There is no clear favorite to win the Big Ten this season. Could that open the door for the USC Trojans as a sleeper?

While the idea is in the very early stages, the Big Ten's proposal for a 24- or 28-team College Football Playoff eliminates conference title games and offers a large number of auto bids for all four power leagues.

The idea for a field as large as 28 teams was presented to Big Ten athletic directors for the first time last week, one source said.

If the Big Ten’s new proposal does indeed take shape but stops at 24 teams, the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) will also have the same number of teams as the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) playoff format. In the new format, up to 20 games will take place on campus before advancing to the bowl games in later rounds.

ESPN is reporting that, according to sources, “the Big Ten has considered an idea of a massive expansion of the College Football Playoff that would grow the postseason to 24 or 28 teams.” That would line up with Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz’s suggestion at SEC Media Days to expand the College Football Playoff to 30 teams.

The Big Ten placed six teams in the top 25 of both the preseason AP Poll and CBS Sports 136, including Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the upper tier. Others are lurking, as Iowa, Nebraska and USC could challenge the SEC's depth if they exceed expectations in 2025.

Excitement is building for the start of Michigan’s 2025 football season, but it’ll be an intriguing year for the Big Ten as a whole. Here’s a look at 10 bold predictions for the Big Ten Conference thi

A Potential Heir to Program Legend Kyle Monangai When Kyle Monangai was out with an undisclosed injury last November against the Minnesota Golden Gophers durin