The 2025-26 college football season exposed some hard-to-swallow pills about the state of the sport. The usual suspects of title contention didn't come close to the national championship game, while three of the four College Football Playoff finalists had never won it all before. Ultimately, a classic battle between Big Ten and ACC foes decided the final game of the year and the first undefeated, 16-0 team since the 19th century walked away with the trophy.
In fact, the last three champions now reside in the Big Ten conference, which officially marks the end of the SEC dynasty. That must mean the former has elite coaching and talent, right? Well, let's evaluate how strong the Big Ten really is on the sidelines.
Tier 5: Not Power Four level
Barry Odom, Purdue
The Boilermakers went an abysmal 2-10 in Odom's first year, so there's clearly a lot of work to be done. Odom did good work at UNLV, but he produced only middling results at Missouri, leading to real questions about his ultimate ceiling. Until improvement shows, Odom isn't getting out of the basement here.
Bob Chesney, UCLA
This is an instance where we simply just don't know how Chesney will fare in a P4 environment. He led James Madison to the CFP this season and at the very least didn't get steamrolled by a very good Oregon team. The Bruins can't be considered sleeping giants just yet, but if Chesney can lead them to more than three wins, he's on track to track to jump a tier or two.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Three seasons in and the Badgers have been rather disappointed by Fickell's results. After a promising 2023 campaign, it's been all downhill with the team going 17-21 under his leadership. Fickell declined an automatic one-year extension to his contract, which curently runs through 2032. He's got to get over .500 this season or risk being kicked to the curb. So far, he hasn't been able to play ball with the big boys after coming over from Cincinnati.
Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State
We've seen Fitzgerald in a Power Four setting once before but that was three years ago at Northwestern, a tenure that was already sliding downhill before it ended in controversy. Since then, he's been a volunteer assistant at Loyola Academy in Illinois — hardly Division I practice. Michigan State already suffered through the Mel Tucker era in East Lansing (13-14) and lost 15 games over two seasons with Jonathan Smith. Fitzgerald's going to be rusty in 2026, so be prepared Spartans fans.
Tier 4: They are what they are
Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Since 2020, the Scarlet Knights have gone 99-108 under Schiano. That's a large enough sample size to determine that things aren't going to get much better ... but, then again, they also are probably not going to get much worse either. Rutgers is stagnant and mediocre under the current regime, with dominated in recruiting battles by the blue bloods of the conference. Schiano needs a first-round talent to come through his quarterback room to keep his hot seat below a boil, although he's built up a lot of equity over his years in Piscataway.
Mike Locksley, Maryland
I'd like to think the Terrapins have more potential than they've displayed in seven seasons under Locksley, but with a 37-49 record and only three bowl appearances under his belt, maybe this program quite literally is what it is. Two consecutive 4-8 campaigns indicate things aren't getting better, and while Maryland has been able to win some high-profile recruiting battles, they haven't been able to build much forward momentum.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Thanks for over 25 years of service, Coach Ferentz, but unless you can finally break through for a conference title, Iowa is going to stay exactly where it is in the conference standings. The Hawkeyes consistently make it to bowl games, and have even competed in the Big Ten title game multiple times under Ferentz's leadership. Other than that, though, there doesn't appear to be any room for improvement, and the last two seasons haven't indicated much of a pulse in Iowa City.
Lincoln Riley, USC
When the Trojans first joined the Big Ten, the expectation was for the former Pac-12 powerhouse to join Oregon and Washington in toppling the old order in the Midwest. Well, the Ducks got the memo, but USC fell victim to a classic strategic blunder: Warm weather foe faces cold weather opponent in winter. Riley, who came from Oklahoma, should've had his guys better prepared for the environment, but since 2024, USC is 16-10 in the Big Ten and no closer to qualifying for the CFP. Nothing's changed, and it doesn't look like it will any time soon.
Tier 3: Solid with room to rise
Bret Bielema, Illinois
The Fighting Illini are 37-26 since Bielema came on board in 2021, and the last two years indicate the program is on the verge of an Indiana-esque run. Illinois is 19-7 since 2024, including wins over No. 24 Michigan, No. 22 Nebraska, No. 21 USC and No. 19 Kansas in that span. Bielema clearly can coach a team to big wins; he just needs to tighten things up to truly threaten for a conference title.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Fleck and the Golden Gophers have basically been the face of consistency in the Big Ten. Only three of his nine seasons in Minneapolis have been under .500, and he's won every bowl game he's led Minnesota to (including five straight dating back to 2021). If Fleck could land a true star quarterback and maybe a wide receiver in the portal, he and the Gophers could maybe make a real run.
Matt Rhule, Nebraska
A lot of pundits thought Nebraska would be a Big Ten contender overnight with sophomore QB Dylan Raiola paired with Rhule. However, that didn't materialize, and now Raiola has departed for Oregon. That being said, Rhule has provided at least some proof of concept so far in Lincoln. Now, if he could just get a prospect like Raiola to stay, he could finally be on to something other than a 7-6 campaign.
David Braun, Northwestern
The Wildcats are an even 19-19 under Braun but have exhibited flashes of brilliance in that period. Beating Penn State and Minnesota last season proves that Braun's squad has what it takes to really compete; it's just a matter of consistency. That will come with time and refinement as Braun works the transfer portal and recruiting trail. Hopefully a new stadium will give them a boost in that latter category.
Jedd Fisch, Washington
After a rocky debut in 2024, Fisch and the Huskies really rebounded in 2025. A 9-4 campaign had them in the postseason tournament conversation for a brief moment, and that could be the case again in 2026. QB Demond Williams has a lot of talent, and with Fisch staying put in Seattle, that pairing could prove to be a dark horse in the Big Ten.
Tier 2: Automatic contenders
Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
The only reason Whittingham and the Wolverines aren't in the elite category is because we have yet to see this pairing in action. Whittingham made magic at Utah more than a few times (three conference titles and 11 bowl wins) but Michigan is trying to emerge from an embarrassing cluster of scandals in the post-Jim Harbaugh era. With QB Bryce Underwood deciding to stay, there's a significant chance Michigan is back to being a 9+-win program as though nothing unseemly ever happened off the field.
Dan Lanning, Oregon
There really isn't much going against Lanning besides the fact that he's yet to win a national championship. But earning a Big Ten title in the program's first year in the conference and coaching two Heisman Trophy finalist QBs in four years (Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel) is proof enough Lanning can be elite. For now, that category is reserved for national champions, but he could get there soon enough.
Matt Campbell, Penn State
Like Whittingham, we haven't seen Campbell in State College yet, but there could be some fireworks coming. He had Iowa State consistently vying for the Big 12 title prior to signing with the Nittany Lions, and he's bringing a significant number of Cyclones with him in the portal. One of those is QB Rocco Becht, who was one of the top arms in that conference over the past three seasons. Don't count the Nittany Lions out by a long shot.
Tier 1: Elite level
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Like I said, this category is for national champions. Day wasn't able to successfully defend Ohio State's 2024 title, but a 12-2 campaign is still elite, especially combined with the team's first win over Michigan since 2019. Entering 2026, the Buckeyes will likely be the favorite once again despite Indiana being the defending champs, and Day will have an opportunity to reiterate that his program is the one to beat in the Big Ten.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
You can't tell any coach who just went undefeated and won a national championship that they aren't elite. Cignetti turned Indiana around in just two years, and he did it with a group of misfit transfers. It was the greatest story ever told in college football and it wouldn't be surprising to see Cignetti run it back in 2026. He's the best of the best until proven otherwise.