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· collected 2026-08-18 · by Eric Olson The Associated Press
The article discusses the upcoming college football season, particularly the Big Ten conference. Ohio State and Oregon are generating buzz as potential champions, having topped the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Both teams have loaded rosters, with Ohio State boasting a talented quarterback in Julian Sayin and a dominant receiver in Jeremiah Smith, while Oregon returns six starters on offense and eight on defense. Meanwhile, defending champion Indiana is facing challenges with the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza to the NFL.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Oregon's Ducks and Ohio State's Buckeyes are vying to take down the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers, who won the Big Ten and national championship with a perfect 16-0 record. The Hoosiers have 10 starters back and are led by coach Curt Cignetti, who has a remarkable 27-2 record at Indiana. However, many in the sports world believe that the Buckeyes and Ducks are poised to take over, as they occupy the top two spots in the preseason AP Top 25 poll and have loaded teams with talent such as quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes will face off against the Hoosiers on October 17 at Indiana and host Oregon on November 7, with these games potentially deciding which teams make it to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis and impacting their College Football Playoff seeding.
Written for “Big Ten Football Preseason” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 1140 · logged 2026-08-24
The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten and national championship and were the first team in the modern era to go 16-0.
asserted
Hoosiers → win → era
They have 10 starters back, the hottest coach in the game and a manageable schedule.
asserted
They → have → game
It’s Ohio State and Oregon generating most of the preseason buzz, though, with both perched 1-2 atop the preseason AP Top 25 poll and among eight ranked teams.
asserted
both → ’ → teams
The consensus around the sport is that the Buckeyes and Ducks are loaded and the Hoosiers’ roll is about to slow with TCU transfer Josh Hoover replacing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
asserted
Hoover → load → winner
He’s 27-2 with two College Football Playoff appearances at Indiana and has yet to write a check his team can’t cash.
asserted
team → ’ → check
Ohio State plays the toughest conference schedule.
asserted
State → play → schedule
The Buckeyes visit Indiana on Oct. 17 and host Oregon on Nov. 7.
asserted
Buckeyes → visit → Nov.
Those games will go a long way in deciding which teams make the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, not to mention impact CFP seeding.
asserted
teams → go → seeding
The Buckeyes are built for what awaits.
asserted
what → build → ?
There are plenty of talented transfers waiting to emerge for a defense replacing eight starters, all of whom were drafted.
asserted
all → be → whom
Oregon is one of the most seasoned teams in the nation with quarterback Dante Moore among six starters back on offense and tackle A’Mauri Washington and edge Matayo Uiagalelei leading a defense that returns eight starters.
asserted
that → lead → starters
Other teams that could challenge
Southern California coach Lincoln Riley goes into his fifth season with his best team on paper.
uncertain
that → challenge → paper
QB Jayden Maiava has made 17 straight starts.
asserted
Maiava → make → starts
Michigan is looking to improve on offense.
asserted
Michigan → look → offense
QB Bryce Underwood, who didn’t live up to lofty expectations as a freshman, should make progress with OC Jason Beck coming with Kyle Whittingham from Utah.
asserted
Beck → live → Utah
Penn State first-year coach Matt Campbell brought 24 players with him from Iowa State, including QB Rocco Becht.
asserted
Campbell → bring → Becht
The Nittany Lions don’t have to play Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana.
asserted
Lions → have → State
Team on the rise
Washington got back dynamic QB Demond Williams Jr. after a kerfuffle with the school over pay.
asserted
Washington → get → pay
If the Huskies can rebuild what was one of the Big Ten’s best defenses, their ascent under Jedd Fisch can continue.
asserted
ascent → rebuild → Fisch
Iowa has reeled off at least eight wins all but one non-pandemic season since 2013.
asserted
Iowa → reel → 2013
Two inexperienced QBs are battling for the starter’s job and the defensive line must be rebuilt.
asserted
line → battle → job
... Katin Houser, who has a combined 26 starts at Michigan State and East Carolina, becomes Illinois’ fourth transfer to start at QB in Bret Bielema’s six seasons.
asserted
who → have → seasons
Minnesota has beaten a ranked opponent three straight years and is 7-0 in bowls since 2018.
asserted
Minnesota → beat → 2018
The Gophers will be a tough out again with returning QB Drake Lindsey and a dominant edge in Anthony Smith.
asserted
Gophers → return → Smith
... Nebraska’s Matt Rhule is 19-19 in three seasons, including 1-4 since he signed a two-year contract extension.
asserted
he → include → extension
No one plays a tougher October-November schedule.
asserted
one → play → schedule
Wisconsin is counting on transfers Colton Joseph (QB, Old Dominion) and Abu Sama III (RB, Iowa State) to recharge an offense plagued by injuries the last four years. ...
asserted
Wisconsin → count → injuries
QB Nico Iamaleava is back for UCLA, and 10 of the Bruins’ 45 transfers followed Bob Chesney from James Madison.
asserted
10 → follow → Madison
... Northwestern brought in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel as QBs coach to spark an offense that’s last in Big Ten in yards per play (4.9) since 2023.
asserted
that → bring → 2023
... Maryland’s Malik Washington is one of the great young QB talents but the Terrapins need their defense to spend less time on the field.
asserted
defense → need → field
Michigan State, 9-27 in Big Ten play since 2022, hopes to become relevant again with new coach Pat Fitzgerald....
asserted
State → hop → Fitzgerald
Purdue has lost 18 straight Big Ten games and beaten one FBS opponent (Ball State) the last two years.
asserted
Purdue → lose → opponent
