2011 Big Ten Football Season Predictions: Can Ohio State Contend?

The 2011 Big Ten football season is expected to be one of the most compelling in recent memory with tons of subplots and many different predictions being made.

The addition of Nebraska as a 12th team, and interesting lineup of new divisions, the first-ever league championship game, and the Ohio State Buckeyes' battle with likely NCAA rules violations will all factor prominently this season.

Here is a very early rundown of how the 2011 Big Ten football standings will shake out in each division and who will win the first-ever league title game:

Leaders Division Big Ten Predictions:

1. Wisconsin Badgers- The addition of QB Russell Wilson from NC State will round out an already punishing, productive offense that features some of the best running backs in the nation. The defense will be solid as usual, making the Badgers a good bet to win the league in 2011.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions- Questions abound at the QB position as it is no sure whether Robert Bolden will transfer or stick around and compete, and Matt McGloin is too mistake-prone to led the offense on a consistent basis. But the Lions have a lot of all-around talent and stability that Ohio State lacks right now.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes- Ohio State has about as much talent, and as many question marks, as anyone in the league. They may have a true freshman starter at QB in Braxton Miller unless Joe Bauserman steps up. The defense has a ton of young talent waiting in the wings, however, and a scheme that is proven.

4. Illinois Fighting Illini- Nathan Scheelhaase is one of the most underrated QB's in the nation and the Illini are trending up again this year because of depth at key spots. But they're mostly here because the bottom of this division is weak.

5. Purdue Boilermakers- Danny Hope needs to make a bowl this year or it could be time for him to go. Purdue will fare better this year with any luck on the injury front, unlike in recent years.

6. Indiana Hoosiers- IU has been getting better talent across the board but it's hard to make a leap considering the many disadvantages they face. This year could be a struggle, but they could surprise and win 7 games with confidence. Still, they have to be picked here in the 2011 Big Ten standings predictions until they prove more.

Legends Division-

1. Michigan State-A deep, talented corps of wide receivers and running backs along with a strong defensive line will allow MSU to compete for a title again this year. The one true weakness is the o-line, most likely. But MSU needed a lot of luck to pull off some of its biggest wins last year and was hammered in the Capital One Bowl. They could finish anywhere from first to fifth.

2. Iowa- Many predictions for the Hawkeyes are lukewarm this year, but they match up well with most of the teams in the division.

3. Nebraska-The Cornhuskers have as much pure talent as anyone in this division, but it's hard to win as a new team in the Big Ten. There will be an adjustment period to deal with here.

4. Michigan- Denard Robinson could take off in the pro-style offense or he could be inconsistent. It's tough to tell. The defense can't be worse, however, and with tons of young guys maturing, it may be able to take a leap forward in 2011. If that's the case, Michigan could surprise and conceivably win the division, ending up on top of the 2011 Big Ten standings despite not many predictions in their favor. Still, they deserve a conservative spot here at fourth for now until their defense shows it can stop anyone.

5. Northwestern- Dan Persa is one of the best QB's that virtually no one has heard about, and Northwestern will score plenty of points with their short passing game in 2011 to finish in a bowl game.

6. Minnesota- The Gophers have the new stadium and some talented playmakers but they still have a long way to go to build a respectable program.

2011 Big Ten Championship Game Prediction: Wisconsin 31, MSU 17

The Big Ten's race this year could be one of the closest in recent memory with Ohio State seemingly weakened. These early predictions are subject to change, but so is just about everything else in one of college football's most famous leagues this season.

Post your own predictions in the comments section and thanks for reading.