FULL Big Ten Record Predictions and 2022 Season Preview

Yes, we know the first Big Ten games have already kicked off. But you try herding these cats to meet a deadline.

Before we do this, we want to pour some out for our friends and colleagues at the eleven SBNation blogs shuttered my Corporate this week. We don’t agree with the decision, but these decision are far above our “pay” (lol) grade and, instead, we just want to express our thanks to folks like Tim Riordan at UB Bull Run, the platoon at Against All Enemies, everyone at Team Speed Kills, and the folks at Big East Coast Bias, along with all those shut down by the end of September. SBNation has always been the voice of the fan, and it’s a darker day when fans lose their voice.

(Unless it’s Tennessee fans. But now’s not the time for that.)

In the wake of our 2022 Closing Arguments series—check out each team’s detailed final predictions there!—here’s how the Big Ten will shake out in 2022 (according to our writers):

Big Ten West

Wisconsin Badgers

• Average: 9-3 (6-3 B1G)
• High: 10-2 (7-2) — several
• Low: 8-4 (5-4) — several
• Standard Deviation: .77 wins (.68 B1G)

Iowa Hawkeyes

• Average: 8-4 (5-4 B1G)
• High: 10-2 (7-2) — MC ClapYoHandz
• Low: 0-12 (0-9) — misdreavus
• Low, Serious: 7-5 (4-5) — several
• Standard Deviation: 2.21 wins (1.54 B1G)
• Standard Deviation, serious: 1.02 wins (.81 B1G)

Minnesota Gophers

• Average: 8-4 (5-4 B1G)
• High: 10-2 (7-2) — misdreavus, WhiteSpeedReceiver
• Low: 5-7 (3-6) — RockyMtnBlue
• Standard Deviation: 1.41 wins (1.20 B1G)

No Closing Argument yet, as we had to put WhiteSpeedReceiver down.

Purdue Boilermakers

• Average: 7-5 (4-5 B1G)
• High: 9-3 (6-3) — misdreavus, WhiteSpeedReceiver
• Low: 5-7 (3-6) — He was a high school QB, RU in VA
• Standard Deviation: 1.27 wins (1 win B1G)

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Note: These predictions were made prior to Nebraska’s Week 0 loss to Northwestern in Ireland...but that doesn’t mean we didn’t cover that elsewhere, too.

• Average: 6-6 (4-5)
• High: 11-1 (8-1) — misdreavus figured they’d get that loss out of the way early
• Low: 0-12 (0-9) — RU in VA
• Low, Serious (we think): 2-10 (1-8) — beezer07
• Standard Deviation: 2.79 wins (2.37 B1G)

Post-Northwestern coverage:

Illinois Fighting Illini

Note: These predictions were made prior to Illinois’s Week 0 pasting of Wyoming.

• Average: 5-7 (3-6 B1G)
• High: 7-5 (4-5) — Creighton M, Stewmonkey13
• Low: 4-8 (2-7) — several
• Standard Deviation: 1.05 wins (.77 B1G)

Northwestern Wildcats

Note: These predictions were made prior to Northwestern’s Week 0 win over Nebraska.

• Average: 5-7 (2-7 B1G)
• High: 7-5 (4-5) — MC ClapYoHandz
• Low: 2-10 (0-9) — RockyMtnBlue
• Standard Deviation: 1.46 (1.24 B1G)

Big Ten East

Ohio State Buckeyes

• Average: 11-1 (9-0 B1G)
• High: 12-0 (9-0) — several
• Low: 10-2 (8-1) — 87townie, BoilerUp89
• Standard Deviation: .70 wins (.51 B1G)

Michigan Wolverines

• Average: 9-3 (6-3 B1G)
• High: 11-1 (8-1) — BoilerUp89, Stewmonkey13
• Low: 3-9 (1-8) — RockyMtnBlue
• Low, Serious: 8-4 (5-4) — misdreavus
• Standard Deviation: .89 wins (.75 B1G)

Penn State Nittany Lions

• Average: 8-4 (6-3)
• High: 11-1 (8-1) — both Penn State writers
• Low: 0-12 (0-9) — RU in VA
• Low, Serious: 7-5 (5-4) — beezer07
• Standard Deviation: 1.12 wins (.81 wins B1G)

Michigan State Spartans

• Average: 8-4 (6-3)
• High: 10-2 (7-2) — Creighton M, MNWildcat, RockyMtnBlue
• Low: 6-6 (4-5) — He was a high school QB
• Standard Deviation: 1.10 wins (.87 wins B1G)

Maryland Terrapins

• Average: 6-6 (3-6 B1G)
• High: 9-3 (6-3) — misdreavus
• Low: 4-8 (1-8) — RockyMtnBlue
• Standard Deviation: 1.27 wins (1.13 wins B1G)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Average: 4-8 (2-7 B1G)
• High: 12-0 (9-0) — RU in VA
• High, Serious: 6-6 (3-6) — WhiteSpeedReceiver
• Low: 2-10 (0-9) — RockyMtnBlue
• Standard Deviation: 1.02 wins (.98 wins B1G)

Indiana Hoosiers

• Average: 4-8 (2-7 B1G)
• High: 6-6 (3-6) — BuffKomodo [Dead Read has Indiana 4-5 in the B1G but 5-7 overall]
• Low: 2-10 (0-9) — WhiteSpeedReceiver
• Standard Deviation: 1.15 wins (1.03 wins B1G)

Full Record Predictions

Here’s how we see the divisions finishing in 2022:

And, if you’d like to make fun of your individual writers, here’s how we all voted:

Let us know YOUR full 2022 Big Ten football predictions in the comments, check out all those Closing Arguments in the tabs above or in this stream, and thank you, as always, for keeping OTE alive and the amazing community it is. We’d be nowhere without all of you.