The Big Ten has four categories of teams for the 2025 football season. There's the "No Chance" tier where literally there's no perfect scenario in which they win the Big Ten. They don't have any of the pieces or ability to pull it off. There's another category one step up from that: a wing, a prayer, and maybe. The third category is the contenders; they aren't the elite teams, but they could pull it off without shock or surprise. The final category is the elite teams that everyone expects to win it.
This article is all about the "No Chance" teams. There are five of them.
5. UCLA Bruins
I don't care what quarterback they just signed in the transfer portal last season. In fact, Nico Iamaleava may have made them worse simply due to the drama and the off-field antics that could bleed into the locker room. The Bruins stole a couple of Big Ten games last year against Rutgers and Iowa with some late-game heroics, but without those (and another win against Nebraska), they weren't very competitive with the contenders or upper echelon of the Big Ten.
4. Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans were not competitive in the Big Ten at all last season. Their three wins came against two other teams on this same list, including Iowa, which loves to throw away at least a couple of games during the course of the season. If we remove the game against Purdue, their final four games against Big Ten opponents, they were outscored 150-57. Yikes. They didn't do enough in the offseason to give them a chance this year, either. It's not looking good for the Spartans.
3. Maryland Terrapins
Their epic last-second thriller against USC was their only Big Ten win of the season. They were run off the field weekly and lost their best offensive player, Billy Edwards Jr., to Wisconsin. There doesn't seem to be a scenario in which they win more than a couple of Big Ten games next season.
2. Northwestern Wildcats
The Wildcats look out of place in the Big Ten. It almost feels like a bye week when Big Ten teams get to face off against Northwestern. Their only wins were against Maryland and Purdue, also bottom feeders of the Big Ten. They are outmatched against any top team in the conference.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
Winless in the Big Ten and basically turned over their entire roster. Purdue being the worst team on this list will not be surprising to anyone who follows college football. It's hard to even find a Big Ten win next season on their schedule. However, who knows with how much their roster turned over. Either way, they are a long way from being competitive in the Big Ten.