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2025 Big Ten Football Predictions with Odds and Expert Betting Advice

by Robert Ferringo - 8/21/2025

Big Ten football predictions Julian Sayin Ohio State Buckeyes

I hope Big Ten fanboys have enjoyed trolling SEC supporters over the past eight months.

Because the reality is the conference’s back-to-back national championships are more of a fluke than they are some statement about the league’s dominance.

That’s not to say that Ohio State was a fluke last season. Or Michigan the year prior. Those were well-built, experienced teams with excellent coaching staffs that bullied their way to titles. But their championships have nothing to do with the Big Ten writ large. And now that we are in the Playoff Era of college football – with only four leagues even physically capable of producing a champion – I think we’re going to find that future champions are going to be as much a product of circumstance than anything having to do with recruiting footprints or “style of play”.

Of course, it’s always been that way. All the trash about “SEC domination” over the last 15 years was as much a media creation as anything. It was never reality. The SEC hasn’t been playing some sort of “super football” that no one else in the country could comprehend. Instead, the SEC’s rise directly coincided with their marriage with ESPN. And the league benefitted from unprecedented media hype and the financial windfall that came with it.

For the last decade the Big Ten has been chasing a figment of college football’s imagination. In these two recent titles, they feel like they have finally caught it. Big Ten hangers-on finally feel like their existence has been justified, ignoring the fact that they’ve spent all this time seeking validation from a bunch of Southern mouth-breathers that couldn’t care less about the Big Ten’s “academic standards”, its history, its traditions, or its pride. For all anyone in Alabama knows, Ohio and Michigan may as well be part of Canada.

Enjoy those two titles, Big Ten. They mean a lot less than you think they do. And trolling SEC fans in the fever swamp that is social media, with signs at College Gameday, or in bar chatter with co-workers and strangers is about the only thing you are going to get out of it.

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Here is Doc’s Sports 2025 Big Ten Conference football preview and predictions:

The Favorite: Ohio State (+200)

The Buckeyes are the defending nationals champions and will work to become the fifth team in the last 60 years to win back-to-back titles. However, Ohio State is missing something that each of the past four teams to go back-to-back had. Nebraska (1994-95), USC (2003-04), Alabama (2011-12) and Georgia (2021-22) all relied on the same starting quarterback for both of their national titles. Ohio State will attempt to buck that trend with redshirt freshman Julian Sayin. Ohio State is still a stacked program and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is one of the best players in the nation. However, the Buckeyes have to replace a wealth of NFL talent and college experience and I don’t see any way that this team will repeat as champions. They are a contender to make the playoffs, though, and their opening game against No. 1 Texas will be one of the marquee games of the entire season. Ohio State also gets Penn State in The Shoe and have the inside track to winning their first Big Ten title in five years.

The Contender: Penn State (+220)

The Nittany Lions are college football’s preseason darlings. Media bobbleheads from Atlanta to Vegas are gushing over this team’s bona fides and predicting a third straight title for the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are following a similar blueprint to the last two title winners, building a roster unparalleled in proven college experience, depth and future pro talent. The Nittany Lions welcome back 13 true starters from the group that made the national semifinals last season. They added quality in the transfer portal and the Nittany Lions are stacked at every level of offense and defense. Penn State is also in the second year of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and they were able to poach title-winning defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Ohio State. Penn State gets a massive game against Oregon at home but does have to travel to Iowa and Ohio State. They keys to a title trip will be 1) whether James Franklin can shrug off a career filled with failure against Top 10 opponents and 2) whether Drew Allar is any good and capable of making big plays against real opponents.

The Dark Horse: Oregon (+350)

Last year’s Ducks entered the playoffs 13-0 and as Big Ten champions before getting curb-stomped by Ohio State (the Ducks trailed 34-0). Dan Lanning, who is 35-6 straight up in his three years in Eugene, will try to shrug that one off and focus on another roster stocked with talent bought with that sweet, sweet Nike money. Oregon has to replace starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the team’s top rusher, two best receivers, and seven of the Ducks’ top 10 tacklers. Talent isn’t a problem for this program. Experience is. Quarterback Dante Moore has already had a bit of a star-crossed career. He committed to Oregon out of high school, backed out and played one ugly season at UCLA, and then transferred back to Eugene. He will have to make major strides after an erratic freshman year. Oregon also cleaned house in the secondary and need to be better at the back end of their defense. This feels like a season where Oregon will take a slight step back before taking a step forward next year.

The Spoiler: Michigan (+1400)

Michigan was a dud in its title defense last year, going 8-5 and forgetting how to play offense. But this year it is all about true freshman Bryce Underwood. The top recruit in the 2025 class is expected to be named Michigan’s starting quarterback. Underwood will be operating a scheme devised by former North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and the Wolverines are desperate to fix an offense that was No. 113 in scoring last season (22.0 points per game) and No. 130 in passing. A wealth of championship experience from last year’s championship team is gone. However, Michigan does bring back 10 true starters and adds five other players with starting experience. The Wolverines, even in a “down” year, were good enough to beat Ohio State and Alabama last season. With several marquee names on the schedule this year – Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, Ohio State – Michigan should be able to pull the rug out from under someone and earn a win that will alter the Big Ten and/or national title races.

The Overvalued Team: Illinois (+1400)

I like Illinois. This is a good team. Bret Bielema is a proven winner in the Big Ten. And if the national press is giving Clemson love for its wealth of returning production and experience then the Illini should get just as much credit for retaining 18 starters from last year’s 10-win squad. However, the Illini are currently ranked in the Top 12 heading into the season. This team hasn’t won a game against a team that finished in the Top 25 in three seasons. And last year’s 10-win campaign was boosted by five wins by a touchdown or less (two in OT) against mediocre and bad teams. Illinois didn’t lose much from last year’s group. But the guys they did lose – their top rusher and two best receivers – could really hurt. Illinois plays a massive game at Indiana on Sept. 20 and then has home games against USC and Ohio State before Oct. 12. If the Illini take some losses early I’m not sure this team will stay focused down the stretch.

The Undervalued Team: Iowa (+3500)

I’m a lot higher on Iowa than the market is. Kirk Ferentz is one of the best college football coaches in the country and all the guy does is win tough, ugly games. Iowa is 89-39 over the past decade and I think they can match those 10-year averages this season. The key is South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski. Gronowski won back-to-back FCS titles and the 2023 Walter Payton Award at SDSU. If he can revitalize Iowa’s perpetually awful offense then I think Iowa can be a player in the Big Ten race. The Hawkeyes host Indiana, Penn State and Oregon this year and I think they are capable of beating all three. Ferentz has won 10 or more games every other year since 2019. Let’s see if his “odd year run” continues.

The Rest:

USC (+1800): This feels like a make-or-break season for Lincoln Riley. After an 11-win opening campaign, Riley’s Trojans have seen their win total drop each of the past two seasons. The natives are restless and it is crucial that Riley show the USC fan base that he is making headway at getting USC back to national relevance. Last year’s Trojans were incredibly unlucky, blowing winnable games against Michigan, Penn State, Maryland, Washington and Notre Dame. They really were just a few bounces from being a 10-win club. Talent isn’t an issue for this year’s squad and Riley is banking on Jayden Maiava taking control of the offense. The Trojans should win its first five games and can build some momentum heading into the defining portion of the season.

Nebraska (+3500): Anyone previewing the 2025 Cornhuskers is contractually obligated to mention what head coach Matt Rhule has done in Year 3 at his previous college coaching stops. Rhule won 10 games at Temple and 10 games at Baylor in Year 3, so it is automatically expected that he will make a similar jump at Nebraska. Stud recruit Dylan Raiola’s development will play a large part in Nebraska’s story this season after a mediocre freshman season. Nebraska was in the Top 20 in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense last season. An improved offense, which has received a talent influx from the transfer portal, and some close game luck (which has been missing for a decade) could springboard Nebraska back to the Big Ten’s top tier.

Indiana (+3500): Curt Cignetti is the real deal. The guy is 30-6 in his three-year head coaching career, racking up wins at James Madison and Indiana. Cignetti dragged the Hoosiers to the playoffs last season and hasn’t been bashful about keeping expectations high heading into the 2025 campaign. Indiana only played two ranked teams last fall and lost those games by 23 and 10 points. The Hoosiers absolutely mauled everyone else, though, and finished the year with a 25.7 overall scoring margin and a 33.3 average margin of victory. Games against Iowa, at Oregon and at Penn State dot the schedule this season so we’ll see how they handle playing real opposition.

Washington (+5000): Jedd Fisch was able to milk six wins and a bowl game out of a 2024 Washington team that had been gutted by defections. I will admit that UW was a lot better than I expected last season and I am intrigued by what Fisch may be able to do with this year’s group. Sophomore quarterback Desmond Williams opened eyes with 422 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in Washington’s 35-34 bowl loss to Louisville. If he turns out to be a special talent then the Huskies are more than capable of wreaking some havoc in the Big Ten race this season.

Minnesota (+10,000): P.J. Fleck just keeps rowing the boat. Fleck is entering his eighth season in Minneapolis and he once again has an experienced team that won’t be a pushover for anyone in the conference. Minnesota has pulled off an upset win over four Top 25 teams in three of the past four seasons (twice last year). Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey faces a tall task replacing Max Brosmer, who set a Minnesota record for completions in his one season with the Gophers. Minnesota quietly had a defense that ranked in the Top 10 nationally in points allowed, passing defense and scoring defense. If they do that again I think Fleck can row his way to eight more wins and another grenade-style win against a Top 25 foe.

Michigan State (+15,000): Things should go a bit smoother for the Spartans in Year 2 with Jonathan Smith. Smith did an incredible job with Oregon State and I think he’s going to be able to get things turned around for a Michigan State program that was a consistent Top 20 group from 2010-2019. Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles, who followed Smith from Corvallis, took his lumps last season and should make noticeable strides. If the offense (No. 123 in scoring last year) can get things going it will take pressure off a defense that had its moments last year.

Wisconsin (+20,000): This is it for Luke Fickell. His hiring has been a disaster for a Wisconsin program that has been on a five-year slide. Fickell is just 12-13 in his first two seasons and I’ll be surprised if he survives until Thanksgiving. Wisconsin is playing one of the most difficult schedules in the country and it is not inconceivable that they don’t win a game between Sept. 21 and mid-November. Wisconsin is trying to go back to its ground-and-pound roots after two disastrous seasons of trying to “modernize” the offense. Wisconsin has a weak quarterback and weaker skill players and it would be surprising if this team made it back to a bowl game after seeing its 22-year bowl streak snapped last winter.

UCLA (+20,000): DeShaun Foster had UCLA playing a bit harder than I expected last season. With new quarterback Nico Iamaleava the Bruins should be able to field an offense better than last year’s No. 126 scoring (18.4 PPG) and No. 118 (328.8 YPG) attack. UCLA only has one true starter back from last year’s defense. And their schedule is among the toughest in the conference. I’ll give credit for keeping the Bruins competitive last year but it remains to be seen if this program is going anywhere.

Northwestern (+30,000): The Wildcats are hoping that SMU transfer quarterback Preston Stone can inject some/any life into an offense that was held to 14 points or less six times last season. Even if Stone can pull that off, this is still a defense that got torched for 40+ three different times, including allowing 50 points to a Michigan offense that just discovered the forward pass. David Braun pulled eight wins out of his ass in 2023 (one year after the team went 1-11) so I wouldn’t put five wins past him this season.

Maryland (+50,000): I have always thought that Mike Locksley was a clown. His career .343 winning percentage (35-67) lends credence to my (pretty obvious) findings. Locksley admitted that he “lost the locker room” last year because of NIL issues. He cleaned house and then rebuilt his roster with bottom-of-the-barrel transfers. Locksley added Pep Hamilton to the staff as offensive coordinator, apparently ignoring the fact that Hamilton has had limited/near zero success as a journeyman assistant coach over the past 20 years. Locksley will likely lose this year’s locker room when the players realize their team is one of the worst in Power 4 football.

Purdue (+50,000): Barry Odom is a good coach. And this is a terrible team. The end.

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