CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: ManHawk on August 31, 2026, 02:20:03 PM
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I will once again admit my pre-season power rankings are always wrong but I enjoy doing them anyway. My Big Ten pre-season Power Rankings are in a post below. What does everybody else think?
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1. Indiana - I admit I am breaking my number 1 rule, which is always rank Ohio St #1 until they lose. But i have bought in. In Curt Cignetti I trust (until the bubble bursts). All he does is win. Google it!
2. Oregon - This could be the year the Ducks put it all together
3. Ohio St - the consensus #1 in the pre-sesson polls but I am skeptical. Not the strongest finish last season. But still a solid bet to make the CFP.
4. USC - started week 0 with a win over SJSU, which is the game that replaced USC-Nortre Dame. Basically traded a loss for a win but not sure if that will impress the CFP committee.
5. Penn St - can PSU win with Iowa St's former coach, players and QB?
6. Michigan - how fast can Mich's new coach get Michigan up to speed?
7. Washington- could this be the year that Washington steps it up to next level?
8. Minnesota - thought the Gophers were under-rated last year.
9. Iowa - lost a lot on defense and OL and Iowa still doesnt know who its starting QB is. But they got 3 weeks of non-conference games to figure it out.
10. Illinois - could be a rebuilding year
11. Nebraska - not sure if the coach lasts the whole season, but a big buyout will probably keep him around
12. UCLA - New coach but UCLA feels like a sleeping giant ready to step it up, but nit till next year.
13. Rutgers - program just seems stuck near the bottom every year
14. Michigan St - Can Pat Fitsgerald win in the NIL era?
15. Wisconsin - Badgers are now spending money. Is it enough to save Fickel's job?
16. Northwestern - rolling out the new stadium. Could inspire NW to a few upsets?
17. MARYLAND - I predict MD"'s coach will be gone by the end of the season
18. PURDUE - They couldn't be any worse than last year, right?
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I will once again admit my pre-season power rankings are always wrong but I enjoy doing them anyway.
Sorry to hear that, the rest of us are dead on with our preseason rankings
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1) Ohio State: because they have a longer history of staying power than Indiana
2) Indiana: returning national champs
3) Oregon: so close so many times
4) Michigan: I hate this, but money talks, and USC has to travel too far
5) USC: money talks, but travel is hard
6) Iowa: just keeps going, and doing more with less
7) Illinois: Bret knows how to coach a team into this position, and they are spending the right amount for it
8) Washington: don't sleep on the Huskies
9) Penn State: I don't expect an immediate turnaround, but Campbell did more with the Cyclones than he had any right to
10) Minnesota: PJ knows mediocre
11) Nebraska: spending more money, need to win more games
12) Michigan State: not spending the money, but Fitzgerald has a chip on his shoulder and can coach
13) Wisconsin: this is too low for the money spent, but I've seen the coaching for the last three seasons
14) UCLA: have to go somewhere
15) Northwestern: why not?
16) Purdue: sure
17) Maryland: but will be top 10 in September
18) Rutgers: because I feel like it
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18. PURDUE - They couldn't be any worse than last year, right?
(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyZmp2ZThxaW1ua3F4bHh3MmE1cXNkbWJ3c2Q4bzB5YWVnMmZwczJwNiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/AWv3UAFkgz39u/giphy.gif)
It's really sad to be pretty much consensus projected to be the 17th or 18th team...
...in the Big TEN.
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1. Indiana - I admit I am breaking my number 1 rule, which is always rank Ohio St #1 until they lose. But i have bought in. In Curt Cignetti I trust (until the bubble bursts). All he does is win. Google it!
2. Oregon - This could be the year the Ducks put it all together
3. Ohio St - the consensus #1 in the pre-sesson polls but I am skeptical. Not the strongest finish last season. But still a solid bet to make the CFP.
4. USC - started week 0 with a win over SJSU, which is the game that replaced USC-Nortre Dame. Basically traded a loss for a win but not sure if that will impress the CFP committee.
5. Penn St - can PSU win with Iowa St's former coach, players and QB?
6. Michigan - how fast can Mich's new coach get Michigan up to speed?
7. Washington- could this be the year that Washington steps it up to next level?
8. Minnesota - thought the Gophers were under-rated last year.
9. Iowa - lost a lot on defense and OL and Iowa still doesnt know who its starting QB is. But they got 3 weeks of non-conference games to figure it out.
10. Illinois - could be a rebuilding year
11. Nebraska - not sure if the coach lasts the whole season, but a big buyout will probably keep him around
12. UCLA - New coach but UCLA feels like a sleeping giant ready to step it up, but nit till next year.
13. Rutgers - program just seems stuck near the bottom every year
14. Michigan St - Can Pat Fitsgerald win in the NIL era?
15. Wisconsin - Badgers are now spending money. Is it enough to save Fickel's job?
16. Northwestern - rolling out the new stadium. Could inspire NW to a few upsets?
17. MARYLAND - I predict MD"'s coach will be gone by the end of the season
18. PURDUE - They couldn't be any worse than last year, right?
Pretty good best guess. I would put Oregon 1st and then the Hoosiers- but that’s just a guess. I like Oregon as a good chance to win it all.
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- OHIO STATE - Best roster, returning QB
- OREGON - Second best roster, better returning QB
- INDIANA - oddly this is their best transfer QB, and yet he has the biggest shoes to fill
- USC - if USC doesn't make the CFP, Riley might be done
- PENN STATE - curious to see what Campbell can do with PSU's money
- MICHIGAN - I think Whittingham has a limited ceiling, but a very high floor
- IOWA - roster is strong, need a QB
- WASHINGTON - might have the most underrated QB in the nation, but not sure what's around him
- NEBRASKA - losing your QB to be a backup in conference might be the expectation reset Nebraska needs
- ILLINOIS - missed opportunity last year
- WISCONSIN - apparently the highest jump in payroll from last year, putting them this low may look stupid
- MARYLAND - strong in the skill positions, bowl bid depends on the trench play
- NORTHWESTERN - probably another 6 or 7 win season
- UCLA - sad that they upgraded by adding JMU players, but we saw it 2 years ago
- RUTGERS - see Maryland
- MICHIGAN STATE - opposite of Maryland/Rutgers, better on the lines, but no gamebreakers
- MINNESOTA - probably Fleck's last year
- PURDUE - mess
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3. Ohio St - the consensus #1 in the pre-sesson polls but I am skeptical. Not the strongest finish last season. But still a solid bet to make the CFP.
I think both of these statements might be overblown.
"Not the strongest finish last season".
Yes, the Buckeyes finished with back-to-back losses and nobody in Columbus is happy about that BUT, they lost to the two teams that played for the NC and both losses were close.
Indiana:
The Buckeyes missed a 27 yard FG with just under two minutes to play in a game they lost 13-10. Even after the missed FG they forced IU to punt, got the ball back, and drove to the IU 39 but simply ran out of time.
Miami:
It ended up as a 10 point, 2-possession game but it came down to the final minutes. Miami's clinching TD came with less than a minute to play and with about half of the fourth quarter remaining the Buckeyes were down 3 and had the ball at roughly midfield. That fell apart, Maimi scored after the punt and viola, 10 point loss
I don't mean to take anything away from IU's and Miami's wins I'm just saying that the Buckeyes' two losses to end the season were far from 'bad' losses. They lost close games to the teams that ended up #1 and #2.
"(S)till a solid bet to make the CFP".
I hope you are right but this schedule has me spooked. I feel like Ohio State could actually be the best team in the country and still potentially miss the playoffs. They have road games against the preseason #5 (at Texas on 9/12), #6 (at Indiana on 10/17), #14 (at USC on 10/31), and #22 (at Iowa on 10/3) and they have two ranked teams at home. The Oregon game is a revenge game for the Ducks as the last meeting was Ohio State's blowout win in Pasadena when the Ducks were #1 and The Game is a revenge game for the Wolverines as the last meeting was a 27-9 tOSU win in Ann Arbor. Plus when you are #1 you are basically everybody's 'SuperBowl' all year long.
If the Buckeyes really are the best team they *should* find a way to navigate this slate with the requisite one or two losses to make the CFP but if they are actually more like #10 which is still a REALLY good team, they could easily end up 9-3 and sweating it out or 8-4 and out.
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OHIO STATE - Best roster, returning QB
OREGON - Second best roster, better returning QB
INDIANA - top 3 finish would be very impressive
WASHINGTON - great QB, plenty of talent
USC - ton of talent
MICHIGAN - Whittingham is solid
IOWA - lost a bunch from last season but Kirk and Phil know what they're doing, need a QB
PENN STATE - not sure Iowa State's players are up to a top 5 finish
NEBRASKA - the UNLV transfer QB, new D-coordinator, and especially the new Oline coach might cause a jump O:-)
ILLINOIS - lost quite a bit
WISCONSIN - Fickell needs to do better
MINNESOTA - Fleck's not getting the $$$
MARYLAND - strong in the skill positions
NORTHWESTERN
UCLA
RUTGERS
MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE
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I have no idea who is on what team anymore, including many on my own.
Can't do this one now. Maybe I'll start in October.
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- Indiana: The be the man, you've got to beat the man.
- Oregon: A lot to like, but they did lose both their coordinators.
- OSU: Defense lost some mutants.
- Michigan: Run the ball and play defense.
- Penn State: Honestly no idea who is on their team but does that matter
- Iowa: Good ole Iowa
- USC: Just not sold on them
- Washington: Hopefully the QB is all in
- Nebraska: Should be solid at least
- Illinois: Bert should also be solid
- Northwestern: Let's go Chip
- UCLA: I like the vibes
- Wisconsin: Fickell has to field a competent team by accident at some point
- Minnesota: Feels low but they haven't been much lately
- Rutgers: Not a shabby outfit anymore
- Maryland: Shabby but experienced
- MSU
- Purdue
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MINNESOTA - probably Fleck's last year
Want to elaborate?
Unless he resigns, his seat is ice cold. And the last coach to go from here to somewhere that meant anything was Lou Holtz, and that move happened when I was still in diapers.
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Yeah, looking at PJ Fleck's resume at Minnesota, he may be the greatest coach the U has had since the 1960s.
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the only guy doing more with less than Ferentz
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I have no idea who is on what team anymore, including many on my own.
Can't do this one now. Maybe I'll start in October.
everyone should wait until late October
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everyone should wait until late October
Yep, but this is fun.
(https://i.imgur.com/taoNWIK.png)
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agreed
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Want to elaborate?
Unless he resigns, his seat is ice cold. And the last coach to go from here to somewhere that meant anything was Lou Holtz, and that move happened when I was still in diapers.
If they finish #17, where I had them
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you're obviously a much better prognosticator than I, but that would seem unlikely
I could see #15 as a bottom for the boat rower
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1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Indiana
4. Michigan
5. USC
6. Washington
7. Iowa
8. Penn State
9. Nebraska
10. Illinois
11. Maryland
12. Wisconsin
13. Rutgers
14. Michigan State
15. Minnesota
16. UCLA
17. Northwestern
18. Purdue
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I'll get around to scribbling a list but the Hoosiers are believed to have helped themselves the most in the portal along with Texas and LSU. Plus being the reigning CFB Champs they're going number 1. And evidently PSU did well also along with a weaker schedule they could be in the discussion at the end of the season
On the national scene supposedly in the portal LSU added the no.1 O-lineman in the country and the no.1 QB available along with the no. 1 pass rusher in the country and I hate Lane Kiffin and that punchable face. So I'm getting a Ouija board,some garlic, a crucifix and contacting Pedro Cerrano so both Jobu and Joey Freshwater can both bark at the moon