College Football Insider: Second year of 18-team Big Ten figures to pack a wallop again

The 2024 Big Ten football season carried a strong feel of curiosity because of the addition of four former Pac-12 teams and the subtraction of divisional play that began with Leaders and Legends before giving way to East and West. Fans went into the season wondering, “Just how would this all work?”

The answer: Pretty darn good. The Big Ten crowned its second consecutive national champion. Four Big Ten teams — Ohio State, league champion Oregon, Penn State and Indiana — secured berths in the first 12-team College Football Playoff, and the conference’s fourth-place team, the Buckeyes, won it all.

What does the Big Ten have in store for an encore? It’s starting the season with Penn State ranked No. 2, Ohio State No. 3 and Oregon No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason poll. No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Michigan and No. 20 Indiana have playoff aspirations, too.

Here is my predicted order of finish in the Big Ten, with ties based on conference standings:

1. Penn State

The skinny: The Nittany Lions just missed reaching the national title game last year, falling to Notre Dame on a late field goal in the semifinals. With QB Drew Allar and RBs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen leading 15 returning starters, plus former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles on board, Penn State is loaded for a long run. The schedule is manageable with a bye between trips to Iowa and Ohio State.

Projected record: 12-1, 9-1 Big Ten, with win over Ohio State in Big Ten Championship Game.

The skinny: The Buckeyes’ ability to reload will be tested immediately with a visit from No. 1 Texas in the opener. Alabama transfer Julian Sayin takes over for Will Howard at QB. Jeremiah Smith might be the best wideout in the country, and he’ll help offset the loss of RBs Traveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Safety Caleb Downs and LB Sonny Styles pace a speedy defense.

Projected record: 11-2, 8-2, with loss to Penn State in Big Ten title game.

3 (tie). Oregon

The skinny: The reigning Big Ten champion Ducks lost in the playoff quarterfinals to Ohio State last season, and they are poised to make a postseason run again. UCLA transfer Dante Moore replaces the productive Dillon Gabriel at QB. Big Ten sacks leader Matayo Uiagalelei anchors the D line, while Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman is one of the nation’s best safeties.

Projected record: 10-2, 7-2

The skinny: The Trojans lost four games by a combined 12 points last year, so there’s plenty of room for USC to improve if it can finish games. QB Jayden Maiava won the job late last year and has WRs Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane as top targets. The schedule is forgiving as the Trojans don’t play Penn State or Ohio State.

Projected record: 9-3, 7-2

5 (tie). Illinois

The skinny: Coming off a 10-3 season, the Fighting Illini are a trendy pick to make the College Football Playoff. That’ll hinge on coach Bret Bielema’s team continuing its incremental improvement with 17 starters returning. QB Luke Altmeyer passed for 22 TDs last year but will miss WR Pat Bryant.

Projected record: 9-3, 6-3

The skinny: Curt Cignetti backed up his brash words last year when the Hoosiers penned a Cinderella story all the way to a playoff berth. Indiana made an eight-win improvement last year, and to build on that, the Hoosiers will need Cal transfer QB Fernando Mendoza to excel.

Projected record: 9-3, 6-3

5 (tie). Iowa

The skinny: QB Mark Gronowski led South Dakota State to back-to-back FCS national titles, and if he can make a Max Brosmer-like transition to the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes should be in good shape. An offensive line led by C Logan Jones and T Gennings Dunker will help offset the loss of RB Kaleb Johnson.

Projected record: 9-3, 6-3

The skinny: The Wolverines took their lumps last season, dropping games to playoff teams Texas, Oregon and Indiana, but beating Ohio State for the fourth consecutive time. How well true freshman QB Bryce Underwood adapts will determine if Michigan is a playoff team. The defense, led by Edge Derrick Moore, is solid.

Projected record: 9-3, 6-3

5 (tie). Nebraska

The skinny: The Cornhuskers ended their seven-year bowl drought in 2024, and with QB Dylan Raiola improving under late-season coordinator addition Dana Holgorsen, there’s optimism in Lincoln for a big season. Circle the date: Oct. 17 at Minnesota. The Huskers are 1-6 against the Gophers in the P.J. Fleck era.

Projected record: 9-3, 6-3

The skinny: Redshirt freshman QB Drake Lindsey has received raves from his coaches for how quickly he has learned the offense. Now it’s time to see if his deeds match those words. A strong running game, led by Darius Taylor, will help, as will standout safety/return man Koi Perich playing some on offense. To match or better last year’s 7-5 mark, the Gophers must finish better than 3-4 in one-score games.

Projected record: 8-4, 5-4

11. Washington

The skinny: The Huskies had a Jekyll-and-Hyde debut season in the Big Ten, going 6-1 in Seattle but 0-5 elsewhere. Coach Jedd Fisch hands the offensive reins to sophomore Demond Williams Jr., who passed for four TDs in the Sun Bowl. Former Purdue coach Ryan Walters takes over as defensive coordinator.

Projected record: 7-5, 4-5

The skinny: The Scarlet Knights closed strong in 2024, beating the Gophers to start a 3-1 regular-season finish. Key was former Minnesota QB Athan Kaliakmanis throwing eight TD passes vs. one interception in that span. Kaliakmanis is back for his senior season, part of seven returning offensive starters.

Projected record: 5-7, 3-6

12 (tie). Wisconsin

The skinny: The Badgers finished 5-7 last year, missing a bowl trip for the first time since 2001. They will need to navigate a brutally tough schedule that includes trips to Alabama, Michigan, Oregon and Indiana, plus home games against Iowa, Ohio State and Illinois. Maryland transfer QB Billy Edwards Jr. leads a retooled offense under new coordinator Jeff Grimes.

Projected record: 5-7, 3-6

The skinny: To end a three-year bowl drought, the Spartans must improve an offense that ranked 123rd nationally at 19.3 points per game. Coach Jonathan Smith is counting on QB Aidan Chiles to develop. Joe Rossi’s defense is solid in the secondary but needs to fix a pass rush that ranked 16th in the Big Ten.

Projected record: 5-7, 2-7

14 (tie). Northwestern

The skinny: The Wildcats slumped to 4-8 in David Braun’s second year as coach, and they’re banking on an influx of transfers to swing momentum. QB Preston Stone, a transfer from SMU, will try to revive an offense that ranked next-to-last in the Big Ten at 17.8 points per game.

Projected record: 4-8, 2-7

The skinny: After reaching a bowl game for three consecutive seasons, the Terrapins slumped to 4- 8 last year, and coach Mike Locksley could be feeling some heat. True freshman QB Malik Washington, a top-five national recruit, is a dynamic playmaker who’ll need to mature quickly.

Projected record: 4-8, 1-8

16 (tie). UCLA

The skinny: QB Nico Iamaleava landed in Westwood after leaving Tennessee in an NIL dispute, and he’s the focal point in new coordinator Tino Sunseri’s offense. The Bruins defense returns only one starter, forcing coach DeShaun Foster to hit the transfer portal for replacements.

Projected record: 3-9, 1-8

The skinny: New coach Barry Odom has a reputation for rebuilding programs, and he’s taken on a challenging job with the Boilermakers, who went 1-11 last year. RB Devin Mockobee is Purdue’s best returning player. National champion Ohio State and runner-up Notre Dame are on the schedule.