Oregon quarterback Dante Moore tops Heisman hot list as Big Ten preview spotlights Indiana's perfect 2025 season

The 2026 college football season is shaping up with Indiana poised to defend its historic 2025 run, the program’s first undefeated campaign (16‑0) that delivered a Big Ten title, a national championship and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, who was also taken No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. Analysts give Ohio State odds of +185 to win the Big Ten, with Indiana at +260, Oregon at +275, and other conference members listed at longer prices.

Oregon’s senior quarterback Dante Moore has surged to the forefront of the Heisman conversation. Phil Steele’s preseason list ranks Moore at No. 2 behind Texas’ Arch Manning. In 2025 Moore threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and ten interceptions, guiding the Ducks to a 13‑2 record and a College Football Playoff appearance, while earning first‑team All‑Big Ten honors and finalist nods for the Davey O’Brien and Manning awards. The program amplified his profile with a global marketing push in Tokyo, featuring digital billboards across Shinjuku and Shibuya, underscoring what the school hopes will be Oregon’s first Heisman win since Marcus Mariota in 2014.