Too early 2026 Big 10 Power Rankings
- Thread starter LudicrousSpeedGO!
- Start date
TheNewBoss
Active member
Amazing schedule – Taking the rankings at face value, I divided the 18 teams into 6 tiers (based on the power rankings) top to bottom, 3 teams per tier.
Zero teams in tier one, 3 teams in tier two, 1 in tier three, 0 in tier four, 3 in tier five and 2 in the bottom tier six.
I know that this has been discussed before, but wow, this is an easy schedule. 7 and 2 or bust in the Big Ten????
TIER ONE playing 0 out of 3
1. Indiana not playing
2. Ohio State not playing
3. Oregon not playing
TIER TWO playing 3 out of 3
4. Michigan @ Michigan
5. USC Home
6. Washington @ Washington
TIER THREE playing 1 out of 3
7. Penn State
8. Iowa not playing
9. Minnesota Home
TIER FOUR playing 0 out of 3
10. Nebraska not playing
11. Illinois not playing
12. UCLA not playing
TIER FIVE playing 3 out of 3
13. Northwestern @ Northwestern
14. Rutgers Home
15. Wisconsin Home
TIER SIX playing 2 out of 3
16. Michigan State not playing
17. Maryland @ Maryland
18. Purdue Home
Zero teams in tier one, 3 teams in tier two, 1 in tier three, 0 in tier four, 3 in tier five and 2 in the bottom tier six.
I know that this has been discussed before, but wow, this is an easy schedule. 7 and 2 or bust in the Big Ten????
TIER ONE playing 0 out of 3
1. Indiana not playing
2. Ohio State not playing
3. Oregon not playing
TIER TWO playing 3 out of 3
4. Michigan @ Michigan
5. USC Home
6. Washington @ Washington
TIER THREE playing 1 out of 3
7. Penn State
8. Iowa not playing
9. Minnesota Home
TIER FOUR playing 0 out of 3
10. Nebraska not playing
11. Illinois not playing
12. UCLA not playing
TIER FIVE playing 3 out of 3
13. Northwestern @ Northwestern
14. Rutgers Home
15. Wisconsin Home
TIER SIX playing 2 out of 3
16. Michigan State not playing
17. Maryland @ Maryland
18. Purdue Home
Last edited:
Pennstate_one
Active member
I get the tier breakdown, but taking rankings at face value is the problem. The Big Ten isn’t static anymore. Portal turnover, NIL, and QB play matter more than preseason tiers. “Easy schedule” ignores matchup styles, road games, and how quickly rosters change year to year. 7–2 or bust assumes nothing goes sideways, and college football never works that clean. I just want to see a team with effort and consistency.
With that said, I do have alot of confidence in the new coaching staff until they prove otherwise.
With that said, I do have alot of confidence in the new coaching staff until they prove otherwise.
LudicrousSpeedGO!
Well-known member
It is about the most generous schedule that you could hope for with a transition year and new staff/mostly new roster. The only added difficulty is that you have the #4 and #5 projected teams in back to back weeks and later another tier 2 team with the only tier 3 team in back to back weeks. Other than that, it is very manageable.
Perhaps it is payback for the 2025 schedule in which we played 3 of the top 5 teams in the nation?
TheNewBoss
Active member
Yes, it is an optimistic take, but it seems very doable.
LudicrousSpeedGO!
Well-known member
I should add that projections are just that. I'm pretty sure that teams saw Indiana in 2024 on their schedule after firing their staff and thought it was a cakewalk and not a matchup against a playoff team. Just like I'm sure Northwestern fans had @PSU penciled in as a definite loss last season.
The sample size is not big enough for "Indiana doesn't rebuild, they reload" and with USC losing all of its star receivers and being weak on defense doesn't bolster any argument for it being good. The article just names drops the usual suspects and is not deep. Almost AI generated.
NittanyLion99
Well-known member
What a terrible article. The first two sentences are completely at odds with each other. You can't be a "Cinderella story" if you are a perennial powerhouse that simply "reloads."
"Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers don't rebuild; they reload. Indiana completed college football's greatest Cinderella story in 2025."
LudicrousSpeedGO!
Well-known member
I think you guys may be too focused on the language. The projected finishes are very much in line with just about every other source. Maybe teams move up or down a slot or a few slots. But the consensus is very similar. For example, here is another article of way too early projections for comparison. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-predictions-early-2026What a terrible article. The first two sentences are completely at odds with each other. You can't be a "Cinderella story" if you are a perennial powerhouse that simply "reloads."
"Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers don't rebuild; they reload. Indiana completed college football's greatest Cinderella story in 2025."
NittanyLion99
Well-known member
Well, I didn't mention the rankings. I was simply noting the terrible writing. Indiana cannot be a team that "reloads" and be a "cinderella story." That is how the article started. First thought of the author, Will Backus, who apparently has a journo degree from TENN and who CBS Sports saw fit to hire to be a CFB and CBB writer. Just awful
Leatherhelmets
Active member
I think that IU takes at least a small step backwards this season. They did well in the portal, but they are losing an awful lot in the draft. I see them as 10-2 / 9-3. Maybe that's re-loading.What a terrible article. The first two sentences are completely at odds with each other. You can't be a "Cinderella story" if you are a perennial powerhouse that simply "reloads."
"Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers don't rebuild; they reload. Indiana completed college football's greatest Cinderella story in 2025."
LudicrousSpeedGO!
Well-known member
I thought that this year. Somehow they got even better. I'll tell you who is losing a ton of big time talent in the draft is Ohio St, but they bring in top 5 recruiting classes every year and then add a few elite players in the portal.
According to this, Ohio St will have 3 of the top 8 players, 4 of the top 15, 5 of the top 24. and 10 to 13 drafted total depending on who you believe. How they didn't win it this year is pretty crazy with that much elite talent. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-prospects-2026-big-board-top-players-rankings/
I think Campbell and company will create game plans that leverage the skills at hand and win games Penn State used to lose. We sing the praises of OSU and what pundits say about their superior talent, but if CMC coached Penn State over the past eleven years, the Lions would have won 4-5 games versus OSU and we wouldn't be so in awe of them today. They would be just another good team to beat as was the case in the Joe years against Bama, ND, Pitt, and OSU. Even people think that USC will beat PSU this year, but how so? With all that 19 year old 4* & 5* talent?
Last edited: