Brandon Walker says the Big Ten stinks in 2026

Walker went into Week 10 with a full board of hot takes on the Brandon Walker College Football Show, and the loudest one went straight at the conference Dave Portnoy won't stop defending.

Brandon Walker

@BFW

It’s time to tell the truth about the Big 10 in 2026: It stinks.

That's the take, and it's a bold one, not a stat sheet. Walker has spent years as the SEC guy in a building full of Big Ten people, and he knows exactly who he's poking. A few minutes later he raised the stakes with a dare that also takes away the Big Ten crowd's favorite comeback.

Brandon Walker

@BFW

Somebody give me a case that the Big Ten doesn’t stink without using the word SEC.

Walker isn't the only Barstool voice who has questioned the Big Ten lately. On Wake Up Barstool on October 16, T-Bob argued that giant conferences with uneven scheduling can make a team look better than it is, and he pointed at a Big Ten program specifically.

Wake Up Barstool

@wakeupbarstool

“Even though Indiana was great two years ago, maybe a little bit of artificial inflation based on a real easy Big Ten schedule.” – T-Bob

0:44

The second big take had more to do with real news. Florida State fired Mike Norvell on November 1, in his 7th season, the day after a 36-24 home loss to Clemson. Per CBS Sports, the buyout is about $48.6 million, one of the largest in college football history. Walker already has his pick for the replacement.

Barstool Sports

@barstoolsports

“Florida State will hire James Franklin as its next head Seminole in Tallahassee” -Brandon Walker

Treat it as a prediction, not a report. Nobody has said Franklin is leaving Blacksburg. But you can see why Walker likes it: Penn State fired Franklin in 2025 and agreed to cut his $49 million buyout to $9 million as he was heading to Virginia Tech. Now he'd be the one leaving a brand-new job for a bigger one, and that's a strange spot to be in.

Walker hasn't been shy about the Big Ten on the Yak either. On October 15 he said the conference was leading the charge for a bigger playoff. If the Big Ten really is down this year, more playoff spots are a nice thing to be pushing for.

Barstool Yak

@BarstoolYak

“I think that 24 is what the SEC and Big Ten have wanted all along.” – Brandon Walker

0:36

What to watch: whether any Big Ten fan answers Walker's dare without saying SEC, and whether Florida State's search gets anywhere near Blacksburg. If Franklin ends up in Tallahassee, Walker gets a victory lap. If not, he can call it what it was, Bold Take Monday.