The Big Ten has been very successful in one specific state, with so many teams adding a large amount of talent, how close is that race as we stand today?
Either Michigan or Michigan State has won the Big Ten over the last five seasons, but it still seems that the conference is impossible to figure out for the 2026-27 season.
Although they haven’t won the conference recently, Wisconsin went the farthest of any of the teams, losing in the national title game to Denver. With multiple other teams within the conference making big moves, how will this conference shake out, and is the top end of it still a two-team race?
Michigan and Michigan State were the two lone teams finishing with 15 or more in-conference wins. But when you look at Wisconsin’s end-of-year success and the fact that Logan Hensler missed a large chunk of the season, should they be in the running for the top of the Big Ten mountain?
Penn State losing Gavin McKenna hurts them a lot, but with the returning pieces they have, like Jackson Smith, you could argue they’re going to play more of a defensive team game style and could be a dark-horse squad.
You can say all you want about Ohio State’s in-conference record last season, but they made it to the championship game for the second year in a row. They brought in an underrated freshman class, headlined by 2026 draft picks Evan Jardine, Will Tomko, and Benjamin Willmott. You add in the fact that the team kept defenseman Sascha Boumedienne, and the roster looks like one that can be in that final game once again.
Minnesota and Notre Dame are in similar boats; both teams had disappointing seasons for the program's standards, and they both brought in some solid talent to help them compete this season. Notre Dame brought in national champion Hagen Burrows and projected lottery pick Sammy Nelson, and they were still able to retain senior captain Danny Nelson.
Minnesota had a fairly young team last year, and with players like L.J. Mooney, Brodie Ziemer, Jacob Rombach, and others getting a year older and more experience, they should improve as a team, not to mention the big fish they got this offseason. That big fish was the 2026 10th overall pick, Wyatt Cullen, who impressed at the U.S. NTDP and lit it up at the U-18 World Championships. He’s a very talented player and will play a big role down the stretch, no matter where Minnesota is in the conference.
That said, each of these teams has brought in a lot of talent, and it’s gotten hard to predict who will be at the top of this conference come championship weekend. Michigan State and Michigan may have brought in the best overall talent, but can these other teams put up a fight and potentially shock the world?
