Indiana is the pick at the top of the IlliniGuys.com preseason Big Ten ballot, and the logic is simple: don’t bet against Curt Cignetti.
The defending national champions are getting the nod for Big Ten Coach of the Year again, with Cignetti locked in as the favorite after guiding Indiana to a perfect run in the award so far. The program enters his third season in Bloomington after winning it all, and that alone was enough to keep the vote from drifting anywhere else.
There’s no ignoring the turnover, though. Indiana is moving on from Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft Fernando Mendoza. Cignetti addressed that reality earlier this month on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, pointing to the way his quarterbacks have continued to produce.
“You know, our last five or six quarterbacks have all been player of the year in the league offensively, except Kurtis Rourke, our first year here, because Dillon Gabriel went to the Heisman, but Rourke led the country in QBR. So, we got [Texas Christian University transfer] Josh Hoover, and then he started a lot of games, threw for a lot of yards, a lot of touchdown passes, and won a lot of games.
And it's a process." Cignetti said earlier this month on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams.
Still, the ballot leans Indiana’s way. The Hoosiers have lost just one game to a Big Ten opponent in 18 tries, and the only league defeat in that stretch came against the 2024 Ohio State team that finished as national champion. Indiana’s 2025 schedule includes a Big Ten Championship Game rematch with the Buckeyes in Bloomington, a home date with Southern California, and road trips to Nebraska, Michigan and Washington, but that didn’t push the vote away from Bloomington.
The panel also had a rough reminder of why preseason picks come with risk. The article notes that the 2025 IlliniGuys.com preseason Big Ten football ballot had the eventual pick for the conference title starting 0-3 in league play, dropping back-to-back games to UCLA and Northwestern before the head coach was fired by the second week of October.
Beyond Cignetti and Indiana, the preseason honors spread across the conference with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore landing both Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year. Michigan edge rusher John Henry Daley was chosen as Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year, while Iowa’s Iose Epenesa was picked as Freshman of the Year.
Southern California’s Waymond Jordan was named Running Back of the Year, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith got Receiver of the Year, Penn State’s Ben Brahmer was selected at Tight End of the Year, and Indiana’s Carter Smith took Offensive Lineman of the Year. Indiana also showed up again with Rolijah Hardy as Linebacker of the Year and Nico Radicic as Kicker of the Year.
The first-team All-Big Ten offense featured Dante Moore at quarterback, Waymond Jordan at running back, Jeremiah Smith and Charlie Becker at receiver, Ben Brahmer at tight end, and Indiana’s Carter Smith at tackle. Oregon’s Iapani Laloulu and Ohio State’s Austin Siereveld were the tackles, with Trevor Buhr of Penn State and Kade Pieper of Iowa at guard.
On defense, the first team included John Henry Daley and Matayo Uiagalelei off the edge, Bear Alexander and Tyrique Tucker inside, and linebackers Rolijah Hardy, Isaiah Jones and Daniel Wingate. The secondary featured Brandon Finney, Jyaire Hill, Earl Little and Zach Lutmer. Special teams slots went to Nico Radicic, Rhys Dakin and Koi Perich.
As for the predicted league finish, Indiana is first, followed by Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Southern California, Penn State, Washington, Illinois, Maryland, UCLA, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers and Purdue.
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One possible answer is already on the radar. A highly regarded 7-foot-3 center from the 2028 class has lined up unofficial visits to several schools, including Illinois, giving the Illini a chance to get in early with a traditional big man who could fit exactly what they will need down the road. For a team looking ahead, that kind of head start can matter just as much as the immediate recruiting buzz. [Read more 🡒]