Games aren’t played on paper. Yes, that’s an old, tired cliché, but it’s the month of August so coach-speak is running through everyone’s veins right now.

As fall camp approaches and the 2021 season nears, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has updated some of its projections for the upcoming season. It’s provided win probabilities for some of the most intense B1G rivalry contests.

Some are expected to be lopsided games according to the projections, while others are predicted to be much closer. Below is a look at some of the win probability percentages for the most important rivalry games in the B1G in 2021.

  • Ohio State def. Michigan: 81.3%
  • Wisconsin def. Minnesota: 65.2%
  • Iowa def. Nebraska: 57.6%
  • Northwestern def. Illinois: 74.3%
  • Indiana def. Purdue: 55.4%
  • Michigan State def. Michigan: 51.8%
  • Ohio State def. Penn State: 82%
  • Wisconsin def. Iowa: 60.2%
  • Iowa def. Minnesota: 73.9%

Before you get overly excited, or too far down in the dumps, just remember that dumb cliché again. The games aren’t played on paper.

It’s always fun to see what the expectations are for teams and specific games heading into the season. It’s going to be even more fun when the season kicks off in just a few weeks.

You can view more of ESPN’s FPI here.