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The Big Ten is firmly in its golden era of college football.
Over the past three seasons, the conference has produced three straight national champions, with the Michigan Wolverines winning in 2023, the Ohio State Buckeyes on top in 2024 and the Indiana Hoosiers shocking the sport in 2025.
Now, the conference heads into 2026 once again filled with national title contenders and College Football Playoff hopefuls across the league.
As announced Monday, the 2026 Big Ten Championship Game will take place Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on FOX.
Getting to Indianapolis will be anything but easy, however, as several of the conference’s top contenders face brutal schedules during the season.
Has the tide fully turned as Indiana now emerges as the team to beat in the Big Ten? Can Ohio State get their revenge from last year’s title game loss? Or can Oregon return to their Big Ten dominance of two seasons ago?
Let’s take an early look at the 2026 Big Ten title odds at DraftKing’s Sportsbook starting May 11.
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Winner of the 2026 Big Ten Conference Championship Game
Ohio State: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Indiana: +250 (bet $10 to win $35 total)
Oregon: +260 (bet $10 to win $36 total)
USC: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Michigan: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Penn State: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Washington: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Iowa: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Illinois: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Nebraska: +12000 (bet $10 to win $1,210 total)
Wisconsin: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
UCLA: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)
Minnesota: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Northwestern: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Michigan State: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Maryland: +50000 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Rutgers: +100000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Purdue: +100,000 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Here’s what you need to know about the Big Ten title odds board:
The favourites: The two teams that met in the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game currently sit atop the odds board, with Ohio State opening as a +180 favorite and the defending champion Hoosiers right behind at +250. Despite winning the national championship in 2024, the last time Ohio State won the Big Ten title was in 2020. Although the Buckeyes had four of the top 11 NFL draft picks, they return two of the best players in all of college football in quarterback Julian Sayin and superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. They also return four starting offensive linemen as well as running back Bo Jackson. On the other hand, Indiana picked up former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover via the transfer portal to replace Fernando Mendoza. While losing the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft is a big blow, the Hoosiers aren’t going anywhere as long as Curt Cignetti remains at the helm.
Best bet: With all the attention on Ohio State and Indiana, Oregon (+260) seems to be flying under the radar. The Ducks have lost just three games over the last two seasons, with all three losses coming against the eventual national champion, one against Ohio State in 2024 and two against Indiana in 2025. Oregon has perhaps the most talented and deepest roster in the Big Ten, led by quarterback Dante Moore and one of the conference’s best groups of returning starters. The returning talent also includes Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McClellan, Jordon Davison, Jamari Johnson, Matayo Uiagalelei, A’mauri Washington, Bear Alexander, Teitum Tuioti and Brandon Finney Jr.
Long shot choice: One team that could potentially take a flyer on at a huge price is UCLA at +20000. The Bruins landed one of the hottest names in the coaching cycle when they hired Bob Chesney. Chesney led James Madison to the College Football Playoff last season after a 12-1 campaign before falling to Oregon. He also posted an impressive 21-6 record at JMU after taking over for Curt Cignetti in 2024. No one is saying Chesney will immediately duplicate what Cignetti accomplished at Indiana by winning a national title in Year 2, but UCLA has the potential to take a big step forward in 2026, especially with the return of Nico Iamaback.
