At the end of the day, the Big Ten is probably the only Power conference that is completely satisfied with its position. Its two best teams, arguably the two best in the country, are playing in the Big Ten Championship game. It will, without a doubt, be sending three teams into the College Football Playoff, and has no fourth team to be arguing for. Everything is as it should be, and there is a good chance that the Big Ten wins its third straight National Championship this season.
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes are a buzzsaw and are successfully the first team to load-manage their team throughout a college football regular season. They have sat starters, such as Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, routinely, and they play at the slowest pace in all of college football in order to reduce snaps. They’re in it for the long haul, and it’s now time for them to show up and play.
2. Indiana
A decade ago, the thought of Indiana playing for the Big Ten Championship in football would have been unfathomable. But thanks to Curt Cignetti and Fernando Mendoza, it’s now a reality. It could be argued that no team found a more impactful transfer haul this offseason than Indiana.
3. Oregon
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off after his win as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Dan Lanning and Oregon have a very favorable path at the moment. They don’t have to play in the Big Ten Championship game, but are unquestionably in the College Football Playoff, and are likely to host a home playoff game. This should allow them to get healthy and get key players, like Dakorien Moore, back in action for the playoffs.
4. USC
It may be disappointing for USC to sit one win outside the bubble for the College Football Playoff, but this season has to be looked at as a massive success for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. This is now a program that is built to compete and win in the new Big Ten, which they were not set up to do after coming in from the Pac-12.
5. Michigan
The loss to hated rival Ohio State will hurt for a little while, but Michigan fans have a lot of reasons for optimism. QB Bryce Underwood started and showed flashes as a true freshman; he may have his WR1 of the future in Andrew Marsh, and the defense will return a lot of pieces in 2026. The only question is, who will this team go out and get in the transfer portal to help Underwood?
6. Iowa
This is another team that fell short of both a Big Ten Championship berth and a CFP appearance, but has to feel good about the season at-large. Transfer QB Mark Gronowski breathed life into a once-dead Hawkeye offense, and the team was very competitive when they played the top teams in the league, like Indiana and Oregon.
7. Washington
Nov 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) hands the ball to running back Jordan Washington (4) during the second half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Depending on who goes to the NFL draft this offseason, Demond Williams may be the preseason favorite for Big Ten POTY next season. He had some massive games against the bottom of the teams in the Big Ten, and it will be interesting to see if he can take the next step and beat the top of the league. I like what Jedd Fisch is building here.
8. Illinois
The Illini are the perfect example of an average Big Ten team. They are able to beat the bottom of the league with relative ease (with the rare exception of the game against Wisconsin), but are far from competing with the top of the league. The Illini lost to Ohio State and Indiana by a combined score of 97-26. It will be interesting to see if Bret Bielema can close that gap with a good offseason.
9. Penn State
I will give credit where it’s due – it would have been really easy for this team to lie down and quit after the firing of James Franklin and the injury to Drew Allar. But they rallied, with an offense carried by Kaytron Allen, and were able to get bowl-eligible. But this team will head into the offseason with a ton of unknowns – a lot of key players graduate, a new head coach is yet to be named, and much of the roster may portal out.
10. Nebraska
The typical “Year 3 Matt Rhule” breakout did not happen for Nebraska (just as it did not happen for the Carolina Panthers), but some of that can be attributed to the injury to QB Dylan Raiola. Year 3 of the Raiola era may bring some different results in 2026, but it will hinge on his improvement – Emmett Johnson can only do so much.
11. Minnesota
Nov 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) celebrates with Paul Bunyan’s Axe after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Another year, another 7-5 season with a trip to a mediocre bowl game for PJ Fleck and the Gophers. The keys to the offense have been turned over to QB Drake Lindsey, and his development will be key to getting the Gophers out of the position that they find themselves in time and time again.
12. Wisconsin
I do applaud Wisconsin for making the decision early that they will retain Luke Fickell for the 2026 season. His defense continues to play well, but he just hasn’t struck gold at the quarterback position. At the same time, you could possibly argue that is Fickell’s fault? Either way, this team played above its very low talent level this season.
13. UCLA
The interim coaching staff of Tim Skipper and Jerry Neuheisel did enough to get this team out of the very bottom of the conference. But they now head into a big offseason, where they will have a plethora of coach and player personnel decisions to make. In the NIL era, I do wonder if this program is truly committed to building a winning football team in the Big Ten, or if they would rather be good at basketball.
14. Northwestern
Long live the temporary stadium. Those beautiful views and swirling winds off of Lake Michigan, the complete lack of a crowd, and chaotic games will all be missed when Northwestern moves to their permanent home. Griffin Wilde and Caleb Komolafe had great seasons and will be core pieces if they stay in Evanston.
15. Michigan State
Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Spartans moved quietly in this year’s coaching carousel, firing Jonathan Smith and hiring former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. QB Aidan Chiles came over with Smith, but was a bit of a disappointment and never lived up to his recruiting pedigree, and the season ended with his benching. He’s got to be thinking like the Clash – “Should I stay or should I go?”
16. Maryland
Is it possible to say that a 4-8 team had a successful season? It feels that way for Maryland. True freshman QB Malik Washington started the whole season and continued to improve. But this team was just not talented enough to compete in the Big Ten.
17. Rutgers
I can’t help but feel like Rutgers squandered one of its best offenses of all time in 2025 because of their complete lack of defense. Athan Kaliakmanis played the best football of his career, Antwan Raymond was a force out of the backfield, and KJ Duff and Ian Strong formed one of the most underrated WR duos in the nation. But it didn’t translate to any wins of significance.
18. Purdue
The Boilermakers remain at the bottom of the Big Ten, but they are closing the gap under Barry Odom. They were much more competitive in 2025, but still failed to break through and earn a Big Ten win. It will be an interesting portal season to see if they can continue to close that gap.
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