posted May 19, 2008 at 14:35 EST in NCAA F Betting Trends

The top ten teams, as reflected in the BetUS NCAA football futures odds, are represented as such:

Southern Cal +300

Florida +600

Georgia +900

LSU +1000

Ohio State +1000

Oklahoma +1000

Texas +1200

West Virginia +1400

Virginia Tech +1400

Missouri +1400

The Big Ten has had a representative in the BCS championship game in each of the last two seasons, yet has come under at least some criticism, not just for the way it has performed in that game, but in other BCS games as well, namely the Rose Bowl, in which league teams have suffered debilitating losses to USC in the last couple of seasons. Some people point to the fact that the conference season ends so early that there is a lengthy period of time between that and the bowl game, which has led to rustiness. So the Big Ten has explored options, like extending the season and conducting a championship playoff to mitigate this problem.

Today, we will not discuss who is going to win the national title, but instead will the chances of some of the teams from the Big Ten Conference who are on the complete list of BetUS odds. Those teams are:

OHIO STATE +1000

ILLINOIS +3000

WISCONSIN +4000

PENN STATE +5000

MICHIGAN STATE +7000

IOWA +10000

OHIO STATE (+1000 in the BetUS odds) -- Once again, the Buckeyes are going to be loaded with talent. Todd Boeckman is back at quarterback, and Beanie Wells has demonstrated that he is ready to ascend to the top echelon of the nations' running backs. The defense has lost Vernon Gholston, who was drafted by the New York Jets, but returns major talents like James Laurinaitis, who wont he Butkus Award last season, and cornerback Marcus Jenkins. In the last two years coach Jim Trussel has had to rebuild the defense, which lost seven players to the NFL after the 2005 season, and then the offense, which saw Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, running back Anthony Pittman and two 1st-round draft choices from the wide receiver spot (Anthony Gonzalez, Ted Ginn Jr.) depart. Each of those years he has taken this team to the national title game. There is a big road block early against USC (September 13). But as they say, if you're going to lose, you might as well lose early. Ohio State is not a bad play, because you figure they're always going to be in the hunt.

ILLINOIS (+3000 in the BetUS odds) -- Like Michigan a couple of seasons ago, Illinois looked like it was standing still in the Rose Bowl as USC raced by. But John Zook has achieved major redemption since his fiasco at Florida. He's had some great recruiting classes, and Juice Williams, a mobile threat, comes back presumably a year older and wiser at the quarterback position. Aurrelious Benn, who was last year's prize freshman recruit, should be a more effective target for him this season. Rashard Mendenhall left early for the NFL, and the biggest challenge will be in replacing his 1681 rushing yards. But Illinois has seven starters coming back on defense, and all told, there are eleven players on the pre-season first, second or third team All-Big Ten. This is a team that beat Ohio State last year, and did it in Columbus. The rematch is set for November 15. Stay tuned for that one. Do not write off the Illini.

WISCONSIN (+4000 in the BetUS odds) -- The Badgers will have a big offensive line again. That's their trademark, and Bret Bielema has done a good job of maintaining the continuity of this program after taking over from Barry Alvarez, who is now the athletic director. Wisconsin has the workhorse back in the Big Ten in P.J. Hill (121 yards rushing in '07). If he can avoid injuries, this is a team that will control the ball on the ground. Quarterback Allan Evridge is a transfer from Kansas State, and should give this team more capability through the air; as a redshirt freshman, he threw for 357 yards in a game against Texas A&M. He's got a prime target in Travis Beckum (75 catches), who may be the nation's best tight end. Defensive end Matt Shaugnessy anchors the stop unit, which will have to improve on its 2007 numbers, as it gave up 30 or more points six times. Out-of-conference opponents include Akron, Marshall, Fresno State and Cal Poly, so it may come down to the October 4 matchup with Ohio State to decide the eventual Big Ten winner and/or the conference's second BCS bid.

PENN STATE (+5000 in the BetUS odds) -- Linebacker Dan Connor was a big loss for the defense, but even worse, Sean Lee looked like he was going to step forward as another potential All-America, but went down with a knee injury that ended his season before it started. Anthony Morelli was not spectacular enough to lead Penn State to a Big Ten title, but he showed steadiness. Darryl Clark and Pat Devlin will battle it out for the starting QB position. There are some talented offensive players, but no game-changers. This team will go as far as the defense takes it, and leading that defense are standout defensive ends Josh Gaines and Maurice Evans. Joe Paterno will get to a bowl, and maybe even a good one, but there are no realistic national championship hopes.

MICHIGAN STATE (+7000 in the BetUS odds) -- Devin Thomas is gone, as is Kellen Davis, so there is a hole left at the wide receiver position. Running back Jevon Ringer is a health concern, since he just had shoulder surgery. Trevor Anderson becomes eligible, and will help provide a pass rush. He played for coach Mark Dantonio at Cincinnati. The Spartans went to a bowl game, but they were very close to having a great season, losing all five games by a TD or less. They'll come up short because they simply don't have enough personnel.

IOWA (+10000 in the BetUS odds) -- The Hawkeyes were last in the conference in both points scored and yardage gained last season. QB Jake Christensen completed less than 54% of his passes. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks last year, which is a surprise with someone like Kirk Ferentz as head coach. Iowa has a long way to go.

NCAA football betting is around the corner, and BetUS sportsbook already has tons of college football Futures betting available for those of us who can't wait. Bet on the Heisman winner, Conference and Divisional winners and, of course, the 2009 BCS National Championship winner. Bet NCAA Football Futures in our sportsbook today in the Future / props section!

(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com is a member of the NFL too - that is, "not for long" if you don't get results. He is now a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)