Ohio State Football: The Top 5 coaches in the Big Ten

As the offseason continues to turn for the Ohio State football program, we give you our top five head coaches in the Big Ten conference.

May is kind of a dead period for the Ohio State football team as Spring ball has come and gone and the coaches are still a couple of weeks away from being able to host recruits on campus. Now would be a great time to sit back and access certain aspects of the program and conference at large.

Today we give you what we believe to be our top five head football coaches in the Big Ten conference. There is a lot that goes into being a Power Five head coach nowadays between coaching, recruiting, NIL, and managing the transfer portal. Let’s take a look at who we think is doing a good job within the Big Ten.

No. 5: James Franklin, Penn State

James Franklin is already entering his 10th season at Penn State where he boosts a 78-36 record. Franklin, who is one of the league’s highest-paid coaches, has done a solid job in Happy Valley but can never quite seem to get over the hump. While he wins at a high rate, his 2-15 record against top-10 competition during his tenure with the Nittany Lions is what keeps him at No. 5 on this list. And as he continues to recruit at a high enough level, Penn State usually falls short of winning its biggest games every season.

No. 4: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

With 17 seasons on the job at Northwestern, nobody should ever question this man’s loyalty. Despite the fact that he’s had numerous opportunities to jump at bigger jobs, he’s continued to stay and build his program at his alma mater.

With a 110-101 overall record and five bowl-game victories, Fitzgerald has squeezed as much as he possibly could out of being at Northwestern. The culmination of all his success has led to the building of a brand-new football stadium for the Wildcats that should be ready for play in 2026.