2024 pre-season predictions, standings, order of finish

Big Ten Football Media Days July 23-25 in Indianapolis.

It’s a new era for Big Ten football with the addition of four Pac-12 programs, and the league growing to 18 teams means the end of divisions. It’s a free-for-all with the top two teams meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7.

Michigan defeated Big Ten newcomer Washington for the 2023 national championship, but neither team tops USA TODAY Sports Network’s Big Ten preseason media poll this season.

Here’s the expected order of finish in 2024, as determined by 13 reporters covering the league for the USA TODAY Sports Network.

1. Ohio State (8 votes for first place)

2. Oregon (5 votes for first place)

3. (tie) Michigan

3. (tie) Penn State

5. USC

6.Iowa

7.Wisconsin

8. Nebraska

9.Washington

10. Rutgers

11.Maryland

12. Michigan State

13.Minnesota

14. UCLA

15.Illinois

16.Indiana

17. Northwestern

18. Purdue

Poll participants: Nathan Baird, IndyStar; Frank Bodani, York (Pa.) Daily Record; Alec Dietz, The Register Guard (Eugene); Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star; Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press; Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch; Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch; Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier; Michael Niziolek, Bloomington Herald-Times; Zach Osterman, Indy Star; Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel; Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press; Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register