BIG TEN CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
The Big Ten is aiming for its fourth consecutive CFP National Championship here in 2026. In 2023, Michigan won its first national title since 1997 before Jim Harbaugh left his alma mater and took his NCAA show-cause penalty to return to coaching in the NFL. In 2024, the Wolverines’ archrival Ohio State, led by the most talented roster in college football, removed the critics from Ryan Day’s back and won its first national title since 2014. Well, the Big Ten “three-peated” last season. So, was it Ohio State again? Michigan? Penn State? Oregon? USC? No, it was the Indiana Hoosiers going 16-0 and becoming the first FBS team since Yale in 1894 to go 16-0.
Curt Cignetti and his Hoosiers also won their first outright Big Ten Championship since 1945. Indiana’s rise to national prominence not only included these championships but was also home to its first Heisman Trophy Winner Fernando Mendoza. Indiana (+250) will attempt to defend with heavy retention on the offensive line and defense to go along with a portal overhaul that includes TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover to replace Mendoza.
Ohio State (+180), defeated by the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game, returns QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith as perhaps the best QB-WR tandem in college football. Oregon (+260), who lost to the Hoosiers twice, brings back 14 starters including QB Dante Moore and arguably the nation’s best defensive line.
Those three teams will be consensus top five nationally to start the season, but USC (14-1) is looking to get to the top of the Big Ten for the first time with a defense led by former TCU coach Gary Patterson, who was lured out of retirement.
Four programs have new coaches including Michigan (15-1), who brings in Kyle Whittingham from Utah to restore its tarnished image from the Harbaugh recruiting violations and the Sherrone Moore scandal; Michigan State (500-1), who turns to former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald; Penn State (20-1), who brings in Matt Campbell from Iowa State to win the big ones that James Franklin seemingly never could; UCLA (160-1), who figured that if Indiana can hire a successful head coach from James Madison, then why not do the same with Bob Chesney?
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois won 19 games over the course of the last two seasons, which was the most in program history over a two-year span. Three-year starting QB Luke Altmyer was largely responsible for those victories, but he has graduated and four offensive line starters also depart due to graduation or transfer portal. Katin Houser returns to the Big Ten (Michigan State) after starting for the better part of two seasons at East Carolina, where he went 13-6 as a starter.
The Illini prides itself on playing old-school, physical Big Ten football under Bret Bielema, but they ranked just 13th in the conference running the football (138.1 YPG) and ranked 12th in scoring defense (23.6 PPG). Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry left for a job on the Notre Dame staff and Bobby Hauck, after a successful eight-year second act as Montana head coach, comes in to reinvent what was a stale Illinois defense.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Will Katin Houser’s second stint in the Big Ten go better than his first?
After a redshirt year in 2022, Katin Houser could not win the starting job at Michigan State over Noah Kim, who later transferred to Coastal Carolina and finished last year at Eastern Michigan, so he transferred to East Carolina. Houser became the full-time starter for ECU last year and threw for 3300 yards (65.9% completions) and 19 TDs while also rushing for nine. He has a better group around him in Champaign than he did in East Lansing three years ago, but this is a new system, and he is behind an offensive line that must replace four starters.
Can Illinois get more physical up front?
While the offensive line must replace four starters, including first-team All-Big Ten tackle J.C. Davis, last year’s group struggled to run the football consistently and looked overmatched against the better defensive lines they faced including Duke, Indiana, Ohio State, and Wisconsin as they gave up an average of five sacks to those units. Bielema feels good about his backfield as they moved second-leading rusher Kaden Feagin to tight end, and he is one of the better OL evaluators and developers in the country but only imported one Power Four transfer (C Jake Renfro – Wisconsin).
How quickly can they adjust to Bobby Hauck’s new 3-3-5 defense?
Hauck’s Montana teams ranked in the top 20 for scoring defense and inside the top 10 for takeaways amongst FCS teams in three of the last five seasons. The main attrition comes on the defensive line where five rotational players, including second-round pick DE Gabe Jacas, are being replaced by Group of Six or FCS talent. This unit is the biggest question mark on the roster, but the secondary is not, with four returning senior starters including All-Big Ten free safety Xavier Scott. While the Illini rated just 14th in the conference for pass defense, this defensive backfield is one of the better ones in the league and a new scheme could catch opponents by surprise.
Illinois 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 7.5 Wins
The schedule is manageable and the Illini should start with three non-conference victories playing UAB, Duke, and Southern Illinois at home. While they avoid Indiana, USC, Penn State, and Michigan, Illinois does open the Big 10 campaign at Ohio State. Aside from the Buckeyes, the rest of the road schedule is not all that arduous, going to Maryland and facing two teams with new coaches – Michigan State and Northwestern. Oregon will be a likely home loss, and they do have three of the last four at home, but all in coin flip games – Nebraska, Iowa, and Northwestern – where they more than likely must win all three to get to eight victories. The rebuilding of both lines up front will not be able to be completed in just one season.
INDIANA HOOSIERS
Indiana football begins “Chapter 3” as Curt Cignetti calls it on the heels of becoming the first team in the modern era to go 16-0 and win the National Championship. Unfortunately for Cignetti’s program, there is already a famous movie titled “Hoosiers” because last season is certainly worthy of having its story told in a film as the longtime doormat of the Big Ten became a college football powerhouse.
Despite the loss of Heisman Trophy Winner and No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Fernando Mendoza, along with seven other draft picks (eight in all, the program record) and eight UFAs, the cupboard is not bare. Indiana is not going the way of a one-hit wonder, as they are priced at -350 to return to the CFP. Cignetti kept his staff intact plus returns 10 starters (six on defense for Broyles Award winning defensive coordinator Bryant Haines) and adds eight other Power Four starters by way of the portal, including TCU QB Josh Hoover, the current active FBS passing leader with 9,629 yards and 71 touchdowns in 36 games (31 starts), who will start behind arguably the best offensive line in college football.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can Hoover Handle It?
“Hoover can handle it” was the 1989 ad slogan for the Hoover appliance company. Josh Hoover was 19-12 as a productive starter at TCU and has shown that he can fling the football. What he has not always shown is the ability to take care of the football, having amassed 33 turnovers in 36 career games. Based on the last two seasons in Bloomington, that turnover habit has a good chance of being rectified, considering no team has fewer giveaways over the last two seasons in FBS than Indiana (17). Hoover does not have the size nor is he the athlete that Mendoza was, so Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan will likely run less RPO than the Hoosiers did last season.
Production AND Potential?
One of the more notable Coach Cig-isms is his fondness for saying “production over potential”. His team loses a lot of offensive production with not only Mendoza, but the top two receivers, including first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr., and the top two rushers. There is still talent at receiver with Charlie Becker (Charlie B from Nashville, Tennessee as constantly described by FOX’s Gus Johnson) and Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh (1311 yards, nine TDs L2Y) and at running back with Khobie Martin (508 yards, six TDs) and Turbo Richard (1027 yards, 11 TDs L2Y at Boston College). The skill position talent could be better for Indiana, but the losses, primarily those who came with Cig from James Madison, were strong culture guys.
How will the Hoosiers handle being the ‘Hunted’ instead of being the ‘Hunter’?
Indiana has always been a game circled on opponents’ schedules typically because they always seemed to be the Homecoming game. Now, the Hoosiers are circled because everyone gets up for the defending National Champions. Cignetti will continue to operate with a bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove that last season was not a fluke. Because they are Indiana there will be a lot of doubters that they can make another run in the CFP, which is probably how Cignetti and the Hoosiers like it. Is the program culture strong enough to sustain or was it just “lightning in a bottle”?
Indiana 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 10.5 Wins
10.5 is the right number for Indiana’s win total when you look at another manageable schedule where the Hoosiers avoid a double revenge spot with Oregon (perhaps until the Big 10 Championship Game) and will be favored in every game apart from Ohio State (small home dog). Indiana is likely to return to the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season under Cignetti (27-2 in two years), but there are a couple of tricky spots (at Nebraska, at Washington, vs. USC) where they can lose a close one. The Hoosiers are also +37 in turnover margin over the last two seasons and at some point, one would think that would regress to the mean at least a little bit. Going over 10.5 is buying at the top of the market, but all Cignetti does is win. Google him!
IOWA HAWKEYES
The 2025 season was the usual for Iowa football, as the Hawkeyes had yet another winning season (9-4) and have had 13 of them in a row under Kirk Ferentz, who enters his 28th season in Iowa City as the Big Ten’s longest-tenured coach. In fact, he passed Woody Hayes last season as the conference’s all-time winningest coach.
Iowa is the model of consistency, but with the success of Indiana, the pressure is even greater from programs like theirs to get more. Last season, the Hawkeyes lost one-score games to Indiana, Oregon, and USC, so it is fair for them to wonder what might have been. This season, Iowa replaces 27 seniors (16 of them starters) and the roster has the largest turnover of the Ferentz era. The Hawkeyes have always relied on development, but you cannot exclusively rely on that today as they add a program-record 16 transfers this season.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Who starts at quarterback?
Iowa has had to dip into the portal to find its starting QB for the last few seasons. Last season, it was Mark Gronowski coming in from winning two FCS National Championships at North Dakota State. Now Gronowski and his 58 career wins as a starter are gone and offensive coordinator Tim Lester has two candidates that were in the program last year – Hank Brown, who started one game for Auburn two years ago, or Jeremy Hecklinski, who has two passing attempts in his career. Whoever wins the job must provide a jolt to a passing offense that has rated 129th, 130th, and 130th in the FBS in the last three seasons. More than likely, Iowa relies on its running game behind a talented offensive line and its running back tandem of Kamari Moulton (878 yards, five TDs) and South Dakota transfer L.J. Phillips (1920 yards, 19 TDs in 2025).
Can Phil Parker rebuild the Iowa defense again?
The default answer is ‘yes’ as the long-time defensive coordinator is considered one of the best in the game. The Hawkeyes stop unit ranked inside the top 10 nationally last season in scoring defense, passing defense, and total defense, plus the rush defense (17th) was not too shabby either. However, just three starters return and six of the top eight defensive linemen are gone. Safety Zach Lutmer (71 tackles, three INTs) is the star of the unit. There is inexperience here, but Parker was rightfully given the benefit of the doubt long ago.
Will Iowa’s Special Teams remain special?
Aside from the roster attrition, arguably the biggest loss for Iowa could be special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, who has been on Ferentz’s staff since 2008, and served in the coordinator role since 2018. Woods is now in the same role and the assistant head coach for Pat Fitzgerald’s new staff at Michigan State. Chris Polizzi was promoted to the new role and has the task of keeping Iowa’s annually elite special teams at that level. The first task is to find a replacement for two-time All-Big Ten return specialist Kaden Wetjen and replacing both his kicker and punter.
Iowa 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 7.5 Wins
With all the question marks on the roster, 7.5 wins is the correct total here, so there is not much of a true betting edge. The schedule begins with three non-conference home games, but two of them are against in-state rivals Iowa State and Northern Iowa. It gets more challenging with trips to Michigan and Washington and a home game vs. Ohio State sandwiched in between. The second half of the schedule is substantially more manageable. Ferentz has never won fewer than eight games in a season since 2015 save for the COVID season in 2020 and 2023 with two vacated wins due to tampering with former QB Cade McNamara before he officially entered the portal. He and his staff get the benefit of the doubt, even with an inexperienced QB and many new faces on defense and special teams.
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Mike Locksley certainly must be considered on the hot seat after consecutive 4-8 campaigns. After a promising 4-0 start last season, the Terps lost each of their next three games by four points or less and the young team could not recover as it ended the year on an eight-game losing streak. This year, Maryland returns 71% of its production (second nationally to Notre Dame per ESPN’s Bill Connelly).
Quarterback Malik Washington did about all you can ask for a true freshman starting in the Big Ten. He threw for just under 3000 yards on a 17/9 TD/INT ratio and ran for 4 TDs. Leading rusher DeJuan Williams (501 yards, three TDs) also returns along with four offensive line starts. Eight starters are also back for second-year defensive coordinator Ted Monachino’s unit.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
How will Malik Washington take to the new offense?
Pep Hamilton moves to an advisor role and Clint Trickett takes over as offensive coordinator after spending last season in the same role at Jacksonville State. Trickett wants to implement more RPO and use Washington more as a runner. He will also look to increase the tempo with increased motion and more snaps. While the offensive line did not create many holes up front running the ball, they did only allow nine sacks. Washington can throw the ball all over the yard, but his receiving corps must be more reliable as they were plagued by drops all last season.
Can Maryland develop a running game?
The answer to that question in recent years is a definitive ‘no’ as the turtle has not needed to be feared on the ground since they had a 1000-yard rusher in 2022 (Roman Hemby, who later transferred to Indiana). Harry Dalton III was highly touted out of high school and transferred from USC to help Washington and Williams. Maryland ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten last year only averaging 104.3 yards per game (122nd nationally). Washington is a potential star, but this group needs more production for him to truly realize his potential.
Can the defense continue to progress under Monachino?
Monachino was on the Baltimore Ravens staff that won Super Bowl XLVII and he knows elite defensive talent, especially up front having coached Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Maryland edge rushers Zahir Mathis and Sidney Stewart were both named freshmen-All Americans and now they are joined by five-star freshman Zion Elee out of Baltimore. Senior linebacker Daniel Wingate (102 tackles, 6.5 TFLs) leads the linebacker corps, and the talented secondary is led by strong safety Lavain Scruggs (64 tackles, two INTs) and Messiah Delhomme (39 tackles) will be counted on to replace third-round pick Jalen Huskey. The Terps can clearly get after the quarterback, but they have struggled in the middle at stopping the run.
Maryland 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 4.5 Wins
Locksley has always been a high-level recruiter, and he has brought big-time talent into the program and has kept DMV talent from leaving home, but he cannot live off the 23-16 three-season run (2021-2023) forever. This is a juicy price to lay at around -170 to -175, but the schedule is permissible early on with Hampton as the opener and then two games at UConn and vs. Virginia Tech, who both have new head coaches. The Terps do have trips to Ohio State and USC but also avoid Oregon, Indiana, and Michigan amongst the league’s top teams. If they can go 3-0 in the non-conference like last season, they have a few winnable conference games (UCLA, Rutgers, Wisconsin, at Purdue) where they could get bowl-eligible and play a postseason game for the first time since 2023.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Perhaps no program is undergoing more of a culture change than Michigan. It has been a turbulent two-year span in Ann Arbor. The program was subject to an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations and in-person scouting infractions towards the end of the Jim Harbaugh era. Then Harbaugh’s successor Sherrone Moore was fired last December for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. So, the Wolverines needed to hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete and reboot.
Enter Kyle Whittingham, who, at 66, leaves Utah after 21 seasons after compiling a 177-88 record. Whittingham and Utah mutually agreed to part ways, but he expressed the desire to continue coaching and then Michigan came open after the Moore scandal. The hire seemed to come a bit out of left field, but Whittingham seems to fit the identity of Michigan football. He is old-school, leads with the running game, and looks to establish being more physical and tough along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Is Bryce Underwood ready to take the next step?
Underwood is one of the most hyped recruits in the history of Michigan football. He started last year as a freshman and showed flashes of what made him the No. 1 ranked overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. However, his numbers (2429 yards, 11/9 TD/INT, 60.3% completions, 392 rushing yards, six TDs) last year were largely underwhelming. On the surface, he should be improved just with better coaching and development under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and QB coach Koy Detmer. Beck’s power spread took New Mexico’s offense from 44th to fourth nationally in 2024 and made even more progress last year at Utah going from 115th to fourth. The new staff wants Underwood to run more, but he does have help in that area with Jordan Marshall (932 yards, 10 TDs) and five-star freshman Savion Hiter behind an offensive line that returns four starters.
Can the defense be rebuilt?
Former Weber State head coach Jay Hill was the defensive coordinator for the last three years at BYU, Whittingham’s alma mater, and improved the Cougars to a top-20 scoring defense last season. Michigan will run a 4-2-5 base with varied looks, blitzes, and a mix of both man and zone coverages. While this group looked ahead of the offense in the spring game, there is not much experience here. John Henry Daley (11.5 sacks) was a first-team All-American at Utah last year and helps shore up the defensive line. The secondary has a lot of talent with the return of starting corners Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill, Rod Moore at safety, and the additions of nickel Smith Snowden (two INTs, nine PBU), who was All-Big 12 at Utah and Chris Bracy (81 tackles) from Memphis. The linebacker room remains a concern; expect opponents to attack Michigan over the middle until that group improves.
Will Whittingham be able to get higher-level talent to fit into his culture?
Whittingham clearly wants to restore Michigan to its long-standing identity of discipline, toughness, and physicality. He was able to do that at Utah, recruiting good and solid talent and developing them into something more. Now, he has four-stars, five-stars and ultimately a much higher ceiling in terms of pure talent. Whittingham has two decades of success that shows that his way works, but this is a different ball game at Michigan and he and his team will be tested immediately facing a difficult schedule with dates vs. Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, at Oregon, and at Ohio State.
Michigan 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 8.5 Wins
The cupboard is not bare for Whittingham in terms of the talent he inherits. On the other hand, he and his Wolverines get a “welcome to the Big Ten” schedule that has six ranked opponents on it and does not get to avoid any of the top teams in conference play. Whittingham is, without question, a proven winner, but this is still a program in some transition and one with a QB that still has a lot to prove before he can be given the benefit of the doubt.
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
Jonathan Smith came to East Lansing as the man thought to be what was needed to get Sparty back to the success of the Mark Dantonio era. Two years later, after a 9-15 record (4-15 officially due to five vacated wins in 2024 courtesy of violations under Mel Tucker), Smith was out. Dantonio’s teams at Michigan State were always defense-first and built on toughness, so Michigan State looked to the days of Big Ten past to find a coach that shares that same mentality and may have found it with Northwestern’s all-time winningest coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald was terminated at his alma mater three years ago after significant hazing allegations in his program were reported. He later sued for wrongful termination, and the case was settled last August to clear a path for his return to coaching.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Has Michigan State finally found its quarterback?
After Payton Thorne, with a large assist from eventual Super Bowl LX MVP running back Kenneth Walker, led them to an 11-2 season in 2021, it has been a revolving door at QB with neither Katin Houser nor Noah Kim nor Aidan Chiles able to lead the Spartans to success. Alessio Milivojevic, who was Mr. Backdoor Cover against Nebraska, Indiana, and Michigan last year, took over the starting job in the final four games of the season, as the Spartans went just 1-3, but two of the three losses were by three points. The backup QB is always the most popular player with the fans when the starter is struggling. He showed promise, but now can he be the full-time guy? Cam Fancher has 28 starts over the last four years combined at Marshall, Florida Atlantic, and UCF and he will push Milivojevic, but the incumbent (986 yards in four starts) should hold the job for Fitzgerald and new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who comes in from the same role at Alabama.
Who is there for Milivojevic at wide receiver?
Michigan State’s top three receivers from last season, including one of the big gets in the portal Nick Marsh (Indiana), are now gone. Chrishon McCray (24-320-2) is the leading returner but at 5-foot-10, he doesn’t bring the typical size of a number one option. KK Smith (Notre Dame) and Fred Moore (Michigan) were never really featured at their former destinations so perhaps they have a new lease on life here. Redshirt freshman Braylon Collier could be the next outstanding receiver in East Lansing. Nevertheless, the running game led by UConn transfer Cam Edwards (1240 yards in 2025) will need to carry a heavier load.
Can they get better at the line of scrimmage?
Last year, Michigan State only had 22 sacks in 12 games, 86th nationally. This year, they only have one starter back on the defensive line. Fitzgerald will turn to NC State transfer Kenny Soares, who was with him at Northwestern, to spark a pass rush. On the offensive side, five transfers come in with 72 career starts including Trent Fraley, who was the FCS Rimington Award winner last year at North Dakota State. The Spartans OL gave up 72 sacks over the last two years, and they will need this portal group to come together quickly.
Michigan State 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 3.5 Wins
It is worth laying -150 or so available in the market here. While there are certainly plenty of roster questions across the board, Sparty must feel as good about its QB situation as they have in the last few seasons. The market might be underestimating Fitzgerald’s history as a proven program builder. Fitzgerald has also put together a good staff mixed with a couple holdovers for continuity’s sake, plus younger coaches like former Spartan linebacker legend Max Bullough, Nick Tabacca as offensive line coach, and James Adams as safeties coach. The schedule is not easy with trips to Notre Dame and Michigan, but this team needed some new and positive energy and should respond to this new staff.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
P.J. Fleck is now in his 10th season of rowing the boat at Minnesota. The Gophers have gone to bowl games in seven of his nine seasons (7-0 in bowls) and have won eight or more games in four of the last five years. The boat is steady in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but can it pick up a little speed to challenge the conference elite at least occasionally?
Minnesota returns 68% of its 2025 production per ESPN’s Bill Connelly and is led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey (63.5%, 2432 yards, 19/6 TD/INT), who started all 13 games as a freshman. Running back Darius Taylor missed nearly half of the season last year but has almost 2,500 yards in 28 career games for the Gophers. Including Taylor, three of the top four pass catchers are back plus six defensive starters as Minnesota remains a consistent upper half of the Big Ten program while being bottom half in terms of NIL.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Minnesota can Row the Boat, but can they Run the Ball?
Taylor rejected numerous overtures in the portal to stay at Minnesota and should be healthy from the hamstring injuries that plagued him last season. However, the Gophers only ranked 116th in the nation running the ball at just 3.57 yards per carry. Taylor still had 915 yards from scrimmage last year despite missing five games, but the offensive line needs to improve dramatically as the Gophers dug many holes for themselves offensively ranking just 127th in FBS for total offense. Lindsey should continue to progress, but it is all on the offensive line, which returns three starters and adds transfer right tackle Bennett Warren from Tennessee.
Who replaces Koi Perich in the secondary?
Portal gains and losses are a way of life in college football, but losing Perich to the portal (Oregon) stings extra for the Gophers, as he was a local product (Esko, MN) and was arguably the most talented player on the defense. In 2024, he was first-team All-Big Ten as a freshman with five interceptions while also contributing on offense and special teams. Kerry Brown (four PBU, two INTs) is back in the secondary along with linebacker Maverick Baranowski (103 tackles) and defensive end Anthony Smith, whose 12.5 sacks led the Big Ten. TJ Bush also comes in from Cal, and he has had 91 pressures and 13 sacks over three seasons at Liberty and Cal. There is still talent here, but the loss of Perich could lower the ceiling a bit for this solid unit.
Who can plug the holes?
Minnesota is solid on the edge with Smith. Bush, and Karter Menz (6.5 sacks), and they should be able to get to the opposing quarterbacks. The Gophers do return 65% of their overall defensive production, but do lose their four top defensive tackles from last season including seventh-round draft pick Deven Eastern. Minnesota had to hit the transfer portal hard and brought in Naquan Crowder and Sid Kaba, both from Marshall, along with Xion Chapman from FIU. The interior defensive line is still unproven and the Big Ten has several of the top-10 offensive lines in the country.
Minnesota 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 6.5 Wins
The Gophers get a break in the schedule avoiding Ohio State and Oregon but still must travel to Indiana, Penn State, and Washington. Lindsey has the potential to be a special QB in Minneapolis but still lacks a true No. 1 receiver (can Auburn transfer Perry Thompson fill that void?). They also have questions on the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines. In each of the last two years, Minnesota has defeated a ranked opponent as a home underdog – No. 25 Nebraska (2025) and No. 11 USC (2024). They will likely need to do the same against Michigan or Iowa in similar spots this year to once again eclipse this win total.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
In 2023, Matt Rhule came to Lincoln with the reputation of a quick rebuilder of programs from what he did at Temple and then at Baylor. Three years later, Rhule is 19-19 at Nebraska and the natives are getting a bit restless. Dylan Raiola, a legacy player whose father Dominic and uncle Donovan played at Nebraska, was thought to be the savior at quarterback for which Nebraska has been searching. He posted a 13-9 record in two seasons as a starter but broke his leg vs. USC and was done for the season after a promising 6-2 start. Dylan transferred to Oregon after the season and uncle Donovan was fired as offensive line coach. Defensive coordinator John Butler and defensive line coach Terry Bradden were also let go.
Winning can cure any dissension in the ranks and transfer QB Anthony Colandrea did a lot of that at UNLV last season, leading the Rebels to 10 victories. He is a playmaker who threw for 3,459 yards and accounted for 33 touchdowns while winning Mountain West Player of the Year, but will need to live up to the high expectations to cool Rhule’s hot seat.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Is there a true QB competition?
Colandrea did not transfer to sit, but TJ Lateef (904 yards, five TD passes) was highly touted out of high school and did start five games as a true freshman last season, so he has familiarity with Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid offense. Colandrea should win the job as the more proven commodity and will have targets as starting receivers Nyziah Hunter (43-617-5) and Jacory Barney Jr (45-484-5) return and Kwazi Gilmer started 19 games at UCLA over the last two seasons.
What happens to the running game without Emmett Johnson?
Johnson was a first-team All-American last year, rushing for 1,451 yards and accounting for 15 touchdowns. The Huskers did not elect to bring in a running back out of the portal instead they will look to the returning sophomore duo of Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee. Nelson was arrested in late June on an aggravated battery charge, but charges were dropped. Nevertheless, his availability for fall camp has still yet to be determined, so true freshman Jamal Rule may have his number called early. Up front, Nebraska added guards Paul Mubenga (LSU), Brendan Black (Iowa State), and tackle Tree Babalade (South Carolina), so they should have a bigger and more agile group that must protect the QB better than last year’s bunch (33 sacks allowed).
Can the transition from 3-3-5 to Rob Aurich’s 4-2-5 scheme go smoothly?
Rob Aurich led a top-10 defensive unit at San Diego State last season and was hired to improve a defense that gave up 131 points over its final three games of the season. The Huskers need to find a balance defensively, as they ranked third nationally in pass defense, but only 98th in rush defense. With just 22 sacks in 13 games, Nebraska simply could not get to opposing quarterbacks. They went to the portal to add Owen Stoudmire (Boston College), Jahsear Whittington (Pitt), and Anthony Jones Jr (UCLA) up front. To shore up the linebacker corps, Owen Chambliss follows Aurich in from San Diego State and Dexter Foster transfers in from Oregon State to go along with Vincent Shavers Jr (61 tackles, 7.5 TFLs). The secondary is the best unit on the team with three starters back – Andrew Marshall (45 tackles), Rex Guthrie (63 tackles), and Donovan Jones (59 tackles).
Nebraska 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 6.5 Wins
After three likely non-conference wins at home, Nebraska’s schedule picks up in October, having to take on playoff teams in consecutive weeks, hosting Indiana and traveling to Oregon. The Huskers also draw Ohio State in the home finale. With a new defensive scheme and a difficult schedule, Nebraska looks like a middling team once again and the seat will only get hotter for Rhule.
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
A new era of Northwestern football begins on October 2, as the new, $862 million Ryan Field officially opens when the Wildcats host Penn State. This is now David Braun’s program as the Pat Fitzgerald chapter finally closed with a settled lawsuit and Fitzgerald returning to coaching at Michigan State (they play on October 17).
While not an official trade, Michigan State now has Northwestern’s old coach, while the Wildcats have Michigan State’s old quarterback, as Aidan Chiles transfers into Evanston. Chiles had the plug pulled on him after nine games last season in East Lansing but gets a second chance in the Big Ten with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who finally gives Northwestern a creative mind on offense, along with new QB coach Jerry Neuheisel, who recruited Chiles out of high school.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can Chip Kelly rebuild Aidan Chiles?
Chiles followed his old Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State two years ago. The result was garnering an 8-12 record over two seasons as a starter and being benched after nine games. Chiles is the athletic and mobile quarterback that Kelly likes in his fast, no-huddle spread offense. However, Kelly must assist in restoring his confidence. One way to do that is to rely on a triple-threat rushing attack led by the returning Caleb Komolafe (941 yards, 11 TDs), speedy gadget back Joseph Hinton (486 yards), and Gavin Sawchuk (486 yards last year at Florida State). Five of last year’s top six pass catchers including Griffin Wilde (71-880-8) are also back for the Wildcats. Chiles also got a nice gift with the return of Jackson Carsello at center, which allows the highly-talented Ezomo Orotokhai to stay at guard, plus Grant Seagren, who started 12 games at Oklahoma State last year, slots in at left tackle.
Who can get after opposing passers?
Northwestern was just 14th in the Big Ten with 23 sacks last season and nearly half of them came from the now departed Anto Saka and Aidan Hubbard. Michael Kilbane (7.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks) and defensive tackle Brendan Flakes cannot do it up front all by themselves, so much will be needed and expected from defensive end Jamaal Johnson (UCF) and linebacker Kobie McKinzie. The secondary is the best unit on the team led by all-Big Ten safety Robert Fitzgerald (115 tackles), corner Josh Fussell, and nickel Braden Turner (two INTs, two FF last season).
Can David Braun get lower-level talent to play up in the Big Ten?
Braun comes from an extensive FCS background with stints at Northern Iowa and North Dakota State. The 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year showed that he could do more with less and successfully navigated the difficult times surrounding Pat Fitzgerald’s termination. Nevertheless, he will have to coach up some G6, FCS, and D-II programs that are in line to start for the Wildcats.
Northwestern 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 5.5 Wins
While there is a great deal of excitement surrounding Northwestern football with the opening of the new Ryan Field. That excitement gets a dose of reality though when you look at the Wildcats’ schedule. They face all three playoff teams from the Big Ten last season – Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State. Not only that, but they also play all three of them on the road. The first game at Ryan Field vs. Penn State should be emotional and so should facing former coach Fitzgerald at Michigan State. Plus, the Wildcats have games with Penn State, Iowa, and Illinois who were also bowl teams last season. Chiles’ accuracy and ball security issues could also reappear. The defense can only carry this team so far against this bear of a schedule.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Ohio State enters 2026 with something rare – a losing streak. The Buckeyes dropped the last two games of 2025 losing to Indiana, for the first time since 1988, in the Big Ten Championship Game and then being upset as the No. 2 seed in the Cotton Bowl by Miami. They did end a four-game losing streak to “the team up north” (Michigan), and finished 12-2, but it is never enough in Columbus, and the Buckeyes are not standing pat as there are significant changes.
The Buckeyes added 18 players through the portal and have 50 new players in the program including yet another top-five recruiting class. Adding a former NFL coach worked last year with Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator, so Ryan Day is trying the same thing on offense with Arthur Smith. Even with so many changes from last season, Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith return to form arguably the best QB-WR combination in the nation to head up what is annually one of the most talented rosters in college football.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can the Buckeyes offensive line get back to being dominant again?
To be fair, they were dominant in the regular season and only allowed six sacks. Then, they gave up five sacks against Indiana and five more against Miami. There are many reasons to point out for those two losses. Did Ryan Day get too conservative with the gameplan? Did the Ohio State offense run too slow of a tempo? It is fair to answer in the affirmative to both those questions, but the most obvious reason the Buckeyes lost those games is because their offensive line got whipped up front. Four starters are back and Bo Jackson rushed for almost 1100 yards as a freshman behind the group. While the downfield passing game will be the most explosive part of the offense, Arthur Smith wants to run the ball more aggressively and will allow Sayin to use his legs more.
Can Matt Patricia’s defense be No. 1 again?
Last year, Patricia had to replace eight starters in his first season as defensive coordinator, and all his group did was to become the No. 1 defense in the country by holding opponents to a paltry 9.3 points per game and allowing just 219.1 yards per game. This year, Patricia also must replace eight defensive starters, as they were all drafted into the NFL last spring. The talent is always top-notch here, but there is not a superstar like last year. Kenyatta Jackson Jr (6.5 sacks) is likely the next first rounder from this group, and he is joined on the defensive line by Alabama transfer James Smith and UCF transfer John Walker. Other transfers that will start included Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and Terry Moore (Duke) at free safety to go along with corners Jermaine Matthews Jr (two INTs) and Devin Sanchez along with strong safety Jaylen McClain (53 tackles).
Who can be Jeremiah Smith’s running mate?
Smith has been the most talented receiver in college football since he stepped on the field as a true freshman two years ago. Even No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate was the second option to him. Brandon Inniss returns and Chris Henry Jr. is the latest five-star freshman prospect at receiver for the Buckeyes. Transfer Devin McCuin had 726 yards and eight touchdowns at UTSA last season. This is still arguably the most talented corps in the country, but it will be interesting to see who becomes the No. 2 option to Smith, who will see every type of coverage you can throw at him.
Ohio State 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 9.5 Wins
Ordinarily a win total in single digits would be a slam dunk over for the Buckeyes considering they haven’t had fewer than double-digit victories in a full season since 2011. However, there are 51 newcomers on this roster and this schedule is loaded. Ohio State has road trips to Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC, and Nebraska plus host Illinois, Oregon, and Michigan at “The Horseshoe”. Ohio State ran the slowest-paced offense in college football, but this year they should take the training wheels off Sayin and Arthur Smith could do for the offense what Patricia did for the defense last season.
OREGON DUCKS
Since Dan Lanning took over the Oregon program in 2022, the Ducks have gone 48-8. They have made the College Football Playoff in both years and ran through the Big Ten in their first season in the conference back in 2024. The one thing that they have not done is win a National Championship as they have been blown out by the last two National Champions (Ohio State two years ago in the Rose Bowl and Indiana last year in the Peach Bowl).
This year Oregon starts out as a bit of a victim of its own success as both offensive coordinator Will Stein (Kentucky) and Tosh Lupoi (Cal) depart for head coaching jobs. Drew Mehringer (co-OC/tight ends coach) and Chris Hampton (co-DC/defensive backs coach) are promoted from within. For all the coaching staff changes, Oregon returns 66% of its net production per ESPN’s Bill Connelly. There is no bigger return than junior quarterback Dante Moore, who turned down the NFL Draft. In addition, eight starters are back on defense which is called by Lanning, so it should once again be an elite group.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can Dante Moore get it done when it matters most?
Moore is justifiably one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy having thrown for 3,565 yards and 30 TDs in his first year as a starter in 2025. He also has an embarrassment of riches for weapons around him, including Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., who combined for 1,323 yards on the ground as freshmen backups. Sophomore receivers Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan should be ready to step up into starting roles, plus Evan Stewart returns after missing last season with a knee injury. Moore will put up monster numbers again, but it remains to be seen if he can do it on the biggest stage. In the two games vs. Indiana last year, he was sacked nine times and had four turnovers including the pick-six on the opening snap of the Peach Bowl.
Can the offensive line hold up in the postseason?
Rimington Trophy finalist Iapani Laloulu anchors the line at center for the third straight season and Dave Iuli returns at right guard. The Ducks will need to replace three starters, but this offensive line is the only group to be a finalist for the Joe Moore Award each of the last three years which begs the question of why it has so much difficulty holding up in the big games? When you combine the season-ending playoff losses of the last two years, the Oregon offense has had 11 three-and-outs, given up 11 sacks, and allowed 21 TFLs. To get to that elusive National Championship Game, this group needs to be better when it matters most.
Will the defensive line be able to create more negative plays?
Oregon may have the best defensive line in the country with the returns of defensive tackles Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington along with edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and linebacker Teitum Tuioti. These four have combined for 45.5 sacks the last two seasons. Even with these gaudy sack numbers, Oregon still finds difficulty getting off the field at times and ranked just 52nd nationally in third-down stops. Defensive tackle transfers D’Antre Robinson (North Carolina) and Jerome Simmons (Louisiana-Monroe) should help matters though as depth pieces in stopping the run.
Oregon 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 10.5 Wins
There is never much margin for error in taking a win total over 10.5 wins especially with tough trips to both USC and Ohio State, and a lot has to go right to clear this number like the offensive line being able to gel together and the young skill position players being ready to step into starting roles after being productive backups. Nonetheless, Oregon may just have the most talented roster in college football, and they have a lot to prove after being humiliated to end their season each of the last two years. This may just be a “show no mercy” season for the Ducks where they have their best shot at a National Championship.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
Last year was supposed to be the year in Happy Valley for Penn State to return to the top of the college football mountain for the first time since 1986. The Nittany Lions started 3-0 and then lost a heartbreaker at home to Oregon in OT. That defeat sent them into a tailspin, as Penn State would lose six straight games including as 24-point road favorites at UCLA and as three touchdown home favorites vs. Northwestern, which resulted in James Franklin being fired the following day. They rallied to win the last four games under interim coach Terry Smith, who is being kept on staff as associate head coach.
After failing to land Kalani Sitake from BYU, Penn State signed Iowa State’s Matt Campbell to an eight-year, $70.5 million contract. After leading the Cyclones to arguably its best decade in program history, Campbell finally decided to make the jump for the big job. He brings along 11 assistants (including offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser) and staff with him from Ames plus 24 players, perhaps looking to duplicate Curt Cignetti’s success of the last two years at Indiana.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can Rocco Becht stay healthy?
Becht is one of the 24 transfers coming with Campbell to Happy Valley. The quarterback made 39 consecutive starts at Iowa State despite sustaining a torn labrum, a sprained AC joint, and two concussions last season. He had offseason surgery and was limited to 7-on-7 drills. Alex Manske, also transferring from Iowa State, also missed spring practice with injury. Connor Barry, a D-III transfer from Christopher Newport, is the only other QB on the roster who has taken a college snap. If Becht is healthy, he will have a lot of familiar weapons around him with running back Carson Hansen (1771 yards, 19 TDs last two years at ISU) along with Ben Brahmer, Gabe Burkle, Chase Sowell, and Brett Eskildsen, who were his top four pass catchers at Iowa State. Ohio State transfer James Peoples and Quentin Martin Jr (103 yards in Pinstripe Bowl) join Hansen in the backfield.
How will all the transfers mix in with the returning players?
Campbell brings in his 24 from Iowa State, but brings in 40 total transfers as the Nittany Lions are replacing 70 players from last year’s team, including eight that were taken in last spring’s NFL Draft. For comparison, Cignetti brought in 29 transfers, including 12 from his team at James Madison (22 were from the Group of Five or lower) during his first season at Indiana in 2024. Thirty-six of Campbell’s 40 transfers are from Power Four schools, so at least there is some talent that has played the highest competition in FBS. Nevertheless, the Big Ten is still a step above the Big 12.
How quickly can D’Anton Lynn get this defense up to speed?
Lynn improved the USC defense over the last two years, and Campbell immediately hired the former Penn State player to be his new defensive coordinator. This is a new scheme for these players with a 4-2-5 alignment, but seven of Lynn’s defensive starters were also starters for an Iowa State group that finished one spot outside of the top 25 for scoring defense (20.2 PPG).
Penn State 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 9.5 Wins
All last season, college football pundits were asking “who is this year’s Indiana” that could take everyone by surprise and make the College Football Playoff? Well, it turned out to be Indiana again. This year the answer to that question could very well be Penn State. Indiana had a highly-manageable schedule in 2024, and Penn State has the same this season as they avoid the consensus top trio of Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana altogether. There are road trips to Michigan and Washington, but they will be favored in every home game. This is a step up in competition for these Iowa State transfers, but they likely band together like the James Madison guys did for Indiana and set a new culture for the rest of the team to follow.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
It was another tough season for Purdue in Barry Odom’s first year. The Boilermakers improved from 1-11 to just 2-10 and the program is currently on an 18-game losing streak in Big 10 play and has zero victories over Power Four opponents in this two-year span. It also must be difficult to be at the bottom of the conference and see your archrival at the top as the defending National Champions.
While results have yet to show on the field, Purdue is in better shape and has more continuity than it had before Odom’s arrival. The coaching staff is better, but the talent is still not good enough to compete week in and week out in the Big Ten. They did not bring in a quarterback from the portal, so this is Ryan Browne’s show again. Browne (2153 yards, 9/10 TD/INT ratio) played with an ankle injury last season and his play suffered because of that and the loss of now graduated running back Devin Mockobee.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can the transfers help Browne?
Browne clearly must improve under center, but in fairness, he did not have a great deal of help last season. While Purdue returns second-leading rusher Antonio Harris (69-305-2), the bulk of production will come from portal additions like running backs Fame Ijeboi (Minnesota), Jerrick Gibson (Texas), and Travis Terrell (Jackson State). The Boilers also added three receivers – Bisi Owens (Penn), Assad Wassem (Florida Atlantic), Xavier Townsend (Iowa State) – from the portal who are all expected to start. De’Nylon Morrissette also returns from missing last season with an ankle injury.
Can the Boilermakers be more physical up front?
Purdue struggled in many areas last season, but they especially had difficulty in short-yardage (85th on third downs) and red-zone (119th) situations. Odom fired his offensive line coach Vance Vice, who came with him from UNLV, and brought in Zach Crabtree, who worked with offensive coordinator Josh Henson previously at USC. The coaching change should be an upgrade, and Purdue added more beef up front. While left tackle Joey Tanona returns, as many as four new starters from the portal could start including center Boaz Stanley (21 starts at South Carolina), left guard Micah Banuelos (5 starts at USC), and right tackle Nuki Mafi (12 starts last year at Oklahoma State).
Is Kane able?
Kevin Kane was the defensive coordinator here under previous head coach Ryan Walters in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Boilermakers finished last in the league in most defensive categories during those two seasons. He was replaced with the new staff coming in and coached linebackers at Minnesota last season. Kane now gets a second chance at the DC position and has more autonomy in calling the defense and he likes to attack more than Walters did. Plus, it was not like Purdue really got any better here ranking 17th in the Big Ten for total defense.
Purdue 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 3.5 Wins
Purdue is still a long way away from getting back to the competitiveness of the Jeff Brohm years, but Odom and his staff are an upgrade over the disastrous tenure of Ryan Walters. The schedule is relatively manageable considering the Boilermakers avoid Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and USC. Unfortunately for them, they cannot avoid Old Oaken Bucket rival Indiana who has beaten them by a combined score of 122-3 the last two seasons. Nevertheless, you still have a settled quarterback and better personnel on the lines and some conference games where the talent gap is not as large. Four wins seems doable, but that is likely the ceiling.
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
The second act for Greg Schiano at Rutgers certainly has had more difficulty than the first. In the late 2000s, Schiano got the Scarlet Knights near the top of the Big East, but in his second stanza, he is just 31-41 six seasons as a member of the Big Ten. There is credence to the thought that Schiano is coaching a bit with an arm tied behind his back because Rutgers has not really made the financial investment necessary to get this program more competitive in the Big Ten.
Schiano is a proven good coach but eventually results must materialize. That task is made even more difficult with “The Greek Rifle” Athan Kaliakmanis’s graduation and now having to replace a two-year starter at quarterback. Furthermore, the Scarlet Knights ranked 125th nationally in total defense which is why Travis Johansen was brought in as defensive coordinator after coaching South Dakota to the FCS Playoffs last year. Schiano will still have involvement on defense as always, but Johansen will be given more autonomy than his predecessors.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Who wins the quarterback job?
Sophomore AJ Surace saw limited action last season behind Kaliakmanis and now he battles Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan (66.9% completions, 2,025 yards, 12/5 TD/INT, nine starts). Once upon a time, Lonergan was a four-star recruit brought to Alabama by Nick Saban. Whoever wins the job does have some weapons to work with as Rutgers, who consistently has player retention problems due to NIL, was able to retain running back Antwan Raymond (1,275 yards, 13 TDs) and big 6-foot-6 receiver K.J. Duff (60-1,084-7).
Can the offensive line get better?
With all the issues on defense, Schiano and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca must play a little bit more ball control on offense. Two senior starters – left tackle Tyler Needham and right guard Kwabena Asamoah – are back, but there are also three open spots heading into fall camp. Jim Turner, most recently the interim head coach of the UFL’s Memphis Showboats before the franchise was eliminated, replaces Pat Flaherty as offensive line coach. Turner has a bit of a checkered past dating back to being fired as the Miami Dolphins OL coach for a pattern of harassment and bullying. Center Hank Zilinskas (Colorado), Everett Small (Eastern Michigan), and Isaiah Cook (Delaware State) all have starting experience at their previous stops.
Defense? Defense, anyone?
Rutgers ranked 125th in FBS for total defense, allowing 432.9 yards per game, which was the worst of any team in the Power Four. Only three starters are back from that group and that might not be a bad thing. Johansen brought in some of his FCS brethren to fill out his defensive staff including Drake head coach Joe Woodley to coach the rush ends and Drake defensive coordinator Adam Cox to coach the safeties. Safety Kaj Sanders (65 tackles) had half of his tackles in the last five games. Rutgers is largely rebuilding the defense through the portal for the second consecutive season. We will see if this rebuild goes better than the first.
Rutgers 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 4.5 Wins
Even with all the defensive issues, Rutgers should be able to put up some points again with Lonergan most likely to win the QB job, Raymond, and Duff. The Scarlet Knights avoid Oregon and Ohio State on the schedule, so on paper they look to have one of the easier schedules in the Big Ten and all three non-conference games are winnable, including at Boston College where Lonergan would face the school where he started nine games last season. Rutgers will need to win a coin flip game or two (at Maryland, at Northwestern, Michigan State).
UCLA BRUINS
Bob Chesney has been a rising star in the coaching ranks for several years now after leading Holy Cross to the FCS Playoffs five times in seven years and then getting James Madison into the College Football Playoff just two seasons after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana. Like Cignetti, Chesney brings a lot of his staff (eight assistants) with him to his new home from JMU including offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler. He also brings in 10 of his 42 transfers from James Madison.
However, it is the player who is staying that is the starting point, as quarterback Nico Iamaleava returns to work with a new staff that led James Madison to the No. 16 offense (452.6 yards per game) in the nation.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Is Nico Iamaleava ready to take the next step?
After all the drama surrounding his transfer from Tennessee, Iamaleava had a disappointing inaugural campaign in Westwood, throwing for just 1,929 yards in 11 starts. However, he did complete 64.4% of his passes and only threw seven interceptions while adding 505 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Chesney brings him some help from James Madison including all-purpose running back Wayne Knight (1,373 rush yards, nine TDs; 397 rec yards, one TD) to go along with returning backs Jaivian Thomas and Anthony Woods, plus three offensive line starters Riley Robell, Carter Sweezie (both All-Sun Belt), and JD Rayner. Essentially a brand-new receiving corps joins holdover Mikey Matthews (33-348-2) with Landon Ellis (James Madison), Leland Smith (San Jose State), Brian Rowe (South Carolina), Aidan Mizell (Florida), and Semaj Morgan (Michigan) entering the fold.
Can a true No. 1 wide receiver emerge?
One of the reasons for Iamaleava’s disappointing passing numbers is because the wide receivers did not give much help. Nico is a playmaker that is most effective throwing on the run instead of standing in the pocket, so receivers must get some separation. Rowe, from South Carolina, is the most talented of the group. Ellis (624 yards) has familiarity with the offense from his time at James Madison. Smith (43-688-3) posted good numbers at San Jose State.
Can the defensive line get some pressure on opposing quarterbacks?
No team in FBS was worse in doing so than UCLA last season, as they only registered 10 sacks. Chesney did go into the transfer portal and brought in key players like Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Sahir West (seven sacks) and Aiden Gobaira (four sacks) from James Madison. Oklahoma transfer linebacker Samuel Omosigho (50 tackles, two sacks). The talented secondary masked a lot of the defensive line’s weaknesses last year and it will be a talented group in the back again, but the defensive line must help them out up front or the Bruins will give plenty of points just like last year (33.4 PPG, 125th nationally).
UCLA 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 6.5 Wins
They are clearly hoping that history repeats itself in Westwood with what Cignetti did in Bloomington. Chesney is a good coach and he and his staff are a massive upgrade over Deshaun Foster and his group, and he has a chance to turn this around at UCLA, but this team is still a bit overpriced. The non-conference slate, especially with games at Cal and vs. San Diego State are not gimme wins. While they avoid Ohio State and Indiana, the Bruins still have trips to Michigan and Oregon. A 6-6 campaign is certainly realistic, but getting to seven wins seems to be a reach with so many new faces and so many unproven positions.
USC TROJANS
When Lincoln Riley was hired at USC five years ago, many college football talking heads and media did not think it was a question of when he would win a National Championship at USC, but how many would he win? Well to answer either of those questions in the affirmative, Riley must get them into the playoff first, which he did three times at Oklahoma. This group could very well be his most talented in five seasons with 14 starters returning and the nation’s No.1 recruiting class.
Even with all those starters returning, including QB Jayden Maiava and leading rushers King Miller and Waymond Jordan, there are still some questions for this team, mainly on defense. Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson has not coached full-time on any staff in nearly four years but was lured out of semi-retirement to become the new defensive coordinator, the third in four seasons, for the Trojans. Riley is halfway through his 10 year, $110 million contract and is hoping this gamble pays off.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Will Gary Patterson be able to put some fight into the USC defense?
Defense has seemed like a bit of an afterthought during Riley’s early tenure, but it did show the most improvement last season under D’Anton Lynn as the Trojans ranked No. 51 scoring defense (23 points per game), No. 47 pass defense (207.5 yards per game) and No. 58 run defense (143.2 yards per game). Lynn got the call to return to his alma mater Penn State as defensive coordinator, so Patterson returns to full-time coaching for the first time since 2021. Patterson switches the defense to a 4-2-5 where there is a lot of depth up front including defensive ends Kameryn Crawford (5.5 sacks, 10.5 TFLs) and Braylan Shelby (4.5 sacks), defensive tackles Jahkeem Stewart and Jide Abasiri plus the addition of Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren (52 tackles) to improve a run defense that ranked 12th in the conference. The back seven has talent but must replace All-American Bishop Fitzgerald in the secondary.
Who takes over at receiver for Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane?
Between Lemon, the Biletnikoff Award winner, and Lane, 1,900 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns are gone. Tanook Hines (34-561-2) will get the first crack at being Maiava’s top target. NC State transfer Terrell Anderson had 628 yards last year on 16.1 yards per reception. The talent level of the group appears to be a little down from USC’s typically high level which means the Trojans may run the ball more with the tandem of Miller and Jordan, who combined for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, running behind an offensive line that returns all five starters.
Can the Trojans win away from home and beat someone good?
In Riley’s four seasons at USC, the Trojans are 5-11 vs. ranked opposition. This season there are likely as many as five ranked opponents (Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State, and Indiana) on the schedule. The good news is that Oregon and Ohio State pay a visit to the LA Coliseum where the Trojans went 7-0 last season. However, the Trojans are only 10-10 in true Big 10 road games under Riley. They get a couple tests with trips to Penn State and Indiana. If USC wants to be taken seriously as a playoff contender again, then the Trojans must win more consistently on the road.
USC 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 8.5 Wins
The Trojans have a ton of talent, especially this No. 1 ranked recruiting class, but most of them might be a year away from making a real impact. They also do not avoid any of the elite Big Ten teams on this year’s schedule. They will score plenty of points as they always do under Riley, but there is some concern on defense with yet another new defensive coordinator with a new system. After a soft September where a 4-0 start is likely, the Trojans get thrown in the deep end with a tough schedule. Until they can prove it in big games, this looks like a similar season to last year.
WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies improved from 6-7 to 9-4 in his second season and the Huskies looked primed and ready perhaps to challenge the top of the Big Ten with 65% of its production back. Then, days after signing a $4 million NIL deal to return to Washington, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced he was entering the transfer portal and was reportedly about to sign for more money with LSU. Fortunately for all parties, this did not end up in court and Williams returned to Seattle.
Three of the four losses last season came against top-25 teams. Washington has gotten itself to the upper level of the Big Ten in just its third year in the conference, but it is now time for them to take the next step and knock off some of the league’s elite. Having Williams back is certainly a necessary step for that to happen.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Is Demond Williams Jr. all-in?
NIL and transfer portal are the way of the world in college football today. However, this got perilously close to Williams leaving and lawyers were about to get involved. Williams got some bad advice from his representatives and perhaps all of that is behind him. Can everyone let bygones be bygones? If so, Williams is one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the conference. He led the Huskies last season to top-five marks in both scoring offense (No. 4, 34.1 PPG) and total offense (No. 5, 409.9 YPG), but this time around he must do it without his best players from last season including wide receiver Denzel Boston and running back Jonah Coleman. Receiver Dezmun Roebuck (42-560-7) and tight end Decker Degraaf (32-360-2) are back and four-star receivers Jordan Clay, Mason James, and Trez Davis are part of Washington’s highest-rated recruiting class in school history.
Who emerges at running back?
Jonah Coleman is off to the NFL and his heir apparent Adam Mohammed transferred to Cal. They added seniors Jayden Limar (Oregon) and Trey Cooley (Troy) out of the portal, but both missed the spring with injuries and Jordan Washington (27-233-1) was also injured in spring ball, so redshirt freshman Quaid Carr and true freshman Brian Bonner got most of the reps. Whoever emerges in the backfield should have a very good offensive line to run behind as four starters return including the Hatchett brothers – center Landen and right guard Geirean – plus five-star freshman Kodi Greene should start at left tackle.
Can the Huskies beat anyone good?
Washington has shown the ability to beat the teams that they are supposed to beat, but this is a program still looking for a signature victory to get the Husky faithful to fully believe in Fisch. The Huskies are just 2-7 in Big Ten road games under Fisch with the two victories coming last year at Maryland and at UCLA. This year there are tests at USC, at Oregon, and at Nebraska and hosting Indiana in the home finale. Much will depend on Williams, who had just 645 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions in Washington’s four defeats.
Washington 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Over 7.5 Wins
Washington opens with a full September slate at home so they should start 4-0 before the trip to USC. Perhaps that gets its confidence rolling into the season and the Huskies can finally knock off a good team. The Huskies only averaged 9.3 points per game and 4.3 yards per play against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Oregon, who were the four best defenses they faced. Simply put, Williams also must be better against the better teams.
WISCONSIN BADGERS
It was thought that Luke Fickell would be the guy to restore Wisconsin Football to the Barry Alvarez era. It hasn’t gone that way in Madison, though, as Fickell has gone 7-6, 5-7, and 4-8 in his three seasons and no coaching hot seat in the Big Ten is hotter than his. For the first time since 1978, the Badgers did not have a player get selected in the NFL Draft, a streak of 47 seasons.
This is a complete roster makeover with 33 transfers. For the fourth straight year, Wisconsin had to get a starting QB out of the portal with Colton Joseph from Old Dominion. Joseph (4,251 passing yards, 32 touchdowns; 1,654 rushing yards, 24 touchdowns over two seasons) was the Sun Belt Player of the Year and could provide a jolt for the worst scoring offense (12.8 PPG – 133rd) in the Power Four. Wisconsin scored 81 points in nine Big Ten games during the 2025 season. The defense was solid as usual, but this team will once again find wins hard to come by if these numbers do not improve.
Three Burning Questions for the 2026 Season
Can anyone make plays at receiver?
Wisconsin has very little production returning at the position, but that might not be a bad thing considering its leading receiver last year had less than 400 yards. The Badgers will need to rely on transfers and its young recruits. Chris Brooks Jr. and Eugene Hilton return, along with the additions of Oklahoma State transfer Shamar Rigby and Minnesota transfer Malachi Coleman. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes is likely to go with a more run-heavy approach, especially with a mobile QB like Joseph, but they need at least some production from this position.
Aside from Joseph, who is the Badgers rushing threat?
Wisconsin’s identity has always been a power running game no matter who is the head coach, but last season they ranked just 115th nationally averaging just 116.7 yards per game. Leading rusher Darrion Dupree (83-363-2) returns but he has some company in the backfield with Abu Sama III (Iowa State) who rushed for 1933 yards and 13 touchdowns across three seasons and USC transfer Bryan Jackson II. Three starters are back on the offensive line to block for this group, but someone needs to emerge from the backfield as Joseph had more runs of 10 or more yards (37) than Wisconsin did as a team (33) last season.
How much of a load will the defense have to carry?
Somehow Wisconsin ranked 24th nationally in total defense being that they were on the field so often due to its anemic offense. Linebackers Cooper Catalano (56 tackles) and Mason Posa (61 tackles, four sacks) made major contributions as freshmen last season and now are the leaders of the unit, along with safety Matthew Jung (50 tackles). Aside from Jung, the secondary is all portal guys including Marvin Burks Jr. (Missouri), Javan Robinson (Arizona State), Cai Bates (Florida State), and Eric Fletcher (East Carolina). The front also has solid homegrown talent with Nicolas Clayton and Jaylen Williams alongside Sebastian Cheeks (three sacks). This could be a solid group again, but it really depends on if they can be kept off the field.
Wisconsin 2026 Season Win Total Pick – Under 6.5 Wins
After the opener vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, the schedule gets a bit more manageable with three of the next four games at home vs. Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, and Michigan State. The Badgers also avoid Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana. Joseph makes this offense better for sure, but the ceiling is still low with very few proven playmakers. Wisconsin had to rely more on the portal than usual and are looking for some kind of quick fix. Although the schedule is substantially easier, getting to seven wins is a big ask for a team that lacks talent at many positions.
