The reigning king of college football could be especially entertaining this season, thanks largely to scheduling luck. Unlike the past two years, when the top teams barely played each other, my predicted top four — Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State and USC — play five of a possible six matchups against each other.We’ll find out whether reigning darlings, Curt Cignetti and Indiana, can reload after losing Fernando Mendoza and a core of veterans; whether Oregon star Dante Moore can solidify himself as a top-three draft pick; whether USC’s Lincoln Riley can finally lead the Trojans to glory; and whether Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham and/or Penn State coach Matt Campbell can turn their new teams into contenders overnight.We’ll also get to enjoy one last college ride for Ohio State sensation Jeremiah Smith.Here are my predicted standings, plus 10 other predictions for the Big Ten in 2026. (Also read my SEC, ACC and Big 12 predictions.)
Predicted Big Ten standings TeamB1GOverallIndiana8-111-1Oregon8-111-1Ohio State7-210-2USC7-210-2Minnesota5-48-4Penn State5-48-4Washington5-48-4UCLA5-47-5Michigan5-47-5Wisconsin5-47-5Illinois4-57-5Iowa4-57-5Maryland3-66-6Nebraska3-66-6Northwestern2-75-7Rutgers2-74-8Purdue2-74-8Michigan State1-83-9
