The dust hasn't even settled on the 2025 season, but the hierarchy of the Midwest—and now the West Coast—has been completely set on fire. If you told a fan three years ago that Indiana would be sitting at the top of the big 10 football power rankings in January 2026, they’d have asked for whatever you were drinking.
Yet, here we are.
Curt Cignetti didn't just "turn around" Indiana; he performed a full-scale exorcism on a program that used to be the conference’s punching bag. After a 15-0 run that culminated in a literal 13-10 defensive slugfest against Ohio State in Indianapolis, the Hoosiers aren't just a "nice story" anymore. They are the standard. Honestly, it feels weird even typing that. But facts are facts, and the scoreboard at Lucas Oil Stadium doesn't lie.
The current hierarchy: Big 10 football power rankings
- Indiana Hoosiers (15-0): They are the kings until someone knocks them off. Fernando Mendoza proved he’s the real deal, winning the Big Ten Championship MVP and likely heading into 2026 as the Heisman frontrunner. The scary part? They’re already winning in the transfer portal, landing TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to keep the room elite.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2): It was a "disappointment" to lose the title game 13-10. Think about that. Most programs would kill for a 12-win season, but in Columbus, if you don't beat Michigan (which they did, 27-9) and win the Big Ten, people get restless. Their defense didn't allow more than 17 points to a single opponent all year. That is absurd.
- Oregon Ducks (13-2): Dan Lanning has turned Eugene into a Big Ten powerhouse in record time. They dismantled Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl and only really stumbled against the Indiana buzzsaw. Dante Moore is a superstar, period.
- USC Trojans (9-4): Lincoln Riley finally found a defense, sort of. They lost a heartbreaker to TCU in the Alamo Bowl, but wins over Michigan and Iowa showed they belong in this league physically.
- Michigan Wolverines (9-4): It was a weird year in Ann Arbor. Bryce Underwood showed flashes of why he was a five-star recruit, but 9 touchdowns to 6 interceptions isn't going to win you a playoff spot. They beat the teams they should have but couldn't touch the elite tier.
- Iowa Hawkeyes (9-4): The most "Iowa" season ever. Every single loss was by five points or less. They beat Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and for once, the offense actually looked like it belonged in the 21st century thanks to Mark Gronowski.
- Illinois Forcing Their Way Up (9-4): Bret Bielema has this team playing nasty. They beat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl and spent most of the year ranked in the top 20.
The Indiana miracle wasn't a fluke
People keep waiting for the bubble to burst in Bloomington. It’s not happening. Cignetti’s "I win" mantra has translated into a 24-2 record over two years. The Hoosiers just beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Let that sink in.
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They play a brand of football that shouldn't work for a "basketball school." It’s physical. It’s mean. Their defense, led by the core that frustrated Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes' high-powered offense, is fundamentally sound in a way we haven't seen in the Big Ten since the peak 1990s.
Why Ohio State is still the monster in the closet
Despite the loss in the title game, Ohio State’s roster is still a video game. Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best wide receiver to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray, and he’s only getting better. The defense, featuring Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs, is a literal wall.
The Buckeyes are already reloading. They just landed five massive commitments in the portal this week, including James Smith from Alabama. They aren't going anywhere. If anything, the loss to Indiana has only made the boosters in Columbus more aggressive with NIL.
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The portal is already shifting the 2026 outlook
We’re barely into January 2026, and the big 10 football power rankings for next season are already being rewritten by the transfer portal.
- Oregon just snagged Koi Perich, the top-ranked safety in the portal, from Minnesota. That’s a massive "rich get richer" move.
- Nebraska is trying to fix the offense by bringing in Anthony Colandrea from UNLV. Matt Rhule’s seat isn't hot yet, but a 7-6 finish with a bowl loss to Utah wasn't what the fans in Lincoln had in mind.
- Wisconsin is in full overhaul mode. Luke Fickell saw 21 players leave and 22 come in. It’s a risky strategy, but after a 4-8 season where the offense averaged 12.8 points per game, he didn't have a choice.
What most people get wrong about the "New" Big Ten
There’s this idea that the West Coast teams—USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington—would struggle with the "Big Ten weather" and physicality. Oregon proved that’s nonsense. They’re as physical as anyone in the trenches.
UCLA, however, is a different story. 3-9 is a disaster. The Bruins look lost in this new landscape, and the gap between them and the top of the conference feels like a canyon right now. Washington is somewhere in the middle; 9-4 is a solid "rebuilding" year, especially after blowing out Boise State in the LA Bowl.
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Practical insights for the 2026 season
If you’re looking at these big 10 football power rankings and trying to figure out where to place your bets for next year, keep an eye on these three things:
- Quarterback Stability: Indiana (Mendoza/Hoover), Oregon (Moore), and Ohio State (Sayin) are set. Michigan is still "figuring it out" with Underwood. That gap is where games are won.
- The Schedule Gauntlet: Wisconsin had seven ranked opponents last year. Seven. You can be a good team and still go 4-8 in this league if the schedule makers hate you.
- The NIL Arms Race: Ohio State and Oregon are spending like NFL teams. Indiana is starting to match them. If your school isn't in that $15M–$20M range for a roster, you're playing for fourth place.
The 2025 season was a fever dream. Indiana winning the league, Penn State falling apart so badly they had to make a coaching change, and the "Big 18" finally feeling like a cohesive (if chaotic) unit.
Expect more of the same. The parity in the middle of the pack is high, but the ceiling is being set by a few programs that have mastered the portal and the paycheck.
Next Steps for 2026 Prep:
- Monitor the "Spring Portal" window in April; that's where the second-tier teams usually find their starting tackles.
- Watch the coaching staff changes at Penn State and Michigan State; new systems usually mean a slow start in September.
- Check the 2026 recruiting rankings; Ohio State and Oregon are currently 1-2, which usually dictates the power rankings three years from now.