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Athlon Sports predicts Big Ten standings, order of finish during 2026 season

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As the college offseason continues into the long summer months, prediction time is upon us. How will a competitive Big Ten finish in terms of the standings in 2026?

Well, that’s a question Athlon Sports attempted to tackle this week in a piece on its website. The organization ranked the entire league from top to bottom on its projected order of finish, and the results might surprise you.

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Without too much further ado, let’s dive into the picks for the Big Ten standings from Athlon Sports below. We’ll list them from top to bottom.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Athlon Sports sees it essentially as a three-team race for the Big Ten title this year between Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. The Buckeyes come out on top in the final pegging, though the publication notes all three teams are “in the top tier of national championship contenders.”

Still, the combination of offensive weapons the Buckeyes have put together, led by quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith, will be tough to top. The defense should be even better in Matt Patricia‘s second year, though it has plenty of talent to replace. The transfer portal aided in that regard.

2. Indiana Hoosiers

Like Ohio State, Indiana lost a considerable amount this offseason, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. But few have done as well mining the transfer portal for talent that fits the roster as Curt Cignetti.

At quarterback, TCU transfer Josh Hoover will step in. If he can mesh well, he’ll have good options to throw to, including Charlie Becker. Meanwhile, the defense returns star lineman Tyrique Tucker and several others. There should be some continuity on both sides.

3. Oregon Ducks

Given the fact that Oregon has a returning starting quarterback who was a Heisman Trophy contender last season in Dante Moore, it might be a little surprising to see the Ducks come out third in the order between the top contenders. Still, it’s splitting hairs picking between any of the three to win the Big Ten.

If Oregon’s going to make a legitimate title push, the impetus might come from the defense, which returned a handful of key players who could have gone to the NFL Draft. Dan Lanning has been elite, he just needs to get over the hump in the biggest games. Can he do it this fall?

4. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan might be the biggest wildcard in the Big Ten in 2026. The program has ample talent, including a mega-talented quarterback in Bryce Underwood. The real question is how much new coach Kyle Whittingham can get out of him.

The good news is the Wolverines have plenty returning in the trenches and added some weapons for Underwood in the transfer portal. Will that be enough to compete with the upper-tier teams in the league? We’ll see.

5. USC Trojans

Another team that’s got a big potential answer for its biggest question, USC goes into 2026 hoping Lincoln Riley has once again solved the defensive question marks. New coordinator Gary Patterson has the chops, but how quickly can he work his magic in Los Angeles?

On the other side, the offense should once again be elite for a Big Ten outfit. Scratch that, for just about anyone. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is back and could contend for a Heisman Trophy with a little more improvement across the board.

6. Washington Huskies

All Jedd Fisch has done at just about every program he’s been at has been leading turnarounds. He went 6-7 in his first year at Washington and 9-4 last year. With a returning starting quarterback in Demond Williams this year, is a run at the Big Ten title in the cards?

It could be. Washington has enough other questions that few will be outright picking it, but the program is definitely in the conversation. Williams can be as good as any other quarterback in the league, which is saying something.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

James Franklin is out, Matt Campbell is in. As is a huge portion of his Iowa State roster. Campbell did what many coaches do when leaving for a new program. He took a lot of the talent with him. Still, there’s a lot left to do.

As Athlon Sports points out, the schedule sets up favorably with no Ohio State, Indiana or Oregon in conference play. A hot start to the season could see the Nittany Lions gain some real confidence and momentum.

8. Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa was competitive in just about every game last year, but keeping that level of competitiveness this year might be a tall task. Only six starters are back, per Athlon Sports. Still, Iowa is a model of consistency in the Big Ten under Kirk Ferentz.

And, while the quarterback position remains up for grabs, the offensive line figures to be stout once again. That’s the pretty typical recipe of success for Iowa, which likes to grind games out and win on the margins.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini

Iowa only brings back six starters, but Illinois brings back only seven. That will make matching the success of the last two seasons — a program-best 19 wins in that span — a real challenge.

That said, Bret Bielema has done a nice job building his rosters with tough, competitive players. That shouldn’t change this fall, it’s just a matter of how quickly things can gel. East Carolina quarterback Katin Houser steps in as the most high-profile transfer for the team.

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers

With the coaching carousel heating up this offseason, Nebraska was proactive in making sure Matt Rhule is around for the long haul. Now it’s on him to prove he deserves that faith. Progress has been a little slow to this point.

Quarterback became a question mark after Dylan Raiola bolted. In steps UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who could have a big season under Dana Holgorsen. The Huskers also brought in a new defensive coordinator in Rob Aurich to try to bring some juice to the defense.