2026 Preseason Big Ten Football Previews and Predictions

1. Oregon Ducks

Dante Moore is back, and that will go a long way toward the success of the Ducks. Last season, the veteran QB put up huge numbers with a banged-up receiving corps and likely would have been a top pick in last spring’s NFL draft, had he entered.

This season, with a healthy group of pass-catchers, offensive production should be monstrous. Look for the trio of Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart, and Jeremiah McClellan to cause plenty of matchup issues for opponents.

The strongest position group on the team is going to be the defensive line.  And if you are good up front on that side of the ball, odds are you are in for a productive season.

The Oregon front is as good as any unit in the nation. Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington are NFL-caliber DTs already, while Matayo Uiagalelei is a premier edge rusher.

This could be the season the Ducks finally break through in the playoffs and give the Big Ten a fourth straight national title in as many years.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers’ defense was dominant last season—so much so that they made the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, look pedestrian in preseason practices.

As good as that unit was a year ago, they should put an even better product on the field this fall.

And as good as that defense was in the spring, it just got a lot better and deeper with linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley getting an additional fifth season. Both would likely have been drafted last April if not for season-ending injuries to each.

The offense will look a bit different with Josh Hoover under center, but the former TCU signal-caller is surrounded by playmakers at RB and WR, and will operate behind one of the best offensive lines in the country.

Look for a big year from Hoover and expect the Hoosiers to once again score a lot of points. But with the defense they have, it might only require about 17 to win most of their games.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State faces a tough schedule with Texas, Iowa, Indiana, and USC all coming on the road, but if any team is built for the challenge, it is the Buckeyes.

Julian Sayin will be a lot better at the quarterback position, and Jeremiah Smith might be the best player in the country.

Couple those two with Bo Jackson in the backfield, and the Buckeye offense will be difficult to stop.

Matt Patricia will once again have a defense that is among the best in the country.

4. USC Trojans

On offense, USC will be fierce with a lot of production returning from last season, including Jayden Maiava under center and both King Miller and Waymond Jordan joining him in the backfield.

On top of that, all five offensive linemen are back in the fold. Tanook Hines could be a breakout star at receiver, the one unit on offense that does not return a lot.

Gary Patterson was brought in to run the defense, and despite not having an on-field role in the last five seasons, he is still one of the best defensive minds in the game.

His 4-2-5 scheme should be effective, especially with the talent they have along the line.  They’ll be tough to run against and should be able to contain in man coverage at the backend.

Expectations are high in LA, and for good reason. The Trojans have a very daunting schedule to navigate, but the rewards are there for the taking.

5. Washington Huskies

Jedd Fisch has been building towards this season since he arrived at UW, and the pieces are in place for a breakout campaign.

This is an extremely talented team at Washington, led offensively by Demond Williams at quarterback.

Dezmen Roebuck will be on the receiving end of a lot of his passes and looks like a star in the making.

The defense has some new faces, and the secondary lost a lot, but the pieces are in place for a successful campaign in Seattle.

6. Michigan Wolverines

Last season was not one to remember fondly in Ann Arbor, but things could not have turned out better in the end as the Wolverines stepped right into Kyle Whittingham.

The former Utah head coach will have plenty of playmakers in his first season with Michigan.

The offense has three big-time performers in QB Bryce Underwood, RB Jordan Marshall and WR Andrew Marsh.

The defense has some holes to fill, but Whittingham brought a lot of his defensive playmakers from Salt Lake City with him. Look for John Henry Daley and Smith Snowden to step in and step up.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes

The Hawkeyes are well coached, and despite all of the new faces, Kirk Ferentz and his staff should get the most out of the squad.

LJ Phillips will be the workhorse on offense as Iowa will pound the ball on the ground, and the South Dakota transfer should put up huge numbers.

And having a potential All-American in Kade Pieper leading the way at guard certainly does not hurt.

The defense has some holes, but I have no doubt Phil Parker will have a unit that does not allow much from their opposition.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

Matt Campbell worked wonders at Iowa State and had the Cyclones competitive for most of his tenure in Ames. Now at Penn State, he should have more resources at his disposal, and the success should again be there.

The bottom line is Campbell has four wins on his resume over Top 10 opponents, and winning big games was the biggest issue with the prior head coach.

Rocco Becht has a ton of experience at the QB position, and within Campbell’s system, coming with him from ISU.

The offense should move the ball effectively as long as the line comes together, and that could be an issue in some games.

D’Anton Lynn takes over as the DC and will look to continue his success, especially in the red zone.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini

Last season was to be the year the Illini took the next step.

And while that leap did not exactly come as expected, Bret Bielema’s team has posted back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Going 19-7 over the last two seasons, it certainly looks like he has Illinois in position to have similar results year in and year out.

This season, Katin Houser will step into the QB role, but running the ball is the key to their success. And in that department, they can hit you with both power (in the form of Kaden Fegin) and finesse (Ca’Lil Valentine).

10. Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Gophers have been steady under PJ Fleck. Win six to eight regular season games and cap things off with a bowl win.

In fact, they are 7-0 in bowl games under Fleck and have won their last nine bowl games as a program.

So, is this the season they make a jump? Probably not. But…

Drake Lindsey might be the best QB in the nation that you have never heard of, and he will work behind a big offensive line that will blast off the ball.

On defense, the Gophers have a potential First-Rounder in sack machine Anthony Smith.

I think we see another seven-win season with a bowl game at the end, but this Gopher team may be a few surprises from making a lot of noise.

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers

This looks like a make-or-break season for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska’s rich history just has not had a program worthy of Blue Blood status in quite some time.

And that makes this season critical for Matt Ruhle and his staff. He was brought in as a big-time hire and has delivered a rather pedestrian 19-19 record, with a 10-17 Big Ten mark in his three seasons in Lincoln.

Kwazi Gilmer should be a good addition on the outside for transfer QB Anthony Colandrea to utilize, but the unit as a whole will need a lot more production than they have had the past few seasons.

On defense, new DC Rob Aurich will look for success similar to what he had at San Diego State last season. In order to have that kind of results, this unit will have to get to the QB as effectively as the Aztecs did.

Look for big numbers from Anthony Jones off the edge and Owen Chambliss in the middle.

12. Northwestern Wildcats

The Wildcats have a shiny new stadium, a sudden influx of money, and Chip Kelly calling the offensive plays.

Things certainly look bright in Evanston.

David Braun has gotten the most out of the talent he has to work with in his first few seasons, and this year the talent looks a lot better.

The Cats nabbed some big-time talent in the portal, but how will that translate on the field?

Aidan Chiles enters as QB, but which version of Chiles will we see? An agile playmaker or a turnover-prone passer?

If Kelly can get the most out of him, this could be an explosive offense.

That would determine whether the Wildcats make a solid bowl game or their difficult schedule leads to a long season.

13. UCLA Bruins

There is a lot of optimism whenever a new staff enters, but the situation at UCLA offers even more reason for hope.

The script is familiar: A struggling Big Ten school turns over the program to a coach from James Madison with a winning pedigree at every stop along the way as he climbed the ranks starting in obscure places like Salve Regina.

Can Bob Chesney produce the same kind of turnaround at UCLA that Curt Cignetti did with Indiana?

Well, perhaps not the same meteoric rise, but UCLA is certainly not the college football wasteland Indiana once was. Despite nine losing seasons in the last 16, UCLA has had substantial previous gridiron success.

Nico Iamaleava got a bit of a bad rap last season, and a lot of that, deserved or not, stemmed from the nature of his exit from Tennessee. While he wasn’t perfect in 2025, he did what he could, considering his lack of help on the field.

This season, he should have a better supporting cast. Wayne Knight was a workhorse back for JMU last fall, and he’s the kind of playmaker that was missing from the Bruin attack in 2025. He should also open things up in the downfield passing.

UCLA’s transfer portal haul should also help the defense create more pressure. The pass rush was terrible last fall and, not surprisingly, so was the success rate on third down.

Another JMU transfer, Sahir West, should be a significant upgrade as an edge rusher. If the defense can keep things tight, the offense should score enough points to win some of the games they lost last season.

A bowl game could be on the table, but at the very least a solid foundation for the future is being laid.

14. Wisconsin Badgers

Year Four in Madison is a crucial one for Luke Fickell and his staff. A bad offense got worse in 2025 as they could not keep a QB healthy.

This season, Colton Joseph enters from Old Dominion, and he is a QB I am very high on.

The question remains, though—will he have anything to work with, and will the Badgers be able to protect him?

If the answer is yes, then Wisconsin could sneak up on some teams. If the answer is no, then this will be a long season and perhaps the final one for the current staff in Madison.

15. Maryland Terrapins

There is reason for hope in Maryland with some of the weapons the Terps have on the offensive side of the ball.

Malik Washington took some lumps last season, but when the QB was on, things looked really good. He led the Big Ten with 473 pass attempts in 2025 and look for more of the same in 2026.

To really be good this season, the Terps will need to have at least a semblance of a run game.

The defense last season was really bad. Look for a better pass rush from the trio of Sidney Stewart, Zahin Mathis, and dynamic playmaker Nashir Taylor.

Maryland has the potential to win enough games to go bowling, especially with most of the seemingly toss-up games at home. If not, it could be the end of the Mike Locksley era.

16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers is up against it, and to be quite honest, the Knights are not on the same level as the rest of the conference when it comes to NIL resources.

That makes the job for Greg Schiano that much more difficult.

The Scarlet Knights brought in a good QB in Dylan Lonergan from BC, but the line will need to give him time to work. If he has enough protection, the downfield passing game could be explosive.

The ceiling for Rutgers in 2026 is sneaking into a bowl game. The floor is struggling to win multiple conference games.

17. Michigan State Spartans

Pat Fitzgerald will have the Spartans winning; it’s just not going to be this season.

This year it will be about getting tougher on both sides of the ball and building a winning identity.

On offense, the Spartans will look to pound the ball with Cam Edwards on the ground. He was a threat for UConn during the first three seasons of his career.

The talent is not there on either side of the ball yet, but Fitzgerald always gets production from his defense.

If the Spartans make it to a bowl this season, it will be one of the feel-good stories of the college football season. Sparty is still a few years away.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue’s record on the football field over the last two seasons is 3-21.  Just one of those three wins came over an FBS opponent, the season opener against Ball State last year.

Barry Odom has a huge task ahead of him to get things turned around.

This season, the Boilermakers should be better, but there is still a long way to go. Look for Purdue to be more competitive, but multiple conference wins will be hard to come by.

Still, considering they have lost their last 18 Big Ten games, even one conference victory would be welcome.