Big Ten power rankings have new look with college football spring practice kicking off

Ohio State carries the flag for the Big Ten after an epic run to capture the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff national championship.

But the Buckeyes don’t top our pre-spring power rankings for the conference, which again has the overall depth and wealth of top-end playoff contenders to be the best in the Power Four.

The current favorite — and it’s only March, so things can change — is Penn State, last seen losing a heartbreaker to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions lose star edge rusher Abdul Carter, among a few others, but will bring back quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Ohio State isn’t far behind. Likewise with Oregon and Michigan. Where the Big Ten looks even better in 2025 is in the teams just behind this top four, a group that includes Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and more.

Here’s how the Big Ten ranks heading into spring practices:

1. Penn State

There’s talent, coaching and plenty of motivation after coming close to an appearance against OSU in the championship game. Can the Nittany Lions use that pain to reach new heights under James Franklin? Look for the offense to be the best of his tenure while the defense still has several all-conference or even All-America performers.

Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs for a short gain in the first half against Southern California at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

2. Ohio State

The Buckeyes could run the table and win the whole thing again, obviously. But they are down multiple skill players on offense, including quarterback Will Howard, and will need to rebuild the defensive line without several multiple-year standouts. There’s also the fact that Ohio State will have new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/big-ten-power-rankings-look-110640499.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-03 11:06:00

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