The college football season is underway, and the Big Ten conference is expected to be one of the most competitive in the nation. USA Today’s Paul Myerberg and Jim Sergent have predicted every team’s record in the Big Ten, with Penn State taking the top spot at 11-1 (8-1).
Penn State returns a strong roster, including senior QB Drew Allar and dynamic RBs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, which made them “more of a sure thing than Ohio State” according to Myerberg. The Nittany Lions will be among the top teams in the entire nation.
The Oregon Ducks come in second at 10-2 (7-2), but face a tough challenge as they replace multiple star players, including QB Dante Moore and pass rusher Matayo Uiagalelei. Despite this, Myerberg believes Oregon can still make a deep run in the playoffs.
Ohio State falls to third at 9-3 (7-2) due to concerns over their new starting QB Julian Sayin and rebuilt defense. However, they still have star WR Jeremiah Smith and superstar DB Caleb Downs leading the way.
Other Big Ten teams with predicted records include Illinois (9-3, 6-3), Nebraska (9-3, 6-3), Indiana (9-3, 6-3), Michigan (8-4, 6-3), Iowa (8-4, 5-4), and Washington (8-4, 5-4).
Notable dark horses in the conference include Illinois and Nebraska, who face favorable schedules that don’t include Penn State or Oregon. The Huskers also have a strong quarterback in Dylan Raiola.
On the other end of the spectrum, Purdue Boilermakers will struggle to a 2-10 (0-9) record, while Northwestern Wildcats will finish with a dismal 3-10 (1-8).
Source: https://www.on3.com/news/usa-today-predicts-record-for-every-big-ten-football-team-in-2025