College football futures: An early look at the Big 10 in 2024

It’s never too early to start looking ahead at the next college football season, and the 2024 campaign is going to look quite different than past seasons. Conference realignment has been taking place in smaller leagues for the last number of years, but now the "fun" starts in earnest.  

The Big Ten has a number of changes in place, with some of the top Pac-12 teams set to join. This means the Big Ten is now a coast-to-coast conference, with concerns over all that travel. 

Here is a look at the early odds to win the football version of the 2024 Big Ten Conference . . . 

Pair of Favorites

While the national-champion Michigan Wolverines have been the class of the Big Ten in recent seasons, they aren’t currently favored to get the job done in the 18-team league next season. In fact, it’s their biggest rivals who are expected to win the title, but with a newbie in the mix. 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the choice to win the Big Ten Conference at 3-2 (+150), according to Big Ten football odds. The team has been in the National Title mix in recent seasons as well, but hasn't been able to get past its Ann Arbor rivals.

OSU is a 24-5 (+480) second choice to win the title, as per college football championship odds.

The Buckeyes have Michigan at the Horseshoe this time around (Nov. 30th), but a regular-season schedule that’s quite tough. 

The relocated Oregon Ducks join the Big Ten Conference, the second choice (5-2, [+250]) to win the league in their initial year. Oregon has been among the nation’s best programs over the past two decades, but will now have to adjust to a season filled with a ton of travel.

Odds are going to change before and during the season. It’s difficult to ignore the rosters of both Ohio St. and Oregon, stamping both as solid conference contenders this season.

Michigan in the Mix

When a team wins the title, it's no surprise the NFL conducts a raid. Expect any number of Michigan Wolverines to be selected in next month's draft, joining coach Jim Harbaugh (he now with the Los Angeles Chargers). In short, Michigan has a new coach and quite a few holes to fill.

Michigan still figures to be relevant. Listed at 9-2 (+450) to win the Big Ten next season. It’s another team that will be facing a really difficult schedule. 

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the only other "contender" on the board, listed at 6-1 (+600). That doesn’t mean that there can’t be some surprises along the way, but the new-look Big Ten appears to be a four-team race in 2024. 

Now the Longshots to win the Big Ten

The Big Ten should once again be one of the most competitive conferences in the country. That doesn’t mean an outsider can’t win the league. 

Perhaps the newly-installed USC Trojans (25-1, [+2500]), though without quarterback Caleb Williams. The next three teams on this list are the Iowa Hawkeyes (35-1, [+3500]), Washington Huskies (50-1, [+5000]) and Maryland Terrapins (50-1, [+5000]).

There’s a pretty big gap between the top four teams in the wagering and this group, but if you think there’s an outlier who can stir the pot atop the standings, do some homework and take a shot. With the Big Ten now a super conference with tentacles across the country, there are great games throughout the season.