With quite a few bowl games now sponsored by a fried chicken chain, chances are your team could end up in a bowl named after a prominent member of “Big Fried Chicken.” Yes indeed, fast food fried chicken is in bed with the sport. Unfortunately, the B1G only has a couple bowl agreements tied in to this lobby.
Those games aren’t high up the bowl food chain either. Unless you’re below six, seven or eight on this list…no free Foster Farms, Popeyes or Zaxby’s for you.
So who gets to sit at the head of the table and eat the biggest piece of chicken?
Right now it’s looking like your 2016 Michigan football team. We had the Wolverines #1 in our initial power rankings that we released on B1G Media Day (you can read those here), and we still have them top of the food chain today.
Also, take a look at the B1G Simpsons graphic-
Go to that same link, for an explanation of which each team is each character- why Michigan football is Mr. Burns etc.
Here’s our predicted order of finish, with the overall B1G power ranking within all 14 teams in parentheses. Also, here’s the link to our full on B1G preview and predictions for 2016.
East Division
1. Michigan football (1)
In reality, you really could just flip coins between…
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (2)
…these two teams, but you have to put somebody number 1.
3. Michigan State (4)
New starting QB Tyler O’Connor looks a lot like Stifler from “American Pie;” fitting as scenes from that movie were filmed/set there.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/773248393208590341
And when we say that Daniel Tosh and Lane Kiffin are doppelgangers, we really mean it. Take a look:
4. Penn State (8)
Also, not one but two “American Pie” references/jokes this week in the B1G power rankings.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/771467163374759936
5. Indiana (10)
The offense is even more to watch than Coach Kevin Wilson when he badly butchers the metaphors he inexplicably meshes up.
6. Maryland (12)
Maybe Under Armor will inject new life into the program like Nike did with Oregon.
7. Rutgers (14)
New Coach Chris Ash is the picture of a college football coach that comes in the frame.
Bowl Tier Projection: 1
Rutgers is the league’s kid who gets picked last in gym class.
West Division
1. Iowa (3)
You can pretty much flip coins between the top three in the West. Starting with the Hawkeyes who looked meh.
2. Wisconsin (5)
Sconnie looked IMPRESSIVE!
3. Nebraska (6)
Huskers looked really good too!
4. Northwestern (7)
No, they’re not as good as last year, but hey the Fighting Flecks of Western Michigan are a lot better than you might think they are.
5. Illinois (9)
Former Chicago Bears Coach Smith’s Illini staff has 56 seasons of combined NFL head and assistant coach experience – the most in college football in 2016, ahead of UCLA (44), Michigan (41), Nebraska (32) and USC (30).
6. Minnesota (11)
Coach Tracy Claeys and his 2-pt attempt play-call?! Even worse his reasoning behind it?! This isn’t new, either. He’s quite lucky that he even got to a bowl game last year with all the game mismanagement he committed in 2015.
7. Purdue (13)
Feel good this week, because we won’t be sugarcoating what these guys really are as the season goes on.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.