The Big Ten conference is experiencing a significant shift in its competitive landscape, with analysts attributing a portion of this enhancement to the offensive talent, particularly at the quarterback position, brought over from former Pac-12 teams. This development comes as the Big Ten aims to solidify its standing against other major conferences, including the SEC.
FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt highlighted this trend in his preseason Top 25 rankings, placing three Big Ten teams—Oregon at No. 1, Ohio State at No. 2, and Indiana at No. 5—within the top five. The highest-ranked SEC team, Georgia Bulldogs, appeared at No. 6.
Colin Cowherd, also of FOX Sports, emphasized how the addition of four former Pac-12 teams has bolstered the Big Ten's quarterback play and overall offensive coaching. "The quality of offensive coaching and quarterback play out West has always been great. You've now added that to the Big Ten," Cowherd said on "The Herd." He specifically mentioned Jayden Maiava, Dante Moore, and Demond Williams Jr. as examples of talented quarterbacks who have joined the conference, suggesting that the Pac-12 has contributed "flair and creativity" to the Big Ten.
Several former Pac-12 teams are now prominently featured in Klatt's rankings. Oregon is at No. 1, USC at No. 12, and Washington at No. 20. The article also notes that UCLA, under new head coach Bob Chesney and with quarterback Nico Iamaleava, could emerge as a competitive force.
Key signal-callers like USC's Jayden Maiava and Oregon's Dante Moore are expected to continue their strong performances. Moore led Oregon to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance last season, while Maiava led the Big Ten in passing yards with 3,711. The presence of these and other elite talents promises a highly competitive conference.
Klatt credited the coaching talent alongside the quarterbacks. "I think that it's transforming the league. It's not just Dante Moore in Oregon. It's not just Maiava at USC. You mentioned Iamaleava at UCLA. It's also Demond Williams at Washington with Jedd Fisch, an offensive-oriented guy," Klatt stated. He concluded that these teams bring offensive capabilities that make playing in the Big Ten increasingly challenging.