Oregon Lands No. 2 SP+ Projection With 66% Returning Production

Q: Has the Big Ten's financial might and title streak permanently dethroned the SEC as football's top conference?

No. The Big Ten has the strongest current case as college football’s top conference, but “permanently” is far too strong. The evidence for the Big Ten is substantial. It has won three straight national titles — Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana — and its financial edge is real. The league distributed a record $1.37 billion to 18 schools for fiscal 2025, about $76.1 million per school on average, compared with the SEC’s roughly $72.4 million. That money matters in coaching salaries, facilities, roster retention and NIL-era support. On the field, the Big Ten also enters 2026 with elite top-end strength: Ohio State is No. 1 in SP+, Oregon No. 2, and Indiana remains a top-five projection. But that does not settle the broader argument. The SEC still has enormous depth, massive school-level revenues, and a long track record that dwarfs a three-year window. From 2006 through 2022, the SEC defined the sport nationally. Even during this title drought, it continues to place large numbers of teams in the playoff mix and remains, by most measures, the deepest week-to-week league. What has changed is the balance of power. The Big Ten is no longer chasing the SEC; it is matching or surpassing it at the top, while also leading the revenue race. If the Big Ten keeps stacking titles and playoff wins over the next few seasons, the debate may end. For now, the fairest reading is that the Big Ten has seized the moment, not permanently closed the case.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 9

Bill Connelly's SP+ projects Oregon as the nation's No. 2 team, powered by 66% returning production from a 2025 squad that lost only twice—both times to national champion Indiana.
Dante Moore headlines that continuity for Dan Lanning, whose Ducks also return the core of a team that beat USC 42-27 and shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the College Football Playoff.
Joel Klatt's main post-spring question is whether Oregon can translate that talent into big-game defensive performances after its season ended in a lopsided CFP semifinal loss to Indiana.
The projection keeps Oregon near Big Ten heavyweights Ohio State—No. 1 in SP+ with 60% returning production—and Indiana, still top-five despite bringing back 56%.
A difficult path could test that ranking quickly: Oregon faces road games at USC, Illinois and Ohio State, while hosting Nebraska, Michigan and rival Washington.