I know. There is still over three months until the first kickoff. Here at tomknuppel.com I am going to segment this into once a week college football posts. I will start this off with the Big Ten.
Feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Illinois –
Not much news coming from Champaign and that is likely good. The Memorial Stadium will be celebrating its 100th year. Oh if those walls could talk! If you are a fan, check out IlliniBricks.com to purchase a brick with your name on it for the celebration.
Archie McDaniel is the new linebackers coach for Illinois. after spending three seasons with the Houston Cougars as their linebackers coach. Prior to Houston, he spent a lot of time in Texas and surrounding states, with stops at Texas State, New Mexico and SMU, among others. Head coach Bret Bielema has said he wants more quality players from Texas. The Illini have gotten two player from Texas since 2020.
What about wins and losses? Here is my college football guesses for the Fighting Illini in 2024
Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 24 Eastern Illinois W
Aug 31 OPEN DATE
Sept 7 Kansas W
Sept 14 Central Michigan W
Sept 21 at Nebraska L
Sept 28 at Penn State L
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 12 Purdue W
Oct 19 Michigan L
Oct 26 at Oregon L
Nov 2 Minnesota W
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Michigan State W
Nov 23 at Rutgers W
Nov 30 at Northwestern L
Thoughts: The Rutgers game I went back and forth, I could see loss there.
INDIANA
Bad news came out of Bloomington on Tuesday as it was announced QB Broc Lowry, WR Derrick Bohler transferring from IU football.
From Canfield, Ohio, Lowry was a consensus three-star recruit in the 2023 class. He was rated the No. 25 pocket passer nationally by ESPN, and the top quarterback in Ohio.
Predicted Record 5-7
Aug 31 FIU W
Sept 7 Western Illinois W
Sept 14 at UCLA L
Sept 21 Charlotte W
Sept 28 Maryland L
Oct 5 at Northwestern L
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 Nebraska W
Oct 26 Washington L
Nov 2 at Michigan State L
Nov 9 Michigan L
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 at Ohio State L
Nov 30 Purdue W
IOWA
Wide Receiver Jacob Bostock has entered the transfer portal.
Bostick, a 6’3″, 182 lb sophomore wide receiver out of Palatine, Illinois, was a member of Iowa’s 2022 recruiting class. A high three-star prospect, Bostick chose Iowa over several other offers, including Illinois, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pitt, Army, Navy, Air Force,
Predicted Record: 8-4
Aug 31 Illinois State W
Sept 7 Iowa State W
Sept 14 Troy W
Sept 21 at Minnesota L
Sept 28 OPEN DATE
Oct 5 at Ohio State L
Oct 12 Washington W
Oct 19 at Michigan State L
Oct 26 Northwestern W
Nov 2 Wisconsin W
Nov 9 at UCLA L
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 at Maryland W
Nov 29 Nebraska W
MARYLAND
Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 31 UConn W
Sept 7 Michigan State W
Sept 14 at Virginia W
Sept 21 Villanova W
Sept 28 at Indiana W
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 12 Northwestern W
Oct 19 USC L
Oct 26 at Minnesota L
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 9 at Oregon L
Nov 16 Rutgers W
Nov 23 Iowa L
Nov 30 at Penn State L
Michigan
Predicted Record: 9-3
Aug 31 Fresno State W
Sept 7 Texas L
Sept 14 Arkansas State W
Sept 21 USC W
Sept 28 Minnesota W
Oct 5 at Washington W
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 at Illinois W
Oct 26 Michigan State W
Nov 2 Oregon L
Nov 9 at Indiana W
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 Northwestern W
Nov 30 at Ohio State L
Michigan State
This squad is likely to show improvement after the hiring of former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith. He brought in his former quarterback Aidan Chiles an all Pac-12 offensive lineman Tanner Miller. A third member from the OSU team is AP all-conference tight end Jack Velling, who set an Oregon State single-season record for tight ends with eight touchdown receptions.
Spring Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 31 Florida Atlantic W
Sept 7 at Maryland L
Sept 14 Prairie View A&M W
Sept 21 at Boston College W
Sept 28 Ohio State L
Oct 5 at Oregon L
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 Iowa W
Oct 26 at Michigan L
Nov 2 Indiana W
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 at Illinois L
Nov 23 Purdue W
Nov 30 Rutgers W
Minnesota
Predicted Record: 6-6
Aug 29 North Carolina W
Sept 7 Rhode Island W
Sept 14 Nevada W
Sept 21 Iowa W
Sept 28 at Michigan L
Oct 5 USC L
Oct 12 at UCLA L
Oct 19 OPEN DATE
Oct 26 Maryland W
Nov 2 at Illinois L
Nov 9 at Rutgers W
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 Penn State L
Nov 30 at Wisconsin L
Nebraska
Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 31 UTEP W
Sept 7 Colorado W
Sept 14 Northern Iowa W
Sept 21 Illinois W
Sept 28 at Purdue W
Oct 5 Rutgers W
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 at Indiana L
Oct 26 at Ohio State L
Nov 2 UCLA L
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 at USC L
Nov 23 Wisconsin W
Nov 29 at Iowa L
Northwestern
Predicted Record: 5-7
Aug 31 Miami University W
Sept 7 Duke W
Sept 14 OPEN DATE
Sept 21 at Washington L
Sept 28 OPEN DATE
Oct 5 Indiana W
Oct 12 at Maryland L
Oct 19 Wisconsin L
Oct 26 at Iowa L
Nov 2 at Purdue L
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Ohio State L
Nov 23 at Michigan L
Nov 30 Illinois W
TBD Eastern Illinois W
Ohio State
Spring Predicted Record: 12-0
Aug 31 Akron W
Sept 7 Western Michigan W
Sept 14 OPEN DATE
Sept 21 Marshall W
Sept 28 at Michigan State W
Oct 5 Iowa W
Oct 12 at Oregon W
Oct 19 OPEN DATE
Oct 26 Nebraska W
Nov 2 at Penn State W
Nov 9 Purdue W
Nov 16 at Northwestern W
Nov 23 Indiana W
Nov 30 Michigan W
Oregon
Predicted Record: 11-1
Aug 31 Idaho W
Sept 7 Boise State W
Sept 14 at Oregon State W
Sept 21 OPEN DATE
Sept 28 at UCLA W
Oct 5 Michigan State W
Oct 12 Ohio State L
Oct 19 at Purdue W
Oct 26 Illinois W
Nov 2 at Michigan W
Nov 9 Maryland W
Nov 16 at Wisconsin W
Nov 23 OPEN DATE
Nov 30 Washington W
Penn State
Predicted Record: 10-2
Aug 31 at West Virginia W
Sept 7 Bowling Green W
Sept 14 OPEN DATE
Sept 21 Kent State W
Sept 28 Illinois W
Oct 5 UCLA W
Oct 12 at USC L
Oct 19 OPEN DATE
Oct 26 at Wisconsin W
Nov 2 Ohio State L
Nov 9 Washington W
Nov 16 at Purdue W
Nov 23 at Minnesota W
Nov 30 Maryland W
Purdue Football
Predicted Record: 3-9
Aug 31 OPEN DATE
Sept 7 Indiana State W
Sept 14 Notre Dame L
Sept 21 at Oregon State L
Sept 28 Nebraska W
Oct 5 at Wisconsin L
Oct 12 at Illinois L
Oct 19 Oregon L
Oct 26 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 Northwestern W
Nov 9 at Ohio State L
Nov 16 Penn State L
Nov 23 at Michigan State L
Nov 30 at Indiana L
Rutgers
Predicted Record: 2-10
Aug 31 Howard W
Sept 7 Akron W
Sept 14 OPEN DATE
Sept 21 at Virginia Tech L
Sept 28 Washington L
Oct 5 at Nebraska L
Oct 12 Wisconsin L
Oct 19 UCLA L
Oct 26 at USC L
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 9 Minnesota L
Nov 16 at Maryland L
Nov 23 Illinois L
Nov 30 at Michigan State L
UCLA
Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 31 at Hawaii W
Sept 7 OPEN DATE
Sept 14 Indiana W
Sept 21 at LSU L
Sept 28 Oregon L
Oct 5 at Penn State L
Oct 12 Minnesota W
Oct 19 at Rutgers W
Oct 26 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 Nebraska W
Nov 9 Iowa W
Nov 16 at Washington L
Nov 23 USC L
Nov 30 Fresno State W
USC
Predicted Record: 10-2
Sept 1 vs LSU (in Las Vegas) L
Sept 7 Utah State W
Sept 14 OPEN DATE
Sept 21 at Michigan L
Sept 28 Wisconsin W
Oct 5 at Minnesota W
Oct 12 Penn State W
Oct 19 at Maryland W
Oct 26 Rutgers W
Nov 2 at Washington W
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Nebraska W
Nov 23 at UCLA W
Nov 30 Notre Dame W
Washington
Predicted Record: 7-5
Aug 31 Weber State W
Sept 7 Eastern Michigan W
Sept 14 Washington State W
Sept 21 Northwestern W
Sept 28 at Rutgers W
Oct 5 Michigan L
Oct 12 at Iowa L
Oct 19 OPEN DATE
Oct 26 at Indiana W
Nov 2 USC L
Nov 9 at Penn State L
Nov 16 UCLA W
Nov 23 OPEN DATE
Nov 30 at Oregon L
Wisconsin
Predicted Record: 6-6
Aug 31 Western Michigan W
Sept 7 South Dakota W
Sept 14 Alabama L
Sept 21 OPEN DATE
Sept 28 at USC L
Oct 5 Purdue W
Oct 12 at Rutgers W
Oct 19 at Northwestern W
Oct 26 Penn State L
Nov 2 at Iowa L
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Oregon L
Nov 23 at Nebraska L
Nov 30 Minnesota W