WVFN ‘Experts’ Predict 2016 Season for MSU, Michigan, Big Ten and College Football Playoffs
College football season has finally returned, and with it are several burning questions.
Will Michigan State rebuild or simply reload in 2016? Is it a foregone conclusion that this season's title is Alabama's to lose? Is the Big Ten still living in Urban Meyer's world? Is Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL?
Time will tell, but you don't have to wait thanks to our prognosticators. Continue reading if you want to know how things will shake out this year. But if you don't want spoilers for this season, avert your eyes now.
Predictions
Beanie Howell
MSU: 8-4
Michigan: 9-3
Ohio State: 9-3
Big Ten champion: Iowa
National champion: Clemson
Outlook: Michigan State will struggle against better competition, mostly due to an offense that's not as tough to defend as it was a season ago. The Spartans falls at Notre Dame, home to BYU, vs. Michigan and home against Ohio State, finishing third in the Big Ten East. Michigan might be better than they were in 2015 but sport a worse record. The Wolverines will ultimately fall short against the likes of Ohio State and Iowa, and drop a surprising one at home to Wisconsin. Ohio State will go through a lot of growing pains early on -- they return the fewest starters in all of the FBS -- but by late season they'll have come a long way, just like the Buckeyes did under Urban Meyer in 2014. They'll fall short, though, against a returning, reloaded Iowa team in the Big Ten championship game.
Brock Palmbos
David "Mad Dog" DeMarco
Tim Staudt
Outlook: TCU is loaded with transfer QB Kenny Hill from Texas A&M who sat out last season. The Big Ten East might not have a team in the final four because they'll knock each other off. I only give MSU two lock wins-- Furman and Rutgers. They'll be favored in many more but I predict many close games this fall.