Darkhorse of the BIG10 for 2013

[pnuts34]

I think there are several teams that could be considered a dark horse this year. I don't see a lot of Top10 type teams, but I think the middle and lower part of the conference is very strong this year.

NW/MSU - I'd call them darkhorses, but enough people are talking about them as challengers in the Legends side.
Purdue - I definitely think Hazell will have them playing strong.
Indiana - Wilson seems to have them going in the right direction.
Iowa - Ferentz is overdue to have a team that surprises people. I still respect him as a coach.
Minny - I think Kill is a good coach but not sure about the overall talent level.

I even hold out some hope for Illinois being better than expected.

It's kind of hard for me to call anyone in this conference outside of tOSU, very strong. If a gun were put to my head, I guess I'd say Indiana. But all the teams you named are pretty mediocre-bad, and that includes northwestern. I don't buy into Fitzgerald too much, NW every now and then has good seasons and then it's back to mediocrity. Just like vandy in the sec, wake forest in the acc, and even cal in the PAC 12. All have decent seasons every so often, then the media picks them as darlings, or dark horses, then teams pummel them back to earth

 

[LovelandBuckeye]

It's kind of hard for me to call anyone in this conference outside of tOSU, very strong. If a gun were put to my head, I guess I'd say Indiana. But all the teams you named are pretty mediocre-bad, and that includes northwestern. I don't buy into Fitzgerald too much, NW every now and then has good seasons and then it's back to mediocrity. Just like vandy in the sec, wake forest in the acc, and even cal in the PAC 12. All have decent seasons every so often, then the media picks them as darlings, or dark horses, then teams pummel them back to earth

I second this.

 

[cincibuck]

I will go with Indiana and their passing attack. I do not think you can call Northwestern a dark horse any longer because they are getting too much preseason publicity. Even Indiana is a little bit of a stretch.

Depth will kill both. They have, what, three Rose Bowl trips combined? I don't see that changing anytime soon.

What I've never understood is why Illinois can't do better than one solid season a decade.

Darkhorse? Michigan State.