ESPN’s Bill Connelly released the latest preseason update of his SP+ ratings on Tuesday.
This latest update marks one of the final milestones of the college football offseason. Training camps have already begun across the country and the kickoff of Week 0 is less than two weeks away, but with the final preseason adjustment of SP+, no preseason is complete yet.
Related: Ranking of all 18 Big Ten football teams in the championship classes at the start of the 2024 season
SP+ is one of the best tools for projecting the new college football landscape in the post-conference expansion era. The unknowns in that landscape include the sport’s power dynamic between an 18-team Big Ten and the SEC, which now features Texas and Oklahoma, and the impact of the expanded College Football Playoff.
Questions specific to the Big Ten include the current conference rankings, which also include USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, the impact of a divisionless structure and the status of high-performing programs amid restructuring.
A lot has changed since Michigan won the national championship in January, and ESPN SP+ gives us a great first look at what to expect in the new sports model.
Related: Ranking all 18 Big Ten football programs by greatest pressure to win in 2024
Remember that Connelly always adds this disclaimer to his rankings:
A reminder about SP+: It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It’s a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a resume ranking, and in that sense, these projections aren’t intended as a guess about what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we’ve been able to gather so far.
Now that the season begins in less than two weeks, here’s a comprehensive look at Wisconsin’s place in the rest of the Big Ten in ESPN SP+’s latest updated preseason report:
18
Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks on during the Indiana football team’s spring game at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Photo credit: Bobby Goddin/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK
SP+ Rating: -4.5 (81st place overall)
Attack Rating: 22.4 (No. 91)
Defensive Rating: 26.8 (No. 61)
Full 2024 Indiana Hoosiers Team Preview
17
Northwestern wildcats
September 3, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey; Northwestern Wildcats interim coach David Braun shakes hands with Northwestern Wildcats wide receiver Jack Kennedy (1) before the game at SHI Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: -2.8 (75th place overall)
Attack Rating: 17.3 (No. 117)
Defensive Rating: 20.1 (No. 29)
Complete Northwestern Wildcats 2024 Team preview
16
Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK
SP+ Rating: -2.4 (71st place overall)
Attack Rating: 16.8 (No. 121)
Defensive Rating: 19.2 (No. 26)
Complete Michigan State Spartans 2024 Team preview
For more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinion visit Spartans Wire
15
Purdue University Boilermakers
November 18, 2023; Evanston, Illinois; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Ryan Walters watches his team play against the Northwestern Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Ryan Field. Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: -1.4 (No. 68 overall)
Attack Rating: 26.3 (No. 70)
Defensive Rating: 27.7 (No. 63)
Full 2024 Purdue Boilermakers Team Preview
14
Illinois Fighting Illini
November 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema reacts to a call during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 0.1 (61st place overall)
Attack Rating: 23.5 (No. 87)
Defensive Rating: 23.4 (No. 40)
Complete Illinois Fighting Illini 2024 Team preview
13
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
November 25, 2023; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano runs onto the field with his team before their game against the Maryland Terrapins at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 3.5 (49th place overall)
Attack Rating: 22.3 (No. 92)
Defensive Rating: 18.8 (No. 21)
Full 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Team Preview
12
Minnesota Golden Gophers
October 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach PJ Fleck watches a replay of the first quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
11
Maryland turtles
October 28, 2023; Evanston, Ill.; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley (center) on the sidelines during the second half at Ryan Field. David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 5.2 (46th place overall)
Attack Rating: 24.2 (No. 82)
Defensive Rating: 19.0 (No. 23)
Complete Maryland Terrapins 2024 Team preview
10
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nov. 11, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule during the third quarter against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 7.4 (42nd place overall)
Attack Rating: 19.4 (No. 106)
Defensive Rating: 12.0 (No. 6)
Complete Nebraska Cornhuskers 2024 Team preview
For more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinion visit Cornhuskers Wire
9
UCLA Bruins
February 13, 2024; Los Angeles, Calif.; UCLA Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond (right) with new head coach DeShaun Foster during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 8.8 (37th place overall)
Attack Rating: 30.3 (No. 54)
Defensive Rating: 21.5 (No. 33)
Full 2024 UCLA Bruins team preview
More (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Cable
8
Washington Huskies
July 25, 2024; Indianapolis, IN; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch speaks to the media during Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 10.3 (32nd place overall)
Attack Rating: 34.8 (No. 26)
Defensive Rating: 24.5 (No. 44)
Full 2024 Washington Huskies Team Preview
For more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions, visit Huskies Wire
7
Wisconsin Badgers
October 7, 2023; Madison, Wis.; Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is seen during the second quarter against Rutgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 12.9 (26th place overall)
Attack Rating: 25.1 (No. 77)
Defensive Rating: 12.2 (No. 7)
Full 2024 Wisconsin Badgers Team Preview
6
Iowa Hawkeyes
October 14, 2023; Madison, Wis.; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during warmups before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 13.2 (24th place overall)
Attack Rating: 17.9 (No. 114)
Defensive Rating: 4.7 (No. 1)
Full 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes Team Preview
For more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinion visit Hawkeyes Wire
5
USC Trojans
October 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches the game against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 13.9 (21st place overall)
Attack Rating: 44.4 (No. 5)
Defensive Rating: 30.5 (No. 83)
Full 2024 USC Trojans Team Preview
More (USC) news, analysis and opinions on Trojan Wire
4
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore watches a game during the second half of spring play at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK
SP+ Rating: 25.0 (7th place overall)
Attack Rating: 31.9 (No. 41)
Defensive Rating: 6.9 (No. 3)
Full 2024 Michigan Wolverines Team Preview
For more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinion visit Wolverines Wire
3
Penn State Nittany Lions
November 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field before their game against Michigan State at Ford Field. Mandatory Photo Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 26.1 (6th place overall)
Attack Rating: 35.8 (No. 24)
Defensive Rating: 9.7 (No. 4)
Full 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions Team Preview
For more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinion visit Nittany Lions Wire
2
Oregon Ducks
January 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks with the referee on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Liberty Flames in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
SP+ Rating: 19.0 (3rd place overall)
Attack Rating: 47.1 (No. 1)
Defensive Rating: 18.1 (No. 15)
Full 2024 Oregon Ducks Team Preview
For more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions, visit Duck wire
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
November 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leaves the field after the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK
SP+ Rating: 30.8 (2nd place overall)
Attack Rating: 35.7 (No. 25)
Defensive Rating: 4.9 (No. 2)
For more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinion visit Buckeyes Wire
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