Once again, the Big Ten is the most top-heavy conference, but I believe the top will include a couple new teams this year:
The Big Ten is wide open at the top this year. Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon are all back and are championship contenders, and USC and Michigan should be playoff contenders as well. A lot of these top teams play each other, so the winner of those games will win the conference, unlike in the past when a lot of these top teams wouldn’t see each other at all.
Illinois
Conference Rank: 9
Projected Record: 7-5 (4-5)
Impact Opponents: at Ohio State, vs Oregon, vs Iowa
Illinois has been really solid for the last few years, but I expect them to take a bit of a step back this year. They lost Luke Altmyer and they are very inexperienced. Experience was one of Illinois’ greatest advantages in previous seasons. I have confidence that the running game will be good, and the defense will be alright, but they will need a QB to emerge as a star if they want another a chance of improving upon last year’s 9 wins.
Indiana
Conference Rank: 3
Projected Record: 10-2 (7-2)
Impact Opponents: vs Ohio State, at Michigan, vs USC
Indiana was amazing last year, and Curt Cignetti is the best coach in football right now. They will be a championship contender again, but I don’t know if they will be quite as dominant. They lost the no. 1 overall pick, and I would be shocked if Josh Hoover does just as good. They lost both of their awesome RBs, they lost WRs Omar Cooper and Elijah Sarratt, and they lost some of their top defensive players. Their schedule is a lot tougher this season too. Ohio State, Michigan, and USC are all really tough opponents, and a trip to Washington in November won’t be easy either. I trust Cignetti will have Indiana in top 10 shape, but keeping them just as good after losing their best players will be tough.
Iowa
Conference Rank: 8
Projected Record: 8-4 (5-4)
Impact Opponents: at Michigan, vs Ohio State, at Washington
Iowa will be just like they normally are, most likely. Their defense is always really good, and their offense is always bad. I think Iowa is clearly at the top of the middle of the Big Ten, and winning some swing games against Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, and Nebraska will be key. They could just as easily have 6 wins as they could have 9.
Maryland
Conference Rank: 12
Project Record: 7-5 (5-4)
Impact Opponents: at Ohio State, at USC, vs Penn State
Maryland has been one of the Big Ten’s biggest underachievers for a while now, and they hit rock bottom last year. I think they will bounce back for three main reasons. They have a good young QB coming back in a league where there aren’t very many good QBs. They have the second most returning production in the country. Finally, they have a pretty easy schedule. Ohio State, USC, and Penn State are probably Ls for the Terrapins, but every other game is winnable. Week 3 vs Virginia Tech should be a good tell on what we’re gonna get from Maryland this season.
Michigan
Conference Rank: 5
Projected Record: 9-3 (7-2)
Impact Opponents: vs Indiana, at Oregon, at Ohio State
Michigan got one of the biggest coaching upgrades of the offseason. Whittingham is one of this sport’s best coaches, and he will get Michigan back on track immediately. Michigan has a lot of good talent, they brought in some good transfers, and they have some really good coordinators. Bryce Underwood has the potential to be something great, and Whittingham can help him reach that potential. The schedule is really tough though. Western Michigan is one of the best G6 teams, then they have Oklahoma in week 2, Iowa and Penn State, and then it gets harder with Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State. Michigan is a playoff caliber team, but the schedule will make it tough to get a record good enough to make it.
Michigan State
Conference Rank: 17
Projected Record: 2-10 (0-9)
Impact Opponents: at Notre Dame, at Michigan, vs Oregon
It was bad last year, and it is going to get even worse this year. I like the hire of Pat Fitzgerald, but they just don’t have the talent to compete yet. They have MAYBE 4 winnable games on the schedule, but they would need to see some serious improvement in order to win all 4 of them.
Minnesota
Conference Rank: 11
Projected Record: 6-6 (4-5)
Impact Opponents: at Washington, vs Michigan, at Indiana
Minnesota is always decent, but they really haven’t been close to replicating the success they had in 2019, and I don’t see them every reaching that level of success again. They have a good QB-RB tandem with Drake Lindsey and Darius Taylor. The defense should be solid as well. Minnesota should get 6-8 wins. They just don’t have the talent to break past the middle of the conference, but their staff is too good to be at the bottom.
Nebraska
Conference Rank: 13
Projected Record: 6-6 (3-5)
Impact Opponents: vs Indiana, at Oregon, vs Ohio State
I really thought Nebraska was going to take the next step last year, as Matt Rhule’s teams typically do in year 3, but instead they finished 7-6. I don’t expect this year to be much better. They seem like a solid squad, but they don’t have anything to get me excited. 8 wins is the ceiling as the schedule is pretty difficult.
Northwestern
Conference Rank: 10
Projected Record: 7-5 (5-4)
Impact Opponents: at Indiana, at Oregon, at Ohio State
Northwestern is yet another one of those teams in the middle of the Big Ten that will sadly never reach playoff contention unless some rich donor wakes up feeling generous one day. Northwestern is going to be pretty good this year. The defense is good, Aidan Chiles has star potential, and the skills should be decent. The schedule is pretty tough, as a lot of these games could go either way. Playing at Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State is unfortunate.
Ohio State
Conference Rank: 2
Projected Record: 10-3 (8-1)
Impact Opponents: at Texas, at Indiana, vs Oregon
Ohio State is going to look a lot different on defense this year. They lost all of their stars, and most of their replacements are unproven. I’m sure they will be really good, but not elite like they were the last couple of years. The offense on the other hand, should look pretty similar, though the WR room lost some depth. The main problem for Ohio State is their schedule. They play five top ten teams, three of which on the road. Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan are all VERY loseable games. It would be extremely impressive any team could get through this with less than two losses.
Oregon
Conference Rank: 1
Projected Record: 12-1 (8-1)
Impact Opponents: at USC, at Ohio State, vs Michigan
Oregon was one of the best teams in the country last year, and most of what made them so good is back (except for their coordinators). Both sides of the ball are loaded with talent, and Dante Moore is one of the top returning QBs in the country. This team has the best combination of experience and talent in the country. They are my number one team and the national championship favorite, however they probably won’t go undefeated because they have a decently tough schedule.
Penn State
Conference Rank: 7
Projected Record: 8-4 (5-4)
Impact Opponents: vs USC, at Michigan, at Washington
This should be an interesting transition year for Penn State. Obviously James Franklin’s system had run stale. Letting a guy like that go though, invites a lot of roster turnover. Matt Campbell is bringing in a lot of Iowa State guys in an effort to compensate, but I don’t think that can translate to immediate playoff contention. Rocco Becht should be an upgrade at QB, but I don’t think he will be a star in the Big Ten by any means. Penn State should be better than the middle of the conference, and it helps that they avoid the top 3 teams in the conference. 9 wins is probably the ceiling.
Purdue
Conference Rank: 18
Projected Record: 1-11 (0-9)
Impact Opponents: vs Notre Dame, vs Washington, at Indiana
My 1-11 projected record isn’t exactly a reflection of what I think of the team. They should probably be better than that record would have you believe. They are just so far behind the rest of the conference, that their schedule really doesn’t allow for very many wins. Indiana State should be a W right off the bat, but every other team on their schedule is significantly better than them. They might have a shot, if they get lucky, at beating Wake Forest, Maryland, or Wisconsin. 3 wins would be the absolute best case scenario.
Rutgers
Conference Rank: 16
Projected Record: 5-7 (2-7)
Impact Opponents: vs USC, vs Indiana, vs Michigan
Rutgers is not a good program, and Greg Schiano is doing his best. They are painfully mediocre, year after year, and this year should be much of the same. They have a lot of players to replace, most notably at QB, and I don’t know if Rutgers can improve enough to really make any noise in the Big Ten. A bowl game is an attainable goal, but they are going to have to pull off some upsets.
UCLA
Conference Rank: 14
Projected Record: 5-7 (3-6)
Impact Opponents: at Oregon, at Michigan, vs USC
UCLA showed some life last year, and I think they can carry some of that into this season. I think another year of development will be great for QB Nico Iamaleava, and he will be really good. His improvement coupled with the hire of HC Bob Chesney should equal team-wide improvement. The schedule is daunting though. They start the year with against two quality non-conference opponents in Cal and San Diego State, and in conference play they must play Oregon, Michigan, and USC. Outside of that though, whether or not they make a bowl game will depend on how they do in a few key swing games. At Cal, vs SDSU, at Maryland, vs Wisconsin, at Minnesota, and vs Illinois. If they can get to .500 in those games, they should make a bowl game.
USC
Conference Rank: 4
Projected Record: 10-2 (7-2)
Impact Opponents: vs Oregon, vs Ohio State, at Indiana
USC’s roster is finally in a place to compete. They have a top 10 offense with who I think will be a Heisman finalist in QB Jordan Maiava. The defense has been building for years, and with the help of DC Gary Patterson, they should be good enough to win big games. The biggest W for USC from a playoff contention stand point in the offseason, was losing the Notre Dame matchup. While I personally love seeing those two teams play every year, and I’m sure the fans do as well, this makes USC’s schedule manageable. If they can get one win in games against Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana while avoiding upsets against Washington and Penn State, USC will make the playoffs.
Washington
Conference Rank: 6
Projected Record: 8-4 (5-4)
Impact Opponents: at USC, vs Indiana, at Oregon
Washington was good last year, but there was a clear divide between them and the top dogs in the conference. They are really good all around, and they are getting in a lot of good talent. Demond Williams at QB is one of the best in the conference. Honestly, at this point, I’ll believe it when I see it. They seem really solid, but the 5 teams I have ranked ahead of them have talent leaps and bounds ahead of them. 9-3 is definitely a possibility for this team though. Outside of USC, Indiana, and Oregon, they are higher ranked than everyother team on their schedule. I don’t know if they are far enough ahead of the rest though to not trip up at some point against a team like Penn State, Iowa, or Minnesota.
Wisconsin
Conference Rank: 15
Projected Record: 5-7 (3-6)
Impact Opponents: vs Notre Dame, at Penn State, vs USC
Wisconsin can take a huge deep breath. Their schedule is WAY easier than last year’s gauntlet. This time around they have room to make a bowl game if they play their cards right. The incoming QB-RB randem of Colton Joseph from Old Dominion and Abu Sama III from Iowa State should breath some life into the offense for once… if they can stay healthy, which under Fickell, has been a tall order. Wisconsin should pick up where they left off last year (two impressive wins over Washington and Illinois) and they will be able to build off that little pocket of success they had. However, I believe it’s too little too late for ol’ Luke Fickell. He should have been fired at the end of last year, and despite some improvement, I don’t know if they have what it takes to do anything major that would save his job. 6-6 or 7-5 is a possibility, but it seems luck is never on Wisconsin’s side, and that trend will continue in 2026.
Big Ten Championship Preview
Unlike the ACC and Big 12, making the Big Ten Championship doesn’t really matter, as this conference will probably get 4 or 5 teams into the playoffs this year. Oregon is my favorite to win it, but Ohio State and Indiana are close behind. USC and Michigan are some interesting dark horses as well, especially is USC’s offense is elite like I know they can be. Ultimately, I give Ohio State the edge over Indiana to be the runner-up because their offense should be significantly better while the defenses should be near equal.
Oregon 28 Ohio State 21
Rankings
- Oregon Ducks (1)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (4)
- Indiana Hoosiers (5)
- USC Trojans (8)
- Michigan Wolverines (10)
- Washington Huskies (19)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (23)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (28)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (39)
- Northwestern Wildcats (49)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (52)
- Maryland Terrapins (57)
- Nebraska Corn Huskers (58)
- UCLA Bruins (62)
- Wisconsin Badgers (63)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (68)
- Michigan State Spartans (79)
- Purdue Boilermakers (80)
*FBS Rank in ( )
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