Phil Steele releases preseason Big Ten Football rankings

The 2025 college football season is now less than two months from kicking off. Ahead of that, Phil Steele released his annual preseason preview magazine where he took a look at the Big Ten.

In his magazine, Phil Steele uses nine different power ranking methods. That includes his Plus/Minus Power Ratings, which are the basis of these Big Ten Football rankings. These rankings include decimals, based on the team, which are derived from a combination of last year’s results, against strength of schedule, and then combined with his plus/minus ratings to create the totals.

The Big Ten enters the 2025 season coming off two straight seasons where they produced a national champion. The hope is that there will be a third this year. With that in mind, here’s a look at where the Big Ten shakes out to open the season.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (128.19)

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven’t won the Big Ten since 2020, but they are coming off a national championship season all the same. It’s safe to say that there’s high expectations once again in Columbus. Steele even believes that this is a group that should start atop his power rankings.

As is often the case with national championship-winning teams, the Buckeyes are losing plenty of talent to the NFL. That includes the quarterback position, where Ohio State is going to have a new starter. The expectation is that it’s going to be Julian Sayin, an exciting but inexperienced quarterback. If he hits the ground running, though, the Buckeyes should be excellent once again.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (127.87)

The Penn State Nittany Lions were able to make it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season. After making a run to the semifinal, the Nittany Lions were just short of making it to the national championship game. Now, the hope is to get over that hump in 2025.

With their entire backfield returning, Penn State enters as one of the favorites to win the Big Ten in 2025. If the Nittany Lions can improve at the skill positions, they’ll be in an excellent position.

3. Oregon Ducks (123.56)

The Oregon Ducks won the Big Ten in their first season in the conference. However, after a bit of a disappointment in the Playoff, losing in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State, they’re looking to get back to the Playoff and make a deeper run in 2025.

Head coach Dan Lanning will need to do that with a new quarterback in place. The expectation is that it will be Dante Moore is going to be that new quarterback, and he has the recruiting pedigree to take care of business. However, with a young and relatively inexperienced signal caller, nothing is guaranteed.

4. Michigan Wolverines (122.92)

After winning the national championship in 2023, Michigan underwent some major turnover. That included on both the coaching staff and the roster. Unsurprisingly, given all of that, there was a step back in terms of wins and losses, but clearly, expectations are still high for the Wolverines.

Michigan had a major issue finding a starting quarterback in 2024. Going into the 2025 season, head coach Sherrone Moore brought in two new quarterbacks to battle it out for the job. Mikey Keene is an experienced transfer. Then, five-star recruit Bryce Underwood represents significant upside for the Wolverines.

5. Indiana Hoosiers (118.62)

One of the most surprising teams in the country last season was Indiana. The Hoosiers were just short of playing for the Big Ten Championship Game. However, they still made it to their first College Football Playoff as a program.

Head coach Curt Cignetti is back for his second season with the Hoosiers. Now, Indiana won’t catch anyone by surprise. At the same time, expectations are clearly much higher going into next season than they have been in recent years.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini (117.22)

Illinois quietly put together a 10-win season under head coach Bret Bielema in 2024. That was still a step below the top layer of Big Ten teams competing for a Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Playoff, but it was also a major step forward for the program.

Now, Illinois returns an experienced quarterback in Luke Altmyer. With that, there is plenty of reason to be confident that Illinois is going to be competitive again. Add in a manageable schedule and Illinois could be a threat.

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers (116.43)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers made a bowl game for the first time since 2016 last year. Now, they’re hoping to become competitive in the Big Ten in 2025. Much of that, of course, will rely on the arm of Dylan Raiola.

Raiola was a five-star freshman last season who flashed his potential but also ran into too many mistakes, including 11 interceptions. With more experience and a new offensive coordinator in Dana Holgorsen, he’s expected to improve. If that does happen, then there’s no reason not to think that the Cornhuskers take another step forward.

8. USC Trojans (115.63)

When the USC Trojans hired Lincoln Riley, the expectation was to make the College Football Playoff and be competitive for conference championships. That didn’t necessarily happen in his first season in the Big Ten, though. The Trojans are coming off a disappointing 7-6 season and want to improve from there.

Throughout his career, Riley has been known for recruiting and developing excellent quarterbacks. That’s been no different at USC. The hope for the Trojans is that Jayden Maiava is going to be able to be that next great quarterback. If he does, then USC is expecting to have a much better season.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes (115.08)

The Iowa Hawkeyes have proven to be one of the most consistent teams in the Big Ten during Kirk Ferentz‘s tenure as head coach. In recent seasons, that has included winning double-digit games in every other year going back to 2019.

Iowa is on pace for another 10-win season if that trend holds in 2025. Do that, and the Hawkeyes are going to be competitive for the Big Ten championship again. Much of that will fall on the shoulders of FCS transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski. If he figures out the Iowa offense, then the defense will hold up its end of the bargain.

10. Washington Huskies (113.67)

It was a difficult 2024 season and transition to the Big Ten for Washington. The Huskies were coming off a run to the national championship game. However, roster turnover had meant that the majority of their offense wasn’t returning. On top of that, they had lost their previous head coach Kalen DeBoer, and replaced him with Jedd Fisch.

Fisch began a rebuild in a new conference and got Washington to a bowl game. That provided something to build on moving forward. If young quarterback Demond Williams takes another step forward, then Washington could also find a way to thrive in their new conference.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (110.94)

Head coach PJ Fleck is now going into his ninth season as the head coach at Minnesota. During that time, they’ve gone to six bowls, including in the last four seasons in a row. The Golden Gophers are also 33-36 in Big Ten play under Fleck, finishing with a winning record in conference play in three of the last four seasons.

The challenge for Minnesota, as it is for many teams, is finding a way forward in a conference that’s full of talented teams. Add in a tough schedule, which includes Ohio State and Oregon. So, nothing is going to be easy in 2025.

12. Rutgers Scarlett Knights (109.74)

The Rutgers Scarlett Knights are hoping that head coach Greg Schiano can continue to find more consistent success. That doesn’t necessarily mean winning the Big Ten. It does mean being more competitive and going to a bowl game annually. After two straight 7-6 seasons, Rutgers has found some of that consistency.

Next season, Rutgers is going to have a very difficult schedule, particularly in conference play. That includes games against Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State. So, it won’t be easy but Schiano has proven to be successful with Rutgers before.

13. Wisconsin Badgers (109.17)

The 2024 season was the first time since 2001 that Wisconsin missed out on going to a bowl game. That was partially related to a quarterback injury. However, it’s also put a lot of pressure on head coach Luke Fickell going into the 2025 season.

Wisconsin is going to have a new look offense next season. That includes moves at quarterback and offensive coordinator. The Badgers are going to need those moves to work out next season if they want to go bowling again.

14. UCLA Bruins (106.61)

UCLA was always bound to have a difficult transition to the Big Ten. Former head coach Chip Kelly left late in the coaching cycle and was replaced by an internal hire in DeShaun Foster. The Bruins would miss a bowl, and now they want to find a way to improve on that effort.

Quarterback is the most visible position on the field, and UCLA made a splash this offseason. They landed transfer Nico Iamaleava. A former starter in the SEC, the hope is that he can immediately turn things around and be competitive. However, Steele still has the Bruins ranked pretty low in his power rankings.

15. Michigan State Spartans (105.08)

The Michigan State Spartans are going into year two under Jonathan Smith. This comes at a time when the athletic department is getting shaken up on the whole, with a new athletic director. So, the time to get competitive is now.

It’s been a little while now since Michigan State has been consistently competitive in the Big Ten. They’ve only been to one bowl game since 2019 now. For a program that’s been to the CFP in the past, the Spartans expect to perform better than that.

16. Maryland Terrapins (100.08)

Going into the 2024 season, Maryland was expecting to potentially take a step forward and become competitive again in the conference. That didn’t happen, though, and Maryland missed out on a bowl Now, head coach Mike Locksley is looking to quickly turn things around.

One thing that Maryland does have going for it next season is a relatively easy schedule, at least by Big Ten standards. Penn State, Ohio State, and Oregon, or the top three teams Steele has ranked, aren’t on the schedule next season. That means there’s wins to be found in conference play.

17. Northwestern Wildcats (99.46)

Expectations are relatively low for Northwestern going into 2025. The Wildcats had a frustrating second season under David Braun following a surprisingly strong first season. Now, the Wildcats need to find a way to get more consistent weekly to get back to a bowl game.

What’s worse for Northwestern is that this appears to be a tough schedule on paper. Northwestern is going to be playing Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, and USC. Add in a tough Group of Five non-conference game against Tulane and it’s going to be a tough season.

18. Purdue Boilermakers (94.57)

The disastrous Ryan Walters era has come to an end. In the end, it lasted two seasons and was capped off by a 1-11 season in 2024. That included 11 straight losses to end the season, and it would ultimately lead to the coaching change.

Now, Purdue turns its attention to Barry Odom. The hope is that he’ll be able to bring in his head coaching experience, including at the SEC level, and have a similar turnaround to the one he had at UNLV. Of course, even if things work out, this rebuild is probably going to take some time.