The start of the 2024 college football season is just around the corner and in preparation for kickoff, ESPN has released its preseason power rankings for the Big Ten Conference.

As we’ve discussed before, this is the first season since the conference expanded to 18 teams. This is the first time the league has expanded since the 2014 season, when the Big Ten added Rutgers and Maryland to its ranks.

The Cornhuskers joined the conference on July 1, 2011, when the Big Ten unanimously approved Nebraska’s application for membership. Then-athletic director Tom Osborne cited uncertainty about the future of the Big 12 as the reason for the move.

“There was a lot of uncertainty in the Big 12. We thought this was a stable league and that it would be around for a long time.”

Nebraska will open the 2024 college football season on Saturday, August 31, when the Huskers host the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Fox.

ESPN’s Big Ten power rankings are below.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

17. Michigan State Spartans

16. Indiana Hoosiers

15. UCLA Bruins

14. Northwestern Wildcats

13. Illinois fights against Illini

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers

10. Washington Huskies

For more Rutgers news, analysis and opinion, visit RutgersWire

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

7. Wisconsin Badgers

For more news, analysis and opinion on Wisconsin, visit Badger wire

6. USC Trojan

For more USC news, analysis and opinion, visit Trojan Wire

5. Iowa Hawkeyes

For more news, analysis and opinion on Iowa, visit Hawkeyes Wire

For more news, analysis and opinion on Michigan, visit Wolverines Wire

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

For more news, analysis and opinion on Penn State, visit Nittany Lions Wire

2. Oregon Ducks

For more news, analysis and opinion on Oregon, visit Duck wire

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

For more news, analysis and opinions on Ohio State, visit Buckeyes Wire

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Where does Nebraska stand in ESPN’s preseason Big Ten power rankings?