1. Dan Lanning is arguably the league's best coach
Besides having a great defense and an elite quarterback, the best teams in the country need to have top-tier head coaches and staffs surrounding them and Oregon has just that with Dan Lanning.
The former Georgia assistant came to Eugene to replace Mario Cristobal ahead of the 2022 season and it turns out that he was probably the best hire during that cycle. He has improved the roster and the culture at Oregon in a short period of time and the Ducks are no longer a regional power (like they were under Cristobal) and have rather become a national contender.
Lanning is arguably the best coach in the conference and it's his first year as part of the Big Ten. Is that a hot take? Maybe, but I believe it to be true, especially with Ryan Day failing to beat Michigan since 2019.
Day is a really good coach and his record at Ohio State speaks for itself, but he hasn't been able to overcome the Michigan hurdle in years and the Buckeyes haven't won a Big Ten title since 2020.
James Franklin has a case, but his inconsistencies hold him back. Kirk Ferentz also has a case, but 8-4 or 9-3 seasons aren't going to make you the league's top coach. Lincoln Riley is great on paper, but he's struggled a bit at USC. Luke Fickell is also a really solid choice but he has to prove himself at Wisconsin before he can take this title.
In two years, Lanning is 22-5 at Oregon with a Fiesta Bowl win and if it weren't for his slip-ups against Washington, I think he would be the clear No. 1 coach in the Big Ten for 2024.
Lanning will coach circles around people this season.