Big Ten football 2026 SP+ rankings are here
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Spring ball is upon all of college football now, and with that come renewed expectations, hype, and fanfare, despite the 2026 season still being nearly half a year away. But the doldrums of the offseason are disappearing, and one of the major signs of such is the revelation of various rankings — beyond the ones that come out the day after the national championship game.
The one that you can probably put the most stock in is that of the SP+, compiled by ESPN advanced stats guru Bill Connelly. SP+ is a predictive model, one that balances returning production, recent records, recruiting, and coaching changes.
In the preseason SP+, the Big Ten is quite top-heavy, with several teams in the top 25. Here is how every Big Ten team ranks, as well as how they rank against each other.
18. Purdue Boilermakers
Overall: 82
Offense: 86
Defense: 79
Special teams: 4
Purdue has improved under Barry Odom, but it may take a few more years for the Boilermakers to go from the lower-tier to the mid.
17. Michigan State Spartans
Overall: 67
Offense: 61
Defense: 69
Special teams: 105
Pat Fitzgerald takes over and should eventually give the Spartans some legitimacy. But there are questions about if he can handle college football in the modern era, given he's a bit more of an old soul in terms of his philosophy. MSU is also among the bottom as it pertains to returning production. East Lansing acolytes may scoff at the low expectations, but it's unlikely that there will be a quick turnaround here.
16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Overall: 62
Offense: 37
Defense: 90
Special teams: 68
The Scarlet Knights under Greg Schiano are much more formidable than those who took over after his initial departure. However, it's unclear that Rutgers is going to be much more than a lower-to-mid tier player in the conference this year.
15. Wisconsin Badgers
Overall: 61
Offense: 106
Defense: 22
Special teams: 97
It's somewhat surprising to see Wisconsin just one spot ahead of Rutgers, but the struggles on the offensive side are concerning. Despite the terrible season last year, Luke Fickell was given a vote of confidence, and the Badgers somewhat rallied after that. We'll see if the new quarterback situation can rectify the issues from the past few seasons.
14. Maryland Terrapins
Overall: 55
Offense: 65
Defense: 43
Special teams: 39
The Terps have an enigmatic young quarterback in Malik Washington, and the second-most returning experience in all of college football, and the most in the Big Ten. This number would seem too low, but Maryland has to prove that it can do more than it has, really, since it's joined the conference.
13. Northwestern Wildcats
Overall: 49
Offense: 78
Defense: 28
Special teams: 29
The Wildcats continue to be a tough out, but that doesn't always mean high numbers in the win column. They still seem destined to be a middling team, but with the new coaches (including Chip Kelly as the new offensive coordinator) and talent, perhaps they can turn the corner.
12. UCLA Bruins
Overall: 46
Offense: 52
Defense: 54
Special teams: 71
Another team with a ton of returning experience, and a new coaching staff led by Bob Chesney, there's a lot to like about the Bruins this season, especially if Chesney can get the most out of Nico Iamaleava. UCLA has tended to oscillate from really good to really bad, with little in between, but the last time it was really good was in the Pac-12, and not in the Big Ten.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Overall: 45
Offense: 71
Defense: 24
Special teams: 125
Another team that has a ton of returning experience, Minnesota has tended to be better than expectations most years under PJ Fleck. It doesn't really seem like a team that could contend for the Big Ten, but weirder things have happened.
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Overall: 37
Offense: 49
Defense: 39
Special teams: 69
The Matt Rhule era has been a bit of a disappointment, but Nebraska has the second-most returning talent in the conference — albeit without Dylan Raiola, who transferred to Oregon this offseason. The Huskers looked very good early in the season last year before Raiola's injury, but it's unclear how they'll fare without him.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini
Overall: 33
Offense: 28
Defense: 44
Special teams: 30
Last year, Illinois had the fifth-most returning talent in the country, along with a quarterback in Luke Altmeyer who appeared ready to take the next step. Yet, the Illini faltered in a big way. It seems baffling that they're still rated relatively high, but just two years removed from a 10-win season, it wouldn't be mindblowing if Illinois ended up being on the cusp of the top 25, either.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall: 22
Offense: 38
Defense: 17
Special teams: 10
This feels too high for a Hawkeyes team that has the fewest returning players of any in the Big Ten and doesn't have a quarterback. The offense ranking of 38th also feels way too high, and the schedule is really difficult this year. This feels like a step-back year for Kirk Ferentz's team.
7. Washington Huskies
Overall: 21
Offense: 22
Defense: 19
Special teams: 96
Another team with a lot of returning talent, Washington could be a breakout team this year. It was a hard out last year, but it did lose to pretty much every team with a pulse — and Wisconsin. Demond Williams was, uh, coaxed back, but that could pay huge dividends this year, and he is in the running for the best QB in the Big Ten.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
Overall: 17
Offense: 14
Defense: 23
Special teams: 6
The Nittany Lions are more so the Penn State Cyclones this year. And while Matt Campbell should reinvigorate PSU compared to the final year of James Franklin's tenure, it isn't clear if the Iowa State contingent, combining with the talent extant in Happy Valley, will provide a winning formula, but it should be an interesting journey, to say the least.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Overall: 14
Offense: 20
Defense: 13
Special teams: 113
The special teams are dragging Michigan down, yet the one game with Kerry Coombs leading the charge there last year showed that the unit should be vastly improved. The same can and should be said for the Wolverines under Kyle Whittingham with new coordinators Jason Beck and Jay Hill. There's a ton of talent in Ann Arbor, more than any of the new coaches have worked with, but the schedule is an absolute bear.
4. USC Trojans
Overall: 13
Offense: 6
Defense: 29
Special teams: 100
Lincoln Riley changed a lot about the program after a better, but still disappointing season. Will his coaching staff changes get the Trojans back to the top? Seems unlikely, but the offense should still be very, very good.
3. Indiana Hoosiers
Overall: 5
Offense: 9
Defense: 6
Special teams: 22
Coming off the program's first national championship, Curt Cignetti has proven his mettle as the best coach in the country. But he's lost a ton of his talent, especially those who followed him from JMU to Bloomington. Will he be able to still dominate with Josh Hoover at quarterback? Maybe.
2. Oregon Ducks
Overall: 2
Offense: 1
Defense: 3
Special teams: 50
This feels like it should be Oregon's year, with Dante Moore returning, as well as much of the team. It's not an easy schedule, but it wasn't last year either. The Ducks continue to inch toward a program-first national championship, and this year has an 'if not now, when?' sort of feel.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall: 1
Offense: 2
Defense: 1
Special teams: 67
Ohio State is almost always the preseason No. 1 SP+ team, so it's no surprise that it's the case again this year. There are a lot of returners on offense, but the defense has been gutted. A new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith could be intriguing, but will his style jell with the Buckeyes' preferred style of play? And how will Matt Patricia fare with a new cast of characters on the defensive side of the ball?
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Big Ten football 2026 SP+ rankings
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