Ohio State and Penn State stand alone atop the preseason Big Ten power rankings, giving the league two national heavyweights in its quest for a third national championship in a row.
While fresh off a march through the debut 12-team College Football Playoff to capture the ninth national title in program history, the Buckeyes haven’t taken home the Big Ten title since 2020. The Nittany Lions advanced all the way to the national semifinals at the Orange Bowl before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame.
Penn State lands atop USA TODAY Sports’ rankings based on an edge in experience at key positions such as quarterback, an improved collection of skill talent, maybe the best offensive line of the James Franklin era and the makings of another top-ranked defense.
Landing behind these two front-runners are national contenders in Oregon and Michigan, both of which will be defined in large part by the play of relatively young and unproven quarterbacks: Dante Moore for the Ducks and true freshman Bryce Underwood for the Wolverines.
In the end, look for at least four and upwards of six or even seven Big Ten teams to factor into the playoff race over the final weeks of the regular season.
Here’s how the conference looks heading into preseason camp:
1. Penn State
Former Syracuse receiver Trebor Pena (84 receptions for 941 yards in 2024) may end up being one of the most influential offseason additions in the Big Ten. With Drew Allar ensconced at quarterback and running backs Kaytron Allen (1,108 yards) and Nick Singleton (1,099 yards) driving a ferocious ground game, Pena’s ability to be Allar’s move-the-chains target will help PSU replace star tight end Ty Warren. Sixteen of Pena’s 21 third-down grabs in 2024 went for a first down.
2. Ohio State
All the deserved attention paid to quarterback Julian Sayin’s ascension to the starting job has overshadowed the Buckeyes’ significant changes on the defensive side. Just three starters return, though one is superstar safety Caleb Downs, and there’s a new coordinator in former NFL coach and longtime pro football assistant Matt Patricia. He hasn’t worked in college since serving as a graduate assistant at Syracuse in the early 2000s.
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3. Oregon
Moore isn’t technically a first-year starter after starting most of his freshman season at UCLA in 2023 before transferring to Oregon. While rocky, that experience and his growing knowledge of the Ducks’ scheme last season suggests Moore will step right into the lineup and produce at a high clip.
4. Michigan
The Wolverines will be strong on special teams and look particularly stout in the defensive back seven, especially at linebacker. Newcomers at receiver and running back will help ease Underwood’s transition. But is he definitely going to start? Not necessarily. While he’s the odds-on favorite, coach Sherrone Moore may slow Underwood’s climb up the depth chart by tapping Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, who once played for new Michigan coordinator Chip Lindsey at Central Florida.
5. Illinois
The pieces are in place for an outstanding season. One of the most experienced teams in the Power Four, Illinois plays a bruising, physical style that helped yield a 6-1 mark last season in games decided by 10 or fewer points. The Illini could very well notch double-digit wins and earn a playoff berth.
6. Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are climbing the ladder under third-year coach Matt Rhule, whose previous teams at Temple and Baylor popped in his third season. Dylan Raiola will take a leap in his sophomore year and the offense should shine under coordinator Dana Holgorsen, but line play on both sides will decide Nebraska’s fate.
7. Iowa
Iowa has tossed a combined 19 touchdowns against 19 interceptions the past two years, with this futility offsetting more excellence from one of the most consistent defenses in the country. The Hawkeyes hope to change the narrative with the addition of former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski, formerly one of the top players in the Championship Subdivision.
8. Southern California
The number to watch: 24. USC went 0-6 during the regular season in 2024 when allowing 24 or more points, including single-possession losses to Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Maryland and Washington. A defense that finished 16th in the Big Ten last year in yards per play must take a huge leap for the Trojans to exceed their preseason hype.
9. Indiana
Kaelon Black (251 yards) will take over as Indiana’s primary running back, joined by a pair of transfers: Lee Beebe Jr. (884 yards) from Alabama-Birmingham and Roman Hemby (607 yards) from Maryland. Hemby has the bonus of being an effective receiver after making 40 grabs for the Terrapins last season.
10. Washington
The Huskies look on much sturdier ground heading into coach Jedd Fisch’s second season. Part of that is due to increased depth after struggling through large-scale attrition in the wake of Kalen DeBoer’s departure for Alabama. Fisch brought in several starting-level defenders through the portal, including cornerback Tacario Davis and edge rusher Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei from Arizona.
11. Minnesota
With only senior Le’Meke Brockington set to return from last year’s receiver rotation, the Gophers went heavy in the portal to find weapons for new quarterback Drake Lindsey. Three new wideouts to watch: Javon Tracy (57 receptions, 818 yards in 2024) from Miami (Ohio), Logan Loya (109 career grabs) from UCLA and former top-ranked recruit Malachi Coleman from Nebraska.
12. Wisconsin
These are unsteady times for Wisconsin, which missed a bowl game last year for the first time since 2001 and desperately needs a winning season to rebuild the damaged faith in third-year coach Luke Fickell. But given a schedule that includes Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon and Illinois, almost everything would have to go right to win eight games.
13. UCLA
Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava changes the complexion of Deshaun Foster’s second season and paints the Bruins as a threat to add one or two wins to last year’s 5-7 record. But UCLA remains very unproven on the offensive line, making that group a major question mark heading into September. The Bruins also take on Utah and UNLV in non-conference play before facing Penn State and Indiana in October and Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington and USC in November.
14. Rutgers
Rutgers has stacked back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2011-12, illustrating the program’s steady growth under coach Greg Schiano. While the roster continues to improve, the Scarlet Knights will have to manage a Big Ten schedule that includes Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State.
15. Michigan State
There are a ton of unknowns, including whether second-year starter Aidan Chiles cracks into his potential after an uneven first season on campus. But the schedule isn’t too daunting and the Spartans have added another round of impact transfers, so this team could win seven games by playing cleaner football and avoiding another rash of injuries.
16. Northwestern
The Wildcats might be better than expected and make a run at six wins if SMU transfer quarterback Preston Stone solidifies the passing game and newcomers strengthen the offensive line. Two position groups of strength are the backfield and the defensive front.
17. Maryland
If not by the season opener, look for the Terrapins to eventually hand the reins to true freshman quarterback Malik Washington and take the lumps that come with rolling the dice on his combination of potential and inexperience. Either way, the overall picture isn’t pretty: Maryland has one of the weakest rosters in the Big Ten and probably the worst defense. Anything more than two league wins would be surprising.
18. Purdue
Purdue hired the right coach in Barry Odom, who pulled off a borderline miracle at UNLV and would have to do the same to get the Boilermakers back into the postseason. Even if this process eventually pays off, don’t expect anything more than a small handful of wins in 2025.