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I have learned a couple things over the years.

1.  My pre-season power rankings will always be wrong
2.  Power rankings are still fun to do anyway.
3.  It's always fun to see what everyone else thinks.

So here goes nothing.  I will put my rankings in separate post below.

As typically are the media's, my pre-season rankings are mostly a reflection of my biases, with a heavy dose of what I think of the current Badgers (plus the inevitable misplaced pre-season optimism):

1) Ohio State: for the same reason LP stated above. Until proven different, OSU is the team to beat.
2) Oregon: similar to Ohio State.
3) Michigan: the sports writers say it should be Penn State, but is it really true that Franklin can't win the big game?
4) Penn State: probably too low...maybe not.

Honestly, everything after this is just me spit balling (as if the same weren't true for the first four):

5) Iowa: will be solid on the lines and play everyone tough. Won't have the elite talent to beat the big boys, and will lose a close one or two to someone else. Because that's what Iowa does.

6) Illinois: should be higher than Iowa because finished better last season? Maybe. Bielema's teams are a lot like Ferentz's teams, but he has less history at Illinois, and Illinois doesn't have the long-term record of moderate success that Iowa does.

7) Nebraska: higher than Indiana? Why not. Lot of love pouring Rhule's way right now, and a returning QB to boot.

8) Wisconsin: yup, you read that right. Reverting to a winning-the-trenches mindset, and a QB with strong Big Ten experience. I like it. And I'm biased as all get out. Now, that doesn't mean finishing much higher than 6-6, but I'm calling it: 7-5, and the best 7-5 in the country.

9) USC: the Trojan's will be solid, but will struggle with travel because everyone does.

10) Minnesota: as much as I dislike Fleck, he's got this thing going pretty consistently, and the schedule will do Minnesota some favors--as long as they don't tank the trip to Berkeley, which they might.

11) Indiana: this low? Yup. I still don't believe. We'll see. Beat Illinois at home on September 20, and go to Iowa City and come out with a win, then I'll get back on the bandwagon. Lose both of those, and I see a 7-5 season, which ain't bad, but it's no a repeat of last year.

12) Washington: probably a solid team, and the travel actually suits them pretty well. Will finish with a good record--better than several teams ahead of them on my list (but this is my power ranking, not where I'm predicting each will finish in the conference).

13) UCLA: not a bad team, not a bad schedule, but travel is hard, and going to Northwestern and Michigan State are the kinds of games that will suck. On the other hand, getting Nebraska in Pasadena will be an advantage.

14) Michigan State: why not?

15) Northwestern: sure.

16) Rutgers: probably not abysmal.

17) Maryland: someone has to go here. And the Badgers have their quarterback.

18) Purdon't: I hope Purdue will be better than the Atlantic coast teams.

Everyone is so afraid of AI taking over the world, when I put this topic in AI to produce big ten 2025 projections.. It spit this out. 

1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Oregon
4. Michigan
5. Nebraska
6. Iowa
7. Illinois
8. Indiana
9. Minnesota
10. USC
11. Wisconsin
12. Washington
13. Michigan State
14. UCLA
15. Rutgers
16. Maryland
17. Northwestern
18. Purdue

So, that's 6 too many, unfortunately.

In thinking about this, for this year, I think that the expansion to 18 teams (I know that isn't new this year) has really changed how we *SHOULD* look at this at least from about mid-season on.  In past years, once you got to about the middle of the season I think that most people would simply rank the teams by conference record and then tiebreak within that by SoS and *MAYBE* jump a 3-2 team over a 4-1 team because the 3-2 team lost to two REALLY good teams.  

With 18 teams the schedules vary more than ever before so we need to view this in that light.  According to the NYT the SoS rankings "From Wisconsin to Michigan" are:

• Wisconsin Avg TA136 ranking of B1G opponents 26.8, 9 top-50, 6 top-25
• Rutgers, 33.7, 7, 4
• Iowa, 37.1, 7, 4
• Michigan State, 36.3, 7, 3
• Purdue, 35.1, 8, 5
• Northwestern, 35.1, 8, 3
• Penn State, 40.1, 5, 3
• UCLA, 39.1, 8, 3
• Ohio State, 44.1, 6, 4
• Southern California, 43.6, 6, 4
• Oregon, 41.9, 6, 2
• Maryland, 41.2, 5, 3
• Indiana, 40, 4, 3
• Washington, 44.2, 4, 4
• Nebraska, 45, 5, 2
• Minnesota, 48.2, 4, 2
• Illinois, 53.1, 5, 2
• Michigan, 54.4, 4, 2

They have them grouped into a top-tier of UW through NU then a middle tier of PSU through Maryland, and an easiest tier of Indiana through Michigan.  

Of course we have to remember that as the year plays out, this will change as well.  Maybe half of Wisconsin's six preseason AP top-25 opponents will suck and drop out of the poll and by the end of the season their schedule will not look so tough.  Maybe three or four of Michigan's unranked opponents will have spectacular years and wind up ranked and their schedule will not look so easy.  

That said, based on what we know now, a hypothetical 7-5 Wisconsin is probably not just better than a hypothetical 7-5 Illinois, Minnesota, or Nebraska but the Badgers at 7-5 are probably better than any of those teams at 9-3 and maybe even 10-2.  

• OHIO STATE - assuming Sayin is at least decent
• PENN STATE - might be the best team on paper, but Franklin has to get by OSU
• OREGON - is Dante Moore ready?
• MICHIGAN - assuming Bryce Underwood is at least decent
• USC - less flashy, but maybe Lincoln Riley's most complete team in Troy
• IOWA - feels like perpetually #6, so why not
• INDIANA - there will be some backslide, but I don't think a ton
• ILLINOIS - not sold on the defense
• NEBRASKA - same as above, but I trust Altmyer more than Railoa right now
• MINNESOTA - schedule could not set up better for a CFP run
• WASHINGTON - plenty of weapons, not sure about the coaching
• WISCONSIN - what does Fickell need to do to keep his job?
• RUTGERS - talent seems to be improving, but the gap was big
• UCLA - Nico wasn't worth he wanted from Tennessee to be a championship QB, but he's a big upgrade in Westwood
• MARYLAND - Locksley's final ride?
• MICHIGAN STATE - the OL should be better, but still major concerns on defense, particularly the back seven
• NORTHWESTERN - Pat Fitzgerald firing karma tour
• PURDUE - taking over a much worse situation than he did at Mizzou, and that didn't go great

looks pretty spot on to me, but I think I'd flip Penn State and Ohio State on paper with Penn State having a super easy schedule and with Drew Allar's considerable talent and him potentially having a level up going into his SR year and them actually adding WRs in the porthole for him- but you right...Frames Janklin being the head coach factor looms large which translation = they losing to Ohio State.

I might flip USC and Michigan too as well just because of the uncertainty of the WR position for Michigan and while Bryce Underwood certainly looks the part- he's still a true freshman and he's bound to go through a little bit of growing pains which could cost Michigan a game or two- especially those tough road games @OU, @NEB, and @SC.