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

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

Bobby Carpenter and Steele Chambers give their All-American hopefuls for this season, including LBs Christian Alliegro, Payton Pierce, and star Devin Sanchez.

Predicting All-American Picks: Impact Players to Watch

LATEST Payton Pierce NEWS

Dave shares Week 8 college football picks: Tennessee, Michigan-Indiana under, Utah-Houston over, and New Mexico to cover at home against North Dakota State.

Week 8 College Football Best Bets and Betting Picks

Utah and Houston meet in a top-15 Big 12 clash. With both offenses poised to score and Houston&#039;s defense vulnerable, the over 56.5 is the best bet tonight.

Utah vs. Houston Preview: Bet the Over in Big 12 Shootout

Ole Miss is backed to cover and win outright against struggling Texas, while the Longhorns&#039; team total over 27.5 offers another betting angle to consider.

Texas vs. Ole Miss Picks: Rebels ATS, Team Total Over

Dan Lanning&#039;s quarterback gamble nearly sank Oregon last week. With Dylan Rayola now starting, Illinois +10 is the pick as Oregon faces a tough road test.

Oregon vs. Illinois Betting Pick: Take the Illini +10

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View the profile of Ohio State Buckeyes LB Payton Pierce on SportsGrid. Get the latest news, stats, player prop picks, related players, and more on SportsGrid.com.

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Payton Pierce is a LB for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAAF.

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Payton Pierce

#26 · OSU · LB

HT/WT

6’1”, 232 lbs

Birthplace

Lucas, TX, USA

Class

Junior

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