The Big Ten is back, and the league’s title picture starts with a familiar name sitting on top of the pile.
Indiana opens at No. 1 in the preseason power rankings after a 2025 run that was nothing short of overwhelming. The Hoosiers went 16-0, becoming the first modern-era team to finish that kind of season with emphasis. Until someone knocks them off, they’re the standard.
Right behind them is the usual heavyweight crowd, beginning with Ohio State at No. 2.
The Buckeyes are the popular pick to win the conference, and they’ll get a first crack at settling in with a tune-up against Ball State on Sept. 5 before heading to Texas. New coordinator Arthur Smith will have a week of trial and error to sort through on offense.
Oregon comes in at No. 3, with Dante Moore back in Eugene and Dan Lanning keeping things steady after losing both coordinators. He filled those openings with internal hires, a move that preserves some continuity for a team still expected to be in the thick of the race.
Southern Cal checks in at No. 4 after already opening the season 1-0. The Trojans’ quarterback play remains a major strength, and if Lincoln Riley’s team is better equipped for the Big Ten’s physical grind, it can push for a spot in Indianapolis. Penn State follows at No. 5, and there’s real belief in the Nittany Lions for three reasons: Matt Campbell’s Cignetti-esque cultural transplant, veteran and familiar quarterback play, and an early schedule that looks manageable.
Washington lands at No. 6, and the Huskies have a case to rise. Demond Williams Jr. is one of the conference’s most underappreciated offensive players, and Jedd Fisch’s Year 3 at Arizona was his best before he moved to Seattle. The bold call here is simple: Washington will be in the playoff race in November.
Michigan sits seventh, though there’s a sense that might be selling the Wolverines short. Kyle Whittingham built Utah into one of the country’s most consistent programs, and now he has more resources to work with. How far Michigan goes in 2026 will depend heavily on Bryce Underwood’s growth and whether the team fully embraces Whittingham’s physical identity.
Iowa is next at No. 8, and the schedule is about to tell everyone plenty about what the Hawkeyes have left. They get Northern Illinois in Week 1, then the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Week 2, followed by a brutal conference stretch: at Michigan, Ohio State, at Washington and at Minnesota.
Nebraska lands at No. 9, with a schedule that gives Matt Rhule some opportunities to make noise. The Cornhuskers get Indiana, Ohio State and Washington at home this fall, and the question is whether one of those games becomes the signature win that moves the project forward.
Illinois rounds out the top 10. The Fighting Illini open against UAB on Thursday, and if East Carolina transfer Katin Houser can follow the path Luke Altmyer left behind, this ranking could climb fast. Bret Bielema has built something sturdy in Champaign.
Minnesota comes in at No. 11, and that’s a reminder of just how dependable the Gophers have been under P.J. Fleck.
They’ve reached double-digit wins only once, but they’ve also won seven bowl games without a postseason loss. Northwestern is No. 12, and the Wildcats may be a little underrated after what they accomplished last year.
If Aiden Chiles and Chip Kelly click early, they can survive a difficult second half of the schedule.
UCLA is No. 13, and the opening test comes with all the familiar late-night weirdness at Cal on Sept. 5.
A 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff is exactly the kind of setting that keeps #Pac12AfterDark alive.
If the Bruins win it, Bob Chesney can build early momentum in Year 1 in Westwood.
Wisconsin follows at No. 14.
The Badgers seem to have addressed some of the resource issues that had been slowing Luke Fickell, and they’ll ask Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph to help navigate a demanding first month. That stretch includes Notre Dame in the opener at Lambeau Field and a trip to Penn State.
Maryland is No. 15, and the spotlight is squarely on Malik Washington. The Terps’ first half includes road games at UConn, Nebraska and Ohio State, so they need a step forward quickly. Rutgers sits at No. 16 and will need Dylan Lonergan at his best when he faces his old team at Boston College in Week 2, especially with Southern Cal and Indiana both showing up in the first five weeks.
Michigan State is No. 17, with the quarterback situation front and center. Given the atrophy and talent drain before Pat Fitzgerald arrived in East Lansing, the Spartans could use Alessio Milivojevic to get rolling right away. Purdue closes the rankings at No. 18, and the Boilermakers need to find some kind of offensive-defensive rhythm in Week 1 because the next three games - Wake Forest, at UCLA and Notre Dame - won’t offer much forgiveness.
In Other News...
Indiana Is Betting Big On Josh Hoover For One Critical Reason
Indianas quarterback plan took an important turn in early January when Josh Hoover arrived from TCU, giving Curt Cignetti another experienced option to shape the offense around. Hoover comes with real college seasoning after three seasons in Fort Worth, including multiple starts and enough game action to prove he is far beyond the usual transfer-project label.
Cignetti has made it clear he wants a quarterback who can step in and lead, which is why Hoovers track record matters so much to the Hoosiers. Indiana is looking for a steady hand under center, and the appeal here is obvious: a passer with production, experience and a profile that invites the same kind of optimism the program attached to Fernando Mendoza. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Radicic Is Already Crucial For Indiana And Still Has More To Prove
Since Curt Cignetti arrived in 2024, Nico Radicic has quietly become one of Indiana footballs most dependable weapons, the kind of specialist whose value shows up in tight games and then fades back into the background. He has been highly accurate on extra points and has converted most of his field goals, giving the Hoosiers a level of stability at kicker that is easy to overlook until the pressure rises.
That reliability mattered most in the 2026 National Championship game, when Radicic drilled a 35-yard field goal late to help extend Indianas lead. Even with that kind of moment on his resume, there is still a layer of unfinished business for him, especially as he works to improve from longer range while carrying Lou Groza Award watch-list expectations into the next stretch of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Uses These Indiana Games For Something Bigger Than Wins
Indianas early non-conference games have not always looked like the kind that turn heads on a national stage, but for Curt Cignetti and his staff, they serve a larger purpose. Against Florida International and Old Dominion, Indiana has treated those matchups as a laboratory of sorts, using them to test ideas, sort out player roles and see what actually translates once Big Ten play begins.
One of the clearest examples has been the way the Hoosiers have worked to tap into Fernando Mendozas mobility while also keeping trusted targets like Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. involved in the ways that have already proven useful. The point is not to pile up blowouts or chase style points in September. It is to leave those first few games with answers, even if the scoreboard looks more ordinary than the programs bigger ambitions. [Read more 🡒]