For the last two years, the Big Ten has seen its best team win the College Football Playoff. While Michigan went undefeated two years ago to cap off its third straight trip to the tournament, the No. 8-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes went on to win the first 12-team playoff and their first in a decade. Other teams like Oregon, Penn State and even Indiana have asserted themselves across all college football.
That being said, water will eventually find its level in this conference. While the bottom of every league is downright putrid, I am eagerly waiting for the middle of the Big Ten to hold its own vs. more quality competition. We have seen teams in the three other Power Four leagues do this more recently than the Big Ten. The good news is football is a massive priority right now in the Big Ten, so that is great!
What I want to do today is power rank all 18 members of the Big Ten, based on how I feel about them heading into the summer months. This is a conference that should send three-to-five teams into the 12-team College Football Playoff once again. We know who will be appearing near the top of this list, but sifting through the middle is where I find this conference most intriguing. Who is going to rise up?
Let's start with what was the worst team in the Power Four last season that can only go up from here.
18. Purdue Boilermakers
I still do not know why Barry Odom left UNLV to take over the thankless job that is Purdue. It had to be getting back into the Power Four. After failing at his alma mater of Missouri, Odom reinvented himself as a sound defensive mind, first with Arkansas before taking over at UNLV. Purdue is not going to go 0-for the Big Ten this season, but I am struggling to see them winning more than maybe four games.
17. Maryland Terrapins
The man sitting on the hottest seat in college football has to be Mike Locksley at Maryland. He should have been let go last year. While he has proven to be a strong offensive mind, his teams rarely play any defense, often turtling up once the weather starts to change and conference play commences. With Jim Smith coming in as the new athletic director, I feel certain this will be Locksley's last season.
16. Northwestern Wildcats
I feel so bad for David Braun. Northwestern still does not have its own football stadium to play in. Renovated Ryan Field will be ready at some point. For now, Braun has to navigate a tough Big Ten at the most prestigious academic institution in the conference. There are years where Northwestern comes out of nowhere to surprise us with great play. The problem is Pat Fitzgerald is no longer here.
15. Wisconsin Badgers
The square peg fits into the round hole! For the life of me, I cannot understand why Luke Fickell got an extension after two dreadful years at Wisconsin. A defensive-minded head coach who thrived at the Group of Five thought he could run an Air Raid offense in Madison, Wisconsin. That is like trying to harvest snow in Miami. He may have job security, but I am about as down on this hire as I ever have.
14. Michigan State Spartans
This is a big spot for second-year head coach Jonathan Smith. He left his alma mater of Oregon State right before the Pac-12 we once loved collapsed before our very eyes. Smith did bring Aidan Chiles with him, but oh, child, things aren't gonna get easier in East Lansing. Wins will be hard to come by once again. Even more concerning, a new athletic director will be coming in the form of J Batt.
13. UCLA Bruins
I am going to give DeShaun Foster a lot of credit. He returned to his alma mater when UCLA needed him most. While the Bruins were not a bowl team in year one under his watch, they played with a lot of heart in difficult circumstances. I do not know what the ceiling is for UCLA under his leadership, but I am intrigued. Should Nico Iamaleava play well after transferring, this team could win seven games.
12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Coming in at No. 12, that feels a bit too low for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Greg Schiano knows exactly what to do leading this team as the greatest head coach in program history. He seems to be getting total buy-in from his guys. Where I think Rutgers gets in trouble is the offensive play is simply too inconsistent. Defense will be there, but until Rutgers becomes more reliable, I cannot trust them.
11. Washington Huskies
Jedd Fisch is a fantastic coach. Look at how poorly the Arizona Wildcats have played since he left Tucscon. While year one leading the Washington Huskies was up and down, this is the team I think has the best chance to be markedly better by the end of the season, when compared to where I have them ranked now. This is a team that did not lose a game at Husky Stadium a season ago, by the way.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers
This is all about P.J. Fleck continuing to have a good pulse on what his Minnesota Golden Gophers team is about. I expect for them to be bowl-eligible, and potentially upset a team or two that is better than them this fall. My concern is the Gophers always seem to be at a talent deficiency when they are compared to the better teams in the Big Ten. Fleck can overcome that, but only to a certain degree.
9. USC Trojans
Against my better judgement, I will put the USC Trojans in the top half of the Big Ten at No. 9. I have a feeling this may be Lincoln Riley's last year leading the program. Once again, Jennifer Cohen did not hire him. Mike Bohn did. That being said, I saw signs of promise under center last season with Jayden Maiava. If D'Anton Lynn can take the next step as their defensive coordinator, this team could go 9-3.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Get ready for the Matt Rhule pop year, y'all! Year three is when the magic happens for this incredibly polarizing head coach. Nebraska's schedule is a bit more favorable than one would expect. If second-year starter Dylan Raiola grows and matures as a person, that would be huge for the Huskers. The biggest reason why I think Nebraska has an outside shot at the playoff is because of Dana Holgorsen.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
Kirk Ferentz is inevitable. The longest tenured head coach in FBS should have his Iowa Hawkeyes doing what they always do. In recent years, Iowa is great on defense, brilliant on special teams, and absolutely putrid on offense. However, the transfer portal acquisition of Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State could be a real needle-mover for Iowa. If he plays like he can, Iowa can win 10 games.
6. Michigan Wolverines
I have Michigan in the top-third of the league for two reasons. One, I believe they have enough talent to potentially make the College Football Playoff if everything goes right for them. And two, just when you are ready to throw in the towel on the Wolverines, they usually find a way to rally together and prove everyone wrong. It is perhaps the one trait I admire the most about this team, but will it matter?
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
I would not be the least bit surprised if Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini win 10 games this season and make their first-ever trip to the College Football Playoff. Bielema is a fantastic head coach. He has the Illini program believing in itself. Most importantly, Illinois seems to have the star quarterback to get them there. Luke Altmyer has an outside chance of getting to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
4. Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers shocked the college football world by making the playoff a season ago. It was Curt Cignetti's first season at IU, and he did not disappoint. While the Hoosiers did navigate an easy schedule, they showed they could hang with the big boys. Landing Fernando Mendoza out of Cal in the transfer portal helps offset losing Kurtis Rourke to the NFL Draft. Maybe Indiana makes it back?
3. Oregon Ducks
No team in the Big Ten frustrates me more than the Oregon Ducks. I want Dan Lanning to be the one to lift them to their first national championship in program history. Will Stein should be a college football head coach by now. However, Oregon needs to find some grit from within, especially on defense in crunch time if the Ducks ever want to shed their label of being soft. Will they ever do it?
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
Right this instant, the Penn State Nittany Lions are my pick to win the College Football Playoff. James Franklin has a tremendous coaching staff and arguably the best roster in the Power Four. When Penn State is expected to win under Franklin, they do. When they are underdogs, they always shrink. Sadly, until I see them beat Ohio State head-to-head again, I am going to have my reservations about them.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
While Ohio State has never repeated as national champions in my lifetime, the Buckeyes could do it this year. I have them in a group of about eight teams, including Penn State and Oregon, who could conceivably win it all this season. If Julian Sayin is as advertised and Jeremiah Smith takes his game up to an even higher level, it might happen. Ryan Day has finally gotten the respect that he deserves.