CBS Sports ranked all of the Big Ten football teams from first to last in the Way-Too-Early rankings for 2026. The season’s been over for less than a month, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the next fall!
Indiana reigned supreme over the Big Ten, and college football, last season. The Hoosiers could very well do it again at this point.
Without further ado, let’s dive into CBS Sports’ stacking of the Big Ten squads. We start at the top!
Indiana tops the Big Ten rankings early on coming off a 16-0 season and national championship. Curt Cignetti is ready to reload for 2026 and go back to back.
They bring in TCU QB Josh Hoover to replace Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. Not only that, the defense brings back Rolijah Hardy and Tyrique Tucker.
Julian Sayin will be put to the test again against Miami. (Birm/LR)
Ohio State will run it back with QB Julian Sayin, WR Jeremiah Smith and RB Bo Jackson. It would not be shocking to see this team win the Big Ten.
The questions are on defense, having to replace Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and others. Still, they landed Qua Russaw from Alabama in the transfer portal, as well as his teammate Christian Alliegro. Reload it is!
Oregon has taken some natural steps forward since joining the Big Ten. Dan Lanning led the team to a conference crown in 2024 and further in the playoffs in 2025.
Fresh off a CFP semifinal run, the Ducks want to make sure they win it all with QB Dante Moore returning. They’ll have Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola waiting in the wings too. However, Lanning has to prove he can do it again without coordinators Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi.
Kyle Whittingham takes over Michigan after stepping down at Utah, seemingly showing the Wolverines lucked into a great coach after the Sherrone Moore scandal. But, QB Bryce Underwood committed to a return and Whittingham should bring a new culture to Ann Arbor.
The toughness he instilled in his teams at Utah in multiple conferences should translate well to the Big Ten. They’ll be highly competitive, but can they win the conference or get close to that in order to make the College Football Playoff?
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Jayden Maiava returns at QB for USC this coming season, giving the Trojans one of the better situations in the Big Ten. Lincoln Riley had to reload the weapons through the portal though, getting Terrell Anderson and Tanook Haines.
Riley lost DC D’Anton Lynn to Penn State, so once again, USC’s Achilles heel could be on that side of the ball. We’ll see if they can overcome that to jump a level.
Demond Williams had quite the transfer saga in which he ultimately decided to return to the Huskies. Jedd Fisch was a popular name floated for Penn State’s opening at one point, but he’s looking to continue his build out west.
Washington will have to identify a new lead RB and WR with departures in those departments. Still, the offensive should shape up well for Big Ten standards.
Penn State goes from James Franklin to Matt Campbell in 2026, but they’ll measure out in the middle of the Big Ten for now. Campbell brings a lot of credentials from Iowa State so there’s excitement.
QB Rocco Becht followed his coach to take over under center. They also brought in other Cyclones, so this could be competitive right away.
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Iowa is as steady as she goes as the Hawkeyes round out the middle of the Big Ten. Kirk Ferentz will keep that consistency going year to year and 2026 will probably be no different.
The QB position will be a question mark again with them turning to Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown this year. There’s not much experience there, so it’ll be a huge decision.
The Golden Gophers were a bit under the radar last season, grabbing eight wins in 2025. Moving forward, it’s about if Fleck can get them out of that tier in the Big Ten.
RB Darius Taylor is back, as well as QB Drake Lindsey. The offense should be solid and the defense will revolve around defensive end Anthony Smith.
Nebraksa finishes off the top 10 of the Big Ten going into next year. But, the biggest question is how will the QB fare?
With Dylan Raiola off to Oregon, Matt Rhule and crew welcomed in Anthony Colandrea after his three years at Virginia and UNLV. They’ll rely on him a lot, especially with RB Emmett Johnson gone.
CBS Sports ranks Big Ten teams in WTE Rankings
11. Illinois
12. UCLA
13. Northwestern
14. Rutgers
15. Wisconsin
16. Michigan State
17. Maryland
18. Purdue
UCLA is the lone team outside the top 10 with a new head coach, Bob Chesney. He comes over from James Madison, following a College Football Playoff appearance.