Polling place: Preseason picks for Big Ten football
The Big Ten football season won't kick off until Aug. 31 when Nebraska plays at Minnesota in the first game for conference teams in the 2023 season. The 14 teams, though, will be well-represented at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday for Big Ten Media Days. Before they get in front of microphones and reporters, N-G Sports Editor MATT DANIELS weighs in on the preseason poll released Tuesday by cleveland.com, featuring insight from 37 voters who cover the league:
THE RACE FOR FIRST
The predicted order of finish, with first-place votes in parentheses:
BIG TEN EAST
RK., TEAM POINTS
1. Michigan (27) 248
2. Ohio State (8) 226
3. Penn State (2) 192
4. Maryland 143
5. Michigan State 105
6. Rutgers 74
7. Indiana 48
BIG TEN WEST
RK., TEAM POINTS
1. Wisconsin (20) 233
2. Iowa (16) 232
3. Minnesota (1) 176
4. Illinois 152
5. Nebraska 116
6. Purdue 89
7. Northwestern 38
Championship aspirations: Michigan is the overwhelming favorite to win a second straight Big Ten title, with the Wolverines receiving the most first-place votes from the 37 writers who covered the league who took part in the poll. The potential Big Ten title game most often chosen by the voters was Michigan beating Wisconsin receiving 15 votes, followed by Michigan beating Iowa receiving 11 votes. Illinois, which was so close last season to reaching its first Big Ten title game in Indianapolis, didn’t receive a vote at all of reaching Lucas Oil Stadium this season. Bret Bielema’s team didn’t even receive one first-place vote, either, despite the Illini beating the top three predicted teams in the Big Ten West — preseason favorite Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota — last season. And the third-year Illini coach who won three Big Ten titles at Wisconsin took notice of the poll by tweeting out his response on Tuesday morning. “It’s not where we are in July that matters,” Bielema wrote, followed by two shrugging emojis. “1-0 weekly focus can take you places you have never been.”
DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE!
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RK. PLAYER POS. TEAM POINTS
1. Cooper DeJean DB Iowa 42
2. Johnny Newton DT Illinois 41
3. Tommy Eichenberg LB Ohio State 29
4. J.T. Tuimoloau DE Ohio State 28
5. Kalen King DB Penn State 22
6. Abdul Carter LB Penn State 20
7. Chop Robinson DE Penn State 13
8. Denzel Burke CB Ohio State 7
T-9. Junior Colson LB Michigan 5
Will Johnson CB Michigan 5
11. Mike Hall DT Ohio State 3
T-12. Cal Haladay LB Michigan State 2
Jack Sawyer DE Ohio State 2
T-14. Maema Njongmeta LB Wisconsin 1
Tyler Nubin DB Minnesota 1
Nick Scourton LB Purdue 1
Just missing out: The guy who edged Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton for this preseason honor? Cooper DeJean had a breakout 2022 season at Iowa, with the 6-foot-1, 207-pound defensive back recording 75 tackles, making five interceptions, deflecting 13 passes and scoring three touchdowns. Newton is the No. 1 returning defensive tackle in the country, according to Pro Football Focus, and finished with 14 tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks last season. If Newton replicates those feats this season, this honor is his to lose come December.
PRODUCING HIGHLIGHTS
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RK. PLAYER POS. TEAM POINTS
1. Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio State 94
2. Blake Corum RB Michigan 56
3. J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan 27
4. Braelon Allen RB Wisconsin 21
T-5. Nick Singleton RB Penn State 6
Taulia Tagovailoa QB Maryland 6
7. Kyle McCord QB Ohio State 5
T-8. Olu Fashanu OT Penn State 2
TreVeyon Henderson RB Ohio State 2
Donovan Edwards RB Michigan 2
11. Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio State 1
They’ve got skill: No Illini on this list, and it’s not really a surprise. Isaiah Williams is likely the only one who could have garnered some votes after the Illinois wide receiver caught 82 passes for 715 yards and five touchdowns. But that pales in comparison to what preseason Offensive Player of the Year Marvin Harrison Jr. put up last season with the Buckeyes when hauled in 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns for a College Football Playoff semifinalist. Ohio State working in a new quarterback this season — Kyle McCord is the favorite to replace current Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud — but the Buckeyes should still produce plenty of touchdowns. Blake Corum is the Big Ten’s leading returning rusher, but watch out for what Braelon Allen can accomplish with Luke Fickell now in charge at Wisconsin.
