In the mega-expanded Big Ten, having an elite mind on the sidelines is the ultimate difference between contending for a national championship and scrambling for bowl eligibility. USA Today ran a comprehensive audit to rank every single Big Ten head coach heading into the 2026 season. From Curt Cignetti crowning an incredible national title run in Bloomington to top Ryan Day and Dan Lanning, to blockbuster moves like Kyle Whittingham taking over Michigan and Matt Campbell landing at Penn State, we break down the entire 18-team hierarchy. Check out our complete tactical breakdown to see where your favorite team's head coach lands entering 2026.

USA Today's Big Ten College Football Head Coaches Ranked 1-18: Going Into Week 8

USA Today's Big Ten Starting Quarterback Rankings: Going Into Week 8

Ranking The Top 24 College Quarterbacks Right Now: Going into Week 8

ESPN Predicts the Record for All 18 Big Ten Teams Right Now: Going Into Week 8

ESPN Ranks College Football's 20 1-Loss Teams by Most Likely to Make the College Football Playoff

Ranking the Top 50 College Football Running Backs Right Now

ESPN Ranks College Football's 20 1-Loss Teams by Strength of Schedule

As kickoff for the 2026 college football season draws near, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) supercomputer simulated thousands of regular-season scenarios to project the final 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. Stripping away subjective voter bias and preseason hype, the algorithm evaluated per-play efficiency, roster talent, and schedule difficulty to calculate every program's exact postseason odds. We expanded our master index to power rank the top 30 teams most likely to crash the playoff party. From top-tier titans like Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Oregon leading the field, to dark horses and Group-of-Five contenders like Boise State, Utah, South Carolina, Florida State, and Virginia lurking on the bubble, we break down every program's FPI profile, projected record, and postseason odds. Check out our complete 30-team playoff projection to see where your team stands.

ESPN Ranks Top 50 College Football Teams With Best Chance to Make CFP Going Into Week 8

LATEST Nick Lautar NEWS

A 24-team College Football Playoff may favor strong SEC and Big Ten programs over Cinderella teams, but concerns remain about first-round blowouts again.

Will a 24-Team College Football Playoff Reduce Blowouts?

Miami climbs the AP Top 25 after an overtime win over Florida State, as college football parity, NIL spending and conference shifts reshape the playoff race.

Miami Hurricanes' Rise Amid College Football's Parity

Texas draws skepticism as Notre Dame, Miami, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and BYU fuel a chaotic college football playoff race packed with intrigue this weekend.

College Football Playoff Chaos as Texas Doubts Grow

Explore the push for a 24-team College Football Playoff, the sport&#039;s semi-pro shift, SEC parity, and why Florida&#039;s future looks bright under Summerall.

College Football Playoff Expansion and Florida's Future

LATEST VIDEOS

View the profile of Ohio State Buckeyes TE Nick Lautar on SportsGrid. Get the latest news, stats, player prop picks, related players, and more on SportsGrid.com.

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LATEST Nick Lautar

HT/WT

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#89 · OSU · TE

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Blaine Bradford

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Nick Lautar is a TE for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAAF.

Ohio State Buckeyes

NCAAF

Predicting the 1st Loss for the Remaining 5 Undefeated College Football Teams Heading Into Week 8

ESPN Predicts the Final Record For All 16 SEC Teams Right Now: Going Into Week 8

12-Team College Football Playoff Bracket Based on the AP Poll Going Into Week 8

ESPN Predicts the Record for All 30 NBA Teams Right Now

Ranking the 15 Worst NHL Free Agency Signings of the 2026 Offseason

HEADLINES

Nick Martinez and Long-Shot MVP Bets for Tampa Bay

Milwaukee Brewers Favored to Win 2026 World Series

ESPN's Playoff Predictor Projects 12-Team College Football Playoff Field Going Into Week 8

USA TODAY's Top 15 College Football Quarterbacks Going Into Week 8

ESPN Ranks All 16 SEC Teams to Win the Conference Going Into Week 8

Ranking the Top 10 Most Disappointing College Football Teams Going Into Week 8

Ranking the NFL's 15 Most-Likely Playoff Teams Right Now: Going Into Week 7

Ranking The Top 32 NFL Quarterbacks Right Now: Going Into Week 7

Ranking The Top 5 Potential Upsets For NFL Week 7

Week 7 Start &#39;Em, Sit &#39;Em Fantasy Defenses/Kickers

Ducks bedeviled again on the road, drop 5th straight

Kings edge Islanders 3-2 on Clarke goal in overtime

Cooper Black to Become Tallest Goalie in NHL History

TST Best Bets: October 22, 2026

Rays' Game 1 Pitching Surprise: Martinez Gets the Start

Brewers' World Series Odds Look Inflated vs. Tampa Bay

NBA Opening Night Blowouts Fuel Regular-Season Backlash

The letter that will set the tone for the Lakers

Clippers dethrone the Sacramento Kings in regular-season opener

Walker Kessler delivers in debut as Lakers punish Warriors on opening night

Ranking the Top 20 Players in College Basketball Right Now

Hoosiers and Tar Heels Meet in Indy for Exhibition Match

For Pastner, Rebels, it&#39;s about a chemistry test

TST Images: UCLA Men&#39;s Basketball Media Day

NCAAB

Floyd Mayweather Claims $500 Million Was Stolen From Him

Joshua vs. Fury: Boxing's Biggest British Showdown

Champions League: PSG's Domination & Como FC's Rise

Eagles' QB Dilemma: Next Man Up & Running Game Focus

Drake Maye & Caleb Williams Learn Quarterback Discipline

LA Rams' Offensive Woes: Can They Turn It Around Quickly?

Week 7 Picks: 49ers-Falcons and Rams-Raiders Predictions

Texans-Giants & Jets-Dolphins Week 7 Game Predictions

Bengals vs. Ravens Week 7 Preview & Game Prediction

Chiefs vs. Seahawks Preview: Kenneth Walker's Revenge Game

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TNF Preview: Patriots vs. Bears Predictions

Why ESPN's Frozen Frenzy Fails to Score With Fans

Who Will Win the Eastern Conference?

Hal Steinbrenner Puts Yankees Players on Notice

SPORTSGRID SHORTS

ESPN Ranks College Football's 36 Two-Loss Teams By Strength of Record Ahead of Week 8

Ranking the 20 College Football Coaches On the Hot Seat Going Into Week 8

Phil Steele's Top 25 Hardest Schedules For 2026: Going Into Week 8

ESPN Ranks College Football's 36 2-Loss Teams by Most Likely to Make the CFP

UCLA at 80-1: A College Football Playoff Value Bet

ESPN Predicts the Final Record For All 16 SEC Teams Going Into Week 7

College Football Picks: Miami, Georgia and Top Props

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith Now the Heisman Trophy Favorite

Nico Expected to Surpass 184.5 Passing Yards Against Ducks

Exploring Faison Brandon's Bet on Over 33.5 Rushing Yards

Rams WR Puka Nacua leaves practice early with calf injury, status uncertain for Raiders game

Week 7 Start &#39;Em, Sit &#39;Em Fantasy Wide Receivers

Week 7 Start &#39;Em, Sit &#39;Em Fantasy Tight Ends

Week 7 Start &#39;Em, Sit &#39;Em Fantasy Quarterbacks

ESPN Predicts the 14-Team NFL Playoff Field Right Now: Going Into Week 7

Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Right Now: Going Into Week 7

Why the Packers Are a Super Bowl Value Bet at 30-1

Unbeaten 49ers replace Rams as Super Bowl favorites after Los Angeles falls to 2-3

AJ. Brown Reception Props and Primetime Betting Value

Patriots vs. Bears Passing Props and Touchdown Pick

1st Score: Christian Watson & Jonathan Taylor TD Picks for Sunday

NFL Week 6 Player Props: Maye, Taylor and Stafford

Bears' ATS Success Under Ben Johnson Faces New England Test

Patriots vs. Bears: Playoff Stakes & Betting Trends

Bears Face Must-Win Thursday Night Game as Vikings Lead NFC North

49ers Hype, Mahomes Magic & Eagles Injury Concerns

Knights see three-game win streak snapped in 6-2 loss to Lightning

Kings&#39; offense and Kuemper step up against Capitals for first win of season

Ducks can&#39;t overcome another slow start, handed 4th straight loss

Ducks fall 5-2 to Rangers to start four-game trip

2026 NHL Draft prospects that would fit the Golden Knights

2027 Stanley Cup Odds: Colorado, Vegas, and Edmonton Lead Pack

Conn Smythe Market Prices: Mitch Marner Heads to the Top

Stanley Cup Showdown: Vegas vs. Carolina for the Title

TST Best Bets: October 20, 2026

TST Best Bets: October 19, 2026

Chromiak’s game-winning goal leads Reign to first home win of the season

TST Images: Lightning defeat Golden Knights, 6-2, at T-Mobile Arena

Tkachuk Brothers Make NHL History on Wild Hockey Night

Edmonton Oilers Struggle Defensively, Lose to Canucks

2026-27 NHL Season Begins: Key Teams and Betting Tips

Carolina Hurricanes Owner's Controversial Stanley Cup Move

Angels decline Kurt Suzuki’s managerial option

TST Best Bets: October 16, 2026

Dodgers&#39; historic three-peat dream is over, ending a golden era in Los Angeles

Miguel Rojas announces retirement after Brewers sweep Dodgers in NLCS

Potential Brewers vs. Rays World Series Odds & Predictions

Brewers replace Dodgers as World Series favorites after taking 2-0 NLCS lead

The Dynamics of a Potential Dodgers vs. Brewers NLCS

MLB Futures Ods: Updated Markets After Wildcard Rounds

Dodgers vs. Brewers Pitching Props: Snell vs. Gasser

TST Best Bets: October 14, 2026

Brewers vs Padres: Insights on May vs. Pivetta Matchup

Debating Red Sox Potential Strategy: To Walk Ben Rice or Not?

Yankees Leadership Blasted as Championship Standard Fades

How the Rays Emerged as a True Contender This Season

Dewayne Staats Discusses Rays Ahead of Thrilling World Series

Rays vs. Brewers: An Old-School World Series Showdown

Lakers vs. Warriors: What to watch on opening night

Walker Kessler ready to embrace Lakers’ expectations ahead of opener

Lakers part ways with Dalton Knecht ahead of season opener

CBS Sports Preseason 2027 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: First Round Picks 1-30

NBA Futures: Predictions for Top Teams and Players This Season

Spurs Lead in Western Conference Odds Over OKC & Denver

Celtics vs. Heat: Best Betting Value to Win NBA East

NBA Futures Analysis: OKC, Spurs, & Knicks Betting Odds Breakdown

TST Best Bets: October 21, 2026

TST Images: Lakers defeat Warriors, 127-105, in Los Angeles

TST Images: Clippers defeat Kings, 121-96, at Intuit Dome

Can Damian Lillard Help Ja Morant Unlock Portland's Potential?

NBA Season Opens With Knicks & Thunder in Early Focus

Suns vs. Trail Blazers: New-Look Backcourts Clash in Opener

Phoenix Suns Season Outlook: Booker, Bridges & More

Thunder-Spurs Rivalry Is Must-Watch NBA Television

UCLA women&#39;s basketball hires former WNBA coach Noelle Quinn

Nick Lautar

#89 · OSU · TE

HT/WT

6’5”, 242 lbs

Birthplace

Lebanon, OH, USA

Class

Freshman

Nick Lautar STATS

LATEST Nick Lautar NEWS

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