College Football 2011: Odds to Win the Big Ten and Who We'd Bet On

The 2011 Big Ten Conference is now comprised of 12 schools, and each team will be split off into newly created divisions.

All representatives will be focused on reaching the Inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 3 being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Nebraska becomes the first new addition to the conference’s landscape since Penn State began play in 1993.

The Cornhuskers are joined by the following schools in the Legends Division:  Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Gophers and Northwestern Wildcats.

The Nittany Lions will take on the following institutions in the Leaders Division:  Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Purdue Boilermakers and Wisconsin Badgers.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds for each team to capture the conference championship.

No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers (-105)

The Wisconsin Badgers are clear betting favorites to capture the conference championship in Indianapolis, and the program has enjoyed great success in head coach Bret Bielema’s five years in Madison.

His career winning percentage of .754 (49-16) is fourth-best in the country amongst coaches with at least four seasons under their belt.

College football fans across the country took notice of the program last year due to piling up explosive offensive numbers—including 45.2 points per game in conference play—which ended up being the second-best mark in Big Ten history.

Bettors have focused primarily on the departure of last year’s signal-caller Scott Tolzien and incoming NC State transfer Russell Wilson.

If the dual-threat quarterback can take hold of the offensive system, the Badgers could roll through Indianapolis and possibly make an appearance in the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans.

Three major hurdles exist on the schedule—playing host to Nebraska (October 1) before playing consecutive road games against Michigan State (October 22) and Ohio State (October 29).

Opinion:  Short on value

No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers (+175)

Nebraska will not debut in Big Ten Conference play until traveling to Madison, Wisconsin and facing the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Cornhuskers will seemingly enter that contest with a perfect 4-0 record.

A move from the Big 12 was surprising to many, as the program has tallied back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2002. 

Bo Pelini enters his fourth year on the sidelines and has guided the school to an impressive 30-12 record over that period. 

In my opinion—it’s a tough call in predicting a newcomer to win any power conference during its first year of competition.

The Cornhuskers will definitely cause matchup problems, as they are unlike any other team in the Big Ten, but they will also be dealing with unfamiliar opponents all season long.

Opinion:  Pass

Penn State Nittany Lions (+375)

The Penn State Nittany Lions have consistently remained atop the college football landscape under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno and have posted a 58-19 record since the 2005 campaign.

Paterno welcomes back 15 starters and 41 letter-winners from a squad that finished 7-6 a year ago.

Defense has always been the name of the game around State College, PA, as the school is one of just three nationally to rank among the top five in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. The other two happen to be Ohio State and TCU.

A concern for bettors is on the other side of the ball, as a quarterback controversy is likely to way heavy on the coaching staff. Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin are both currently listed as starting quarterbacks on the depth chart.

Opinion: Pass until quarterback is determined

No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes (+625)

The Ohio State Buckeyes will kickoff their 122nd season of football this season with new head coach Luke Fickell taking over for the departed Jim Tressel.

With such a large fanbase, the Buckeyes are always overvalued in terms of betting by the lines-maker. This year may be different due to the public perception that surrounds Columbus.

Suspensions to top players for the first five games will actually have little affect on the team’s chances of capturing the conference crown.

Ohio State will need to outlast Michigan State in its Big Ten home opener before traveling to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 6.

A win in Lincoln is a lot to ask for any team that will be welcoming back players for the first time.

Opinion: Pass

No. 17 Michigan State Spartans (+850)

The Michigan State Spartans are a trendy pick to win it all in Indianapolis, but some of last year’s heroics concern me.

A trip to Columbus looms large in Week 5, as the Buckeyes are extremely difficult to beat during conference play at The Horseshoe and will be playing their final contest without suspended players.

Fifth-year senior Kirk Cousins is definitely an experienced enough signal-caller to get the job done—sitting just five games back of tying Jeff Smoker for most wins at quarterback in school history.

The schedule is incredibly daunting and something that has me running the other way.

Opinion:  Pass

Iowa Hawkeyes (+2000)

Iowa is receiving some votes in both the USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press preseason rankings. 

Head coach Kirk Ferentz will begin his 13th year of leading the program in Iowa City. He ranks second among Big Ten leaders in tenure behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno.

Lack of experience is the theme on the team’s roster, and it will look to come together quickly before opening up conference play against the Nittany Lions on October 8.

Fans may show up in record numbers this year if the Hawkeyes can work some magic, as junior quarterback James Vanderberg will be the first Iowan native to open the season under center since 2001.

A favorable schedule is definitely in the cards this year—except for an aforementioned trip to Penn State and a season-ending trip to face Nebraska.

Opinion: Watch closely

Michigan Wolverines (+3000)

First-year head coach Brady Hoke will not have to leave the town limits of Ann Arbor, MI, until an October 8 contest against the Northwestern Wildcats.

Michigan will open up its Big Ten schedule a week before—hosting the downtrodden Minnesota Gophers.

An offense led by junior quarterback Denard Robinson makes anything possible, as the unit led the conference in total offense by averaging 488.7 yards per game.

It’s the other side of the football that must improve, which isn’t likely to happen until the second year under a new coaching staff.

Opinion:  Pass

Northwestern Wildcats (+3000)

Don’t get blinded by last year’s three-game losing streak to end the 2010 campaign, which included a forgettable 70-23 road loss to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Northwestern played the above-mentioned contests without Heisman Trophy candidate Dan Persa at quarterback. He suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon against Iowa.

The Wildcats will be able to protect the nation’s career leader in passing efficiency entering the season with four returning starters on the offensive line. 

Fans will recognize plenty of faces during the course of the season, as the program welcomes back 100 percent of its passing attack, 82.6 percent of its rushing yards and 83 percent of its receiving yardage.

Opinion:  Top value play

Other Teams

Illinois (+4000) will have the luxury of hosting eight total games this season and four during conference play. The Fighting Illini haven’t exactly excelled under head coach Ron Zook at Memorial Stadium—posting a 18-19 record.

Indiana (+4000) begins life under first-year head coach Kevin Wilson and returns 13 starters.  The Hoosiers managed to win just a single game during conference play last year, and this year’s Big Ten schedule features four daunting road games.

Minnesota (+7500) front man Jerry Kill takes over in Minneapolis and enjoyed great success in guiding Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference. A major step up in competition awaits and the program may be on the rise in 2012.

Purdue (+7500) already suffered a major blow to the 2011 season with the loss of projected No. 1 quarterback Rob Henry. Injuries have plagued the program recently and starters missed 76 games of action a year ago.

Opinion: Hall pass