Photo via Yahoo Sports

College football winners and losers: The Big Ten's depth looks even shallower in 2026. Will that be a College Football Playoff problem?

The Big Ten enters the 2026 college football season facing serious questions about its overall depth, despite holding a three-year streak of national championships over the SEC. While powerhouse programs like fifth-ranked Ohio State and sixth-ranked Indiana remain formidable, the conference drops off sharply behind them.

Oregon stands at No. 15 with a lone loss and health concerns surrounding quarterback Dante Moore following a concussion, leaving the Ducks with virtually zero room for error if they want to secure a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, newly ranked UCLA benefits from a favorable remaining schedule under coach Bob Chesney, yet that soft slate only highlights the severe weakness of the conference outside the elite tier.

At the bottom of the standings, several traditional Big Ten contenders are stumbling through dismal starts, with Michigan and Penn State both dropping their first two conference matchups. Illinois suffered an unexpected defeat to Purdue, giving the Boilermakers their first conference victory in more than a thousand days and breaking a lengthy drought against FBS opponents.

Although dark-horse contenders such as Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin could theoretically emerge, the conference appears far too top-heavy. Analysts question whether this lack of depth will ultimately hurt the Big Ten's postseason prospects as the SEC steadily increases its championship odds through sheer volume of competitive contenders.

Up nextCollege Football· 24m ago

Isaac Wilson's nightmare second half for Colorado culminates in pick 6 in his own end zone