ESPN ranks every Big Ten Football team ahead of 2025 season

ESPN ranked every Big Ten team ahead of the 2025 college football season, using their SP+ metrics. Confused? Well, we’ll give you an explanation via ESPN.

“One other reminder: SP+ is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and along those lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather.”

The preseason factors for this list include returning production, recent recruiting and recent history. So when you put that all together, you’ll see how all of these Big Ten teams stack up going into the 2025 season. Every team’s national rank is included in parentheses.

1. Ohio State (1)

The Buckeyes are at the top of the Big Ten and also the top of the country, when it comes to ESPN’s SP+ rankings. Ohio State is the defending champ and could very well repeat.

Having to replace key positions could prevent that, but they still have stars such as Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs. Whomever Ryan Day picks as his starting quarterback will be the biggest move of the offseason.

2. Penn State (3)

Penn State plans to run it back in 2025 like Ohio State just did last season. The goal? A national championship victory.

ESPN has them as the second best team in the Big Ten right now and a top three team in the country. Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Dani Dennis-Sutton, the stars are endless!

3. Oregon (7)

The Ducks won the Big Ten last season, going 13-0 and earning the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. They slipped up against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl but have a chance to win it all this year too.

ESPN has them No. 7 overall, which goes to show the strength of the conference, being that Oregon is third among their foes. Dante Moore takes over at QB and it’ll be an intriguing storyline considering he took a year behind Dillon Gabriel.

4. Michigan (10)

Here’s where it gets interesting for the Big Ten and college football at large. Michigan is back near the top of the conference after an average season in 2024.

Sherrone Moore goes into Year 2 with a better quarterback situation and some solid pieces on both sides of the ball. The fact that ESPN’s metrics have the Wolverines in the top 10 is telling. This could be a playoff team after a year off.

5. Illinois (19)

Illinois will also try to make it to the College Football Playoff this season as ESPN ranked them in the top 20 nationwide. It’s good for the top five in the Big Ten.

Luke Altmyer is back at QB, giving the Fighting Illini a leg up on most teams in the conference. Bret Bielema’s crew won 10 games last season and that could be a possibility this fall.

6. Indiana (23)

Curt Cignetti pushed every right button in 2024 and now has a reloaded roster as he tries to lead the Hoosiers back to the CFP. Fernando Mendoza is in at QB from Cal, giving him another talented signal caller.

ESPN ranked them in the upper half of the Big Ten and a top 25 team in the country. But, it might be hard to replicate last year’s record setting season. Still, they have the talent.

7. Iowa (28)

The Hawkeyes being a top 30 program just feels right year to year. They’re in the top half of the Big Ten and ESPN likes how Iowa projects into 2025 and beyond.

Kirk Ferentz and crew are always going to be a tough out and that could be the case again this year. Although, we don’t think they’ll necessarily be a playoff threat. But we can’t rule it out!

8. USC (30)

USC is trying to avoid another disappointing season, but facts are facts right now. Lincoln Riley’s time with the Trojans has been mediocre since his debut season.

That doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have talent, especially on offense and what Riley does with his quarterbacks. But the age old question is can the defense actually improve? They’ll need that to compete at the top of the Big Ten.

9. Nebraska (34)

The Huskers’ expectations are certainly rising going into 2025. Second-year quarterback Dylan Raiola will be the man who drives the bus.

Matt Rhule getting Nebraska to rise in the Big Ten and nationwide would be par for the course, given his coaching history. But right now, they’ll have to prove it as ESPN has them in the middle of the conference.

10. Wisconsin (37)

The Badgers underwent a makeover with Luke Fickell at the helm. Going into 2025, Wisconsin could see some improvements, despite being No. 10 in the Big Ten.

ESPN still has them as a top 40 team in the country, which might mean postseason when it’s all said and done. Don’t be surprised if this team rises up the ranks a bit.

11. Washington (39)

The Huskies will go into Year 2 under Jedd Fisch. There were some ups and downs last season and ESPN expects them to be a middling Big Ten team this year.

As far as the national ranking? Well, top 40 isn’t too shabby. There are a lot of transfers on defense, six of which are projected starters a little less than two months away from the season. 

12. Minnesota (40)

PJ Fleck is ready to row the boats back to the postseason in 2025 and maybe a little further. But right now, ESPN has them in the bottom half of the Big Ten right now.

Still, being a top 40 team projects out to a team that’ll make a bowl game. Transfers on the offensive line should help reshape the unit to success.

13. Rutgers (45)

Rutgers has made a bowl game two years in a row as Greg Schiano has something cooking during his second stint at the school. The defense was a problem last season as there were numerous missed opportunities at nine, maybe even 10 wins.

Competing in the Big Ten this year will be harder with a more difficult schedule. There’s a good offense to work with as this is still a top 50 team according to ESPN, so a third straight bowl game should be a possibility.

14. UCLA (51)

DeShaun Foster hopes for more success in Year 2, which would include getting to a bowl game. Right now, they’re in the bottom third of the Big Ten per ESPN.

Nico Iamaleava is at QB after transferring from Tennessee. How that translates is anyone’s guess, but the Bruins certainly have a talented player at the position.

15. Michigan State (64)

Jonathan Smith is working to rebuild Michigan State and they’ll have to climb out from the bottom of the Big Ten, per ESPN. There’s a bit of a gap between UCLA and MSU at this point too.

Aidan Chiles is an intriguing QB talent and could turn into something worthwhile throughout the course of the season. Like the Bruins, the Spartans were 5-7 last season and making a bowl game should be the goal, despite a lower ranking.

16. Maryland (70)

The Terrapins might be in a bit of a rebuild now as Mike Locksley turns the calendar to the 2025 season. They’re near the bottom of the Big Ten in these rankings.

ESPN also has them far lower than a few teams just above them in the conference. It could be another down year for this crew.

17. Northwestern (87)

Northwestern had a lot of magic in 2023 under David Braun. It all came crashing back down to earth last season and ESPN probably expects another year of four or five wins, based on the metrics.

The Wildcats are second to last in the Big Ten rankings going into the season. Maybe Braun and crew have a few more surprises up their sleeves.

18. Purdue (101)

Purdue is undergoing a total rebuild with new head coach Barry Odom. He’s brought some of his guys over from UNLV for a fresh start as well.

The Boilermakers will have to do a lot of work to climb up the ranks of the Big Ten. ESPN’s rankings have them outside the top 100 nationwide as well.