Unlike some previous years, no Big Ten team participated in Week 0, but it was still an exciting start to the season that showed that anything is possible.
Georgia Tech beat 10th-ranked Florida State in Ireland, but Big Ten play doesn’t begin until later this week. Minnesota, Rutgers and Illinois open the season Thursday, Michigan State and Wisconsin are in action Friday and the rest of the conference starts Saturday — except for USC, which plays LSU on Sunday.
The conference has expanded from 14 to 18 teams and will be more competitive than ever. Three teams are no longer expected to lead the Big Ten (Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State) as Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington join the league. The stakes have never been higher and Big Ten games promise to be much more exciting week after week.
With that in mind, we’re unveiling our new 18-1 Big Ten rankings, based largely on our projected win-loss totals for all 18 teams.
18
Purdue University Boilermakers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 2-10
High/Low: 18/18
Biggest victory: N/A
Ryan Walters looked like a coach who overreached himself last year, and while that means things can only go up, things are looking bleak in West Lafayette. The return of Hudson Card could help, but for now, Purdue is in the basement of the revamped Big Ten.
17
UCLA Bruins
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Expected record: 3-9
High/Low: 17/17
Biggest victory: N/A
We could very likely be wrong here, as UCLA had a solid team last year and often poses a threat to beat some bigger teams. However, with the move to the Big Ten and a change in coaching staff, there are more questions than answers in Westwood.
16
Indiana Hoosiers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 3-9
High/Low: 16/16
Biggest victory: N/A
Curt Cignetti is talking big and has made waves in the transfer portal, but Indiana has a lot of issues across the board. The Hoosiers’ recruiting has been positive overall, but the effects of that probably won’t be seen for at least two years, maybe even longer.
15
Michigan State Spartans
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 4-8
High/Low: 15/15
Biggest victory: N/A
I know MSU fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the Jonathan Smith era, but this is a complete rebuild. Aidan Chiles should provide reinforcements at quarterback, but both the offensive line and defensive line look abysmal and frankly aren’t Big Ten-caliber. There are big questions at the skill positions as well, which doesn’t help. MSU usually has coaches that surprise, and do so early, and maybe that will be the case this year in East Lansing. But for now, this is where the Spartans land.
14
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 4-8
High/Low: 14/14
Biggest victory: N/A
PJ Fleck is an excellent coach, but it feels like the team is on the decline. The offense is a big question mark and while the defense is usually solid, it faltered last year when facing better teams. It will be interesting to see if the Gophers are up to the challenge.
13
Illinois Fighting Illini
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 4-8
High/Low: 13/13
Biggest victory: N/A
We’re pessimistic about the Illini, but that could change quickly. Two years after an excellent season, last year was a major step back. And the schedule isn’t exactly favorable, with Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska and Kansas on the schedule. If the line play improves and the offense limits turnovers, this team could certainly move up quickly.
12
Northwestern wildcats
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 6-6
High/Low: 12/12
Biggest victory: N/A
David Braun did a masterful job last season, but the schedule is brutal. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see Northwestern finish 8-4 and climb up the rankings, but that’s probably as high as the Wildcats can go this year.
11
Wisconsin Badgers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Expected record: 6-6
High/Low: 11/11
Biggest victory: N/A
The schedule for Luke Fickell’s second year is brutal, with Alabama coming to Madison in Week 3 and also facing Oregon, Penn State and USC. Even further improvement for Wisconsin might not make it into the record books, but Fickell’s third or fourth year could and should be a success. But we’re not expecting that to happen this year.
10
Washington Huskies
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 6-6
High/Low: 10/10
Biggest victory: N/A
Jedd Fisch is a great coach, but losing the entire team from last year’s College Football Playoff is brutal – especially as you enter a new division in the Big Ten. Will Rogers at quarterback will give the Huskies a chance on offense, but it may take a year or two for UW to get back on track.
9
Maryland turtles
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 7-5
High/Low: 9/9
Biggest victory: N/A
Maryland is on the upswing, but the loss of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is a big blow to the offense. The defense has improved, but it seems the talent in College Park isn’t quite as high as it has been in recent years. Still, we expect the Terps to be mostly status quo – 7-5.
8
USC Trojans
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 7-5
High/Low: 8/8
Biggest victory: N/A
Welcome to the Big Ten! Yes, USC has some offensive firepower, but when Heisman winner Caleb Williams faced a Big Ten-esque team at Notre Dame, he struggled mightily. And Miller Moss is no Caleb Williams. We’ll see if the Trojans can adjust to multiple cross-country trips and more massive fronts on both sides of the ball. Our thoughts? It’s going to be a tough year, but if they can beat LSU in Week 1 and defeat Michigan in Week 4, anything is possible.
7
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 9-3
High/Low: 7/7
Biggest victory: N/A
No team is more pleased with the conference realignment than Rutgers, which will avoid Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State for the first time since joining the conference in 2014. USC, Nebraska and Wisconsin will be dangerous, as will the Scarlet Knights’ rival Maryland, but with Athan Kaliakmanis at quarterback and a strong defense on the other side, his team with Greg Schiano is ready to go on offense for the first time since he led RU in the Big East years.
6
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 10-2
High/Low: 6/6
Biggest victory: N/A
Nebraska is a team on the rise (and honestly wasn’t even that bad when it lost under Scott Frost). While it doesn’t have the toughest schedule in the world, it does play Ohio State, USC, Iowa and Colorado. With former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola at the helm, it might struggle at first, but this should be Nebraska’s best season since Bo Pellini took over.
5
Iowa Hawkeyes
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 11-1
High/Low: 5/5
Biggest victory: N/A
Of all the big teams in the conference (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and USC), Iowa only plays OSU. As long as they can get the offense under control under Tim Lester and Cade McNamara stays healthy, there’s a good chance the Hawkeyes will have their best season since 2015.
4
Penn State Nittany Lions
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 10-2
High/Low: 4/4
Biggest victory: N/A
Penn State is the highest-ranked team on this list to get its quarterback back from last season (Drew Allar), which should mean something. There were coordinator changes again, but given James Franklin’s in-game decisions, it’s hard to predict if the Nittany Lions will finally break through. Not playing Michigan this year certainly helps matters.
3
Michigan Wolverines
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 10-2
High/Low: 3/3
Biggest victory: N/A
Many are writing off the three-time defending Big Ten champions and reigning national champions, and given the departures, that’s understandable. But do so at your own peril. Michigan hasn’t often shown glitz and glamour on offense; instead, they prefer to run the ball at will and pass it to tight ends while relying heavily on a strong defense. The same is likely to happen again this year, regardless of the new faces in Ann Arbor. Will it be enough to win a fourth straight title? The schedule is brutal, but so was the end of last year’s run.
2
Ohio State Buckeyes
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 10-2
High/Low: 2/2
Biggest victory: N/A
Buckeye fans will scoff, but there are still some question marks on this team — just that everyone is ignoring them. The defensive line should be excellent — as should the entire defense. The offensive line was bolstered with Seth McLaughlin from Alabama, but ask Michigan fans what they think of the maligned center. There are so many mouths to feed in terms of production, with so many quality wide receivers and now running backs. Will Howard can come through, but is he really an improvement over Kyle McCord? We’ll find out against Oregon, Penn State and Michigan.
1
Oregon Ducks
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Expected record: 12:0
High/Low: 1/1
Biggest victory: N/A
The Ducks may not have the best talent across the board, but they have the best quarterback and are well-positioned on both sides of the ball — and should be especially good in the trenches. If Dillon Gabriel picks up where he left off at Oklahoma and the rest of the team plays to their potential, we find it hard to imagine Oregon losing a game in the regular season. But against Michigan and Ohio State, it’s certainly possible.
