Ranking Every Big Ten Conference Football Team for 2024
As Oregon Football moves into a new conference for the first time in program history, let’s review all of the Ducks’ new conference foes and see how they stack up against each other.
Bear in mind that although a team may have a better record prediction than another, it does not inherently mean I expect them to be better.
You are not, as many would say, what your record says you are.
Enjoy.
18. Northwestern Wildcats
A program that finds itself in limbo entering 2024, Northwestern returns eight of 11 defensive starters from 2023 but does not otherwise impress.
Playing at a temporary stadium should make for a less-than-raucous home environment and I expect the Wildcats’ offense to struggle mightily.
Record prediction: 3-9
17. Purdue Boilermakers
Quarterback Hudson Card will be on an island of sorts after Purdue lost wide receiver Deion Burks to the transfer portal following 2023.
Coach Ryan Walters is something of an unknown with only one year of head coaching experience under his belt and the Boilermakers lack a definitive strength on paper.
I’m predicting a worse record than Northwestern due to a more difficult schedule but I believe Purdue will be the slightly better outfit.
Record prediction: 2-10
16. UCLA Bruins
Speaking of lacking a strength, it’s hard to know where UCLA will forge its identity this year.
First-year head coach DeShaun Foster has not made a great name for himself through one offseason and the Bruins’ talent pool leaves a lot to be desired.
There’s more weaponry than on the bottom two teams but I expect UCLA’s roster to pale in comparison to most of the Big Ten Conference.
Record prediction: 4-8
15. Illinois Fighting Illini
There’s just not a lot to see here.
Coming off a reasonably respectable 5-7 campaign in 2023, Illinois’ defense is a massive question mark and the team loses its top receiver from last year to the NFL in Isaiah Williams.
There’s not a lot of recruiting momentum to backfill their personnel losses and I except Illinois to struggle, likely more than last year.
Record prediction: 4-8
14. Indiana Hoosiers
I’m a believer in coach Curt Cignetti‘s ability to light a fire under an Indiana program that’s been in the doldrums for several years.
Transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke should give an improvement over 2023’s quarterback play and Indiana did a good job of attacking the portal this offseason.
Record prediction: 5-7
13. Michigan State Spartans
New head coach Jonathan Smith did an outstanding job resurrecting Oregon State’s program over the last few years, but it took time.
Michigan State has endured a couple of tumultuous seasons involving former coach Mel Tucker and lost key pieces to the transfer portal.
Smith is yet to prove he can recruit at a high level so he’ll have to develop the old fashioned way, but as I said, this takes time.
Sparty will be more fundamentally sound than in recent seasons but struggle to keep up with better rosters.
Record prediction: 6-6
12. Maryland Terrapins
Maryland has developed itself into a respectable middle class of the Big Ten but loses star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa from 2023 as well as its entire offensive line.
I think the Terps will maintain some level of momentum but struggle to put points on the board.
Record prediction: 5-7
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach P.J. Fleck has shown the ability to field quality teams even when Minnesota has been light on talent and he’ll need to do the same this year.
Transfer quarterback Max Brosmer should shake the snow globe in Minneapolis and give Minnesota a strong chance to break their 19 PPG average from 2023.
Record Prediction: 6-6
10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Coach Greg Schiano brings a wealth of experience in program-building to Rutgers and returns the majority of his staunch 2023 defense.
Minnesota transfer quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis brings change of pace at quarterback and breathes new life into a Rutgers offense that struggled mightily last year.
Record prediction: 7-5
9. Wisconsin Badgers
This is where the Big Ten starts to flex.
Having a program of Wisconsin’s caliber as the median team in the conference speaks volumes about its depth for 2024.
Luke Fickell is a universally respected coach but Wisconsin’s geography and climate present talent acquisition challenges like almost no other Big Ten team.
The Badgers as a program are on the upswing but must replace elite running back Braelon Allen and face a daunting schedule.
Record prediction: 6-6
8: Washington Huskies
Washington must replace essentially its entire program after coach Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama job and it lost countless starters from 2023.
Jedd Fisch was a good hire but it’ll likely take the Huskies a year or two to return to form.
Record prediction: 7-5
7: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska feels like an extremely high-variance team entering 2024.
True freshman 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola was an incredible recruiting pull and should provide an instant upgrade at signal-caller while the Cornhuskers return a strong offensive line and defensive roster.
On the other side of the coin, receiving talent is sorely lacking and there’s not a lot of reason to expect improvement in that facet.
Nevertheless, coach Matt Rhule is a program builder and has repeatedly seen his teams take leaps from year one to year two of his tenures.
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A favorable early schedule should allow Nebraska to post a satisfactory record this year.
Record prediction: 9-3
6. USC Trojans
The Lincoln Riley experiment in Los Angeles has yielded tepid results through two seasons but there’s reason for optimism this fall.
New defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn did great work with UCLA’s defense last season and the Trojans return excellent offensive talent.
On the other hand, losing a generational quarterback in Caleb Williams will sting and Riley’s teams have consistently failed to field competitive defenses.
Record prediction: 8-4
5. Iowa Hawkeyes
Rounding out the Big Ten’s middle class is Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball in recent years but transfer quarterback Cade McNamara figures to be an upgrade at signal-caller.
A favorable schedule should help Iowa to another solid season.
Expect the Hawkeyes’ defense to remain staunch and the offense to limit turnovers, if nothing else.
Record prediction: 10-2
4. Michigan Wolverines
They’d never tell you this in Ann Arbor, but much has changed from 2023.
Michigan loses almost its entire roster to the NFL following a dominant run to the national title a year ago.
Coach Jim Harbaugh jetted off to Los Angeles and the NFL, but new head man Sherrone Moore filled in admirably last season.
Michigan’s DNA as a program remains intact and I expect to see a sound, if not exciting unit in 2024.
Record prediction: 9-3
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
Quarterback Drew Allar returns from a highly efficient 2023 in which he posted 25 passing touchdowns to just two interceptions.
For Penn State and coach James Franklin to take another step forward this year, they’ll need to be more aggressive offensively, beat a team they aren’t favored against, and play the same quality defense they’ve become known for.
I expect most, if not all of those things to happen.
Record prediction: 11-1
2. Oregon Ducks
Oregon fans won’t love being ranked behind Ohio State, but bear with me.
Although I have the Buckeyes ranked first in the Big Ten, I believe Oregon will beat them in Eugene on October 12th.
This is the most talent-rich roster in Oregon Football history and I don’t think an undefeated season is particularly unlikely.
Expect one of the most balanced outfits in the country to run, pass, run defend, and pass defend at a high level and be fully capable of winning a national title this year.
Record prediction: 11-1
1: Ohio State Buckeyes
This feels like the right time for Ohio State.
Coach Ryan Day has faced a barrage of largely unwarranted criticism for failing to reach the pinnacle of the sport in recent years, but the Buckeyes have been at the doorstep every season.
Ohio State’s roster is possibly the best in the nation, particularly on defense.
Day will also install Chip Kelly at offensive coordinator to re-kindle an offense that lost its mojo last year.
After recruiting with the best in the country for years on end and getting more top-shelf transfers than any other team this offseason, I expect Ohio State to be dominant on its way to a national title.
Record prediction: 11-1
The Big Ten can relatively easily be broken into three tiers this year.
The bottom tier (14-18) features teams that are largely un-dynamic and do not have the roster to compete with big-name programs.
The middle class (5-13) is comprised of solid teams that are missing a few key elements of elite teams.
The upper crust of the conference (1-4) are all serious playoff contenders and I could see a path for most of them winning the conference this season.
As possibly the best conference in college football, expect the Big Ten to give fans a litany of thrilling, physical games this fall.
