Big Ten Football: Early Odds for Each Team to Make the 2015-16 Playoff
Ohio State represented the Big Ten during the inaugural College Football Playoff, defeating Alabama and Oregon en route to a national title.
Urban Meyer's crew is a clear favorite to make a repeat trip to the playoff in January, but what are the odds another Big Ten team joins the Buckeyes?
Organized alphabetically, the following list breaks down the chances for each conference program to earn a coveted spot in the final four of the Football Bowl Subdivision's championship bracket.
Can Michigan State avoid a late-season loss? Will Wisconsin have enough offense to make it? Is there an under-the-radar squad waiting to emerge? Read on to find out.
Illinois
1 of 14
Tim Beckman has slowly helped the Illinois program rebound after a disappointing debut, increasing the team's win totals from two to four to six over the last three seasons. Nevertheless, the head coach is on the hot seat in his fourth year.
Fortunately for Beckman, he has Mike Dudek, who led Power Five freshmen with 1,038 receiving yards, and a quintet of 2014 All-Big Ten honorable mentions returning.
But that decent core won't be enough firepower for the Fighting Illini to shock the nation.
An eight-win campaign that includes a bowl victory would be a great season for Beckman and Co. The playoff is simply not in Illinois' future.
Odds: 500-1
Indiana
2 of 14
Indiana holds the unenviable task of replacing one of the nation's two 2,000-yard rushers from last season, NFL-bound Tevin Coleman.
Head coach Kevin Wilson snagged powerful runner Jordan Howard from the folding UAB football program, a terrific grab in an otherwise unfortunate scenario.
However, the Hoosiers must address their problems on the other side of the ball—102nd and 95th in scoring and total defense, respectively—before creating noise on the national level.
Betting on Indiana to make the playoff is not a recommended course of action.
Odds: 750-1
Iowa
3 of 14
The loss of left tackle and Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff hurts Iowa, but three O-line starters returning to Kirk Ferentz's team certainly softens the blow.
Additionally, with junior running back Jordan Canzeri poised to emerge, the Hawkeyes' balanced offense should retain its yardage output.
Iowa possesses a favorable non-divisional slate, missing the likes of Michigan State and Ohio State while taking on Indiana and Maryland.
What the Hawkeyes don't have, however, is an elite quarterback. Jake Rudock and C.J. Beathard are serviceable starters, but neither shot-caller is leading the 2015 Hawkeyes to glory.
Odds: 400-1
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Maryland
4 of 14
ESPN's Brian Bennett believes the Maryland job has the highest upside of any Big Ten program, citing a favorable location for recruiting and big-money sponsorship. Though upside means there's room to grow, the Terrapins also have a ton of ground to make up.
Stefon Diggs declared for the NFL draft, leaving Maryland without an offensive playmaker on a unit that already ranked 112th in the nation out of 128 teams.
Plus, Randy Edsall must replace a trio of linebackers that each moved to the defensive line and receive consistent production from the possibly above-average, probably mediocre secondary.
Throw in road matchups against West Virginia, Ohio State and Michigan State, and the Terps have a grim outlook for a playoff run.
Odds: 500-1
Michigan
5 of 14
Jim Harbaugh will likely return the University of Michigan football program to relevance in an efficient manner. That doesn't mean he's lifting the Wolverines into the playoff next season.
Michigan returns seven starters from one of the nation's best defenses, which doesn't include potential superstar Jabrill Peppers.
But the Wolverines have no proven quarterback. Shane Morris has shown no signs of being the answer, while Wilton Speight and Alex Malzone are just highly touted prospects at this point.
Harbaugh should lead Michigan past those issues soon, but a one-year turnaround isn't probable in Ann Arbor. However, completely discarding the former San Francisco 49ers coach seems foolish, especially since he inherits a terrific defense.
Odds: 100-1
Michigan State
6 of 14
Defensive end Shilique Calhoun and quarterback Connor Cook both decided to return for their senior campaigns, despite the likelihood of being drafted early.
"Unfinished business," the Michigan State gunslinger cited as a predominant factor, per ESPN's Dan Murphy.
Now, the Spartans' road to achieving Cook's goal travels through a home meeting with Oregon and road test opposite Ohio State. Though Mark Dantonio's team finished 11-2 in 2014, their losses came at the hands of the Ducks and Bucks.
Flipping that script won't be easy, but MSU has both the talent and motivation to reach the College Football Playoff.
Odds: 15-1
Minnesota
7 of 14
Jerry Kill's squad jumped out to a 7-2 start in 2014, but the Golden Gophers dropped two games during a late-season stretch that contained Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Their 2015 schedule is similarly brutal, with pending matchups against TCU and the three others.
While Briean Boddy-Calhoun highlights a stout defense, Minnesota needs to fill the voids left by first-team All-Big Ten tight end Maxx Williams and second-team running back David Cobb.
As Jerry Seinfeld would say, "Good luck with all that."
Odds: 250-1
Nebraska
8 of 14
Being sold on Nebraska as a playoff-caliber team is not required. Understanding that the Cornhuskers are the Big Ten program with the best chance to surprise the country is requested.
The first year of Mike Riley's tenure is not overly daunting, considering its toughest road opponent is inconsistent Miami. Nebraska hosts BYU, Wisconsin and Michigan State in the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium.
Granted, the Huskers lost 45.4 percent of their offensive yards in NFL-bound running back Ameer Abdullah and receiver Kenny Bell.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. guided Nebraska to six victories in seven tries at Memorial last season—including a win over Miami—so if the Cornhuskers capitalize on home-field advantage, they can hang around the playoff picture.
Odds: 80-1
Northwestern
9 of 14
From 2008 to 2012, Northwestern earned five consecutive bowl appearances, capped by a 10-3 record and Gator Bowl victory. Pat Fitzgerald had the Wildcats going in the right direction.
Two 5-7 campaigns later, the 10th-year coach is facing another rebuilding project that isn't aided by a tough slate of nonconference showings. Stanford travels to Evanston for the season opener, and Northwestern heads to Duke two weeks later.
The problems of a difficult schedule are compounded by an unsettled quarterback situation. Trevor Siemian's eligibility expired, leaving Zack Oliver, Matt Alviti and Clayton Thorson in a battle of relative unknowns.
Similar to in-state rival Illinois, qualifying for bowl season would be a sufficient result at Northwestern.
Odds: 500-1
Ohio State
10 of 14
In 2014, it didn't matter whether Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett lined up under center for the Buckeyes. And it won't next season, either.
As if Ohio State wasn't already dangerous enough with a trio of championship-caliber quarterbacks, Meyer's crew returns defensive stars in Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington, Joshua Perry, Darron Lee, Eli Apple and Von Bell.
The Buckeyes play an easy nonconference schedule and have an opportunity for revenge at Virginia Tech, the lone team to beat them last year. OSU also doesn't need to knock out Wisconsin and Nebraska.
When January arrives, Ohio State will likely be preparing to defend its title.
Odds: 3-1
Penn State
11 of 14
Penn State is the misfit program of the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have the elite quarterback mandated for a playoff run, that being potential 2016 No. 1 draft pick Christian Hackenberg.
James Franklin does boast 15 returning starters on the roster, so Penn State should be experienced enough to overcome the four one-possession losses suffered in 2014.
What's more, the Nittany Lions are on the favorable side of non-division action, taking on Northwestern and Illinois.
With that being said, Penn State has road clashes with Ohio State and Michigan State on the docket. Crazier things have happened, but don't expect the Nittany Lions to end the year in the top four.
Odds: 150-1
Purdue
12 of 14
Purdue receives a gold star for effort, but nothing for execution.
The program hasn't won 10 games in a season since 1979, and a magical transformation by the 2015 Boilermakers is perhaps the most unlikely event in the Big Ten.
Through two years, Darrell Hazell has managed a single conference victory and a 4-20 record overall—two of the wins came against Football Championship Subdivision opponents.
Long story short, Purdue should focus on crawling out of the cellar before anyone thinks about playoff aspirations.
Odds: 1,500-1
Rutgers
13 of 14
Rutgers has participated in bowl season during nine of the last 10 seasons, a superb achievement following a 26-year bowl-less stretch.
Taking the next step, however, is a task that's evaded the Scarlet Knights under both Greg Schiano and Kyle Flood. Essentially, Rutgers is a victim of circumstance.
Planted in the East Division of the conference, Flood and Co. must challenge Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State each season. To make matters worse for the Scarlet Knights, Wisconsin and Nebraska are on the 2015 slate, too.
Though the following odds suggest Rutgers is less talented than other Big Ten schools, that's not true. Powering through one of the nation's most difficult schedules is the principal issue.
Odds: 750-1
Wisconsin
14 of 14
If Wisconsin ever wanted to describe a perfect opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff, it's perfectly illustrated in the 2015 season.
Following a season-opening test against a presumably Top 5-ranked Alabama team, the Badgers play four consecutive home games—Miami (Ohio), Troy, Hawaii and Iowa. Additionally, Wisconsin only heads to Nebraska, Illinois, Maryland and Minnesota.
No Michigan. No Michigan State. No Ohio State. No Penn State.
While the Badgers have eight defensive starters back, will they have enough on attack behind Corey Clement? New head coach Paul Chryst served as the school's offensive coordinator for seven seasons, so he's theoretically prepared for the challenge.
To finish in the top four, Wisconsin needs to avoid a late-season letdown and win the Big Ten title game. But it's up to Chryst to prepare either Joel Stave or Tanner McEvoy—a pair of erratic quarterbacks—for the challenge.
Odds: 30-1
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
