Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten team in 2024
Based on the continued fluidity of rosters in the world of college football thanks to the churn of the transfer portal and the coaching carousel, it is still far too early to get a perfect read on who will be contending for a national championship at the end of the first inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. It’s not too early to speculate, though.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve offered our top-25 rankings predictions for 2024, as well as forecasting which 12 teams will make it into the CFP, and what the first expanded rankings of the Big Ten will look like for the Oregon Ducks.
We wanted to take a second to expand a little bit on that last one.
In 2024, the Big Ten is expected to be a premier conference, with several national title contenders at the top like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State. While we’ve predicted what the power rankings should look like in the conference going into the season, we wanted to now take it a step further and flesh out the final records for each and every team.
What are the toughest games, and which ones should be the easiest wins? Who will ultimately be bowl-eligible when all is said and done?
Those are questions that we want to answer. Here is our record prediction for every team in the conference for the 2024 season, ordered by our preseason power rankings:
Ohio State Buckeyes
Projected Record: 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Iowa
at Oregon
at Penn State
vs. Michigan
Projected Wins: Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, Iowa, Oregon, Nebraska, Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State
Projected Losses: None
Oregon Ducks
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Projected Record: 12-1 (8-1 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 12-2 (8-1 Pac-12)
Most Notable Games
vs. Boise State
vs. Michigan State
vs. Ohio State
at Michigan
at Wisconsin
Projected Wins: Hawaii, Idaho, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA, Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington
Projected Losses: Ohio State
Michigan Wolverines
Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 9-3 (7-2 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 15-0 (9-0 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Texas
vs. USC
at Washington
vs. Oregon
at Ohio State
Projected Wins: Fresno State, Arkansas State, USC, Minnesota, Washington, Illinois, Michigan State, Indiana, Northwestern
Projected Losses: Texas, Oregon, Ohio State
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 9-3 (6-3 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 10-3 (7-2 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
at USC
at Wisconsin
vs. Ohio State
vs. Washington
Projected Wins: West Virginia, Bowling Green, Kent State, Illinois, UCLA, Washington, Purdue, Minnesota, Maryland
Projected Losses: USC, Wisconsin, Ohio State
USC Trojans
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 8-4 (7-2 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 8-5 (5-4 Pac-12)
Most Notable Games
vs. LSU
at Michigan
vs. Wisconsin
vs. Penn State
at Washington
vs. Notre Dame
Projected Wins: Utah State, Minnesota, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA
Projected Losses: LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame
Iowa Hawkeyes
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 8-4 (5-4 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 10-4 (7-2 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
at Ohio State
vs. Washington
at Michigan State
vs. Wisconsin
vs. Nebraska
Projected Wins: Illinois State, Iowa State, Troy, Minnesota, Washington, Northwestern, UCLA, Maryland
Projected Losses: Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Nebraska
Wisconsin Badgers
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 9-3 (7-2 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 7-6 (5-4 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Alabama
at USC
vs. Penn State
at Iowa
vs. Oregon
at Nebraska
Projected Wins: Western Michigan, South Dakota, USC, Purdue, Rutgers, Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota
Projected Losses: Alabama, Oregon, Nebraska
Washington Huskies
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 6-6 (3-6 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 14-1 (9-0 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Washington State
vs. Michigan
at Iowa
vs. USC
at Penn State
vs. UCLA
at Oregon
Projected Wins: Weber State, Eastern Michigan, Washington State, Northwestern, Rutgers, Indiana
Projected Losses: Michigan, Iowa, USC, Penn State, UCLA, Oregon
Michigan State Spartans
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 7-5 (4-5 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 4-8 (2-7 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
at Maryland
vs. Ohio State
at Oregon
vs. Iowa
at Michigan
Projected Wins: Florida Atlantic, Louisiana, Boston College, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue
Projected Losses: Maryland, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Rutgers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs Colorado
at Ohio State
vs. UCLA
at USC
vs. Wisconsin
at Iowa
Projected Wins: UTEP, Northern Illinois, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa
Projected Losses: Colorado, Rutgers, Ohio State, UCLA, USC
UCLA Bruins
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 6-6 (4-5 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 8-5 (4-5 Pac-12)
Most Notable Games
at LSU
vs. Oregon
at Penn State
at Nebraska
vs. Iowa
at Washington
vs. USC
Projected Wins: Hawaii, Indiana, Rutgers, Nebraska, Washington, Fresno State
Projected Losses: LSU, Oregon, Penn State, Minnesota, Iowa, USC
Maryland Terrapins
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 8-5 (4-5 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Michigan State
at Virginia
vs USC
at Minnesota
at Oregon
vs. Iowa
at Penn State
Projected Wins: UConn, Michigan State, Villanova, Indiana, Rutgers
Projected Losses: Virginia, Northwestern, USC, Minnesota, Oregon, Iowa, Penn State
Northwestern Wildcats
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 5-5 (4-5 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
at Washington
at Maryland
vs. Wisconsin
at Iowa
vs. Ohio State
at Michigan
Projected Wins: Duke, Indiana, Maryland, Purdue, Illinois
Projected Losses: Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
at Virginia Tech
vs. Washington
at Nebraska
vs. Wisconsin
at USC
at Michigan State
Projected Wins: Miami (OH), Eastern Illinois, Howard, Nebraska, Michigan State
Projected Losses: Virginia Tech, Washington, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 6-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. North Carolina
vs. Iowa
at Michigan
vs. USC
at UCLA
vs. Penn State
at Wisconsin
Projected Wins: Rhode Island, Nevada, UCLA, Maryland, Rutgers
Projected Losses: North Carolina, Iowa, Michigan, USC, Illinois, Penn State, Wisconsin
Illinois Fighting Illini
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 4-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs Kansas
at Nebraska
at Penn State
vs. Michigan
at Oregon
Projected Wins: Central Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers
Projected Losses: Kansas, Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, Michigan State, Northwestern
Indiana Hoosiers
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 3-9 (0-9 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs Nebraska
vs. Washington
vs. Michigan
at Ohio State
Projected Wins: Florida International, Western Illinois, Charlotte
Projected Losses: UCLA, Maryland, Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Record: 2-10 (1-8 Big Ten)
Record in 2023: 4-8 (3-6 Big Ten)
Most Notable Games
vs. Notre Dame
at Oregon State
at Wisconsin
vs. Oregon
at Ohio State
vs. Penn State
Projected Wins: Indiana State, Indiana
Projected Losses: Notre Dame, Oregon State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State
