Now that the College Football Playoff has wrapped - and yes, hats off to Indiana for an unforgettable championship run - it’s time to take a closer look at how Big Ten teams stacked up in the final rankings. From preseason expectations to postseason reality, the conference saw its fair share of surprises, both good and bad.
Final Poll Standings: Big Ten Presence
Six Big Ten teams landed in the final AP Top 25, with seven making the cut in the Coaches Poll. Here’s where they stood:
- Indiana: #1 in both polls - no debate here after a perfect season and national title.
- Oregon: #4 in both - a strong finish from one of the conference’s most consistent teams.
- Ohio State: #5 in AP, #6 in Coaches - still elite, though edged out slightly in the final stretch.
- Iowa: #17 in both - a solid climb from a team that flew under the radar early.
- USC: #20 AP, #21 Coaches - a respectable finish despite a postseason stumble.
- Michigan: #21 AP, #22 Coaches - not quite where they hoped to be, but still top-25.
- Illinois: Unranked in AP, but #25 in Coaches - and effectively #26 in the AP, just missing the cut.
Washington also deserves a mention - they finished just outside both polls at #27, showing up in the “others receiving votes” section.
Preseason vs. Postseason: Who Rose, Who Fell
Looking at where teams started in the preseason AP poll versus where they ended up paints a clear picture of overachievers and underperformers.
- Biggest Climbers: Indiana (from #20 to #1), Iowa (from #42 to #17), and Washington (unranked to #27) all exceeded expectations in a big way.
- Biggest Fallers: Penn State entered at #2 and finished unranked - a massive drop.
Illinois (from #12 to #26) and Nebraska (#33 to unranked) also failed to meet preseason hype.
- Consistent Performers: Oregon and Ohio State largely held their ground, both finishing near the top after starting in the top 10.
Massey Composite Rankings: The Broader Picture
The Massey Composite - which aggregates 53 different rankings - gives us a more nuanced view of team trajectories. Bowl season had a notable impact:
- Big Movers Up: Teams like Iowa, Washington, Illinois, Penn State, Northwestern, and Minnesota saw their stock rise after bowl wins.
- Teams That Slid: Michigan, USC, and Nebraska dropped after postseason losses.
The top of the Big Ten has been stable since Week 5, with Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State locking down the top three spots. Meanwhile, Purdue held down the bottom since Week 9, and Maryland, once as high as #38, finished all the way down at #88.
Northwestern showed the biggest improvement from preseason to final rankings, while UCLA took the steepest dive, dropping 32 spots. Penn State was close behind with a 25-spot fall.
Conference Shakeup: Who Moved Where
When comparing preseason projections to final standings within the Big Ten:
- Upward Movers: Washington, Northwestern, and Purdue all climbed from the bottom half into the top half of the conference.
- Downward Sliders: Minnesota, Penn State, and Michigan all dropped from the top half to the bottom.
- Most Consistent: Seven of the top eight preseason teams finished among the top nine, showing that while surprises happened, the top tier mostly held.
Advanced Metrics Breakdown
Let’s dig into the advanced stats - FEI, FPI, and SP+ - to get a clearer sense of who really improved and who regressed.
FEI (Fremeau Efficiency Index)
- Biggest Gains: Northwestern (+36), Indiana (+14), and Washington (+18) all made major strides.
- Biggest Drops: Minnesota (-43), UCLA (-28), and Wisconsin (-30) saw the sharpest declines.
FPI (Football Power Index)
- Indiana made the biggest leap here too, jumping 30 spots - a testament to their dominance.
- UCLA dropped 28 spots, while Wisconsin and Minnesota also fell significantly.
SP+ (Bill Connelly’s Efficiency Ratings)
- Northwestern again shines here, improving 35 spots.
- Indiana (+22) and Washington (+24) also saw big gains.
- Wisconsin and UCLA dropped nearly 50 spots each, the most dramatic declines in the conference.
Snapshot of Final Advanced Rankings
Here’s where some key teams landed across the major analytics models:
- Indiana: Unanimous #1 across all systems - FEI, FPI, SP+, SRS, Sagarin, CBS - a clean sweep that reflects their dominance.
- Ohio State & Oregon: Both comfortably in the top 5 across all rankings, cementing their status as national powers.
- Iowa, USC, Michigan: Consistently top-25 across the board.
- Washington: Top-25 in every advanced metric except CBS Sports and the human polls.
- Illinois & Penn State: Hovering around the top-25 in some systems, but inconsistent - Penn State ranged from #10 (Sagarin) to #46 (CBS).
- Wisconsin & Purdue: Huge variance - over 30 spots in some rankings - showing how differently models viewed their seasons.
Coaching Carousel and Turnarounds
It’s no coincidence that three of the teams that dropped significantly early in the year - UCLA, Penn State, and Michigan State - are all making coaching changes. Stability matters, and the numbers reflect that.
Meanwhile, Indiana’s rise is nothing short of historic. In 2023, they were ranked in the 80s across most advanced metrics.
Two years later, they’re 16-0 and national champions, having beaten some of the best teams in the country - including one of them twice. That’s not just a turnaround; that’s a program transformation.
Washington’s Case for Respect
If you’re a Washington fan, the final polls might sting a bit. Despite finishing just outside the AP and Coaches Top 25, the advanced stats tell a different story - ranking them solidly among the nation’s top teams.
And yes, they beat Illinois head-to-head in 2025, yet finished behind them in the AP. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but there’s a silver lining: early 2026 projections already have the Huskies back in the top-25 conversation.
Final Thoughts
The Big Ten was full of movement this season - some of it predictable, much of it not. Indiana’s rise to the top is the headline, but there’s plenty more to unpack in how teams like Northwestern, Washington, and Iowa defied expectations, while traditional powers like Penn State and Wisconsin stumbled.
The offseason now begins, with coaching hires to finalize, rosters to reshape, and rankings to debate. But one thing’s clear: the Big Ten is as competitive - and unpredictable - as ever.