Big Ten Sleepers: Can Wisconsin, Nebraska or Washington break through in 2026?
The College GameDay Podcast continues its 2026 Big Ten football season preview as Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel examine the conference’s sleepers, spoilers and potential breakout teams. Can Wisconsin rebound under Luke Fickell? Could Demond Williams Jr. and Washington crash the Big Ten championship race? Are Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa or Minnesota ready to make a leap? The crew also discusses Pat Fitzgerald’s first season at Michigan State, Bob Chesney’s UCLA rebuild, Chip Kelly taking over Northwestern’s offense and the debut of the new Ryan Field. Plus, has NIL and the transfer portal erased the SEC’s talent advantage—and should three straight national championships make the Big Ten the best conference in college football? 0:00 Big Ten Football Preview Part 2: Sleepers and Teams to Watch 1:27 Big Ten vs. SEC: Did NIL Shift College Football’s Balance of Power? 11:28 Wisconsin Football Preview: Is Luke Fickell on the Hot Seat? 13:54 Maryland Football Preview: Can Malik Washington Lead a Breakthrough? 15:32 Illinois Football Preview: Can Bret Bielema Keep the Illini Rising? 18:42 Nebraska Football Preview: Can the Huskers Finally Break Through? 20:22 UCLA Football Preview: Bob Chesney and Nico Iamaleava 22:42 Iowa Football Preview: Can the Hawkeyes Find an Offense? 26:06 Michigan State Football Preview: The Pat Fitzgerald Era Begins 30:11 Northwestern Football Preview: New Ryan Field and Chip Kelly 34:49 Washington Football Preview: Can Demond Williams Jr. Become Elite? 40:41 Minnesota Football Preview: Drake Lindsey and Anthony Smith 48:08 Purdue and Rutgers Football Previews: Reasons for Optimism? 54:27 Best Quotes from 2026 Big Ten Football Media Days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
