The Ohio State football program is coming off a national championship, but not a Big Ten championship. They had to cede that title to Oregon, but got revenge on them in the Rose Bowl. It's clear that they were one of the best teams in the conference all year, though.
Four Big Ten teams made the College Football Playoff a year ago. Other than the Buckeyes and the Ducks, Penn State and Indiana were also in the 12-team field. Those were the elite teams in the conference for 2024. This year, the elite tier also breaks down into four schools.
Obviously, the Ohio State Buckeyes are in that elite tier again. Despite losing a ton of talent, they are one of the best teams not just in the conference, but in the country. Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs make sure of that. Who are the other three elite teams?
These are the elite teams in the Big Ten in 2025
Penn State is another team in the elite tier of the Big Ten. Despite losing to Ohio State again last year, the Nittany Lions return a ton of talent. Drew Allar is one of the top quarterbacks coming back next season. They could be a top-five preseason team.
Oregon went 1-1 against the Buckeyes last season, losing the most important matchup in the Rose Bowl. Despite losing a lot of talent, they used the transfer portal well to fill holes. They should be a CFP team this year, even though they have to travel to Happy Valley.
The only other team that should be considered a possible College Football Playoff team this year and an elite Big Ten team is Illinois. The Fighting Illini have a lot of pieces back and a relatively soft schedule this year. They avoid Oregon and Penn State while getting Ohio State and USC at home.
2025 could see the Big Ten get four teams into the CFP for the second straight year. These four teams seem to be the best candidates to make the field and should be considered the elite teams in the conference.