Big Ten Championship 2022 futures odds: Favorites, sleepers, long shots to win conference

The start of college football season is getting closer. Oddsmakers are handicapping the power conferences.

The Big Ten East division has won every championship game since the creation of the East and West divisions in 2014. Michigan is the most recent winner, defeating Iowa 42-3. Sporting News breaks down the top teams and a couple of sleepers and long shots who could win the Big League championship in 2022.

Big Ten Championship 2022 futures odds are Favorites, sleepers, long shots to win conference.

Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in 2022. The team is headlined by Heisman frontrunner C.J. Stroud. Ohio State's offense is led by Stoudt and the team's defense is coached by Jim Knowles. They play Wisconsin on Sept. 24, Iowa on Oct. 22 and Northwestern on Nov. 5. Their closest game is against Penn State on October 29. The Buckeye's record against the Nittany Lions is 5-1 over the past six seasons.

Michigan is looking for their second-straight appearance in the Big Ten title game and College Football Playoff. The Wolverines lost to Michigan State last season, but they return 13 starters and have two experienced quarterbacks in Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy. Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss take over playcalling on offense and Jesse Minter runs the defense. Michigan's path to Indianapolis will hinge on their Nov. 26 meeting with Ohio State.

Iowa is a Big Ten West contender. The Hawkeyes have won at least nine games in the past three seasons. Iowa has the second-best odds to win the Big League West behind Wisconsin. Iowa's last Big Tens championship game was a 42-3 loss to Michigan. It's possible Iowa returns to a second Big Tides championship. There are 14 starters from last year's team. They play against Ohio State and Michigan in Big East crossover.

Nebraska Cornhuskers are betting on a good season in 2022. The team finished third in the Big Ten West last season. They have a manageable schedule. They play Purdue on October 15. Their most difficult game is against Michigan on November 12. Scott Frost is the fifth-year head coach. He is hoping things will start to work out for the team in his first season as coach in Nebraska.

Minnesota Golden Gophers are long shots to win the Big Ten Championship in 2022. They finished 2021 with a 9-4 record and the second-best scoring defense in the conference. Their schedule includes trips to Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska. Minnesota's quarterback, Tanner Morgan, and running back Mohamed Ibrahim are back for one more season.

Purdue Boilermakers are trying to make their first appearance in the Big Ten Championship game. They lost their top-two pass catchers from a season ago, but starting quarterback Aidan O'Connell is back. Purdue has a favorable schedule that could get them into the championship game, drawing Penn State at home, Maryland on the road and Indiana on road.

Michigan is a good bet to finish the regular season with a 10-2 overall record. The Wolverines play Penn State, Michigan State and Nebraska at home. They can still drop one of those games and still hit their season win total.

Michigan beat Michigan State by two-plus TD last season. Michigan is a heavy favorite against Michigan. Michigan won the Paul Bunyan trophy. The team is one of the more fortunate teams in college football last year.

Penn State is a 5-point favorite against Michigan State in 2022 Big Ten Championship game on November 26th. The Spartans beat Penn State 30-27 in November.