Big Ten, at a glance.
Top 10 by power rating — 2026 season, through the latest games.
Team
Record
Power
Home Conferences FBS 2026 season
The weekly grind · 2026
Big Ten
The Coast-to-Coast Era
Ohio State holds the Big Ten lead heading into this week's games.
Big Ten carries real selection-room weight with 7 teams inside the top 25 and Ohio State driving a legitimate national ceiling.
#2Overall
#2In FBS
+23.3Conference strength
+28.0Upper strength
18Teams
7Top-25 teams
Power snapshot
Projected 2026 standing
The Coast-to-Coast Era
Indiana's 16-0 run in 2025 ended an eleven-year conference championship drought and gave the Big Ten a third national champion in three seasons, after Michigan in 2023 and Ohio State in 2024. The coast-to-coast expansion delivered both the talent depth and the schedule credibility to put Indiana on a pedestal nobody predicted. Now the question is whether that ceiling is repeatable.
7 top-25 teams.
The depth argument for this conference rests on how many credible opponents are clustered behind the leader. The gap between the top and bottom is narrow — a sign of genuine parity.
Where things stand right now.
Ohio State holds the Big Ten lead heading into this week's games.
The National ChampionsIndiana Enters 2026 With a Target on Its Back
Indiana went 16-0 in 2025 — regular season, conference title, and national championship. They are the CFP’s defending champion, and every schedule-maker circled their name. The question is whether Indiana can meet a higher standard of opponent preparation in Year 2.
Why it matters →The FrontrunnerOregon Is Built for a Deep CFP Run
Oregon is one of the Big Ten’s highest-rated programs and is built for a deep run. Dan Lanning’s program is the Big Ten’s argument that West Coast expansion raised the conference ceiling — and the most likely challenger to Indiana’s title defense.
Why it matters →The Storied ProgramOhio State’s Title Window Is Still Open
Ohio State won the 2024 national title and has reached the CFP in three of the last four seasons. Ryan Day’s roster is talented enough to compete — the question is whether they can close the gap against elite competition when it matters most.
Why it matters →Active arcs
Hot7wk ago
Unorthodox kick time announced for Penn State’s game vs. Wisconsin. What to know
Can Penn State overcome its defensive struggles and injury issues?
WisconsinPenn State
Hot7wk ago
Illinois faces Ohio State with mixed roster availability
How will Illinois' injury situation impact their game against Ohio State?
Illinois
Hot8wk ago
Jeremy Hecklinski | Iowa Football | Sept. 5 - The Quad-City Times
How will Iowa rebuild its roster after losing key players in the draft?
Iowa
Active4mo ago
Kyle Whittingham’s blunt message after Michigan’s loss to Iowa
Can Michigan regain its footing and overcome its early-season hurdles?
Michigan
Active3mo ago
Penn State prepares for USC showdown in White Out game
Can Penn State secure a statement win against USC?
Penn State
Fan pulse
15% positive
43% neutral
42% negative
Ohio State
9,517
↓ negative
Nebraska
7,282
↓ negative
Michigan
7,173
↓ negative
Oregon
6,148
↓ negative
UCLA
2,238
↓ negative
Penn State
1,909
↓ negative
Fan confidence by FBS percentile
Where each Big Ten program stands nationally in fan sentiment (100th = most positive in FBS, 0 = least). Conference median: 26th percentile. The label is the band (Bullish, Leaning, Mixed, Souring); the number after it is the change in percentile points since the prior week.
Most volatile: Wisconsin
Fan confidence has swung 88 percentile points in the last 8 weeks — currently at the 10th percentile nationally.
Rivalry face-offs
The coaching premium
Recruiting class rank vs. SP+ performance — where coaches add or subtract value
Above line = coaching premium
Below line = underperforming
Gap = recruiting rank minus SP+ rank
Positive gap means the coaching staff won more than the recruiting class predicted. Data: Big Ten teams, 18 programs.
Standings
2026 season, in progress — sorted by power rating. The tag beside a team is its long-run program standing.
| # | Team | Record | Power | Resume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ohio StateBlue Blood#2
|
6-2 | +33.1 | +98.1 |
| 2 |
IndianaPower Program II#16
|
8-1 | +31.8 | +99.9 |
| 3 |
NorthwesternNational Program II#49
|
6-2 | +29.3 | +95.8 |
| 4 |
OregonPower Program I#6
|
5-3 | +29.1 | +90.4 |
| 5 |
IowaPower Program II#22
|
6-2 | +27.6 | +97.3 |
| 6 |
UCLANational Program I#35
|
8-0 | +27.0 | +99.6 |
| 7 |
NebraskaNational Program I#37
|
5-3 | +26.3 | +92.1 |
| 8 |
USCPower Program I#13
|
7-2 | +26.1 | +98.8 |
| 9 |
MichiganBlue Blood#5
|
5-3 | +25.5 | +91.6 |
| 10 |
WashingtonPower Program II#17
|
5-3 | +25.1 | +90.6 |
| 11 |
Penn StatePower Program I#12
|
4-4 | +23.2 | +82.9 |
| 12 |
WisconsinPower Program III#30
|
5-3 | +22.5 | +96.9 |
| 13 |
MinnesotaNational Program I#39
|
5-3 | +22.3 | +90.3 |
| 14 |
IllinoisNational Program II#48
|
5-3 | +19.6 | +88.8 |
| 15 |
PurdueRegional Program II#95
|
3-5 | +17.1 | +88.9 |
| 16 |
RutgersRegional Program II#91
|
2-6 | +15.9 | +46.8 |
| 17 |
MarylandRegional Program I#78
|
2-6 | +15.2 | +59.5 |
| 18 |
Michigan StateNational Program III#62
|
2-6 | +14.7 | +89.5 |
Projected standings · Big Ten · 2026
Win projection
Odds of winning at least N conference games from current power ratings — full slate played out, not locked to results. Avg = expected wins; W-L = most-likely record.
| # | Team | W-L | Pwr | Avg | ≥9 | ≥8 | ≥7 | ≥6 | ≥5 | ≥4 | ≥3 | ≥2 | ≥1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorites | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Ohio State | 6-3 | +9.1 | 6.0 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 65 | 86 | 96 | 99 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 | Indiana | 6-3 | +7.8 | 6.0 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 64 | 86 | 96 | 99 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3 | Northwestern | 6-3 | +5.3 | 5.4 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 49 | 75 | 92 | 98 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 | Oregon | 5-4 | +5.1 | 5.3 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 47 | 73 | 90 | 98 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Challengers | |||||||||||||
| 5 | UCLA | 6-3 | +3.0 | 5.7 | 1 | 9 | 28 | 56 | 80 | 94 | 99 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 6 | Iowa | 5-4 | +3.6 | 5.1 | 4 | 16 | 38 | 65 | 86 | 96 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 7 | Nebraska | 5-4 | +2.4 | 5.0 | 3 | 14 | 36 | 63 | 85 | 96 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 8 | USC | 5-4 | +2.1 | 4.7 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 55 | 80 | 94 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 9 | Michigan | 5-4 | +1.5 | 4.7 | 2 | 10 | 28 | 54 | 79 | 94 | 99 | ✓ | |
| The field | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Penn State | 5-4 | −0.8 | 4.8 | 2 | 11 | 31 | 58 | 81 | 94 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5-4 | −1.5 | 4.7 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 57 | 81 | 94 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 12 | Washington | 5-4 | +1.2 | 4.6 | 2 | 10 | 28 | 54 | 78 | 93 | 99 | ✓ | |
| 13 | Minnesota | 4-5 | −1.6 | 3.8 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 32 | 58 | 81 | 95 | 99 | |
| 14 | Illinois | 3-6 | −4.3 | 3.5 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 50 | 77 | 93 | 99 | ||
| Rebuilding | |||||||||||||
| 15 | Purdue | 3-6 | −6.9 | 3.1 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 39 | 67 | 89 | 98 | ||
| 16 | Maryland | 3-6 | −8.7 | 3.0 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 34 | 63 | 87 | 98 | ||
| 17 | Rutgers | 3-6 | −8.1 | 3.0 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 34 | 63 | 86 | 98 | ||
| 18 | Michigan State | 2-7 | −9.3 | 2.6 | 2 | 9 | 25 | 52 | 80 | 96 | |||
How they play
Six advanced-stat dimensions per team, ranked against all 134 FBS programs, 2026 season. Every column reads higher-is-better. Click a column to sort.
ScoringConvertsBig playsDefensePacePass rate
| Team | Scoring | Converts | Defense | Identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | +0.26 | 48.4% | +0.06 | Lockdown defense |
| Indiana | +0.28 | 44.3% | +0.07 | Lockdown defense |
| Northwestern | +0.33 | 48.9% | −0.04 | Efficient offense |
| Oregon | +0.13 | 41.6% | +0.02 | Balanced |
| Iowa | +0.11 | 44.1% | +0.05 | Lockdown defense |
| UCLA | +0.16 | 45.9% | +0.20 | Lockdown defense |
| Nebraska | +0.21 | 44.4% | +0.02 | Big-play offense |
| USC | +0.26 | 49.7% | −0.12 | Efficient offense |
| Michigan | +0.08 | 41.0% | +0.08 | Lockdown defense |
| Washington | +0.13 | 41.6% | +0.00 | Balanced |
| Penn State | +0.13 | 41.9% | −0.04 | Balanced |
| Wisconsin | +0.08 | 38.5% | +0.06 | Grind-it-out |
| Minnesota | +0.02 | 37.8% | +0.02 | Can't sustain drives |
| Illinois | +0.24 | 47.6% | −0.22 | Defense is the problem |
| Purdue | +0.15 | 41.9% | −0.23 | Defense is the problem |
| Rutgers | +0.12 | 40.7% | −0.24 | Big-play offense |
| Maryland | +0.04 | 39.1% | −0.13 | Balanced |
| Michigan State | −0.02 | 42.1% | −0.18 | No explosive plays |
Identity is the single dimension where a team is most above or below the FBS average (pace, defense, big plays, or converting drives) — "Balanced" means nothing stands out either way. CFBD 2026 advanced stats, excludes garbage time.
Top players
Big Ten's highest CFB Zeitgeist Scores, 2026 season so far.
| # | Player | Team | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah SmithWR | Ohio State | #2 of 465 |
| 2 | Tobi OsunsanmiEDGE | Indiana | #1 of 405 |
| 3 | Alex McLaughlinS | Washington | #1 of 537 |
| 4 | Tony RojasLB | Penn State | #5 of 567 |
| 5 | Charlie BeckerWR | Indiana | #8 of 465 |
| 6 | Collin DixonWR | Illinois | #9 of 465 |
| 7 | Jahsear WhittingtonIDL | Nebraska | #5 of 300 |
| 8 | Braydon BrusLB | Northwestern | #8 of 567 |
| 9 | Jalen WoodsLB | UCLA | #9 of 567 |
| 10 | Samuel OmosighoLB | UCLA | #13 of 567 |
Where Big Ten stands nationally
Conference strength, as a round-robin adjusted power rating.
1
SEC
SEC
+24.4
2
B10
Big Ten
+23.3
3
IND
FBS Independents
+21.7
4
B12
Big 12
+21.5
5
P12
Pac-12
+20.8
6
ACC
ACC
+20.5
7
AAC
American Athletic
+18.3
8
SB
Sun Belt
+17.3
9
MW
Mountain West
+16.5
10
CUSA
Conference USA
+16.4
Big Ten title odds
Best available American odds · sportsbook consensus.
| # | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indiana
|
+120 |
| 2 |
Ohio State
|
+170 |
| 3 |
Oregon
|
+280 |
| 4 |
UCLA
|
+360 |
| 5 |
USC
|
+1100 |
| 6 |
Penn State
|
+1700 |
| 7 |
Washington
|
+2800 |
| 8 |
Michigan
|
+3200 |
| 9 |
Iowa
|
+3300 |
| 10 |
Wisconsin
|
+4000 |
The Big Ten in History
- The Big Ten postpones its fall football season, then votes to play it after allAug 11, 2020
- The Big Ten drops its six-game minimum, and Ohio State plays for the titleDec 9, 2020
- USC and UCLA leave the Pac-12 for the Big TenConference change · Jun 30, 2022