They might show that they are the best conference.
David Pollack Reveals How Many Big Ten Teams Will Make the College Football Playoff originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Big Ten Conference is often regarded as the premier conference in college football, especially after a team from the conference won the national championship in back-to-back seasons.
In 2023, the Michigan Wolverines had an impressive 15-0 record and secured the College Football Playoff title in what was the final season of the four-team format. However, after that successful year, Michigan lost several key players along with head coach Jim Harbaugh, who departed for the NFL.
In 2024, Michigan's arch-rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes, triumphed in the inaugural season of the 12-team playoff format. The Buckeyes showcased their dominance by winning all four of their playoff games by double digits.
As the 2025 season approaches, there is much speculation about which teams from the Big Ten will qualify for the playoff and whether they can achieve three consecutive seasons of playoff representation. On his podcast, "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack," the former "College GameDay" analyst shared his predictions on how many teams he expects to come from the Big Ten Conference.
"Those three, to me, felt really concrete," Pollack said. "I'll say this: the fourth team feels very solid to me, too."
Finding a fourth team for the playoffs might prove challenging. Last season, the Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions and Indiana Hoosiers made the playoffs. Pollack believes that the first three teams are locks to return this year.
For his fourth team, Pollack mentioned several contenders. He feels that Indiana will perform well again. He also believes that the Wolverines will return to form after their 8-5 season.
Additionally, Pollack thinks that the USC Trojans will have a successful year. He also considers the Iowa Hawkeyes to be a solid option, provided that their offense, which has been a question mark for some time, improves as he expects it might.
Ultimately, Pollack chose the Hoosiers as his fourth team. He acknowledges that he could argue for other teams, but there are many positive aspects about Indiana that he believes will keep them competitive and show last year wasn't a fluke.
The 2025 college football season will kick off on Aug. 23 with Week 0.
Related: Paul Finebaum Calls Out the Big Ten Again With a Not-So-Subtle Dig
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
