Vegas announces Big Ten championship odds for 2022 college football season
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Last season, the Big Ten made the College Football Playoff as conference champion Michigan earned its first-ever semifinal berth.
But the conference hasn't won a national championship since the 2014 season, when Ohio State ran through Alabama and Oregon to win the first CFP title.
Those two old rivals still represent the Big Ten's best chance to get to the final four and play for the ultimate prize coming into the 2022 football season.
Where do things stand in the Midwest this fall? Here is how Vegas sees the Big Ten race shaping up in the coming months.
Big Ten football championship odds for the 2022 season
14. Rutgers
Odds to win Big Ten: 200/1
Rutgers' 2021 record: 5-8 (2-7 Big Ten)
What to expect: It's rough for anybody in the East Division who isn't recruiting on par with Ohio State, and so far Rutgers isn't doing that. Greg Schiano has won just five games in this conference the last two seasons, and looking at the Knights' schedule, it's tough to find a lot of wins in the future.
Noah Vedral returns at quarterback, providing this team some needed experience at the most important position, plus Rutgers has a very athletic option in Gavin Wimsatt in reserve. But whoever is behind center, this team needs to get much more physical at the line of scrimmage.
13. Northwestern
Odds to win Big Ten: 150/1
Northwestern's 2021 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
What to expect: Pat Fitzgerald has been the definition of average while coaching his alma mater, winning 55% of his games and going .500 in bowls. Last season was decidedly not average, as the Wildcats stumbled through a three-win disaster that included a single Big Ten win, against league cellar-dweller Rutgers.
Northwestern needs major answers at wide receiver and safety (and dramatically improved quarterback play) after posting just under 17 points per game last fall.
12. Maryland
Odds to win Big Ten: 100/1
Maryland's 2021 record: 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten)
What to expect: Maryland should put up some good numbers along the way after posting the fourth-best offense in the Big Ten a year ago, good for over 440 yards per game and scored a shade under 30 points each week.
Taulia Tagovailoa returns at quarterback, and he has a pair of stellar targets in Dontay Demus, who averaged over 101 yards per game, and transfer Jacob Copeland, who led Florida in receiving last fall. Expect some slipshod defense again, though, after this team placed second-worst in the league allowing almost 33 points per game.
T-12. Illinois
Odds to win Big Ten: 100/1
Illinois' 2021 record: 5-7 (4-5 Big Ten)
What to expect: This was one of four conference teams that failed to score more than 20 points per game a year ago, and was the league's third-worst scoring offense. That, despite fielding a pretty solid 1-2 punch on the ground behind Chase Brown and Joshua McCray, who together combined for seven rushing TDs.
This offense acquired transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito, limited to three games last season, but who brings a good deep ball that should help set up lead receiver Isaiah Williams.
10. Indiana
Odds to win Big Ten: 33/1
Indiana's 2021 record: 2-10 (0-9 Big Ten)
What to expect: What a long, strange trip it's been for the Hoosiers, a Top 25 ranked darling two years ago that plummeted to earth and went winless in conference in 2021.
Now it looks ahead to an offense that loses its starting quarterback, top three running backs, and three leading receivers. Indiana also needs to plug in some holes on a defense that placed third-worst in the Big Ten in scoring last season. Missouri transfer quarterback Connor Bazelak steps under center, supported by other transfers at running back and receiver.
9. Minnesota
Odds to win Big Ten: 28/1
Minnesota's 2021 record: 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
What to expect: This was still a nine-win team last season despite not having lead back Mohamed Ibrahim on the field. Now, he comes back into the fold alongside veteran quarterback Tanner Morgan and offensive play-caller Kirk Ciarrocca is back, too. If the Gophers can patch up their protection up front, they can get some solid returns out of their skill players, who boast some deceptive speed on the perimeters.
8. Purdue
Odds to win Big Ten: 25/1
Purdue's 2021 record: 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
What to expect: The "Spoilermakers" beat two top 5 teams a year ago, but lose two key game-changers in edge rusher George Karlaftis and receiver David Bell and brings back the sole Big Ten rushing attack that failed to average 100 yards per game.
But Aidan O'Connell is back under center as a 72 percent passer who didn't have a turnover in seven games last fall, and receiver Milton Wright is back after leading the team with seven touchdown catches.
T-8. Michigan State
Odds to win Big Ten: 25/1
Michigan State's 2021 record: 11-2 (7-2 Big Ten)
What to expect: Sparty needs to find a new way to run the ball after losing Kenneth Walker to the NFL, but this offense retains quarterback Payton Thorne and lead receiver Jayden Reed to set up a likely pass-first option as head coach Mel Tucker works out the kinks on the line and the backfield. And he desperately needs to find a solution in the secondary, the glaring weakness on a pass defense that ranked last in college football, allowing 337.7 yards per game.
6. Iowa
Odds to win Big Ten: 20/1
Iowa's 2021 record: 10-4 (7-2 Big Ten)
What to expect: Iowa often has the defense to take it places — like last season when the Hawkeyes were in the top 5 of the AP poll and seemingly destined for the College Football Playoff — but patching together a consistently threatening downfield offense still evades this team.
Spencer Petras returns as the likely starter, but needs to find some answers after he completed just 57.3% of his passes with 1,880 passing yards with 10 touchdowns against nine interceptions a year ago. Petras is 13-6 as Iowa's starting quarterback and helped put this team in the Big Ten title game, but also didn't score in six games.
5. Nebraska
Odds to win Big Ten: 14/1
Nebraska's 2021 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
What to expect: It's been four long years at Nebraska under Scott Frost, who hasn't won more than five games in a season and is coming a nine-loss disaster in which his team lost every game by single digits.
That was enough to buy him one more year in Lincoln, but he's working on a short leash. Hence all the major changes Frost has already made, like bringing on Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and landing Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson, who led the Big 12 in scoring last year. It's now or never for Nebraska, who need to see tangible gains, or else.
4. Penn State
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Odds to win Big Ten: 12/1
Penn State's 2021 record: 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten)
What to expect: Getting Sean Clifford back at quarterback is a definite plus, but this team needs to patch together a receiving depth chart that doesn't include Jahan Dotson real quick to keep pace with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan.
Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith will help on that score, as will Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley, who had 1,402 yards and 14 TDs last year catching passes from record-breaker Bailey Zappe. Running the ball, Penn State ranked 118th in total rushing yards and 117th in rushing touchdowns and just lost Noah Cain to LSU.
3. Michigan
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Odds to win Big Ten: 11/1
Michigan's 2021 record: 12-2 (8-1 Big Ten)
What to expect: Jim Harbaugh finally got over the hump last year, beating Ohio State, taking the conference, and making the College Football Playoff. But getting kicked around by Georgia showed the gap that still exists between this roster and the teams that are winning national championships.
Cade McNamara returns at quarterback and he has one of college football's best backups in J.J. McCarthy, who is bound to get some reps this fall. Blake Corum will lead the ground attack after running for almost 1,000 yards last fall with 11 touchdowns. UM might take a step back owing to the changeover, but this team is still well in position to win 10 games and make a run for the Big Ten.
2. Wisconsin
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Odds to win Big Ten: 10/1
Wisconsin's 2021 record: 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
What to expect: Apparently, Vegas really likes the Badgers to at the very least win the West Division this season. Wisconsin actually ranked ahead of Georgia as the No. 1 total defense a year ago, and while it loses some of the talent behind that production, the team has recruited well enough to at least stay in the top 10.
Offensively, quarterback is a major concern after Graham Mertz had just 10 touchdowns against 11 picks last season. Braelon Allen should pick up some of the slack, coming off a nearly 1,300 yard rushing effort and he's running behind a very solid offensive line. But this team needs more balance to finally get back to Indy.
1. Ohio State
Odds to win Big Ten: 1/2
Ohio State's 2021 record: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten)
What to expect: The common denominator in OSU's two losses last fall was subpar defense, which Ryan Day thinks he fixed by bringing on former Oklahoma State DC Jim Knowles. Under his watch last fall, the Cowboys posted the No. 3 overall D and led the nation in TFLs and sacks.
If he can repeat that success with these players, expect Ohio State's reigning No. 1 ranked offense to do the rest. Heisman finalist quarterback CJ Stroud returns after posting a 4,435 yard outing with 44 TDs and six turnovers.
TreVeyon Henderson is back after rumbling for 1,248 yards with a nearly 7 ypc average and 15 scores as OSU's lead back, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a 1,600 yard receiving campaign as the presumptive No. 1 in a room full of blue-chip receivers.