Projecting Records of Big Ten in AP Poll: Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, More

Of the 18 teams in the Big Ten, six programs were featured in 2025’s inaugural AP poll – including Penn State (No. 2), Ohio State (No. 3), Oregon (No. 7), Illinois (No. 12), Michigan (No. 14) and Indiana (No. 20). Three other schools from the conference (USC, Nebraska and Iowa) were in the “others receiving votes” category.

For this exercise, we'll predict the record of all six Big Ten teams that were actually listed in the AP's top 25 (meaning, we’ll exclude the Trojans, Cornhuskers and Hawkeyes).

No. 20 Indiana

Head Coach Curt Cignetti at Indiana University football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. Old Dominion

Week 2: vs. Kennesaw State

Week 3: vs. Indiana State

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 4: vs. Illinois

Week 5: at Iowa

Week 7: at Oregon

Week 8: vs. Michigan State

Week 9: vs. UCLA

Week 10: at Maryland

Week 11: at Penn State

Week 12: vs. Wisconsin

Week 14: at Purdue

Big Ten prediction: 6-3

Overall: 9-3

You don't get to choose your Big Ten schedule, so could Indiana really have been faulted for its cakewalk of a conference slate last year? No. But there is a reason the Hoosiers and coach Curt Cignetti are constantly attacked about their scheduling antics – and that non-conference lineup is the primary reason why.

Nevertheless, Indiana appears poised to enter a home matchup with No. 12 Illinois undefeated – and we expect the Hoosiers to stay that way … until a week later at Iowa. Indiana also falls at Oregon and at Penn State. The Hoosiers knock off every other opponent, though, finishing up the regular season with nine wins

No. 14 Michigan

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore smiles at players as he watches the first half of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 19, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. New Mexico

Week 2: at Oklahoma

Week 3: vs. Central Michigan

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 4: at Nebraska

Week 6: vs. Wisconsin

Week 7: at USC

Week 8: vs. Washington

Week 9: at Michigan State

Week 10: vs. Purdue

Week 12: at Northwestern

Week 13: at Maryland

Week 14: vs. Ohio State

Big Ten prediction: 7-2

Overall: 10-2

Unlike some teams in the conference (ahem, Indiana), Michigan prefers to challenge itself early in the season – hence, the road matchup at No. 18 Oklahoma. We expect the Wolverines to pull out a nail-biter in quarterback Bryce Underwood’s coming-out party, setting a precedent for the rest of the 2025 season.

In Big Ten play, Michigan will slip past Nebraska and hold on to an unblemished record until a road meeting at USC. Then, the Wolverines rattle off five straight wins before finally falling to Ohio State (yes, at The Big House).

No. 12 Illinois

Nov 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema looks on against Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. Western Illinois

Week 2: at Duke

Week 3: vs. Western Michigan

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 4: at Indiana

Week 5: vs. USC

Week 6: at Purdue

Week 7: vs. Ohio State

Week 9: at Washington

Week 10: vs. Rutgers

Week 12: vs. Maryland

Week 13: at Wisconsin

Week 14: vs. Northwestern

Big Ten prediction: 7-2

Overall: 10-2

Although Duke will be tougher than most expect, we have the Illini rolling past the Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, and finishing the non-conference slate 3-0.

As previously mentioned, we have IU knocking off its neighbor to the west in Bloomington. With a 5-1 record, Illinois will welcome Ohio State to Champaign, put up a valiant effort ... and get smashed. But the Illini should win out from there, going on a five-game win streak to finishing with a 10-2 record – having built a potential argument for a College Football Playoff berth.

No. 7 Oregon

Oregon coach Dan Lanning oversees his team as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. Montana State

Week 2: vs. Oklahoma State

Week 4: vs. Oregon State

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 3: at Northwestern

Week 5: at Penn State

Week 7: vs. Indiana

Week 8: at Rutgers

Week 9: vs. Wisconsin

Week 11: at Iowa

Week 12: vs. Minnesota

Week 13: vs. USC

Week 14: at Washington

Big Ten prediction: 7-2

Overall: 10-2

Oregon’s non-conference schedule is a whole lot of nothing (Oklahoma State didn’t win a single Big 12 game last season). Interestingly, the Ducks get a taste of Big Ten action (albeit it against Northwestern) in Week 3 before taking on in-state rival Oregon State in Week 4.

Yes, it seems that we’re very stuck on every team in the Big Ten’s mid- to high tier going 10-2, but that’s just the way things are shaking out. Oregon’s road matchup at No. 2 Penn State is going to be tough for a largely inexperienced quarterback in Dante Moore. From there, the Ducks should rattle off six straight wins – but we expect them to fall in the season finale, on the road against a revamped Washington squad that is excellent at home.

No. 3 Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads football training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Aug. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. Texas

Week 2: vs. Grambling State

Week 3: vs. Ohio

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 5: at Washington

Week 6: vs. Minnesota

Week 7: at Illinois

Week 8: at Wisconsin

Week 10: vs. Penn State

Week 11: at Purdue

Week 12: vs. UCLA

Week 13: vs. Rutgers

Week 14: at Michigan

Big Ten prediction: 9-0

Overall: 12-0

Julian Sayin vs. Arch Manning: peak cinema, as the kids call it. We’re rolling with the reigning national champions – who also happen to have home-field advantage. We know: The Big Ten favoritism is real. (Paul Finebaum would not be happy with us.)

And then, yes, we do have the Buckeyes rolling through their Big Ten slate without a loss – including a massive season-finale victory on the road over Michigan. Contests at Washington and at Illinois are no joke, and a home matchup with Penn State will be gritty. But we expect the country’s most talented team to triumph in each.

No. 2 Penn State

Apr 26, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts from the field during the first quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The White team defeated the Blue team 10-8. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Non-conference schedule

Week 1: vs. Nevada

Week 2: vs. Florida International

Week 3: vs. Villanova

Non-conference prediction: 3-0

Big Ten schedule

Week 5: vs. Oregon

Week 6: at UCLA

Week 7: vs. Northwestern

Week 8: at Iowa

Week 10: at Ohio State

Week 11: vs. Indiana

Week 12: at Michigan State

Week 13: vs. Nebraska

Week 14: at Rutgers

Big Ten prediction: 8-1

Overall: 11-1

Nothing like copying little bro … or more like little cuz. But clearly coach James Franklin has no shame, as he has taken a page out of Indiana’s book and built a non-conference schedule that puts Curt Cignetti's to shame.

But then things heat up really quickly for the Nittany Lions, who welcome No. 7 Oregon to town in the Big Ten opener. Still, we expect Penn State (despite its weak preparation) to hold off Oregon and maintain its zero in the loss column until a Week 10 meeting at Ohio State. Is it finally Franklin and Penn State’s year? We say no – at least not during the regular season. But the Nittany Lions should still finish with a glossy 11-1 regular-season record and be in position to earn a rematch with Ohio State in the CFP.