2026 Big Ten College Football Preview: CFP favorites, power rankings, more

When the 2026 season begins, the Big Ten will look to continue its run of College Football Playoff national championships. On3 is previewing the upcoming year with the CFP favorites, power rankings and more. Indiana completed a historic two-year turnaround under Curt Cignetti by winning last year’s national title. The Hoosiers followed Michigan and Ohio State as teams from the conference to hoist the trophy at season’s end, and IU reloaded this offseason with an impressive transfer portal class. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] However, according to Ari Wasserman, Indiana is not necessarily the No. 1 team in the Big Ten entering the 2026 season. Here is On3’s full conference preview ahead of the 2026 season. Toughest schedules 1. Ohio StateAs Julian Sayin goes into his second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, he’ll face a tall task with a challenging schedule. The Buckeyes are coming off a College Football Playoff appearance last year as they went 12-2, including a long-awaited win against Michigan to close out the regular season. 2. MichiganIn Year 1 for Michigan under Kyle Whittingham, the Wolverines have one of the hardest schedules in the Big Ten. The former Utah coach will get ready to officially begin his time in Ann Arbor – and all eyes will be on sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood. 3. NorthwesternThis offseason, Northwestern made a major splash at offensive coordinator, hiring Chip Kelly to the role under David Braun. The Wildcats are also facing one of the most challenging schedules in the Big Ten, though, adding to the intrigue around their 2026 season. Read the full list HERE by clicking and subscribing Top QBs in the Big Ten 1. Dante Moore, OregonAfter turning down the NFL Draft, Dante Moore enters the 2026 season as the top-ranked quarterback in the Big Ten, per On3’s Ari Wasserman. The Oregon star helped lead the Ducks to a College Football Playoff berth last season as he completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns. 2. Julian Sayin, Ohio StateDuring his first season as Ohio State’s quarterback, Julian Sayin shined as he became a Heisman Trophy finalist. He led the Big Ten with a 77% completion percentage while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns, and he comes in as the No. 2 quarterback in the Big Ten in 2026. 3. Jayden Maiava, USCIn his first full year as USC’s starter, Jayden Maiava had a monster 2025 season. He threw for 3,711 yards, which led the Big Ten, along with 24 touchdowns and will look to take a leap forward in 2026. 4. Demond Williams, WashingtonNow fully locked in at Washington, Demond Williams is coming off a breakout sophomore season with the Huskies. He threw for 3,056 yards and 25 touchdowns in addition to 611 rush yards and six touchdowns on the ground. 5. Josh Hoover, IndianaOnce again, Curt Cignetti and Indiana turned to the portal and made a splash at quarterback. Josh Hoover arrives from TCU, where he threw for nearly 10,000 yards in his three full seasons. Now at IU, he is already a Top-5 quarterback in the Big Ten, according to Ari Wasserman. Read the full list HERE by clicking and subscribing Ranking most impactful transfers 1. Josh Hoover, QB, IndianaAfter losing Fernando Mendoza to the NFL Draft, Indiana didn’t hesitate before again making a splash in the transfer portal at quarterback. Josh Hoover brings a wealth of experience with him from his time at TCU and comes in as the No. 1 most impactful transfer in the Big Ten this year, according to Ari Wasserman. 2. Nick Marsh, WR, IndianaAs if a big-time quarterback addition wasn’t enough, Indiana also landed a top wide receiver in the transfer portal this cycle. Former Michigan State wideout Nick Marsh is arriving after hauling in 59 receptions for 662 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore last season. 3. John Henry Daley, EDGE, MichiganWhen Kyle Whittingham arrived at Michigan, John Henry Daley was one of the notable Utah players to follow him. He had a monster 2025 season with the Utes as he totaled 48 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles as a redshirt sophomore. 4. Koi Perich, S, OregonWith Dillon Thieneman headed to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft, Oregon turned to the portal and got Koi Perich to help fill the void at safety. He’s coming off a huge year at Minnesota in 2025 with 82 total tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pick-six. 5. Rocco Becht, QB, Penn StateUnder Matt Campbell’s watch at Iowa State, Rocco Becht was consistently among the Big 12’s top quarterbacks. He threw for 3,000 yards twice with the Cyclones and comes in as the No. 5-ranked most impactful transfer in the Big Ten this year, per Ari Wasserman, as he re-joins Campbell in Happy Valley. Read the full list HERE by clicking and subscribing Top Big Ten coaches 1. Curt Cignetti, IndianaSince arriving at Indiana, Curt Cignetti has done what he has throughout his coaching career: win. He has a 27-2 overall record with the Hoosiers, including year’s 15-0 season en route to the program’s first-ever national championship. 2. Ryan Day, Ohio StateAs he enters his eighth season as Ohio State head coach, Ryan Day has been nothing short of impressive in Columbus. He has a career 82-12 overall record, including a 55-5 showing in Big Ten play, along with a national title to his name in 2024. He comes in as On3’s No. 2-ranked coach in the conference. 3. Dan Lanning, OregonDuring his four years at Oregon, Dan Lanning has kept the Ducks among the top programs in college football and hasn’t missed a beat in the Big Ten. Oregon is 26-3 overall since joining the conference in 2024 and 17-1 in league play during that time. 4. Kyle Whittingham, MichiganAlthough he hasn’t coached his first game at Michigan yet, Kyle Whittingham comes in as On3’s No. 4-ranked coach in the Big Ten. That comes from his success at Utah, where he had a 177-88 overall record as part of a decorated tenure before stepping down at the end of the 2025 season. 5. Kirk Ferentz, IowaThe Dean of the Big Ten, Kirk Ferentz has been consistent during his time at Iowa. He has a career 209-128 record in his 27 years as the Hawkeyes’ head coach, keeping him among the Big Ten’s top five coaches, according to Ari Wasserman. Read the full list HERE by clicking and subscribing Big Ten power rankings 1. OregonFollowing last year’s College Football Playoff appearance, Oregon got a big boost with quarterback Dante Moore turning down the NFL Draft and instead coming back to Eugene. The Ducks then added a talented group of transfers, headlined by former Minnesota safety Koi Perich, and a Top-5 recruiting class to sit atop the Big Ten power rankings. 2. Ohio StateOhio State will have three key playmakers back on offense in Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson and Jeremiah Smith, but the Buckeyes have to replace some key pieces that left for the NFL. The Buckeyes landed a Top-3 high school recruiting class and landed a group of transfers led by former Duke safety Terry Moore. 3. IndianaAfter last year’s national title, Indiana bolstered the roster with the top-ranked transfer class, according to the On3 Industry Team Transfer Rankings. Former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover comes in as the heir apparent to Fernando Mendoza as the Hoosiers look to maintain their spot as one of the top teams in the Big Ten. 4. USCThe 2026 season is shaping up to be a big year for Lincoln Riley at USC, and On3’s Ari Wasserman ranked the Trojans at No. 4 in his power rankings. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is notably returning and the program also has the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation on the way to Los Angeles. 5. Penn StateIt’s a new era at Penn State under Matt Campbell, and the Nittany Lions come in as a Top-5 team entering the 2026 season. They have a blend of old and new faces as Campbell takes over, but the most notable retentions came in the secondary with Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson back. Read the full list HERE by clicking and subscribing CFP Best Bets OregonLooking ahead to the College Football Playoff, Oregon comes in as one of On3’s best bets to make the postseason once again. The Ducks have had sustained success under Dan Lanning and with key pieces coming back, have the makings of another run to the postseason. Ohio StateDespite losing so many players to the NFL, Ohio State is also a best bet to make the College Football Playoff. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is now in to call the shots on an offense with a number of big names back, headlined by Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith. IndianaAfter last season’s national title, Indiana is another one of On3’s best bets to return to the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers have the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class coming in, led by former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, as Curt Cignetti looks to keep things rolling in Bloomington. Read the full list, including dark horses, HERE by clicking and subscribing Training camp is on the horizon as the 2026 college football season approaches, and the Big Ten certainly won’t have a shortage of seasons. With media days on the horizon, games will be here very soon.