Looking ahead at the 2025 season, there are some teams that seem to contend each season, and others that just seem to struggle year in and year out. Michigan may have had a down season in 2024, but they certainly are still known as the elite of the Big Ten.
For other teams, sometimes they just need to rely on luck and timing to contend for a Big Ten title or even just get bowl-eligible. There are always teams that seem to win enough games to be bowl eligible, or just miss that eligibility, and just end up saying next season will be their season.
Here are three teams that are relying on help and some luck to potentially win a Big Ten title in 2025.
UCLA
UCLA had a shot of being in the "no chance" tier of the conference, but they did go out and get 5-star transfer Nico Iamaleava out of the transfer portal this offseason. Iamaleave was the center of a lot of NIL news for quite a few weeks, where it was reported he was asking for nearly $4 million in NIL money and it all ended with his transfer to the West Coast to the UCLA Bruins.
Now, Iamaleava is a 5-star transfer, but he still has his problems as a player, like struggling to throw the ball downfield deep, and the Bruins don't have a lot around the talented quarterback. This was a team that made some headway later in the 2024 season, but the Bruins would need a lot of help to make it close to a Big Ten title, as they had no chance before Iamaleava.
Washington
A season after making it to the National Championship, Washington suddenly lost over half of their team to the NFL and the transfer portal, and their head coach left to go to Alabama. The Huskies somehow were able to make it to a bowl game in 2024 under head coach Jedd Fisch, which was something not a lot of people expected.
Now heading into the 2025 season, the Huskies have a little more experience coming into the season, especially with quarterback Desmond Williams Jr. coming back under center after getting some experience in his freshman season. Washington has a chance at a Big Ten title, but it may not be this season. They would need help and some luck this season, but they are trending towards a title soon.
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights took some good steps towards becoming a contender in the Big Ten in the future, but they aren't quite there yet. Rutgers also made it to a bowl game this past season, but allowed a young Kansas State team to pull off a comeback in that game, ending in a loss for the Scarlet Knights.
After some work in the transfer portal, Rutgers has some good things going for them in 2025, but a Big Ten title would have to come with help from other teams in the Big Ten and some luck of their own with big wins to be contenders next season.
Michigan State
Coming off a season where the Spartans didn't even reach a bowl season, Michigan State also could have been in the "no chance" tier, but there is a belief that Jonathan Smith's second season could yield better results. Quarterback Aidan Chiles will be coming in for his second season and the Spartans have brought in a good number of players from the transfer portal.
The Spartans certainly aren't contenders this season, but they could find some luck next season, and something crazy could happen in 2025.