WARNING: These predictions were made before Week Zero
The Big Ten is at an all time high with not one, not two, but three national champions three years in a row. They are looking to solidify themselves as the best conference in the FBS with four, but they only have four true options, three that could be their year, and then the rest are bowl teams at best. There isn't a lot of depth, but depth isn't as much of a factor when you are consistently winning titles while the conference with the most depth sits and watches you when three years in a row. Some of these teams need to look themselves in the mirror and look to improve their team immediately cause this won't be sustainable having the Ohio State's carry the conference year after year.
1. Ohio State (CFP)
I feel like this is an obvious choice. I don't know which team this year will be capable to be on the same level as the Buckeyes and beat them. Not only that, but they haven't won the conference since 2020, so they will be on their own revenge tour just to win the conference alone.
2. Penn State (CFP)
I'm going with a stunner that Penn State returns to the top year one of the Matt Campbell era. As most of y'all know that I am a big fan of Campbell dating back to his Toledo days and still a very confident believer in him. He brings the majority of his team from Iowa State with him, but I really like some of the guys he retains in LB Tony Rojas and CB Daryus Dixon. I believe that this will be one of the most talked about programs all season.
3. Oregon (CFP)
They miss the Big Ten title game, but they still make the playoffs. This may be the best depth team in the NCAA this year, but the issue is them beating themselves up when they are at the top of the mountain.
4. Indiana (CFP)
Indiana will always be known as the "fourth team" in the Big Ten, not because they are the worst but because they are the team who just got good recently. Replace Penn State with Michigan and Indiana is still the fourth team. I see the Hoosiers regress, and when I say regress I mean two losses.
5. Washington
Maybe I am too high on the Huskies this year, but I think they will do enough to earn top 15 and one of the top spots looking out, but they won't make it to the CFP this year. QB Demond Williams is still one of the best QB's nation despite rubbing his own teammates the wrong way announcing he was leaving for LSU during a former soccer player's funeral, but that is water under the bridge.
6. Michigan
New HC Kyle Whittingham will have this squad improved, but not enough to make it to the playoffs. It all starts with QB Bryce Underwood who just wasn't accurate enough for a top tier QB, or any QB for that matter. Give him one year to go 8-4 with a big win and then next year is all in.
7. USC
They have a top five, maybe top three talent in the Big Ten, but they have found a way year after year to miss the playoffs. We won't know what this Trojans squad really has to take against San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, or Rutgers, but it will be the next three games where they play Oregon, Washington, and at Penn State.
8. Iowa
At one point, they were a perennial 10 win team, now they are trying to scrape for 8 wins. They will have a good season, it is just not enough to pass one of those top seven teams.
9. Minnesota
HC PJ Fleck has a gem in QB Drake Lindsey. There isn't a whole lot of weapons around Lindsey either with RB Darius Taylor the notable name, but has a injury history. The defense, on the other hand, is competitive and will keep them in the race.
10. Maryland
Maryland bounce back year and saving your coach from the hot seat. QB Malik Washington is going to look spectacular in the Clint Trickett offense HC Mike Locksley is bringing in and he has some fantastic WR's in Na'eem Abdul Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr, Locksley is a WR guru, so Ryan Manning and Jayden Kitchens are names I am watching out for.
11. Illinois
Rounding out the bowl eligible teams will be Illinois, who just had a back to back bowl season for the first time in the HC Bret Bielema era. QB Katin Houser will be about the same as Luke Altmeyer, but the defense is what I am worrying about under former Montana HC Bobby Hauck.
12. Northwestern
Wildcats just barely miss the bowl games, and it will be due to inconsistency. QB Aidan Chiles was good at Michigan State, but couldn't stay consistent and was turnover prone, and that is what will hold them down.
13. Nebraska
Nebraska is going to regret paying HC Matt Rhule. QB Anthony Colandrea wasn't that bad at Virginia or UNLV, but he does come across as more of a limited QB than Dylan Raiola did and it does appear that Nebraska is a sinking ship on life support cause they can't fire Rhule until like 2028 unless they want to pay him more than the Brian Kelly contract was.
14. Wisconsin
I think we already know that Wisconsin is just letting HC Luke Fickell play out the year so they can find someone better for next year. There isn't much to look at or talk about besides them getting Iowa State RB Abu Sama.
15. Purdue
HC Barry Odom will slowly help the Boilermakers get out of the hole they are in. The defense looks promising, the offense has major question marks. They'll be surprisingly good, just a few positions away from being a bowl team.
16. Rutgers
I really hate this as a fan of the HC Greg Schiano, but I don't see much of a future for them and this may be the last straw for the Scarlet Knights to move on. WR KJ Duff is going to be a beast though despite the bad season.
17. UCLA
It's going to be messy for UCLA, that is what HC Bob Chesney signed up for. Year one is struggle town, year two is compete.
18. Michigan State
There is a lot of talk of what direction they will go, and I am not really sure where they will go. I don't see Michigan State winning any conference games this season and it may spark them to be more aggressive in the portal for next year.
All Big Ten First Team
QB - Demond Williams, Washington
RB - Bo Jackson, Ohio State
RB - Turbo Richard, Indiana
WR - KJ Duff, Rutgers
WR - Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
WR - Evan Stewart, Oregon
TE - Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State
C - Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
G - Luke Montgomery, Ohio State
G - Alani Noa, USC
T - Anthony Donkoh, Penn State
T - Nathan Roy, Minnesota
DE - John Henry Daley, Michigan
DT - John Walker, Ohio State
DT - A'Mauri Washington, Oregon
DE - Anthony Smith, Minnesota
LB - Christian Alliegro, Ohio State
LB - Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota
LB - Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
LB - Daniel Wingate, Maryland
CB - Daryus Dixson, Penn State
CB - Devin Sanchez, Ohio State
S - Amare Ferrell, Indiana
S - Zach Lutmer, Iowa
K - Eli Ozick, Iowa
P - Rhys Dakin, Michigan State
LS - Alan Soukup, Minnesota
KR - Koi Perich, Oregon
PR - Xavier Townsend, Purdue
Offensive Player of the Year - Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Defensive Player of the Year - A'Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
Coach of the Year - Matt Campbell, Penn State