CBS, 247Sports Ranks All 130 FBS Programs Ahead of the 2021 College Football Season

CBS Sports and 247Sports ranked all FBS teams ahead of the 2021 college football season, and it including five Big Ten programs in its top-25. Purdue fell outside that list, coming in at No. 58 overall and 10th in the Big Ten.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Aug 3, 2021 1:24 PM EDT

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — CBS Sports and 247Sports are providing a comprehensive rankings list of all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision programs ahead of the 2021 season. Through extensive polling of experts, the list will be updated weekly throughout the year.

The two outlets ranked five Big Ten Conference teams in its top-25, including Ohio State. The Buckeyes were the top-ranked team from the league, coming in at No. 4 in the nation behind Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma.

Among the teams in the Big Ten, Purdue football ranked at No. 58 in the country, which is good for 10th in the conference.

Here are all of the Big Ten programs and their rankings before the 2021 season:

Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 4
Wisconsin Badgers, No. 13
Penn State Nittany Lions, No. 17
Iowa Hawkeyes, No. 18
Indiana Hoosiers, No. 21
Michigan Wolverines, No. 28
Northwestern Wildcats, No. 37
Minnesota Golden Gophers, No. 46
Nebraska Cornhuskers, No. 51
Purdue Boilermakers, No. 58
Michigan State Spartans, No. 74
Maryland Terrapins, No. 77
Rutgers Scarlet Knights, No. 80
Illinois Fighting Illini, No. 81

Here's what 247Sports had to say about the reigning Big Ten football champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes:

"Ohio State returns arguably the most talented wide receiver group in the country, will be strong in the trenches on both sides of the football and likes how the running back room is shaping up even with the loss of Trey Sermon thanks to an elite recruiting class.

It will be interesting to see how Ohio State's quarterback competition shakes out during fall camp with the unexpected arrival of five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is skipping his senior year of high school, going up against the likes of Kyle McCord and C.J. Stroud. Which one of those guys steps up and separates himself from the rest? Stroud is the clubhouse leader."

ESPN FBI PREDICTS PURDUE GAME OUTCOMES: The ESPN Football Power Index projects Purdue football to end the 2021 season with between five and six total wins. The team's most difficult matchups are against Notre Dame and Ohio State. CLICK HERE
JEFF BROHM SPEAKS ON MATCHUP WITH NOTRE DAME: Purdue football is scheduled to finish its 2021 nonconference slate against Notre Dame on Sept. 18. The last time the Boilermakers defeated the Fighting Irish was back in 2007 at Ross-Ade Stadium. CLICK HERE
PURDUE SPEAKS ABOUT OLD OAKEN BUCKET GAME: The Old Oaken Bucket Game between Purdue and Indiana will return during the 2021 season. The Boilermakers will fight to reclaim the Bucket after losing a close game in West Lafayette two seasons ago. CLICK HERE
FROM THE RIVALS' PERSPECTIVE: The Old Oaken Bucket Game between Purdue and Indiana will return during the 2021 season. Here's a look at what the game mean's from the perspective of the Hoosiers' football program. CLICK HERE
PURDUE FOOTBALL ISN'T DISTRACTED BY NIL: The Purdue football program is providing its student-athletes a support system to allow them to take advantage of their name, image and likeness. Despite the freedom to pursue deals, the Boilermakers remain focused on their performance and studies. CLICK HERE
GEORGE KARLAFTIS HUNGRY FOR RETURN: After his season was cut short due to injury and COVID-19, Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis is excited to get back on the field. He's working hard, doing whatever the team needs to help the program win in 2021. CLICK HERE
JEFF BROHM READY TO FACE PRESSURE: For Purdue football, there's going to be pressure to win this upcoming season, but coach Jeff Brohm believes the team is close to returning to winning form. The Boilermakers posted a 2-4 record last year, which included three losses by one score. CLICK HERE
BROHM ADDRESSES QUARTERBACK BATTLE: The Purdue football program will head into fall camp with a group of quarterbacks competing for starting job. Coach Jeff Brohm says the team looks to have a starter in mind early on, but he won't hesitate to utilize more than one quarterback this season. CLICK HERE