key players return. Much of the positivity surrounds Tre Robertson's athleticism at quarterback. He is not the guaranteed starter though, and will fight for the job against Edward Wright-Baker—but Robertson will turn into a solid quarterback for the Hoosiers once his passing improves.

Bruising running back Stephen Houston will only get better as the offensive line gains more experience.

Additionally, with Indiana State, UMass and Ball State as the first three games, the Hoosiers have a legitimate chance at starting the season 3-0 even though Indiana lost to Ball State last year.

Like in 2011, the Hoosiers will likely be in the cellar of the Big Ten Leaders division. However, do not be surprised if Indiana can sneak past Illinois, Purdue or even a down Penn State team in the final conference standings for fifth place.

Even without eventual Notre Dame recruit Gunner Kiel, look for Wilson to get the Hoosiers to a bowl game in the near future.

Montee Ball Won't Quite Put Up the Stats He Did in 2012

Simply put, Montee Ball is an outstanding football player. His 1,923 yards along with 33 touchdowns earned Ball a well deserved spot as a Heisman finalist in 2011.

While Ball will still put up outstanding statistics in 2012, they will not be as great because of the lack of experience on the offensive line.

Wisconsin's offensive line only returns two starters and will have to replace center Peter Konz, guard Kevin Zeitler and tackle Josh Oglesby. Ball will also have to adjust to a new quarterback, as Russell Wilson is gone.

While Wisconsin's offensive line will still be decent in 2012, the experience of the 2011 line for the Badgers was a large part of why Ball put up such big numbers.

Additionally, James White will be even more developed and may take more of the load off of Wilson in 2012.

Whether Ball performs like he did in 2011 or not, the Badgers are a practical shoe-in to win the Big Ten Leaders with Ohio State ineligible.

Michigan Will Win the Conference, and It Won't Even Be Close

Maybe not such a bold prediction here, but Michigan has to be the easy favorite to win the Big Ten in 2012.

The offensive backfield will easily be the class of the conference. Quarterback Denard Robinson returns with 2,173 yards through the air, 1,176 yards rushing and 36 combined passing/rushing touchdowns in 2011. He will be a definite Heisman front-runner in 2012.

Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will look to build on his 1,041 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in 2011 this season.

The Michigan defense also returns eight starters off a defense that was sixth in the country in points against (17.4 per game) led by linebacker Kenny Demens.

Not only does Michigan have the talent, but other title contenders have huge question marks: Wisconsin loses Russell Wilson, Michigan State ditto for Kirk Cousins and B.J. Cunningham, Nebraska loses Lavonte David on defense and has a lack of options in the receiving corps, and heck, Ohio State isn't even eligible. 

And who knows? The Wolverines may even have a shot to knock off Alabama in Arlington, Texas on September 1st.

Regardless, Michigan has to be penciled in as the favorite to play in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl on January 1st, 2013 at this point.