Michigan vs. Ohio State on November 30, 2024 is the most important game in the Big Ten for the … (+)
The college football season begins in full swing on Labor Day weekend. Week 1 features 96 games but only 35 matchups between FBS opponents. That includes three key Top 25 matchups with a new Big Ten team, No. 23 USC, as the underdog in a key Sunday night game against No. 13 LSU (-4.5) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Big Ten schedule will include many of the season’s most important games as more teams push for conference titles and the new 12-team college football playoffs.
The Big Ten Conference is the largest in college football with 18 teams, after USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joined. The Super Conference is the leading conference in the country alongside the SEC and has the most teams in the AP Top 25 rankings. Football expansion continues, with more and more top players receiving significant sums through NIL deals and booster bankrolls.
College Football Preseason AP Top 25
Six Big Ten teams enter the season ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, including four of the top 10 teams.
- No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes
- No. 3 Oregon Ducks
- No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions
- No. 9 Michigan Wolverines
- No. 23 USC Trojans
- No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes
Washington, Nebraska and Wisconsin all received votes for the top 25 among the next 10 teams in the rankings.
College football futures profit increase
Since 2018, the SEC and Big Ten were the top two conferences in college football until last season, when the Pac-12 rose to No. 2 and the Big Ten to No. 3. The dissolution of the Big 12 creates four power conferences with at least 16 teams each in the SEC (16), Big Ten (18), Big 12 (16) and ACC (17). These four conferences now account for 50% of all FBS college football teams (134) in 10 conferences plus three independent schools.
Chances of Big Ten teams to win the national championship and participate in the College Football Playoffs
Betting odds And College Football Odds FanDuel Sportsbook odds are updated regularly and are subject to change, including for prop and live bets.
No. 1 in the SEC, Georgia, enters the season as the favorite to win the national title at +280. No. 2, Ohio State, and No. 3, Oregon, are also strong teams at +400 and +650, respectively, and are the favorites to win the Big Ten.
Quotas for the National Championship, followed by quotas for inclusion in the 12 teams College Football Playoff.
- Ohio State +400 / -650
- Oregon +650 / -300
- Pittsburgh +2000 / -140
- Michigan +3000 / +140
- USC +10000 / +400
- Iowa +25000 / +600
- Wisconsin +25000 / +1000
- New Jersey +30000 / +950
- Washington +30000 / +900
Big Ten Championship Odds
- Ohio State +145
- Oregon +200
- Penn State +500
- Michigan +900
- USC+2000
- Iowa +3900
- Wisconsin +5000
- Washington +11000
- Maryland +15000
- Indiana +20000
- Minnesota, UCLA +25000
- Michigan State, Illinois +3000
- Purdue +40000
- Northwest +50000
The ten most important games
Betting odds for preseason football bets and listed favourites (-).
Big Ten College Football Preview, Odds and Teams to Watch
The Big Ten’s 2024 schedule includes nine conference games for each team, plus other key contests as teams work toward conference titles, bowl games and the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
North Carolina (-1.5) and Minnesota begin Week 1 with an ACC-Big Ten Power-4 Conference duel on Thursday, August 29. The SEC-Big Ten duel and top game of Week 1 is LSU (-4.5) vs. USC on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on ABC on September 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
7 September
- Texas (-3.5) at Michigan – Two top-10 teams in a rare SEC-Big Ten matchup open FanDuel’s college football games of the year at the Big House in Ann Arbor.
- State of Iowa at Iowa (-2.5) – Rivals from the same state play for the 71st meeting for the Cy-Hawk Trophy.
- Colorado at Nebraska (-6.5) – Former Big 12 rivals meet for the second consecutive season after Coach Prime and the Buffaloes beat the Huskers 36-14 in Boulder earlier last season, with Nebraska allowing a season-high 396 passing yards. Nebraska is ranked No. 2 Team with the greatest progress in the country, according to Phil Steele’s college football preview with Indiana No. 4.
14 September
- Alabama (-9.5) at Wisconsin – Who would have imagined that Alabama would visit Camp Randall in Madison?
21 September
- USC at Michigan (-8.5) – The Trojans’ first official Big Ten conference game will take place at the Big House in Ann Arbor against defending national champions and new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore.
- Iowa at Minnesota – The annual battle for the bronze medal Pig Floyd of Rosedale and the Golden Gophers went 12-10 last year with one of the lowest O/U game totals of the season (31).
28 September
- Wisconsin at USC (-5.5) – USC’s September schedule is one of the toughest in college football, starting with play against No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas, at Michigan and their Big Ten home opener against top-35 Wisconsin.
- Minnesota at Michigan – The Little Brown Jug has been dominated by Michigan since 2001 with the Wolverines 14-2 SU and 12-2 ATS.
October 5
- Michigan (-9.5) at Washington- It’s a rematch of the 2023-24 national championship game and a chance for Washington to get revenge after a loss to Michigan. Both teams have significant roster changes, with no more than seven starters returning on offense and defense and new head coaches coming on board, including Washington’s Jeff Fisch, who comes over from Arizona.
- Iowa at Ohio State (-24)
- University of California at Penn State
October 12
- Ohio State at Oregon (-1.5) – A high-caliber, watchable duel between the two Big Ten favorites and the top 5 teams to open the season. Two of the most talented squads in the country are represented with Oregon transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, who is the favorite for the Heisman Trophy with odds of +500. Gabriel has a passing yards rate of O/U 3,250.5 yards for the season and 27.5 passing TDs. Ohio State QB Will Howard’s Heisman odds are +1400 and O/U 2,800.5 passing yards. For the Doak Walker Award as the country’s most outstanding running back, Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins (+430) is the second favorite, while Jordan James (+2600) of Oregon is in the top 10.
- Penn State (-4.5) at USC – The Trojans’ most prominent opponent in home conference play is the Penn State Nittany Lions.
- Washington at Iowa
Two key games on October 12 that will decide whether Oregon goes above their season wins of 10.5 and USC under 7.5 wins, while the Trojans face the second-toughest schedule in the country and now have to play without QB Caleb Williams, who was selected No. 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft.
19 October
- USC at Maryland – first ever meeting and USC’s longest trip of the year with the Trojans’ first game on the East Coast since 2014.
26 October
- Penn State (-6.5) at Wisconsin
- State of Michigan at Michigan (-21.5)
- Nebraska at Ohio State (-25.5)
2 November
- Oregon (-3.5) at Michigan. First meeting since 2007 and expected to be one of the biggest end-of-season games starting in November.
- Ohio State (-3.5) at Penn State. The other big game to start November and the Buckeyes have won 11 of their last 12 meetings against Penn State.
- Wisconsin at Iowa – The annual battle between the Badgers and Hawkeyes usually played a key role in choosing the winner of the Big Ten West Division. Now that the divisions are eliminated, the Badgers are out as the main contender and Iowa begins the season ranked No. 25 in the AP poll.
- USC at Washington Pac-12 powers renew rivalry in Big Ten.
9 November
- Iowa at USC
- Washington at Penn State
16 November
- Oregon (-11.5) at Wisconsin
- Nebraska at USC – Both teams have a bye before meeting for the first time since the 2014 Holiday Bowl.
- Rutgers at Maryland
- University of California at Washington
23 November
- USC (-7.5) at University of California – This annual cross-city rivalry is now a Big Ten showdown. A huge mismatch between the coaches: Lincoln Riley in his third season at Southern Cal and new first-year coach Deshaun Foster, who sounds like he could be done after just one year in Big Ten media days.
- Wisconsin at Nebraska – Wisconsin has won the series nine times in a row and the Badgers are 11-1 SU and 8-4 ATS against the Corn Huskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten.
29 November (Friday)
- Nebraska at Iowa – There are no more divisions in the Big Ten, but that won’t eliminate the rivalry and intrigue factor.
30 November
- Michigan at Ohio State (-9.5) The game and one of the biggest of the season. The Wolverines have won three in a row against the Buckeyes, but Jim Harbaugh is no longer a head coach after returning to the NFL to coach the LA Chargers.
- Washington at Oregon (-19.5) – The Ducks and Huskies complete their Big Ten debut by renewing their rivalry on Nov. 30. The Huskies won two games against Oregon last season, including 34-31 in the Pac 12 Championship Game as 9-point underdogs. Now the projected preseason line is Oregon -19.5.
- Indiana at Purdue- The Old Oak Bucket, Rivalry
- Minnesota at Wisconsin – The most played rivalry in the FBS and the Paul Bunyon Axe at stake in the 134th edition in 2024
- Illinois at Northwest
Other notable SEC rivalry games on November 30 include the Iron Bowl Auburn at Alabama (-13.5), the Egg Bowl Mississippi State at Ole Miss and the Lone Star Showdown Texas (-3.5) at Texas A&M.
Toughest schedules
UCLA (2) and USC (3) join the Big Ten Conference with two of the toughest schedules in the country this season, according to Phile Steele’s College Football Preview. Purdue (6), Michigan (15), Wisconsin (20), Washington (21) and Michigan State (23) also have the toughest schedules in the top 25.
Another exciting season of Big Ten football will provide the most viewers and wagers as sports betting and college football continue to grow in popularity across the United States.
You can bet on it.
MORE FROM FORBES
