The college football season is only a couple of weeks away from Week Zero kickoff. Soon, the quest for the College Football Playoff will begin, as 12 teams will look to return to the tournament. Indiana will also look to defend its title.
The Big Ten has several teams favored to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff. Ohio State and Oregon lead that conversation, but teams like Penn State and Michigan could also be primed for deep playoff runs. Indiana will also look to prove its recent success was no fluke and remain among the conference’s top contenders.
The Big Ten will be one of the biggest conferences to watch during the 2026 season. The Big Ten and SEC could take up a significant portion of the College Football Playoff field. Can Ohio State reclaim the conference crown? or will Oregon, Penn State, or Michigan emerge as the Big Ten’s top team? With the future of conference championships potentially coming to a close, the race for the Big Ten title could have major playoff implications.
MORE: 2026 full SEC CFB conference predictions: Who will dethrone Georgia?
We went week by week and game by game through the Big Ten schedule and predicted the outcome of each matchup. Here are our final predictions for the 2026 Big Ten season:
2026 Big Ten CFB Full Standings Predictions:
| Rank | Team | Big Ten Record | Overall Record |
| 1 | Oregon | 9-0 | 12-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 8-1 | 11-1 |
| 3 | Indiana | 8-1 | 11-1 |
| 4 | Illinois | 7-2 | 10-2 |
| 5 | Penn State | 7-2 | 10-2 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 5-4 | 7-5 |
| 7 | USC | 5-4 | 8-4 |
| 8 | Northwestern | 4-5 | 6-6 |
| 9 | Michigan | 4-5 | 6-6 |
| 10 | Iowa | 4-5 | 7-5 |
| 11 | Purdue | 4-5 | 5-7 |
| 12 | Maryland | 3-6 | 4-8 |
| 13 | UCLA | 3-6 | 5-7 |
| 14 | Rutgers | 3-6 | 6-6 |
| 15 | Washington | 3-6 | 5-7 |
| 16 | Michigan State | 2-7 | 4-8 |
| 17 | Nebraska | 2-7 | 5-7 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 0-9 | 2-10 |
Big Ten Championship: Oregon vs Ohio State
In the Big Ten Championship… Ohio State defeats Oregon 30-20 to reclaim the Big Ten perhaps for one last time.
Will this be the last Big Ten conference championship as the College Football Playoffs look to expand again?
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