Big Ten Football Power Rankings heading into Week 1

ANN ARBOR, MI - APRIL 18: Michigan Wolverines running back Savion Hiter (5) runs with the ball during a play during the Michigan spring football game on April 18, 2026 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images P

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What is the story about?

Preseason rankings are inherently silly in and of themselves. However, they do provide a good baseline to look back and laugh at once the games have been played on the field. From here on out, we’ll be publishing our Big Ten Power Rankings each Monday to assess how teams have shifted up and down the list throughout the season.

Without further ado, here’s our totally subjective preseason rankings.

10. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Week 1 vs. Eastern Illinois

P.J. Fleck’s squad starts the season as a heavy, heavy favorite against EIU (the spread is 43.5). Minnesota

appears on paper to be the same old Gophers team with a giant but unskilled offensive line and athletes galore on defense. Until they knock off some of the top Big Ten contenders, Minnesota will always be around the middle of the conference.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini: Week 1 vs. UAB

Bret Bielema has Illinois pointed in the right direction as a whole, but they lost quite a bit of production from 2025’s squad. The Fighting Illini don’t figure to feature prominently in the Big Ten race this year but they could pull a surprise upset or two.

8. Washington Huskies: Week 1 vs. Washington State

With the Demond Williams offseason saga in the rearview mirror (allegedly), Washington has their sights set on contending this season. Williams himself is one of the more electric quarterbacks in the conference who can kill you with his legs or throw backbreaking interceptions. Arguably the most boom-or-bust team in the conference, it will be fascinating to watch the Huskies this year.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. Northern Illinois

Phil Parker’s defense should be stout, though maybe not elite this season. On offense, the Hawkeyes feature their usual onslaught of All-American caliber offensive linemen. However, the quarterback position is a major, major problem for Iowa. Kirk Ferentz and company will need to win in spite of their passing game, not because of it.

6. Penn State Nittany Lions: Week 1 vs. Marshall

The Matt Campbell era kicks off in Happy Valley this weekend. While James Franklin took a huge portion of the roster to Virginia Tech with him, Campbell essentially brought his entire Iowa State roster with him to Penn State. The Nittany Lions have arguably the easiest schedule in the Big Ten so talented or not, expect them to be in the CFP conversation.

5. USC Trojans: Week 1 vs. Fresno State (Week 0: defeated San Jose State, 42-26)

USC was the laughingstock of the country in Week 0, though it had nothing to do with their play on the field. The Trojan fanbase opted not to show up to USC’s season-opening win over San Jose State as the Coliseum was nearly empty. However, Lincoln Riley’s squad looks dominant again on offense with some cause for concern on defense. Same old, same old.

4. Michigan Wolverines: Week 1 vs. Western Michigan

We’ll learn a ton about this Michigan team when they take on Oklahoma in Week 2. For now, the Wolverines slot in at No. 4 thanks to the immense amount of talent on the roster, both via retention and the handful of transfers Kyle Whittingham brought with him from Utah.

3. Indiana Hoosiers: Week 1 vs. North Texas

Replacing Fernando Mendoza will certainly be difficult for Curt Cignetti and company. However, ignore Indiana at your own peril. They are loaded with talent across the board. The notably worse quarterback position is what holds the Hoosiers back behind the top two in this list.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes: Week 1 vs. Ball State

While beloved by the national media (shocking, I know), Ohio State will have to replace a ton of production on defense. Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, and more are gone from the Buckeye defense. Of course they’ll be replaced by five-star prospects, but expect Matt Patricia’s defense to take a small step back. However, offensively this is still a typical Buckeye juggernaut.

1. Oregon Ducks: Week 1 vs. Boise State

Dan Lanning heads into the season with arguably the best defensive line in the entire country. On top of that, they have future first-round pick Dante Moore leading the offense. Based on vibes alone, we’ve got the Ducks at No. 1 in the preseason Big Ten rankings. We’ll see what happens once the ball is kicked off.