The Big Ten proved it was the best conference in college football throughout the 2024 season. It culminated with Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game to give the league back-to-back nattys.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Buckeyes, Penn State and Oregon are expected to be contenders for spots in the 12-team CFP field once again, with teams such as Michigan, Illinois and Indiana projected to have strong seasons as well.

How will teams such as Nebraska, Iowa, USC and Wisconsin fare? Can they flirt with a CFP bid?

There is a lot to look forward to next season, so let’s take a way-too-early first look at the B1G for 2025.

Who will replace Will Howard as Ohio State’s quarterback?

The path for the B1G crown will run through Columbus with head coach Ryan Day’s squad returning wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs. But coordinator Jim Knowles will need to find some new playmakers on a defense that loses a lot of personnel. The major question is who will replace Kansas State transfer quarterback Will Howard? Five-star Julian Sayin is expected to take over as the starter. Sayin was the No. 3 ranked quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting class on the 247Sports’ composite, initially enrolling at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State after Nick Saban retired. He was able to sit and watch Howard for a year, and he’ll be surrounded by a bevy of playmakers. During his senior season at Carlsbad High School in California, Sayin threw for 2,369 yards with 24 touchdowns and just 1 interception in 2023. He added 186 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.

Can Penn State get more production from its wide receivers?

The Nittany Lions came up short in the CFP semifinal against Notre Dame, but they should be a contender for a run at the national title once again next season. James Franklin’s squad loses edge rusher Abdul Carter and tight end Tyler Warren, but quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton are expected to return. But PSU needs more production and big plays out of its receivers, especially with all-everything Warren being gone. Harrison Wallace III (Ole Miss) and Omari Evans (TBA) are transferring, though, marking the 2nd straight season in which a pair of leading receivers have transferred. Kyron Hudson is in from USC and Devonte Ross transferred in from Troy, but more help might be needed during the spring transfer portal window. The unit simply didn’t provide enough chunk plays this past season.

Can Oregon put behind its Playoff disappointment?

The 2024 campaign did not end well for the Ducks. Dan Lanning’s squad won the league title in its first season in the conference and established itself as the best team in the country after an undefeated regular season. However, Ohio State blew out the No. 1 seed in the CFP, sending Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel and Co. home much earlier than expected. Can the Ducks pick up the pieces? UCLA transfer Dante Moore is the frontrunner to replace Gabriel, and the Ducks’ past 2 starters (both transfers) finished 3rd in Heisman voting. But the offensive line might have to be addressed through the transfer portal. There are playmakers on offense, and the defense, which returns linebacker Bryce Boettcher, should be solid once again. But the Ducks need to get rid of the bad taste in their mouths from the Rose Bowl disaster.

Can IU sustain its success?

Curt Cignetti directed a dream season for the Hoosiers, who reached the Playoff after winning at least 10 games for the first time in program history. Is there any possible way to have a similar run? To offset losing star quarterback Kurtis Rourke, IU picked up Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, and Cignetti addressed needs across the offense through the portal. End Mikail Kamara and linebacker Aiden Fisher return to a defense that was very solid despite not playing the toughest of schedules. IU’s nonconference slate for next year is pretty soft (Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and FCS program Indiana State), but league road games against Iowa, Oregon and Penn State will be tough. Oddly enough the only teams to beat the Hoosiers in 2024 were the 2 that reached the national championship game. The schedule stiffens in 2025 (road trips to Iowa, Oregon and Penn State), but Cignetti will keep this program steady.

Which team takes that next step?

Illinois notched 10 wins under Bret Bielema — its first 10-win season since 2001 — and should return a lot of experience, including quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Nebraska is coming off its first bowl appearance since 2016, and expectations are for quarterback Dylan Raiola to continue to gain rapport with coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Can new defensive coordinator John Butler develop some more playmakers?

Iowa added South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski, while the run game should continue to be a centerpiece of the offense and coordinator Phil Parker should have a strong defense once again.

Washington has a blooming star in quarterback Demond Williams Jr., while new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters has received help in the portal.

How many of these programs can take a big jump in ’25?

How much of an impact will Bryce Underwood make as a freshman?

It can be argued Sherrone Moore and his staff did one of the better collective coaching jobs in the country this past season, guiding a team that lost so much talent to the NFL and essentially playing without a passing game yet finishing the year with wins over Ohio State and Alabama. Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood will have the luxury of having a solid ground game centered around Alabama transfer Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, but there will be a steep learning curve as the offense will now be coordinated by Chip Lindsey. Underwood was the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300, but he will be pushed by Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene, who is a 3-year FBS starter. Even if it is not in Week 1, Underwood will be on the field soon.

What is going on at USC?

Can Lincoln Riley make ‘SC relevant again? There are doubts after a disappointing 7-6 debut season in its new league. There was progress defensively under D’Anton Lynn, whose defense held teams to 24.1 points per game. UNLV transfer quarterback Jayden Maiava should benefit from a full offseason knowing he is QB1. But the Trojans need to replace running back Woody Marks and bolster the offensive line. ‘SC went 1-4 on the road this past season and didn’t play very well on the road in 2023, either. That needs to improve for the Trojans to have any chance at a run for the league crown. Illinois, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Oregon are on the road slate next season.

Who is on the hot seat?

Which coaches will be on the hottest of hot seats heading into the new campaign?

1. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Fickell was named head coach over Jim Leonhard when he was the top Group of 5 candidate available, but Wisconsin is just 13-13 overall in his tenure and was irrelevant in the 2024 B1G race. Will athletic director Chris McIntosh have him on a short leash next fall?

2. Lincoln Riley, USC

Riley went 55-10 with 4 Playoff appearances at Oklahoma, but he is just 15-11 in his past 2 seasons at ‘SC. The Trojans won’t play Ohio State and Penn State next year but will have to travel to Notre Dame and Oregon. Athletic director Jen Cohen did not hire Riley, but he still has 7 (!!!) years left on his deal. And the buyout reportedly is $90 million.

3. Mike Locksley, Maryland

The Terrapins’ 3-year bowl streak ended after a 4-8 campaign. They had just 1 league win, and the conference is only getting more difficult. Locksley is 32-36 since returning to Maryland in 2019.

Who are the 3 best Heisman Trophy contenders?

Colorado’s Travis Hunter became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy since Charles Woodson, though being a star wide receiver certainly helped tilt the scales. The top defensive Heisman candidate next season is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who has been one of the best safeties in college football since arriving at Alabama as a true freshman in 2023. He was a finalist for the Bednarik Award and the Thorpe Award this past season, and he could be used much more as a punt returner in ’25. He returned a punt for a touchdown against Indiana.

Buckeyes teammate Jeremiah Smith should also be in the mix as a returning semifinalist for the Walter Camp Award. He set Ohio State freshman receiving records and could get more targets with Emeka Egbuka moving onto the NFL.

But the B1G’s No. 1 favorite very well could be Penn State’s Drew Allar, who helped lead Penn State to the College Football Playoff this past season. The Nittany Lions likely will be a Playoff contender again in 2025, and Allar is expected to continue his development as a passer in an offense that does need more explosive gains from its wide receivers.

Which team will finish dead last in the 18-team conference?

Barry Odom is the new man in charge at Purdue, and he arrived after guiding UNLV to an 11-3 season, which included an LA Bowl win over Cal. He brings an astute defensive mind, which is much-needed as the Boilermakers went 1-11 in 2024 and struggled to stop offenses. The portal should help Odom improve the talent and depth, but it will still be a struggle in Year 1.