The NCAA college football conferences have had a big shakeup this offseason, most notably the Pac-12, which is now considered the Pac-2 because all but two teams have left. Four of those teams moved to the Big 10, which has seen growth in the past few years and now includes 18 teams.
The Big 10 is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the US. For most of its existence, it has contained ten teams, mainly from the Midwest. That changed in 1990.
- Penn State joined in 1990
- Nebraska joined in 2011
- Maryland and Rutgers joined in 2014
And this year, four new teams are joining:
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Oregon
- University of Southern California (USC)
- University of Washington
The Top Teams in the Conference and Their Win Totals
Oregon Ducks – 10.5 wins
The Ducks will join the conference from the Pac-12 and are expected to land on top in their first season. They lost Bo Nix in the NFL Draft but have veteran quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who should keep the offense humming.
Ohio State Buckeyes – 10.5 wins
Winning it all is much more difficult with the divisions erased permanently and the conference expanded. Luckily, with the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, more than one team can make the playoff. Ohio State has a chance to win the conference this year, but their biggest challenge may be to win against the Wolverines. They haven’t won in their last three matchups.
Penn State Nittany Lions – 9.5 wins
They have one of the easier schedules in the Big 10, with no games against Michigan or Oregon and a mid-season matchup with Ohio State at home. This is crucial because head coach James Franklin has a 4-16 record against Michigan and Ohio State.
They have two new coordinators: OC Andy Kotelnicki and DC Tom Allen. Quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nicholas Singleton are among 80 college football players on the Maxwell Trophy watch list. Keep an eye on these guys.
Michigan Wolverines – 9.5 wins
The Wolverines have a new head coach after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL. The new head coach, Sherrone Moore, is no stranger to Michigan. He’s served different roles in the organization for six years and was the interim coach for the last four games of the season while Harbaugh was suspended.
They’ve had to replace quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who helped the team win the national championship last year before being drafted into the NFL. This year, they’ll probably pick redshirt sophomore Alex Orji under center. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound quarterback has size, strength, and athleticism but little experience. This will be an interesting year for the Wolverines.
USC Trojans – 7.5 wins
The Trojans have one of the worst schedules of the Big 10, possibly only eclipsed by UCLA, which starts its season in Hawaii. USC will face LSU and Michigan in the first three weeks, and they’ll do it without Caleb Williams, who was selected first overall by the Chicago Bears. Miller Moss will take over as quarterback. He hasn’t played much but did well when he filled in for Williams in the Trojan Bowl game and threw for six touchdowns.
The defense is still in the rebuilding phase and may not be ready for the estimated 7.5 wins.
Nebraska Cornhuskers – 7.5 wins
The Cornhuskers lost every game in November last season. They need to build their confidence before the eleventh month to get past that and into December. Luckily, their schedule is one of the easiest, giving them the opportunity to start the season 7-0. With five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola and coach Matt Rhule, they stand a chance of having a winning season. Rhule turned around both Baylor and Temple.
Washington Huskies – 7.5 wins
This is not the same team that almost won last year’s national championship. The old squad either got drafted or transferred. Coach Kalen DeBoer and the offensive and defensive coordinators have departed for Alabama. Their new quarterback, Will Rogers, is expected to make a splash, but the rest of the team is still unknown. Even new head coach Jedd Fisch has no idea what to expect from this team that went 14-1 last season. 7.5 wins is simply a guess.
Wisconsin Badgers – 6.5 wins
They have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the Big 10, with transfer Tyler Van Dyke expected to get the nod. Their difficult schedule will make it challenging to have a winning season, but their improved offensive line should help. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo is in his second year but is still trying to make his air raid offense a success at Wisconsin.
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