Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has taken his slings and arrows this offseason over the ongoing debate surrounding the future of the College Football Playoff, but that’s obscured an undeniable fact about his own conference going into the 2025 season.
The kings of the north? They’re also the kings of college football at the moment.
Hard as it is to fathom in Paul Finebaum territory, the Big Ten is fresh off back-to-back national titles. Their schools generate more money than anybody else and now get to devote some of those riches toward players, evening the playing field even more compared to some of their peers in the mighty SEC. The league has regularly produced impressive CFP contenders the past few years and has improved the depth and quality of the conference year over year. Arguably, the two best players in the sport wear a B1G logo patch on the jersey, too.
The big question for the coming campaign is whether or not the Big Ten can keep it all going, especially knowing there’s much more of a target on its backs. Whether it’s reigning national champion Ohio State, defending conference title-holder Oregon, a magnet for doubters like Indiana or programs who are fending off skepticism like Penn State or Illinois, it’s a fascinating makeup of teams from coast to coast that could help produce one of the most compelling conference races the league has seen in the past decade.
That’s not something you would typically say about the Big Ten, which feels much more modern on and off the field before you even start to ponder the impact of expansion, which brought in four West Coast schools to varying degrees of success last year.
The good news for Petitti is the arrival of the season allows the commissioner to fade back into the shadows as the product on the field becomes the primary talking point again. In the not too distant past that would have been a bit of a concern beyond some of the traditional bluebloods. Nowadays, it is actually the opportunity for the league to puff its chest out a little more.
CFP contenders
Penn State
The Nittany Lions check off just about all the boxes that the two most recent national champions from their league did coming into the season. Talented nucleus who spurned the NFL for another go-around? Check. Dipping into the transfer portal for key reinforcements in problem areas? Check. High-end talent at the skill positions and a veteran quarterback who is sneakily dangerous extending plays with his legs? Check and check. The only thing that might hold people back with thinking Penn State is next in line to follow Ohio State and Michigan in hoisting the golden trophy come January? Well, that probably is solely the result of head coach James Franklin and his less-than-stellar track record in big games against name-brand opponents.
Ohio State
The most recent NFL draft was a great reminder of all the Buckeyes lost from their title run … and who still remainsferd in Columbus, Ohio, to defend the title. There’s a great case to be made that Ohio State has the best offensive player in the country (Jeremiah Smith) and the best defensive player in the sport (Caleb Downs). Both were pivotal in their run last season and should help smooth over any issues when it comes to finding a new quarterback or replacing a slew of starters up front on defense.
Indiana
The Hoosiers want you to know they aren’t going anywhere after their surprise CFP run a year ago (if you don’t remember it, Google it). Their schedule gets a little tougher overall compared to 2024, but they miss Ohio State and get Illinois at home. Expectations are high that ex-Cal QB Fernando Mendoza can make the offense even more dangerous and the team returns All-Big Ten–caliber talent at all three levels of a defense that was one of the statistical best in FBS.
Oregon
The ending in the Rose Bowl was rough, but the Ducks rolled through the Big Ten in their first season in the league and walked away with the title. They have a lot riding on new QB Dante Moore being the guy under center but have to hope he jells with a new group of weapons quickly (it also helps they have a few draft picks along the offensive line to build around). Dan Lanning has recruited exceptionally. While there’s not the high-level production returning like in the past few years, there are a ton of great players who should keep Oregon right in the CFP mix.
Illinois
Bret Bielema might have his best team since some of those early Wisconsin Rose Bowl days and returns virtually everybody from a 10–3 squad a year ago, including QB Luke Altmyer and underrated linebacker Gabe Jacas. They avoid Penn State, Oregon and Michigan on the schedule and could be primed to build off their late 2024 season momentum all the way to the CFP.
Michigan
There was bound to be a drop-off after losing a ton of NFL talent following their 2023 national title, but you probably didn’t expect the Wolverines to be so dreadful offensively. They have to be better at quarterback and that will likely prove true even if they end up starting five-star true freshman Bryce Underwood. The defense has great veterans all over the board and should be its usual salty self, to say nothing of the confidence the program has after the way it ended last season.
Team on the rise
Nebraska
Year 3 for Matt Rhule is usually when things click into place and a program takes off and that’s the hope around Nebraska. There’s an excellent and deep offensive line back and hopes that quarterback Dylan Raiola can make a sophomore leap after showing flashes last year as a first-time starter. The defense is undergoing some changes, but the schedule sets up well to build momentum and potentially crack the double-digit win plateau for the first time in 13 years.
Team on the downslope
Maryland
Mike Locksley did a solid job building Maryland early in his tenure and seemed to have the Terps at a point where they were stable and winning enough amid three straight seasons with at least seven wins. Last year, the bottom dropped out and they went 4–8 (1–8 in Big Ten). Things don’t look much better for 2025 with fewer than five starters returning on either side of the ball and the possibility of starting a true freshman at quarterback. The schedule is manageable by league standards, but it still might be an uphill climb to reach a bowl game.
New coaches
Barry Odom, Purdue
It was no shock the Boilermakers moved on from Ryan Walters after the team looked like one of the worst in the Power 4, but it was a bit surprising at how quickly Odom leaped after doing such a good job pulling UNLV from the depths to consecutive seasons of at least nine wins. He’ll have a tough task ahead but in both Vegas and at his prior stop in Missouri, the old linebacker showed he can find success in programs that typically have to go up against better-resourced peers.
Conference power rankings
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Oregon
- Illinois
- Michigan
- USC
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Washington
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan State
- UCLA
- Rutgers
- Northwestern
- Maryland
- Purdue
Heisman contenders
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (+1200 on FanDuel)
After being one of the most highly touted prep receivers ever, Smith more than lived up to the high billing with a 1,315-yard, 15-touchdown campaign as a true freshman. He’ll handle more of the offensive load in 2025 and could be even more of a threat to make it to New York as a result.
Penn State QB Drew Allar (+1800)
Allar could be in for quite the redemption story if he can get Penn State back to the Big Ten title game and look like the CFP threat it should be after throwing an interception on his last pass of the 2024 season. He’s 23–6 as a starter but could be poised to make a leap in terms of both profile and numbers this year with a much-improved receiving corps.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin (+2000)
If you’re the quarterback at Ohio State, you have a chance to make it to New York as a finalist. Sayin is the likely starter behind center after arriving as a former five-star who earns the distinction of also being Nick Saban’s last QB recruit. He has an excellent arm and could provide some big-time upside for an offense that should be explosive once again.
Transfer talk
QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee to UCLA
The saga of the spring was Iamaleava’s departure from Knoxville, Tenn., which resulted in the first pseudo trade of college football players. Iamaleave wound up in Westwood and ex-Bruin Joey Aguilar went the other way. Though his play trailed off for the Vols down the stretch, Iamaleava won a few big games in orange and gives UCLA a much higher ceiling with his obvious talent behind center.
OT Isaiah World, Nevada to Oregon
World has been on NFL scouts’ radar before he made the move to Eugene, Ore., this offseason and looks the part of being the next early draft pick from the Ducks’ offensive line. There’s always going to be some of the natural questions about the jump up in competition, but World has all the tools to solidify the team’s left tackle spot.
S Dillon Thieneman, Purdue to Oregon
The Ducks were not great at limiting the big play and must revamp their entire secondary this season. Enter Thieneman, who led all Big Ten defensive backs in tackles last season and was a national freshman of the year winner with the Boilermakers prior to that. Not only does he have a ton of experience, but he’s really versatile in terms of the types of players he can cover which should benefit Oregon greatly as a veteran presence on the back end.
QB Fernando Mendoza, Cal to Indiana
Mendoza threw for more than 3,000 yards and had just four interceptions in 11 games as a starter last season in Berkeley, Calif., leading the Bears to several big wins despite not having much of a supporting cast. He has NFL size and is already being discussed as a potential first-rounder if he makes the transition to Bloomington, Ind., an effortless one.
Fab freshmen
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood, No. 1 recruit (five stars) in 247 Sports’ composite
Landing Underwood was the biggest coup in Sherrone Moore’s career, wrestling his commitment away from LSU and landing the Wolverines’ signal-caller of the present and the future. Though he hasn’t been named the starter, it’s hard to fathom him not playing a lot this year as the 17-year-old’s raw talent is one of the best to ever arrive in Ann Arbor, Mich., at his position.
Oregon WR Dakorien Moore, No. 4 recruit (five stars)
Moore was the top wideout in the class of 2025 and he’ll be needed to fill a role right away for the Ducks with the injury to veteran Evan Stewart. He’s a deep threat from both inside in the slot or on the outside and could be a mismatch when singled up.
Ohio State CB Devin Sanchez, No. 8 recruit (five stars)
The best corner in the recruiting class will probably start out behind the likes of Davison Igbinosun, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him starting by the end of the season. He’ll earn some early playing time inside but he has all the makings of a No. 1 corner who can hold his own on an island in short order.
Bottom line
The Big Ten is on top of the mountaintop coming into 2025 after Michigan and Ohio State delivered national championships to the Midwest, while Penn State appears to be following a similar blueprint as a potential successor this season. Throw in the growing list of contenders to make it to Indianapolis like Oregon, Indiana and Illinois, and this just might be one of the more competitive seasons in some time for the conference. Some of the cross-country travel might skew results for a few teams, but the bottom line is the league is doing its part in helping create further separation between the Power 2 conferences and the rest of the sport on the field almost as much as they are doing so off it.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Big Ten Football Preview: Third Straight National Title Could Be on the Horizon.