Monday Morning Quarterback: What was your biggest surprise in Big Ten West football this year?

Category: Football

It’s that time for reflection on Big Ten football and which teams were the biggest surprises. Let’s start with our own Big Ten West and compare how reality compared with the preseason thinking. We’ll do the Big Ten East next week.

ESPN’s preseason ranking had the Big Ten West as:
1. Iowa
2. Wisconsin
3. Nebraska
4. Northwestern
5. Minnesota
6. Purdue
7. Illinois

Sporting News predicted the West would end up as:
1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Northwestern
4. Iowa
5. Purdue
6. Minnesota
7. Illinois

The USA Today power rankings for the conference overall were:
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan State
4. Iowa
5. Nebraska
6. Penn State
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota
9. Northwestern
10. Purdue

The final standings in the West:
Wisconsin 10-3, 7-2
Minnesota 10-2, 7-2
Iowa 9-3, 6-3
Illinois 6-6, 4-5
Nebraska 5-7, 3-6
Purdue 4-8, 3-6
Northwestern 3-9, 1-8

Looking over the preseason rankings, there were definitely several surprises – not the least of which was Nebraska’s underperformance. But was that your biggest surprise in the West this year?