Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN's Future Power Rankings ahead of 2025 season

USA Today

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Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN's Future Power Rankings ahead of 2025 season
As the 2025 college football season approaches, several Top 25 polls and rankings of various types will be published in the coming months.
But the overall health of a football program is also important, not just for the 2025 season. Some teams are built for success now and for the next few years. Some are set for just this year, and then who knows? And then some programs are floundering for this year, and their future is in question.
ESPN has ranked each of the Power 4 teams in terms of how well they are set up for not only this season, but for 2026 as well. Having a returning quarterback seems to be a huge factor, as it should be. It's difficult to have a continuous revolving door at the QB1 spot.
Although the Ducks have had tremendous success through the transfer portal with the quarterback position, Dan Lanning realizes that this plan is probably not sustainable. Dante Moore is set up for success for the next couple of seasons and the Ducks have worked hard on the recruiting trail to get prep quarterbacks, develop them and go that route.
Not everyone is in Oregon's spot and has work to do. This is how each Big Ten team is ranked, according to ESPN, as to how well they are set for success for the present and near future.
No. 18 — Purdue Boilermakers
National Rank: 67
Purdue is under a major rebuild with new coach Dave Odom. They have new faces on both sides of the line and a new quarterback in Ryan Browne. Don't expect a lot from the Boilermakers in the next two or three seasons, at least.
No. 17 — Maryland Terrapins
National Rank: 60
Maryland lost a lot of last year's squad that went 4-8, so that could be a blessing in disguise. Quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr. bolted for Wisconsin, and the Terrapins don't have a clear favorite to take over, yet. It's going to take a bit to get their house in order, and playing in a great conference doesn't help that process.
No. 16 — Northwestern Wildcats
National Rank: 58
Northwestern is trending up some although the national ranking isn't great. They secured former SMU signal caller Preston Stone with hopes of revitalizing what was an anemic offense. The Wildcats should be better in 2025 and they hope that trend continues on an upward trajectory. Having their stadium reopen in 2026 will be a huge plus for the program.
No. 15 — Wisconsin Badgers
National Rank: 54
Adding Edwards from Maryland should help what was a bad offense from a year ago, but he's just there for a season. The Badgers program seems to be a bit stagnant at the moment, which shouldn't bode well for coach Luke Fickell being in Madison a lot longer.
No. 14 — Michigan State Spartans
National Rank: 51
The Spartans should be better in Year 2 under Jonathan Smith as they hope quarterback Aiden Chiles comes into his own in the next two seasons. Exactly how much he improves will determine the direction of the program going forward.
No. 13 — UCLA Bruins
National Rank: 49
The addition of quarterback Nico Iamaleava will improve the Bruins' offense a lot, but whether he returns for a second season in Pasadena remains to be seen. UCLA might be good for a bit, or they might just have a one-year surge before dropping down to mediocre status once again.
No. 12 — Rutgers Scarlet Knights
National Rank: 43
Rutgers is a program that has spurts of being good and then it dips. It's a rollercoaster, and for this year, the Scarlet Knights should be a decent team with quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. But after he leaves, Rutgers might experience yet another dip in success unless the transfer portal helps out, which is entirely possible.
No. 11 — Minnesota Golden Gophers
National Rank: 40
When Minnesota hired P.J. Fleck nine years ago, they probably expected more success. But they've been consistently good, just not great. They break in sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey, who should be the guy for a while. The Gophers expect to be on the rise in the coming years.
No. 10 — Nebraska Cornhuskers
National Rank: 36
The Cornhuskers seem to be heading in the right direction under coach Martt Rhule and he has his star quarterback in Dylan Raiola, who had a remarkable freshman season. Nebraska could easily see a resurgence of power in the coming seasons.
No. 9 — Washington Huskies
National Rank: 33
The Huskies should be pretty good over the next few seasons, assuming quarterback Demond Williams lives up to the hype. Washington has done well in recruiting under coach Jedd Fisch, but they aren't good enough to be a huge threat to the conference's elite teams. Yet.
No. 8 — USC Trojans
National Rank: 26
USC didn't hire Lincoln Riley to be a team just outside the Top 25. He was brought in to win national championships, something the Trojans aren't close to achieving yet. They are recruiting better, but patience is wearing thin in Los Angeles.
No. 7 — Iowa Hawkeyes
National Rank: 23
Iowa could go either way in the coming seasons, but they'll have to develop the talent they do have. South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski has come in, so the Hawkeye offense should be better. Unfortunately for them, it's possible Iowa could be one of those middle-of-the-road teams for a while. But having a national rank of 23 isn't bad.
No. 6 — Indiana Hoosiers
National Rank: 20
Indiana came out of nowhere last season and reached the College Football Playoff, and it's impossible to expect that kind of success again so quickly. But the exposure the Hoosiers received is invaluable. It might take them a couple of years to build it back up, but at least the days of Indiana being the doormats of the Big Ten are over.
No. 5 — Illinois Fighting Illini
National Rank: 17
Illinois could very well be the sleeper team of the Big Ten this season with quarterback Luke Altmyer behind center. They have a very good line on both sides of the ball, and coach Bret Beilma has this program on the rise. They might not be one of the elite teams in the conference, but they should be above everyone else in the Big Ten.
No. 4 — Michigan Wolverines
National Rank: 13
Michigan might be well on its way back to national prominence after a couple of "down" seasons. No. 1 overall recruit in quarterback Bryce Underwood is expected to be the next great Wolverine and should be there in the foreseeable future. A return to the playoffs is a definite possibility, not only this year, but for the coming seasons as well.
No. 3 — Penn State Nittany Lions
National Rank: 6
Penn State's window to win the national title is open right now. How long it stays open is the big question. Coach Jamees Franklin hasn't been able to maintain elite status. But they have quarterback Drew Allar for another season. The Nittany Lions need to take advantage right now. If not, who knows when their next chance will come?
No. 2 — Oregon Ducks
National Rank: 4
Oregon is ranked this high due to the amount of talent throughout the roster. It's not offensive-heavy or defensive-heavy. It's the balance that makes the Ducks so tough. Quarterback Dante Moore was one of the top recruits in the country for a reason, and after playing behind Dillon Gabriel for a season, Moore could very well show why he was so heavily recruited.
No. 1 — Ohio State Buckeyes
National Rank: 2
Despite losing their quarterback, Will Howard, and offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, to the NFL, the Buckeyes still have Jeremiah Smith at receiver for two more seasons. As long as he's healthy and have a formidable defense, Ohio State will still be nearly impossible to beat.
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