ESPN's FPI Predicts Every Big Ten Team's Chances to Make College Football Playoff

Many of the "usual suspects" are at the top of ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) when it comes to percentages of winning a Big Ten title and making the College Football Playoff. As is often the case, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan are among the highest-ranked teams heading into the 2025 season.

This week, ESPN updated its FPI as the 2025 college football season approaches. It provided projections for the overall record, percentage of winning the Big Ten title, percentage of making the College Football Playoff, and percentage of winning the national championship.

Below is the season projection and percentages for all 18 teams in the Big Ten, per ESPN's FPI.

Big Ten rankings in ESPN's FPI

Ohio State Buckeyes

• National rank: No. 4
• Projected record: 10.4-2.2
• Strength of schedule rank: 18th
• % to win Big Ten: 40.3%
• % to make CFP: 70.6%
• % to win national championship: 10.8%

Penn State Nittany Lions

• National rank: No. 5
• Projected record: 10.2-2.2
• Strength of schedule rank: 27th
• % to win Big Ten: 25.1%
• % to make CFP: 63.8%
• % to win national championship: 7.0%

Oregon Ducks

• National rank: No. 6
• Projected record: 10.0-2.4
• Strength of schedule rank: 25th
• % to win Big Ten: 19.1%
• % to make CFP: 57.5%
• % to win national championship: 4.3%

Michigan Wolverines

• National rank: No. 17
• Projected record: 8.4-3.7
• Strength of schedule rank: 29th
• % to win Big Ten: 6.0%
• % to make CFP: 25.3%
• % to win national championship: 1.0%

USC Trojans

• National rank: No. 19
• Projected record: 8.3-3.9
• Strength of schedule rank: 28th
• % to win Big Ten: 4.2%
• % to make CFP: 21.0%
• % to win national championship: 0.4%

Nebraska Cornhuskers

• National rank: No. 25
• Projected record: 7.5-4.5
• Strength of schedule rank: 37th
• % to win Big Ten: 1.5%
• % to make CFP: 10.3%
• % to win national championship: 0.1%

Washington Huskies

• National rank: No. 27
• Projected record: 7.1-4.9
• Strength of schedule rank: 31st
• % to win Big Ten: 0.8%
• % to make CFP: 8.1%
• % to win national championship: 0.1%

Indiana Hoosiers

• National rank: No. 31
• Projected record: 7.5-4.5
• Strength of schedule rank: 30th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.9%
• % to make CFP: 8.9%
• % to win national championship: 0.2%

Wisconsin Badgers

• National rank: No. 38
• Projected record: 5.6-6.5
• Strength of schedule rank: 12th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.4%
• % to make CFP: 2.6%
• % to win national championship: 0.1%

Iowa Hawkeyes

• National rank: No. 39
• Projected record: 6.2-5.8
• Strength of schedule rank: 32nd
• % to win Big Ten: 0.6%
• % to make CFP: 3.7%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Minnesota Golden Gophers

• National rank: No. 43
• Projected record: 6.9-5.2
• Strength of schedule rank: 26th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.3%
• % to make CFP: 4.3%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Illinois Fighting Illini

• National rank: No. 44
• Projected record: 6.8-5.2
• Strength of schedule rank: 44th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.6%
• % to make CFP: 3.8%
• % to win national championship: 0%

UCLA Bruins

• National rank: No. 47
• Projected record: 5.4-6.6
• Strength of schedule rank: 19th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.1%
• % to make CFP: 1.9%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• National rank: No. 55
• Projected record: 5.8-6.2
• Strength of schedule rank: 21st
• % to win Big Ten: 0.1%
• % to make CFP: 1.7%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Michigan State Spartans

• National rank: No. 59
• Projected record: 5.2-6.8
• Strength of schedule rank: 34th
• % to win Big Ten: 0.1%
• % to make CFP: 1.0%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Maryland Terrapins

• National rank: No. 61
• Projected record: 5.9-6.1
• Strength of schedule rank: 61st
• % to win Big Ten: 0.2%
• % to make CFP: 1.3%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Northwestern Wildcats

• National rank: No. 74
• Projected record: 4.1-7.9
• Strength of schedule rank: 22nd
• % to win Big Ten: 0%
• % to make CFP: 0%
• % to win national championship: 0%

Purdue Boilermakers

• National rank: No. 92
• Projected record: 3.2-8.8
• Strength of schedule rank: 23rd
• % to win Big Ten: 0%
• % to make CFP: 0%
• % to win national championship: 0%

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