College football: Ohio State, Oregon expected to challenge Indiana for Big Ten title

The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten and national championship and were the first team in the modern era to go 16-0. They have 10 starters back, the hottest coach in the game and a manageable schedule. It's Ohio State and Oregon generating most of the preseason buzz, though, with both perched 1-2 atop the preseason AP Top 25 poll and among eight ranked teams. The consensus around the sport is that the Buckeyes and Ducks are loaded and the Hoosiers' roll is about to slow with TCU transfer Josh Hoover replacing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza. Doubt coach Curt Cignetti at your own peril. He's 27-2 with two College Football Playoff appearances at Indiana and has yet to write a check his team can't cash. Ohio State plays the toughest conference schedule. The Buckeyes visit Indiana on Oct. 17 and host Oregon on Nov. 7. Those games will go a long way in deciding which teams make the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, not to mention impact CFP seeding. The Buckeyes are built for what awaits. Jeremiah Smith is the most productive receiver in the nation, quarterback Julian Sayin is one of the most accurate passers and the offensive line is elite. There are plenty of talented transfers waiting to emerge for a defense replacing eight starters, all of whom were drafted. Oregon is one of the most seasoned teams in the nation with quarterback Dante Moore among six starters back on offense and tackle A'Mauri Washington and edge Matayo Uiagalelei leading a defense that returns eight starters. Other teams that could challenge Southern California coach Lincoln Riley goes into his fifth season with his best team on paper. The schedule is brutal with home games against Oregon and Ohio State and a trip to Indiana. QB Jayden Maiava has made 17 straight starts. Michigan is looking to improve on offense. QB Bryce Underwood, who didn't live up to lofty expectations as a freshman, should make progress with OC Jason Beck coming with Kyle Whittingham from Utah. Penn State first-year coach Matt Campbell brought 24 players with him from Iowa State, including QB Rocco Becht. The Nittany Lions don't have to play Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana. Team on the rise Washington got back dynamic QB Demond Williams Jr. after a kerfuffle with the school over pay. If the Huskies can rebuild what was one of the Big Ten's best defenses, their ascent under Jedd Fisch can continue. The schedule is a bit tougher than in 2025. And the rest Iowa has reeled off at least eight wins all but one non-pandemic season since 2013. Two inexperienced QBs are battling for the starter's job and the defensive line must be rebuilt. Katin Houser, who has a combined 26 starts at Michigan State and East Carolina, becomes Illinois' fourth transfer to start at QB in Bret Bielema's six seasons. Minnesota has beaten a ranked opponent three straight years and is 7-0 in bowls since 2018. The Gophers will be a tough out again with returning QB Drake Lindsey and a dominant edge in Anthony Smith. Nebraska's Matt Rhule is 19-19 in three seasons, including 1-4 since he signed a two-year contract extension. No one plays a tougher October-November schedule. Wisconsin is counting on transfers Colton Joseph (QB, Old Dominion) and Abu Sama III (RB, Iowa State) to recharge an offense plagued by injuries the last four years. QB Nico Iamaleava is back for UCLA, and 10 of the Bruins' 45 transfers followed Bob Chesney from James Madison. Northwestern brought in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel as QBs coach to spark an offense that's last in Big Ten in yards per play (4.9) since 2023. Maryland's Malik Washington is one of the great young QB talents but the Terrapins need their defense to spend less time on the field. Michigan State, 9-27 in Big Ten play since 2022, hopes to become relevant again with new coach Pat Fitzgerald. Rutgers' 22 Big Ten wins are fewest among teams that have been in the conference since 2014. Purdue has lost 18 straight Big Ten games and beaten one FBS opponent (Ball State) the last two years. Mark your calendars Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame, at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Sept. 6; Oklahoma at Michigan, Sept. 12; Ohio State at Texas, Sept. 12; Oregon at USC, Sept. 26; USC at Penn State, Oct. 10; Ohio State at Indiana, Oct. 17; Ohio State at USC, Oct. 31; Oregon at Ohio State, Nov. 7; USC at Indiana, Nov. 14; Nebraska at Iowa, Nov. 27; Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 28.