Michigan, Ohio State or (maybe) Penn State? Connelly breaks down the Big Ten East

Other than choose ACC Atlantic members, there may not be anybody on the planet happier concerning the development of ditching faculty soccer divisions than Penn State coach James Franklin. During the last six full seasons (not counting the COVID yr of 2020), Franklin’s Nittany Lions are 15-3 towards groups from the Massive Ten West, 21-4 in nonconference play and 21-3 towards Massive Ten East foes not named Ohio State or Michigan.

They’re simply 3-9 towards the Buckeyes and Wolverines in that span, nevertheless, and life within the East has required them to play each groups yearly. They’ve been fairly simply the third-best group within the Massive Ten, however they’ve only one Massive Ten championship recreation look to indicate for it, and that was almost seven years in the past.

Final season, Penn State misplaced to Ohio State and Michigan — each of which ended up within the CFP — by a median rating of 43-24 and beat 11 different opponents by a median of 38-14. It feels traditionally acceptable, then, that within the ultimate East division race, Michigan and Ohio State begin out far forward of the pack and Penn State begins third, fairly a number of factors behind the Massive Two and approach forward of everybody else.

Can Ohio State flip the tables on Michigan after two straight losses? Are they each CFP contenders once more? Can Penn State shut the hole on the Massive Two? Can anybody else shut the hole on them? Let’s preview the Massive Ten East one final time.

Each week by means of the offseason, Invoice Connelly will preview one other division from the Group of 5 and Energy 5 solely for ESPN+, in the end together with all 133 FBS groups. The previews will embody 2022 breakdowns, 2023 previews and burning questions for every group.