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ESPN predicts two bold Big Ten storylines to occur
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Six weeks into the season there haven’t been too many surprises in the Big Ten. Three teams are also in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 – No. 3 Penn State, No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 9 Ohio State.
How will the final months of the regular season shape out for the Big Ten? ESPN.com gave its predictions for the rest of the season.
ESPN’s No. 1 storyline is Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. While they expect him to continue his Heisman type season, they argue it won’t help Penn State’s national title chances.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the last team to win a national championship with one player accounting for that large a portion of his team’s total yards from scrimmage was in 1980 when Herschel Walker carried Georgia to the promised land as a freshman.
The only other Big Ten story on the list of 12 predictions dealt with Michigan and Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan is 1-4 under Harbaugh against Michigan State and Ohio State. If the Wolverines lose to Ohio State on Nov. 25, it’ll drop the program to 0-3 against Urban Meyer in Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach.
If that happens, ESPN.com expects Michigan fans to start questioning if Harbaugh is the right coach for the program.
Michigan fans will start to think they should do better than a third-place finish in the Big Ten East in Year 3 under Harbaugh.