Big Ten expansion: 5 football teams that look scary post conference realignment in 2024
With the college football season still a few months away, some programs have significantly improved their roster and have become incredibly deep. The UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies were added early this season to the Big Ten.
However, which teams look more of a threat heading into the 2024 season?
Best Big Ten college football teams
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes had a strong season, but there were a lot of different moves within the program. Quarterback Kyle McCord transferred and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. joined the NFL. However, the Buckeyes had one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, led by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin.
With impactful talent being added offensively and a defense ranked second in college football with 11.0 points allowed per game in 2023, Ohio State looks scary.
Oregon Ducks
One team that has been steadily improving is the Oregon Ducks as they prepare for their first season in the Big Ten. With the recruiting of defensive end Elijah Rushing, defensive tackle Aydin Breland and cornerback Ify Obidegwu, this defense should dominate.
The team improved significantly in the transfer portal with quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. It also landed wide receiver Evan Stewart and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad. With this team ready to flex its muscles, it improved from last season when it lost in the Pac-12 championship.
Michigan Wolverines
While many people are discussing the departure from the national champions, the Wolverines got some solid additions for first-year coach Sherrone Moore. This team will likely continue being a run-heavy offensive scheme and added offensive lineman Josh Priebe in the transfer portal to bolster the line.
The Wolverines are in a position with an incredible defense and a solid running game headed by Donovan Edwards. The quarterback needs to limit the mistakes. This team still is a scary program to go up against.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are ready to take that next step as a team. They targeted the transfer portal hard for some dominant players. They added cornerback A.J. Harris, wide receiver Julian Fleming, offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and cornerback Jalen Kimber, among others. Coach James Franklin also did an outstanding job recruiting high school players.
This team was 13th in points and third in points against a year ago, so just adding on the edges will help them. No team will want to face a loaded Nittany Lions program this season.
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers should be feared as they were a strong program last year and just improved their weakness during the offseason. One of their biggest holes was at the quarterback position, and they landed quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in the portal. They also improved their linebacker depth with Jaheim Thomas and John Puis.
The program also managed to sign running back Dilin Jones and tight end Grant Stec. Coach Luke Fickell continues to build the program. He did an outstanding job landing some of the best improvements in the nation.