Where Purdue is Projected to Finish in Multiple Big Ten Football Preseason Polls
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For a third straight year, Purdue will have the ultimate motivation heading into a college football season. Multiple media outlets have extremely low projections for the Boilermakers as the 2026 campaign creeps closer.
With Big Ten Football Media Days beginning this week in Chicago, both USA Today and Cleveland.com released their preseason Big Ten rankings, projecting where each team will finish at the end of the year.
In both outlets, Purdue is predicted dead last in the conference for a third straight season. The Boilers were also picked to finish 18th in 2024 and 2025. They did not win a single Big Ten game either year.
Purdue shouldn't need any additional motivation, as it's trying to end an 18-game conference losing streak entering the season. But if another dead-last expectation provides more fuel, then it certainly isn't a bad thing.
Barry Odom and the Boilers will participate in Big Ten Media Days this week, taking quarterback Ryan Browne, linebacker Charles Correa and wide receiver De'Nylon Morrissette to represent the program. Purdue will be at the podium on Wednesday, July 29.
Big Ten projected order of finish
Here's a look at how the 2026 preseason projections looked for the Big Ten, from both USA Today and Cleveland.com.
USA Today
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Indiana Hoosiers
- USC Trojans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Washington Huskies
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- UCLA Bruins
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Maryland Terrapins
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Michigan State Spartans
- Purdue Boilermakers
Cleveland.com
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Oregon Ducks
- Indiana Hoosiers
- USC Trojans
- Michigan Wolverines
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Washington Huskies
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Wisconsin Badgers
- UCLA Bruins
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan State Spartans
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Purdue Boilermakers
Correa a preseason All-Big Ten honorable mention
Only one Boiler was selected as an All-Big Ten honorable mention in the preseason predictions from USA Today. Correa, who is entering his second year at Purdue, was the lone player to earn recognition.
Correa is expected to be Purdue's defensive leader in 2026. He's coming off a 2025 season in which he accounted for 93 tackles and three sacks. He is undoubtedly the top linebacker in the program and could be an All-Big Ten player with a strong season.
Nearly a month until kickoff
Big Ten Football Media Days is the unofficial start of the college football season. After the trip to Chicago, the next step is to begin fall camp. Then, on Sept. 4, Purdue will play its first game of the 2026 season.
Purdue welcomes in Indiana State for a Friday night game to open the season. The Boilermakers then have 11 straight games against Power Four teams. Their first major test comes on Saturday, Sept. 12 when Wake Forest comes to Ross-Ade Stadium.
The first Big Ten game comes on Saturday, Sept. 19, as Purdue travels to the Rose Bowl for a showdown with UCLA. Can the Boilers end their Big Ten drought in their league opener this year?
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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