Who Will Be the Top Dogs in the Big Ten?

By Jay Holahan

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History was made last year in the Big Ten, for the first time, a school that joined the conference won the conference championship—the Oregon Ducks completed this feat, but will they win back-to-back conference titles? Here is how I see the standings and team records shake out in 2025. 

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1. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1)

After winning their ninth national title, the Buckeyes have the daunting task of retooling their roster and gearing up for another shot to sit atop the college football mountain. Top players such as quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and offensive tackle Josh Simmons were all offensive weapons that Ryan Day will need to replace. Is sophomore Julian Sayin ready to take over at quarterback? What about on the defensive end? Edge rusher JT Tuimoloau is gone, and so is Jack Sawyer. Will UNC defensive end Beau Atkinson and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. fill the void? One thing that is for certain, safety Caleb Downs will be the best safety in college football. Opening the season against Texas will be tough, one that I think the Buckeyes will lose, but they go undefeated the rest of the way, and will once again fall, this time on the road against Michigan. A Big Ten Championship appearance will still be in the cards for Ohio State, but can they repeat?

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2. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1)

For the first time since 2016, there is an overwhelming confidence heading into the upcoming season. Returning star quarterback Drew Allar needs to be better in big games for Penn State to get over the hump. Allar is not the only returning star to this Penn State team—both running backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, will be back, as will interior defensive lineman Zane Durant and cornerback AJ Harris, who is primed for a big year. Whether or not Allar plays well, it feels like James Franklin’s Nittany Lions are always outmatched against Ohio State, and the added pressure with the game on the road makes it feel all the more certain Penn State fans will have to endure yet another Ohio State loss in the regular season. A home, White Out game against Oregon—the team the Nittany Lions lost to in the Big Ten Championship game—should serve as a “revenge game” for the Nittany Lions, one that Penn State should come out on top. Will they get a second crack this time at the Buckeyes like they were hoping last year in the College Football Playoff? Once again, it feels like the only team that can beat the Nittany Lions is the Nittany Lions.

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3. Oregon Ducks (11-1, 8-1)

Oregon fans received dreadful news when wide receiver Evan Stewart suffered a knee injury that could hold him out for this season. Five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore will have his role increased, as will Justius Lowe, who caught 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown last season. Stewart will not be the only star from last year that Oregon will have to replace, sophomore Dante Moore will be tasked with replacing quarterback Dillon Gabriel (who finished third in the Heisman voting). The defense is solid with edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei returning, who led the Ducks in sacks (9), the team-leader in tackles (94) and linebacker Bryce Boettcher will also return. The secondary will feature first-year starters and will most likely be the team’s biggest question mark. Oregon’s schedule is on the lighter side, with the lone premier conference matchup against Penn State in Beaver Stadium, and it will be the White Out game. Other than that, the Ducks should cruise to another 11-win regular season.

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4. Illinois Fighting Illini (10-2, 7-2)

Illinois had not had a double-digit win season since 2001—until last year. The Illini should only get better this year with returning quarterback Luke Altmyer coming back for his fifth year. Last year was Altmyer’s best, throwing for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. If Altmyer can improve chemistry with his lone returning wide receiver, Collin Dixon, who only recorded 18 receptions for 264 yards and no touchdowns, the offense should improve. The entire offensive line is returning this season, which comes as a surprise, given that Altmyer was sacked a conference-high 32 times. There will be plenty of room for improvement in that category for Illinois. As for the schedule, Illinois plays Duke on the road in week two, then they start conference play in Bloomington, Ind., against Indiana in week four, then USC at home the following week, and then two weeks later they take on Ohio State at home and Washington on the road. That should be the toughest part of Illinois’ schedule. If they can go 3-2 against those teams and cruise the rest of the way, there could be a chance Illinois makes the CFP.

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5. Michigan Wolverines (9-3, 7-2)

The highlight of Michigan’s 2024 season was defeating Ohio State to end the year and take them out of the Big Ten Championship game. Other than that, Sherrone Moore’s first season at the helm didn’t go as planned. Quarterback controversies and subpar play against the top teams in the conference after coming off a national championship didn’t live up to the standards that were in place over the previous couple of seasons under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Now, with five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood expected to be the week one starter, there are no doubt high expectations placed upon him heading into the season. The true test for Underwood will come on the road against Oklahoma. If he can live up to the test, then Wolverine fans should feel good in conference play this season. The Michigan conference schedule should go well with the toughest game, of course, coming at the end of the year at home against Ohio State, but two road games early against a Nebraska team should be competitive this year, and a rematch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against USC. Most likely, Michigan will finish the year ranked, but another trip to the CFP might be challenging.

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Darius Taylor has a need for speed 💨#B1GFootball x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/4DidkP28yf

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 6, 2024

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-3, 6-3)

You can always count on PJ Fleck’s Golden Gophers to be prepared no matter the opponent. I’d anticipate this to be a season where Minnesota is ready to take a step with its returning running back Darius Taylor, who averaged 82 rushing yards per game, however, they return just two starting offensive linemen which means facing teams with good defenses, especially on the road against Ohio State, Iowa and Oregon will be a challenge. Aside from those games, the Gophers have a light conference schedule with the only other road game coming against Northwestern. Aside from that, Rutgers, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State and Wisconsin will all be at home, and four of those five teams could have an under .500 record in conference play this year. A CFP appearance will most likely not happen, but if Fleck returns a good portion of his players for next year, the Gophers will be set up for a strong 2026.

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7. USC Trojans (8-4, 6-3)

Every year since Lincoln Riley has taken over at USC, it always feels like this is their year to make a run at the CFP for the first time in USC’s history, but the Trojans typically either disappoint or fall short. This year, USC is returning six of its 11 starters on offense, but only two defensively. I expect USC will protect its home turf this season, but when they go on the road, that will be a different challenge. Such challenging games will feature Illinois, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Oregon. Once again, USC will fall short of the CFP and leave questions about whether Riley will return for another go-around.

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8. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5, 5-4)

The Hawkeyes have only finished below .500 three times in head coach Kirk Ferentz’s 26-year tenure. Returning four of five offensive linemen will be important for the offense, but losing running back Kaleb Johnson to the NFL is a hit to the offense. However, with those linemen returning, the running game should still be among the top in the conference. Quarterback Mark Gronowski transfers from FCS South Dakota State. Whether his 2,721 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and 7 interceptions will translate to an FBS school that also happens to play in a top two-conference in college football might not matter if the running game is strong. It’ll help with a manageable start to conference play, and while a win at home against Penn State might be a daunting task, the Hawkeyes should—at minimum—keep it close. The rest of conference play features tough opponents such as Oregon, USC on the road and Nebraska on the road, but even though the Hawkeyes could finish in the top half of the conference, will Ferentz be back for year 27?

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I'm buying low and selling high on Nebraska this season.

Dana Holgorsen is a big-time addition who will help Dylan Raiola's rise immensely.

Column for @CBSSportsCFB on the Huskers: https://t.co/TDoP61CCrG pic.twitter.com/lS58zDaoYO

— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) July 3, 2025

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-4, 5-4)

Nebraska fans look away, but this could be the first time since 2016 that Nebraska finishes above .500 in conference play. For the fans, they’re probably wondering why the Cornhuskers ever bothered joining the Big Ten. Last year was set up to be the team’s best since 2016, but after a 56-7 loss to Indiana, the Cornhuskers would win just one game the rest of the regular season. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola struggled, aside from a few bright moments. The 2024 campaign was underwhelming, and with no returning starters in the receiving core, it will be difficult to take the “quantum leap” that is expected from year one to year two. So why am I so high on the Cornhuskers? Take a look at their schedule. It’s pathetic. They should open the year 6-0. Now beating Penn State on the road to end the year is a daunting task, and could feature a blow out loss, but other than that, the Cornhuskers should be in just about every game this season. Even though, Nebraska won’t finish the year ranked, a good bowl game should give Nebraska fans confidence heading into year four of the Matt Rhule era.