Micah's expectations for Big Ten in New Year's bowl slate

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It is that time of the year when the Big Ten will get to prove whether it is the best conference in college football. In the lesser bowl games, some opponents could get the better of the Big Ten, but in the College Football Playoff, each Big Ten team should be moving on to the next round.

Here are my expectations for the games that feature Big Ten teams in the New Year’s week slate:

Tennessee blows out Illinois

Illinois heads into this matchup without its two best defensive players, and their defense already is one that hangs by a thread against an explosive offense. Tennessee has exactly that and Joey Aguilar, and the Volunteers could get going early and never look back on the fighting Illini. Illinois is giving up 124 yards on the ground per game, and they are very getable through the air as well. Tennessee is a nightmare offense to face in that regard. They have a trio of backs that each dominate in their own way, with DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, and Daune Morris. While Illinois is well coached, I do not believe they have enough firepower to hang with the Volunteers. I like Tennessee to win by multiple possessions.

Iowa humbles Diego Pavia

Iowa pushed the best teams in the Big Ten to the brink in each of their losses this season. The Hawkeyes’ defense is as good as it gets, and the two best quarterbacks in the country had modest performances against them. Diego Pavia has yet to beat a team of the Hawkeyes caliber. Iowa is better than both Missouri and LSU. Pavia was a Heisman runner-up this season, but he will look far from that against the Hawkeyes’ suffocating defense. I think the Hawkeyes will get after Pavia and sack him up to 5 times and force him to have multiple turnovers.

Arch Manning lights up Michigan

Arch Manning really turned the corner towards the end of the season, and he looked exactly like the quarterback many expected him to be to start this season. Manning led Texas to wins over Oklahoma, dominating a really good defense, getting the best of Vandy in a shootout, and pulling off an upset to end the season versus Texas A&M. Michigan has been one of the biggest talking points in college football, all for the wrong reasons. They got the right coach for next season, but in terms of their upcoming bowl game, nothing will save them from a dominant Arch Manning performance. Manning and the Longhorns will look to send a message for exactly why they should have been named to the College Football Playoff. I expect Manning to throw for 300 yards and at least two passing touchdowns, leading the Longhorns to a lopsided victory over Michigan.

Dante Moore raises his draft stock with elite CFP performance

Dante Moore this season has been very consistent and has done exactly what this Oregon team has needed him to do for them to go on a National Championship run. Texas Tech has gotten its money’s worth with one of the best defenses in the country and talent all over the field. Oregon is a beast that Texas Tech has yet to see across the line of scrimmage. The Ducks’ run game and defensive strengths cover up how good Dante Moore has been this season, but in this upcoming game, Dante Moore will be the headline. Moore is getting more weapons back, and I believe he will deliver an elite performance. Behren Morton has been a solid quarterback this season for Texas Tech, but I think Moore will severely outplay him and show why he should be the number 1 quarterback taken in this upcoming draft class. I expect Moore to be responsible for most of the Ducks’ points and have at least 3 passing touchdowns with over 250 yards through the air.

Hoosiers defense makes Ty Simpson see ghosts

Ty Simpson has had his fair share of games where nothing is going right for him, and it completely limits the success of Bama’s offense. The Hoosiers in the Big Ten championship game were able to do that to Julian Sayin and a more dominant Buckeyes offense. Oklahoma has a good defense, but also has an offense that does not complement its defense very well. The Hoosiers are the opposite; they have both a championship-level defense and an offense that can score. I think the Hoosiers’ defense steals the show in this game, and they force Simpson to have one of his worst performances this season. The Hoosiers sacked Sayin 5 teams and forced an interception. I think it will be a similar game for Simpson, resulting in Indiana moving on to the final 4.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Bold predictions for Big Ten football in New Year’s bowl games

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