Big Ten football preseason win totals for 2024: Ohio State, Oregon look playoff-bound.

Every Big Ten team’s win total is out ahead of spring practice.

FanDuel Sportsbook has released the first Big Ten football preseason victory totals for the 2024 season. There is much to discuss, including which teams should exceed expectations and which should be avoided due to hard scheduling.The Big Ten’s expansion with Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA has led to some of the most challenging schedules in the country for 2024.

That could be bad news for bowl-eligible teams with five to seven victories, but it’s excellent news for the handful of juggernauts looking to win the league or gain one of those at-large playoff slots. And, with Michigan having won their first national championship in 25 years, the Big Ten today leads the SEC and others.

As is customary at this time of year, consider roster expectations and scheduling when predicting these win totals.

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Here’s a look at FanDuel’s first win total over-unders for every Big Ten program in 2024:

Minnesota Golden Gophers (4.5 wins)

Purdue Boilermakers (4.5)

Indiana Hoosiers (5.5)

Here are half of the six Big Ten teams that oddsmakers predict will compete for bowl eligibility down the stretch next season, starting with P.J. Fleck’s Golden Gophers, who have the lowest projected win total of his tenure. Last season was his first losing season in four years at Minnesota, following two consecutive nine-win seasons. With significant personnel losses within the two-deep and a hard schedule, 2024 may be unkind to Fleck and his club.

Michigan State Spartans (5.5)

Illinois Fighting Illini (5.5)

Northwestern Wildcats (5.5)

Which of these three has the most chance of going bowling in 2024? David Braun at Northwestern defied expectations after succeeding Pat Fitzgerald and will bring the same “why not us” attitude into the expanded Big Ten. Northwestern’s schedule is difficult, but that is life in the conference with the inclusion of Oregon, USC, and others. Jonathan Smith takes over at Michigan State, believing a portal-infused roster would provide quick results.

Wisconsin Badgers (6.5)

Maryland Terrapins (7.5)

Iowa Hawkeyes (7.5)

Tyler Van Dyke, a former Miami quarterback, takes over as Wisconsin’s starting quarterback ahead of Luke Fickell’s second season, but the team’s win total falls below expectations. Taking the “over” on Iowa is usually a winning strategy, and the Hawkeyes’ slate is doable. Iowa’s only opponents in the top 25 pre-spring rankings are Ohio State and Washington. A change in the offensive coordinator position could enhance Kirk Ferentz’s coaching style.

NEBRASKA HUSKERS (7.5)

Nebraska is expected to bowl to end the 2024 season for the first time in several seasons, based on their current win total. Matt Rhule has improved his roster with the addition of five-star quarterback Dylan Railoa, a Huskers legacy and early signing period flip from Georgia. The Huskers only leave Lincoln once until mid-October, for a trip to Purdue, who is anticipated to finish last in the conference standings. The toughest games coming next, with Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin, and Iowa on the schedule down the stretch.

Expectations at Washington are similar to TCU’s fall from grace following its appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship to end the 2022 season, at least from the perspective of an outsider. The Huskies lose nearly all of their productivity from a team that led the nation in total offense. Coach Kalen DeBoer and most of his assistants left for the Alabama vacancy. Former Arizona coach Jedd Fisch has taken over at Washington and says he is eager to fight for playoff spots at his new program. We’ll see whether the Huskies can get back there with a fresh set of pieces and a lower-tier victory total like this.

The air was taken out of USC’s balloon last season, but Miller Moss reversed the program’s offensive trajectory moving into 2024 with a spectacular performance in the bowl game. USC has faced LSU and Michigan in its first three games of the season, so we’ll know quickly whether the Trojans are a playoff contender or whether they’re on track for another disappointing season by program standards. Lincoln Riley addressed his defensive issues by dismissing veteran coach Alex Grinch.

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9.5)

Anyone else get the impression that Penn State is being overlooked this offseason after winning 10 games under James Franklin and having the most of that group return with the exception of a couple defensive standouts? The Nittany Lions have attempted to address their passing game’s lack of explosive plays with a new offensive coordinator, and Drew Allar is expected to be much better as a junior, second-year quarterback. Penn State, like many of the league’s most skilled teams, faces numerous nationally ranked opponents on the schedule.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (9.5)

At this point, the team is a full game behind last year’s preseason win total, has lost multiple All-Big Ten mainstays, All-Americans, and Jim Harbaugh, and has added Texas, USC, and Oregon to its schedule. That is challenging for first-year coach Sherrone Moore, but the mentality in Ann Arbor will not alter. This club is constructed from the line of scrimmage on, and that physicality mindset should propel the three-time defending conference champions to another top-tier finish. The defending national champions have the nation’s longest winning run entering the new season.

OREGON DUCKS (10.5)

Both of Oregon’s losses last season came to Washington. You think the Ducks are ready to battle the Huskies again in 2024, this time as a Big Ten foe? That game could have significant meaning once again, but only if the Ducks manage to battle their way through several marquee contests in conference play, including Ohio State and Michigan. Oregon’s 2024 team looks a bit different offensively than last year’s elite group, but there’s no drop-off expected with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Hitting the over will still be difficult given the slate, however.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (10.5)

Ryan Day: title or bust? That appears to be the prevalent storyline heading into spring, given Ohio State’s plethora of talent acquisitions and the recent hire of UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to experiment with the offense as the Buckeyes’ play-caller. Most have already identified the Michigan game as the most important in college football next season, and it means everything to Ohio State given the Buckeyes’ recent struggles in the rivalry. There will be no looking ahead. Before finishing November with a home game against Michigan, the Buckeyes will face three teams from our way-too-early top 25.

Big Ten football preseason win totals for 2024: Ohio State, Oregon look playoff-bound