[ad_1]
The Big Ten ballooned up to 18 programs ahead of the 2024 college football season, swooping in on the Pac-12 by first adding USC and UCLA and eventually collecting Oregon and Washington as well.
The four newcomers are the biggest storyline in the conference, but a new quarterback at Ohio State, new just about everything at both Michigan and Michigan State, and promising second year head coaches at Nebraska, Wisconsin, Rutgers, and Maryland will make this one of the most exciting football conferences in the country.
Michigan’s run at the top may be over following Jim Harbaugh’s departure, and the question now becomes whether Ryan Day and the Buckeyes or Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks will take the mantle and potentially compete for a national title.
Below is a look at our preseason Big Ten power rankings, with the first games of the season taking place this Saturday:
Syndication: The Register Guard
Dan Lanning has done just about everything right at Oregon the past few seasons, and while they haven’t quite broken through as legit title contenders, that is expected to be the case in 2024.
Dillon Gabriel and a host of elite athletes on both sides of the ball make this team scary good, and could lead to the program’s first ever national championship.
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Will Howard comes over from Kansas State to lead this explosive Ohio State roster under coach Ryan Day. Most will have the Buckeyes at the top of the rankings, but it will be a battle all year between them and the Ducks for a Big Ten title.
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
Drew Allar is the key for this Penn State team, who is undergoing a bit of an offensive reboot. Can Allar and the rest of this Nittany Lions offense put up enough points to remain in the CFP hunt all year long?
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
New coach and a plethora of departures has this Michigan team a little less secure at the top of the Big Ten than usual, although coach Sherrone Moore and this talented roster should still be in great position to secure a spot in the CFP.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Badgers are currently set to bring three top ten teams to Madison this year in Alabama, Penn State, and Oregon. Can Luke Fickell protect the home field and break through in Year 2?
Syndication: HawkCentral
Iowa held teams to 13 points per game last year, but barely scored more than that. Will that change with a new offensive coordinator? If so, this team could be a sneaky CFP contender.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USC had a glaring issue on the defensive side of the ball last year, and coach Lincoln Riley made sure to fix it by replacing the staff. Can this team stay in the hunt for a CFP spot with a new defense – even after losing Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams?
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Jedd Fisch comes from Arizona, tasked with rebuilding a Washington squad that went to the national championship last year thanks to quarterback Michael Penix and wide receiver Rome Odunze. The rebuild might not happen right away, but the Huskies are still a program with promise.
Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Rhule’s defense will be tested early against Colorado, but if they can play well on both sides of the ball this year they’ll be a team to watch. A favorable conference slate, with only three ranked teams on the docket, will help.
Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports
Max Brosmer is an incredibly exciting addition under center for PJ Fleck and the Gophers, and alongside a veteran, talented defense this team could make some noise this season.
Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
Rutgers returns a ton of star power for coach Schiano, and as long as the sudden retirement of AD Pat Hobbs doesn’t cause a distraction this team could be sneaky impactful in the Big Ten.
Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
The Terrapins don’t play a ranked team until mid-October, and that early season schedule could help this team gel and put together a nice run before they close with Oregon, Iowa, Rutgers, and Penn State.
Syndication: Lansing State Journal
Few teams are harder to pin down than Michigan State, who are relying on young toolsy quarterback Aidan Chiles – who followed coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State. If Smith and Chiles click, this team could make magic in East Lansing.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Illinois had among the worst turnover margins in all of college football last season, and with road trips to Oregon and Penn State on the docket, and a non con battle with Kansas, this program needs to take care of the football to avoid finishing near the bottom of the standings.
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA will spend a whole bunch of time in the air, travelling just over 22,000 miles this season – the second highest mark in FBS. A road game at LSU doesn’t help things, and this Bruins team might struggle to make an impact in the Big Ten in year one.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Northwestern will play in a pop up stadium this fall while Ryan Field gets rebuilt. Will a unique stadium situation help coach David Braun, the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year, find some magic with the Wildcats?
Syndication: The Herald-Times
Indiana has a new head coach in Curt Cignetti, who brings a sparkly 119-35 career record with him after stops at IUP, Elon, and James Madison. Can the former Nick Saban disciple bring some of that magic to Bloomington?
Syndication: Journal-Courier
Second year head coach Ryan Walters faces an incredibly challenging schedule with the Boilermakers, including Notre Dame in Week 3, road games at Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan State, and home matchups with Oregon and Penn State. It’s going to be tough to get this program out of the Big Ten cellar in 2024.
[ad_2]
Source link
Fitnessnacks – #Big #Ten #football #power #rankings #Oregon #USC #finish
Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/big-ten-football-power-rankings-oregon-ohio-state-michigan/