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Iowa’s over-under for football regular-season wins in 2012 is ….
All the Big Ten numbers are in this post. All of them.
Eight for Iowa, 4.5 for Iowa State.
Here’s how it works. You bet in a legal sports book (Nevada is the only state that has such things at this time) that a team will win more or less games than the number posted before the season.
Last year, for instance, the over-under on regular-season wins for Iowa was 8.5. Had you bet the over, you’d have lost. Iowa went 7-5 in the regular-season.
Wisconsin 9.5
Ohio State 9
Michigan 8.5
Nebraska 8.5
Iowa 8
Michigan State 8
Penn State 6.5
Purdue 6.5
Illinois 6
Northwestern 6
Minnesota 4.5
Indiana 4
So, who do you like to go over and who do you like to go under? You need to study the schedules to make this less of a guess. But without doing so I’ll make two quick pics on gut feelings. I’ll take Illinois under 6 because first-year head coaches of Big Ten teams often (not always, Brady Hoke, but often) have rugged first seasons. And I’ll take Indiana over 4 because the Hoosiers have a fairly soft first three games and should begin to make headway under Kevin Wilson.
But looking at all 12 numbers, I see nothing that seems like a great pick. What am I missing?
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Iowa will certainly be an under. I have a hunch Nebraska is an over and Wisco is an under. I see Michigan going 10-2 or 11-1. so an easy over. The biggest plunge will be Penn State.
I’d take both Ohio St. and Michigan State for “over.” I suspect Urban Meyer will have immediate success there, and I think Mark Dantonio is building a rugged program at East Lansing. Not so sure about Indiana getting four or more. They struggled to beat anyone last year.
Wisconsin – over
Ohio State – over
Michigan – over (barely at 9-3)
Nebraska – over
Iowa – under
MSU – under
Penn State – over
Illinois – under
N’Western – even (6-6)
Minnesota – over
I missed Indiana and Purdue- is Indiana still playing football?
both will be under. Indiana wins 2 games (maybe)
Purdue was 7-6 last season.
Mike, I wouldn’t be so bold to go over with Indiana. They’re still extremely inexperienced…and I wouldn’t be so quick to call their early schedule “soft”.
Ball State BEAT Indiana last year and UMass won’t be an easy W either for the Hoosiers.
Then to start the B1G season..they face Nwestern, MSU, and Ohio State before getting to play Navy. Ouch.
Kevin Wilson will be wondering what the heck he was thinking leaving Oklahoma..
I like the Iowa number, if we can get on the 5-0 opening that I hear some predicting then we could do some shocking things this season. The first 5 games are all winnable, a few other teams that look like chumps right now, a few coin flips, then Michigan and Nebraska looking like the only two games we’re likely to be underdogs.
I was shocked to not see MSU higher, they’ve still got a butt load of talent and a groomed QB, however they’ve got a lot tougher schedule than I imagined, I find 5 guaranteed wins and everything else is probably a coin flip with the talent they have.
MSU has a LOT of questions that need answered this year. No more Kirk Cousins at QB..lost 3 starters at WR, and only one RB with major experience in Le’von Bell.
MSU is going to have to ride their defense lead by William Gholston if they’re going to be anything of a factor in the B1G this year.
They have a monster schedule this year-having to play Boise State, Notre Dame, and then kickoff B1G with Ohio State–and that’s just in the first 5 weeks of the season.
5 wins is no guarantee..considering that schedule they play this season.