2026 Big Ten college football predictions, odds: Wisconsin provides real opportunity
The Big Ten is set to be a behemoth once again in 2026.The conference features the past three national champions in Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan, and three teams under 10/1 to win this year’s title: Ohio State (+600), Oregon (+800) and Indiana (+800).Those three juggernauts top the board to win the Big Ten, but the chasing pack is also quite strong with Michigan (10/1) and USC (15/1) poised for big seasons, while Penn State (20/1) is looking for a bounce-back under new head coach Matt Campbell.The middle class of the conference also features some high-ceiling teams, most notably Washington (30/1) and Iowa (50/1), both of whom would be favored by 14 points on a neutral field against an average FBS team, per Bill Connelly’s SP+ metric.Even long shots like Nebraska (100/1), Wisconsin (150/1), and Illinois (125/1) have some things going for them this fall.Conference championships don’t carry the same weight that they once did in college football, but the team that lifts the trophy in Indianapolis will have earned it.It may seem crazy to back a long shot in the Big Ten, but I’d much rather place a small bet on a price in this conference than try to pick the right favorite.Here’s the logic:Ohio State (+180) has Indiana, Oregon and Michigan on its schedule.Oregon (+275) goes to USC and Ohio State, hosts Michigan and then closes the season on the road against Washington.Indiana (+275) faces a lighter schedule than the Bucks and Ducks, but they encounter a difficult three-game stretch: at Nebraska, then home against Ohio State and finally at Michigan.The point is, the heavyweights, plus USC, Penn State, Michigan, and Washington, are going to chew each other up.It’ll be a war of attrition, and the losses will come, which could leave the door open for a surprising team to crash the party at Lucas Oil Stadium.Catch up on The Post’s college football betting predictions and previews for the 2026 seasonWisconsin has the schedule, and the upside, to bust through ...