Can a Big Ten contender be better than last year?
As the 2025 college football season winds toward its climax, questions remain about whether programs in the Big Ten Conference are improving or regressing.
CBS Sports Tom Fornelli recently asked if Ohio State Buckeyes is better than last year? One major storyline centers on the hiring of James Franklin at Virginia Tech Hokies. The move is a model of ongoing investment by Big Ten schools into coaching and retention amid turnover elsewhere.
Yes, Franklin is gone. But there are four current SEC opening compared to two in the Big Ten with UCLA also firing DeShaun Foster. Teams across the conference are adapting with more of emphasis on transfers, NIL activity and scheduling strategy. It has created better competition and thus why the nation’s top two teams are in the Big Ten.
Whether the conference’s power programs will reassert dominance or face challenges from ascendant squads remains unresolved. However, the assessment on Ohio State is pretty clear.
"The answer is yes and no, Fornelli said about whether or not the Buckeyes were a better version in 2025.
"Ohio State's offense improved in its playoff games last season, scoring 3.21 points per possession compared to 3.09 in the regular season. Defensively is where things change considerably. The Buckeyes allowed 1.67 points per possession (still pretty damn good) in four playoff games after allowing only 0.92 in the regular season. I will point out, though, that the 0.92 in the regular season last year is still worse than the 0.76 they're allowing this year."
Fans should pay attention to early December games, as the Big Ten’s reputation this season could hinge on how its top teams perform in neutral or road tests in the College Football Playoff.
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- Virginia Tech reportedly funding roster near top of ACC for James Franklin
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