On Monday Night, the Indiana Hoosiers capped off the 2025 college football season, finishing off a perfect 16-0 season with a National Championship. The win for Indiana marked a significant win for the Big Ten as the conference has won 3 straight National Championships with 3 different teams in Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana.
The Big Ten has seemingly stolen the crown from the SEC as the premier conference in college football in this era. The teams at the top of the Big Ten continue to look more talented than everyone else, and with teams like Indiana bubbling up, this league is only going to keep getting tougher each season.
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18. Purdue Boilermakers
Barry Odom is trying to build a winner at Purdue, but it's not an easy task, and it's going to take a ton of time. The Boilermakers lost some of their biggest pieces to the Transfer Portal while bringing in 28 transfers. Having Ryan Browne back at quarterback should help this team take a step forward, but there's just not enough talent on the roster to win the tougher games.
17. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Greg Schiano feels like he keeps getting Rutgers closer to competing in the Big Ten, but the transfer portal keeps taking talented pieces away. Losing players like Ian Strong and Bo Mascoe to other Power 4 programs only makes it harder to compete when other programs are constantly buying your best players.
Athan Kaliakmanis is off to the NFL, and in steps Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan who was benched this season. This roster as a whole lost a ton of key veteran pieces, and with the best underclassmen transferring, it's hard to envision this team finishing above .500.
16. Northwestern Wildcats
David Braun's team moves into a new stadium, and if that's not enough pressure for him, Pat Fitzgerald is back in the Big Ten. Aidan Chiles comes in at quarterback, and he'll be paired with Gavin Sawchuk in the backfield. The issue for this program continues to be how much they lose to the transfer portal as stars like Hunter Welcing and Anto Saka ended up at premier programs.
15. Maryland Terrapins
Mike Locksley seemingly enters another season on the hot seat, but he somehow keeps surviving the pressure. The Terrapins had a younger team this season which would've made it great if they pushed in the Transfer Portal, but they didn't make nearly enough big additions to try and succeed in 2026 with just 5 incoming transfers.
Malik Washington showed a ton of promise as a true freshman quarterback and should only improve with the experience he gained. Harry Dalton, Na'eem Gladding, and Preston Howard are all going to need to emerge as key weapons with how much this team lost to the draft. Mike Locksley did sign another recruiting class with solid pieces like 5-star edge rusher Zion Elee, who will need to step up early.
14. Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans may have made the best hire of the offseason, landing former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Wildcats struggled near the end of Fitzgerald's tenure, but he was constantly able to do more with less, and he'll be able to field a much better roster with more resources.
Aidan Chiles transferred, giving Alessio Milivojevic the full-time starting job with the promise he showed at times this season. The Spartans lost some of their best players, giving Fitzgerald a tough path to winning right away with Nick Marsh, Makhi Frazier, and Michael Masunas all departing. Fitzgerald has made a ton of additions, but he'll need to do a great job developing talent.
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers
PJ Fleck's teams are almost never exciting on paper, but in the end, they always seem to end up being more competitive than you'd expect. Considering some of the injuries that Minnesota dealt with, and the fact that they started a first-year starter at quarterback, this team may be set up nicely for a nice season.
Drake Lindsey flashed as a first-year starting quarterback with 21 total touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Darius Taylor will be back, and if he's healthy, he gives this offense its entire identity as a potential 1,000+ yard rusher. The defense returns a ton of young promising pieces after allowing just 22.9 points per game, but Koi Perich did depart to Oregon.
12. Wisconsin Badgers
Luke Fickell heads into 2026 with a ton of pressure as the program decided to give him one last chance to build a roster. Fickell has been doomed by quarterback injuries, and he's going to need much better luck in 2026 to have a chance to finally prove he's the right man for the job.
Colton Joseph is an exciting addition at quarterback after he passed for 2,624 yards and 21 touchdowns with 1,007 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Abu Sama enters as the running back the Badgers haven't had in the Fickell era. Playing Notre Dame to open the season is tough, but the Badgers avoid Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana in league play which helps.
11. UCLA Bruins
UCLA wisely moved on from DeShaun Foster after a 0-3 start to the season and took a chance on finding the next Curt Cignetti as they hired his successor, Bob Chesney, from James Madison. Chesney has attacked the Transfer Portal, bringing in pieces from JMU as well as other Power 4 programs.
Nico Iamaleava returns with a ton to prove, as his decision to move on from Tennessee is still questionable at best. The offense adds some great weapons with RB Wayne Knight, WR Aidan Mizzell, WR Brian Rowe Jr, and WR Landon Ellis. The defense should be incredibly exciting with the additions of Tao Johnson and Samuel Omosigho, who have elite upside.
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska has a new face at quarterback as Dylan Raiola transferred to Oregon, while Matt Rhule brought in Anthony Colandrea from UNLV to lead the offense. The bigger loss is losing star running back Emmett Johnson to the NFL Draft after he rushed for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
Matt Rhule has made some massive additions in the trenches on both sides of the ball, which will have this team well-equipped to compete in the Big Ten. The offseason move that may allow Nebraska to exceed everyone's expectations is hiring San Diego State defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, whose defense allowed just 15.4 points per game this season.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini
Bret Bielema's team came into the season with hopes of making the College Football Playoff, but they fell short with a veteran core. Now Bret Bielema is tasked with reloading, but he has a core capable of competing in the Big Ten once again. The schedule, however, is tough again with games against Oregon and Ohio State.
Luke Altmyer is off to the NFL, and in steps East Carolina star Katin Houser who brings incredible upside to this offense. The Illini lose Hank Beaty, but there are plenty of young and exciting weapons returning next season. The defense has some serious holes to fill in the Front 7, but Bret Bielema has brought in plenty of pieces to plug the holes.
8. Washington Huskies
Despite being one of the hottest names of the offseason, Jedd Fisch didn't end up at Florida, UCLA, or Michigan. The Huskies lose a ton with Denzel Boston, Jonah Coleman, and Tacario Davis all off to the NFL, but there's still plenty of solid pieces in place for this team to be in the mix in the Big Ten and for the Playoff.
Demond Williams Jr had one of the most public exits just to end up returning, which gives the Huskies an elite quarterback. Jonah Coleman is off to the NFL, and Adam Mohammed transferred to Cal, but Oregon's Jayden Limar is a capable starter. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck had a breakout season, and he'll lead the team at wide receiver while Decker DeGraaf returns as one of the best tight ends in the Country.
The defense returns it's top two tacklers in Alex McLaughlin and Xe'ree Alexander giving the team veteran experience. The secondary will be a concern with the losses of Tacario Davis, Leroy Bryant, and Makell Esteen, but returning McLaughlin and Ephesians Prysock gives the Huskies two solid players in the back end.
7. Penn State Nittany Lions
The Matt Campbell era in Happy Valley is officially underway as the Nittany Lions have rebuilt this roster from what we saw under James Franklin. Campbell has brought a massive chunk of his Iowa State team with him to Penn State, which gives this team the best possible chance to win as soon as this season.
Rocco Becht steps in to replace Drew Allar, which is critical as the Nittany Lions had no clear options to step in at quarterback. The biggest struggle is going to be replacing the production of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield. As a whole, this team should have a higher floor with Becht at quarterback, but they won't be talented enough to win the National Championship.
6. Iowa Hawkeyes
Regardless of the players and if the offense is functional, Iowa finds a way to be competitive every season. The Hawkeyes lose Mark Gronowski, who's out of eligibility, but the staff was excited about Jeremy Hecklinski's upside. Like most seasons, the offense will determine how high the ceiling is for this team, as the talent is there on defense and special teams.
5. USC Trojans
It's starting to become time for Lincoln Riley to show that he can take his team on a deep run as he enters his 5th season leading the Trojans. After USC lost to TCU in the Alamo Bowl, Lincoln Riley declared that a Championship window was now open, and he'll be held to that promise by the fanbase.
Jayden Maiava returns at quarterback, which should allow him to take a jump in this system, but he loses his two biggest weapons in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane. The bigger concern for this team will be not taking a step back on defense as defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn took the same job at Penn State.
4. Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines ended up with a massive upgrade to the coaching staff as Sherrone Moore's firing allowed them to land a great head coach in Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines now have a much better staff, and a fresh staff that allows them to move on from the Jim Harbaugh era into a new one.
Bryce Underwood should take a massive leap with new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and a dedicated quarterbacks coach. Jordan Marshall takes over the backfield as Justice Haynes transferred to Georgia Tech. Jaime Ffrench was a high-upside transfer addition, but the Wolverines will need someone to develop opposite Andrew Marsh.
3. Indiana Hoosiers
Curt Cignetti won't want to hear how hard it's going to be to try to replicate this special season as he's attacked the Transfer Portal. While Fernando Mendoza leaves for the NFL, TCU's Josh Hoover will step in and lead this team at quarterback. The Hoosiers will have a star wide receiver duo again as Nick Marsh transfers in from Michigan State to team up with Charlie Becker.
The defense loses a ton of talented pieces, but Cignetti has shown that he's got a great eye for talent, and the team can develop players at an elite rate. Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones return in the middle, giving Bryant Haines a great duo at linebacker. The biggest addition may be cornerback AJ Harris, who moves over from Penn State with a ton of upside after a down season.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
After cruising through the regular season, Ohio State's season ended far sooner than anyone could've expected as the Buckeyes lost their final two games of the season. Given the shocking end to the season, Ryan Day needs to re-tool this roster, and figure out how to take another deep Playoff run next season.
The Buckeyes return a Heisman finalist at quarterback as Julian Sayin is now back with a full season of experience under his belt. Bo Jackson had an emergent freshman season, and he's now set to be one of the best running backs in the Country. Jeremiah Smith is the clear best player regardless of position and after his Biletnikoff snub he's going to be on a mission. The entire left side of the offensive line returns while the right side will welcome in some fresh faces.
The defense is going to lose a ton of key pieces as Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Kayden McDonald, Sonny Styles, and Davison Igbinosun are all off to the NFL. Kenyatta Jackson returns for one more season which provides this group a massive lift, but the Buckeyes need some fresh faces to fill big shoes.
1. Oregon Ducks
Dan Lanning keeps knocking on the door with runs to the College Football Playoff, and eventually the Ducks are going to break through. After being a one-and-done in 2024, the Ducks won two Playoff games which is important as it allowed this younger core to gain valuable experience before making another run in 2026.
Dante Moore passed up on the NFL Draft where he would've been a First Round Pick, giving the Ducks one of the best quarterbacks in the Country. The running back room suffered a ton of turnover, but Jordon Davison is ready to lead the room after an impressive freshman season. Evan Stewart should be back in 2026 after missing the season with a torn ACL giving the team a great duo at wide receiver.
The defensive line should be one of the best in the Country as potential 1st Round Picks Matayo Uiagalelei and A'Mauri Washington returned to school. The defense loses a pair of cornerbacks, but Dan Lanning has several 5-stars ready to fill the role. Koi Perich is easily the biggest addition for the Ducks as he'll take over for Dillon Thieneman at safety.