Ohio State, Oregon Aim to Dethrone Champion Indiana in Big Ten
The Buckeyes and Ducks top the preseason AP Top 25 as they look to overtake defending national champion Indiana.
Indiana enters the season as the defending Big Ten and national champion after becoming the first team in the modern era to finish 16-0 in 2025. The Hoosiers return 10 starters and have a manageable schedule under coach Curt Cignetti, who is 27-2 with two College Football Playoff appearances since taking over the program.
But most of the preseason attention is on Ohio State and Oregon, which sit No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, part of a group of eight ranked Big Ten teams. Many in the sport expect Indiana to slow down after losing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, replaced by TCU transfer Josh Hoover.
Ohio State faces the toughest conference schedule, with a trip to Indiana on October 17 and a home game against Oregon on November 7 — matchups likely to shape the Big Ten championship race and College Football Playoff seeding. The Buckeyes return receiver Jeremiah Smith, quarterback Julian Sayin and an elite offensive line, though the defense must replace eight drafted starters.
Oregon returns quarterback Dante Moore and six starters on offense, along with tackle A'Mauri Washington and edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei leading a defense that also returns eight starters.
Southern California, under fifth-year coach Lincoln Riley, faces a brutal schedule including home games against Oregon and Ohio State and a trip to Indiana, with quarterback Jayden Maiava having made 17 straight starts. Michigan is looking for quarterback Bryce Underwood to progress under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Penn State's new coach, Matt Campbell, brought 24 players from Iowa State, including quarterback Rocco Becht, and avoids Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana on the schedule.
Washington returns quarterback Demond Williams Jr. after a pay dispute with the school, while Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and other Big Ten programs face varying levels of turnover at quarterback and along the roster heading into the season.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
