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The 2025 Big Ten football season promises to be a landmark campaign, blending tradition with transformation as the conference fully embraces its new 18-team, division-less structure. With West Coast powers Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Washington completing their transition into the league, the Big Ten now spans coast to coast—ushering in a bold new era of elite matchups and playoff stakes. This is also the conference that has produced the last two national champions and are seeking to extend that current streak of excellence as they look to challenge the overall supremacy of the SEC.
Defending national champion Ohio State returns as the preseason favorite, despite breaking in a new quarterback. With elite talent like WR Jeremiah Smith and S Caleb Downs anchoring both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes remain the team to beat.
But the race is far from one-sided. Penn State, behind veteran QB Drew Allar and a loaded backfield, is positioned to challenge for its first Big Ten title since 2016. Meanwhile, Oregon, fresh off a breakout Big Ten debut, reloads behind promising young QB Dante Moore and a dominant defensive front.
Programs like Indiana and Illinois are on the rise. The Hoosiers, led by second-year coach Curt Cignetti, enter with a wave of momentum after a 11-1 Regular Season Record that completely shocked the College Football World. They’ll look to maintain that momentum with new faces such as QB Fernando Mendoza who transfers in from Cal with pivotal starting experience at the Power Conference Level. Illinois, featuring returning starter Luke Altmyer, a physical defense, and one of the most experienced teams in the country, they’ll also look like a potential spoiler in the league’s deepest year yet.
Meanwhile, Michigan begins year two under Sherrone Moore, aiming to maintain its physical identity amid major roster turnover. The Wolverines’ late-season clash with Ohio State will once again headline rivalry week.
However, the teams in this conference also has their fair share of questions that it needs to answer between now and when the season officially kicks off for the Big Ten on August 28th. Whether it will be how QB competitions shape out at the marquee programs such as Ohio State, Michigan, and USC. Or How Teams like Wisconsin and Iowa deal with some of the more demanding schedules in the entire Big Ten? Finally, can this conference continue to be at the forefront of CFP Representation after sending four teams to the College Football Playoff in 2024, the most out of any conference in America.
With new rivalries forming, coast-to-coast showdowns on the calendar, and multiple national contenders at the top, the 2025 Big Ten season is set to deliver one of the most thrilling and unpredictable years in the league’s storied history.
So let’s now check out where I believe each team within the Big Ten stands coming into the upcoming football season:
Barry Odom was a great hire from UNLV and I expect him to turn this program around in due time. It’s just going to take some time and therefore I don’t expect much from Purdue this year.
The offense that averaged just 18 points per game last year should be better with SMU Transfer Preston Stone and South Dakota State Transfer Griffin Wilde entering the program. The defense should be fine with six defensive starters returning but lets see which version of Preston Stone we actually get.
True Freshman Malik Washington makes this team fascinating to watch, but I’m extremely concerned about their offensive line as well as the entire defense heading into this season.
This team actually showed signs of improvement during DeShaun Foster’s first year as head coach as UCLA finished 4-2 in its final 6 games. Although this team will have multiple question marks throughout the roster such as Receiver, Offensive Line, and essentially the entire defense, Tennessee Transfer Nico Iamaleava could be the impact player that hides all those flaws if he lives up to his potential.
If Jonahtan Smith wants to get Michigan State to a bowl game in Year 2, they’ll need the transfers on both sides of the ball to produce right away and Aidan Chiles to grow in his second season as the starting QB. However, keep an eye out for Nick Marsh (WR) who is currently under the radar but can make some noise this year.
If Rutgers wants to achieve its third consecutive winning season, they’ll need a defense that allowed well over 6 yards per play to be significantly better. In addition, Athan Kaliakmanis will also need to be an impact player for the Scarlet Knights offense now that Kyle Monangai left for the NFL. The Good news? The Backfield should still be solid with FAU Transfer CJ Campbell and Antwan Raymond on the squad.
With Wisconsin coming off its first losing season since 2001, this year’s schedule could set up unprecedented territory for the Badgers in a bad way. However, if new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and Maryland Transfer Billy Edwards can get the offense back on track? Wisconsin could return to experience bowl season again and just maybe save Luke Fickell’s job.
While P.J Fleck’s team might be in transition with only 10 returning starters, I still love how this team is shaping up! Drake Lindsay at Quarterback shows promise and will be aided by Darius Taylor who could be one of the best Running Backs in the Big Ten. Not to mention new Defensive Coordinator Danny Collins will benefit from a solid front seven and Koi Perich patrolling things in the secondary.
The Third Season is here for Matt Rhule which if you paid attention to his Baylor and Temple stints? Could be huge for Nebraska! Dylan Raiola is expected to show some growth under offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, while the additions of Kentucky Transfer Dane Key and Cal Transfer Nyziah Hunter should also improve the receiving core. However, the upside of this program will depend on how new defensive coordinator John Butler performs in rebuilding the defensive front.
Now that Jedd Fisch was able to navigate his first season with the significant roster turnover that happened, this is now a team that could make some more noise in 2025. Demond Williams could capture more attention this fall, while Jonah Coleman will the seek the privilege to be named All-American as well. Finally, while Ryan Walters didn’t work out as the head coach of Purdue… he’s more than capable of being a strong defensive coordinator for the Huskies.
While the Iowa Defense will need to replace Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins, defensive coordinator Phil Parker should still have one of the best defensive units in the entire conference. There’s also some excitement on the offensive side of the ball with a strong offensive line and South Dakota State Transfer Mark Gronowski.
Last Year was disappointing, which means the pressure is beginning to mount on Lincoln Riley. They have a significant amount of energy off the field with their recruiting and other talent acquisition methods. However, that won’t matter is he can’t turn close losses into close wins this fall. Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon makes up a dynamic receiver duo that will aid in the development of starting quarterback Jayden Maiava. Plus, the defense should be better in Year 2 under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
16 Returning Starters from a team that won 10 games last year provides genuine confidence that this team can make the CFP this year. Luke Altmyer returns to lead the offense behind an experienced offensive line. Meanwhile, the defense has multiple superstars such as Xavier Scott and Gabe Jacas. An Early Season showdown with Indiana on the road will set the tone for how much this team can achieve.
Finding a way to win 11 games AND make the CFP again will be difficult for Curt Cignetti in Year 2. However, I don’t expect to see much of a fall off from Indiana even with a more difficult schedule. Cal Transfer Fernado Mendoza should be productive in Cignetti’s offense as he’s supported by plenty of talent and experience among the rest of the offensive unit. Plus, they bring back some of the Big Ten’s best defenders such as Mikail Kamara, Aiden Fisher, and D’Angelo Ponds which is helpful when the depth behind those players is somewhat questionable.
In Spite of Off-Field Issues, Michigan is carrying significant momentum thanks to convincing Bryce Underwood to join the program as well as beating Ohio State and Alabama without a functioning passing game. How well Sherrone Moore and new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey can do in guiding the True Freshman Sensation will be pivotal in how successful the team is in 2025. Still, the defense should be among the best in the Big Ten even with multiple starters departing for the NFL.
Several Key Contributors from a team that won the Big Ten and the No.1 Seed in CFP may be gone, but thanks to the recruiting efforts of Dan Lanning… I still expect to see this team be in the conversation to win it all. Former UCLA Starting QB Danta Moore will now start after sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for a year while Makhi Hughes arrives from Tulane to provide a dynamic option in the backfield. The only concern that I have is how does Dan Lanning backfill the departing talent from the lines of scrimmage with only 4 returning starters?
Penn State comes out as one of the biggest winners of the offseason by hiring Jim Knowles away from Ohio State plus keeping Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, and Nick Singleton away from the NFL for one more year. After being so close to making the national championship game, this might be James Franklin’s best chance this decade to win the national championship. Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki should also help develop the future NFL Prospect at QB, especially with what should be an improved receiving core. Losing Abdul Carter will hurt, Dani Dennis-Sutton is ready to replace those big shoes to become the next great pass rusher to come out of Penn State.
Only two teams have managed to repeat as national champions since 1998, but I believe that this team can join that list after this year. Yes, they lost 15 Players from last year’s team to the NFL… but Ohio State doesn’t rebuild, they reload. They’ll have arguably the best offensive and defensive player in the country in Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, plus the former 5-star recruit from 2024 in Julian Saiyan takes the reigns at Quarterback. The only question mark that I have is how does this team adjust to Brian Hartline taking over Offensive Coordinator while Matt Patricia takes over at Defensive Coordinator?
