The 2025 college football season is in the books, and as the offseason has slowed down to a halt, all eyes turn to the 2026 season. As almost every team has completely built its rosters using the Transfer Portal, we can start to project where everyone stacks up. The Big Ten will look to win its 4th straight National Championship, and the competition will be steeper than ever.
All across the Big Ten, there are teams built to compete for the College Football Playoff and a National Championship. As every team has Playoff hopes, some teams will have to run through a gauntlet in order to survive the regular season in this incredibly deep conference.
Playoff hopefuls face the most difficult Big Ten schedules
5. Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines begin the Kyle Whittingham era in 2026, and he'll need to work his magic in order to make the College Football Playoff. The Wolverines once again face Oklahoma in Non-Conference play, but this time the game is in Ann Arbor. Once the Wolverines get into league play, they will have to battle against Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State, Oregon, and Ohio State.
4. Oregon Ducks
If Dan Lanning's team is going to make the College Football Playoff, they're going to have to battle some tough opponents. Non-Conference play is going to be a tune-up for the Ducks, as they'll face Boise State, Oklahoma State, and Portland State. League play is a different animal with games against USC, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington.
3. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Matt Rhule will be fighting an uphill battle in 2026 as he tries to pull the Huskers closer to College Football Playoff contention. The Huskers have an easy Non-Conference schedule with games against Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota. Where things get tougher is in league play, facing Indiana, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Ohio State, and Iowa down the stretch.
2. Northwestern Wildcats
David Braun and Northwestern open a new arena in 2026, and they'll need to hope it helps the team against some of their toughest opponents. In Non-Conference play, the Wildcats will face Colorado, which is a tougher game. Big Ten play will be brutal as Northwestern faces all three of Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana, along with Iowa and Penn State.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
The biggest issue for Ohio State in 2025 may have been the fact that they weren’t tested enough. This season, the Buckeyes should face a tougher schedule, which will make sure this team is ready for the Playoff. Non-Conference play is headlined by the Texas game which once again could be a matchup between the two top teams in the Country.
Conference play will be much tougher for Ryan Day's team, which should ensure they're ready for the College Football Playoff. Ohio State faces Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan, which will be a gauntlet compared to last year's schedule.