Big Ten Media Days: Are Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana the Class of the Conference?

Summary of Big Ten Media Days: Are Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana the Class of the Conference?

by The Athletic

45m•July 30, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of The Audible at Big Ten Media Days

Stuart Mandel and Bruce Feldman unpacked the mood at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, where the conference is projecting confidence after back-to-back years of playoff success and national titles. The conversation centered on the Big Ten’s rivalry with the SEC, the politics of college sports governance, the growing influence of roster money, and Bruce’s early read on the 2025 season — with Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana emerging as the league’s top tier.

Big Ten vs. SEC: a shifting power balance

  • Brett Bielema set the tone with a sharp shot at SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, arguing the SEC still talks like it’s operating in an older college football era.
  • The hosts agreed the Big Ten’s posture has changed:
    • The league is no longer acting deferential to the SEC.
    • NIL, the transfer portal, and playoff results have made the sport much more level.
  • They noted that the SEC’s old edge came mostly from its national title run, and that recent Big Ten playoff success has weakened the SEC’s “we’re tougher everywhere” argument.

College sports money, the Senate bill, and jersey patches

The Senate bill / roster spending debate

  • Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was in the middle of discussions around a federal college sports bill.
  • The key issues discussed:
    • A proposed framework for revenue sharing and roster retention money.
    • A potential total roster spend that could push elite programs into the $40M–$45M range.
  • Both hosts were skeptical that a true hard cap is realistic:
    • They questioned who would enforce it.
    • They doubted schools would actually stop at the number if competitive pressure rises.
  • Their broader point: college football keeps trying to act like the NFL without having collective bargaining or a real enforcement mechanism.

Jersey patches

  • Ohio State’s jersey patch deal with JPMorgan Chase and Notre Dame’s with SoFi became a side conversation.
  • Their take:
    • This is mostly a revenue-driven, unglamorous but inevitable move.
    • It’s already normal in pro sports and internationally.
    • The real concern is not the patches themselves, but whether schools start looking like full-on NASCAR uniforms.

Early Big Ten season takeaways

Oregon looks like the early conference favorite

  • Bruce said Oregon looked like the most complete team he saw.
  • Reasons he likes the Ducks:
    • Dante Moore has major upside at quarterback.
    • Oregon has loaded up on skill talent, including explosive receivers.
    • The Ducks also brought back a lot of defensive line talent.
  • The main concern:
    • Oregon lost both coordinators, which creates real pressure on the promoted replacements.
  • Still, Bruce said if he had to pick a Big Ten champ right now, he’d lean Oregon.

Ohio State and Indiana are in the mix

  • Bruce grouped Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana as the conference’s top tier.
  • Ohio State’s schedule is described as brutal, but the roster remains championship-caliber.
  • Indiana is viewed as a legitimate contender in the new Big Ten landscape.

Michigan is the team Bruce worries about most

  • Michigan could be the odd team out if it doesn’t have a quarterback who can match the league’s best.
  • Bruce specifically pointed to the importance of having a QB on the level of the conference’s elite starters.

USC still feels like a make-or-break year

  • Bruce and Stu agreed that year five for Lincoln Riley has to produce a major breakthrough.
  • USC’s key situation:
    • A loaded recruiting class
    • A more experienced quarterback situation
    • Better offensive line depth than last year
  • But the standard is now high:
    • Nine wins isn’t enough for most USC fans anymore.
    • Bruce suggested that a playoff-caliber season is the expectation, not the dream.
  • They also flagged:
    • USC’s tough schedule
    • The Penn State whiteout game as a major road challenge
    • New defensive coordinator Gary Patterson as an intriguing wild card

Mailbag highlights with Ralph Russo

Which blue blood is most at risk of fading?

  • Ralph’s answer: Alabama.
  • His reasoning:
    • The Saban era’s aura is fading.
    • The program is still strong, but it’s no longer operating with the same automatic recruiting pull.
    • In the current NIL/portal era, past dominance matters less than current spending and infrastructure.
  • He also mentioned Texas and LSU as schools that need to keep investing heavily to stay on top.

Most dominant individual season since 2000

  • Ralph’s clear answer: Cam Newton in 2010.
  • Why:
    • He dragged Auburn to a national title.
    • He was the most dominant one-season player Ralph has personally watched.
  • His short list also included:
    • Joe Burrow
    • Tim Tebow
    • Vince Young
    • Travis Hunter
    • Johnny Manziel
    • Marcus Mariota

Which coordinators are under the most pressure?

  • Ralph pointed to Oregon’s new coordinators:
    • Drew Mehringer on offense
    • Chris Hampton on defense
  • Why Oregon?
    • They were promoted internally after elite seasons.
    • Oregon has top-five expectations, so there’s no learning curve allowance.
  • Other pressure candidates:
    • Dana Holgorsen at Nebraska
    • Will Muschamp at Texas

Key takeaways

  • The Big Ten is acting like a league that believes it can set the tone nationally now.
  • College football’s next battleground is not just the playoff — it’s money, enforcement, and roster spending.
  • Oregon appears to be the Big Ten’s most complete early contender, with Ohio State and Indiana also in the title mix.
  • USC is under massive pressure in Lincoln Riley’s fifth year.
  • The mailbag reinforced the episode’s bigger theme: college football is being reshaped by money, not tradition.