Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN's preseason FPI

Over the past three seasons, one conference in particular has set the standard in college football — and no, it's not the SEC.

>Instead, it's the Big Ten, with national powers like the Michigan Wolverines (2023), Ohio State Buckeyes (2024) and Indiana Hoosiers etching their names into history as national champions. Then there's the Oregon Ducks, who have been knocking on the door of a national title for a couple years now. Penn State even made a run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal in 2024 before falling apart in 2025, though they should be strong once again this fall thanks to a regime change.

>With the Buckeyes, Hoosiers and Ducks all putting themselves above the rest of the field in the conference over the past couple years, there's a significant chance that the 2026 national champion comes out the Big Ten as well.

>ESPN's recently released FPI rankings certainly think so, with those three teams occupying spots in the top six. But they're not the only contending hopefuls, as six more teams find themselves within the top 30. Save for the bottom-feeder Purdue Boilermakers, the Big Ten is a deep conference heading into the 2026 season.

>Here's where every team in the Big Ten ranked according to ESPN's preseason FPI rankings:

Ohio State — No. 1 overall • >Oregon Ducks — No. 4 overall • >Indiana Hoosiers — No. 6 overall • >USC Trojans — No. 13 overall • >Michigan Wolverines — No. 15 overall • >Penn State Nittany Lions — No. 17 overall • >Iowa Hawkeyes — No. 25 overall • >Washington Huskies — No. 26 overall • >Nebraska Cornhuskers — No. 30 overall • >Illinois Fighting Illini — No. 39 overall • >Wisconsin Badgers — No. 43 overall • >Northwestern Wildcats — No. 60 overall • >Maryland Terrapins — No. 61 overall • >Minnesota Golden Gophers — No. 63 overall • >UCLA Bruins — No. 64 overall • >Michigan State Spartans — No. 65 overall • >Rutgers Scarlet Knights — No. 67 overall • >Purdue Boilermakers — No. 71 overallHowever you slice it up, the Big Ten remains the king of college football simply because of its top-tier teams. But don't overlook the mid-tier teams, all of which have the talent to contend not only for a spot in the Big Ten title game if all falls their way, but a berth in the CFP as well.

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>This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN's preseason FPI