Where the media picked Michigan football to finish in the Big Ten in 2022 preseason poll
For the 12th-straight year, Cleveland.com organized a Big Ten football media preseason poll, which predicts the finish for each team in the league. Coming off a 12-win campaign in 2021, Michigan Wolverines football is looking to repeat as Big Ten champions for the first time since 2004, but the conference’s scribes don’t believe it’ll do so this fall.
All 36 media members who participated were asked to vote one through seven in both divisions, with first-place votes worth seven points, second-place votes worth six, third-place votes worth five, etc.
Ohio State checked in as the unanimous pick to win the Big Ten this season with 252 points. The Buckeyes are the first unanimous selection since the media picked them to win the conference in 2015. That year, Michigan State wound up taking the crown.
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Michigan (203 points) stood second in the East Division just behind the Buckeyes, followed by Penn State (169), Michigan State (162), Maryland (103), Rutgers (60) and Indiana (58), in order.
Wisconsin received 31 of the 36 votes to finish first in the West Division. Iowa notched three first-place ballots, and Minnesota registered three. The order of finish in the West was (in order): Wisconsin (246 points), Iowa (198), Minnesota (162), Purdue (153), Nebraska (123), Illinois (65) and Northwestern (61).
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There were only three scenarios that the media picked for the Big Ten title game, which will be held Dec. 3 in Indianapolis — Ohio State over Wisconsin (31 votes), Ohio State over Iowa (three) and Ohio State over Minnesota.
It’s important to note that while the poll gives the general public a snapshot of where the league stands heading into a given season, it hasn’t always been accurate. In fact, the media has picked the winner of the conference just three out of the last 11 seasons. Last year, Michigan was predicted to finish fourth in its own division, behind Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana. The Wolverines beat all three teams en route to the title and eventually the College Football Playoff.
Michigan’s road to the Big Ten title will be tough, highlighted by a road game at Ohio State to conclude the regular season, but its crossover games could’ve been much more difficult. U-M hasn’t won in Iowa City since 2005, so beating the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium will be a big challenge, but its other two crossover contests are against Nebraska and Illinois, the fifth- and sixth-ranked teams in their division, respectively.
The West in particular is viewed as wide open heading into this season. Every team in that division received at least one vote to finish as high as third.
2022 Big Ten media poll: Full results
WEST DIVISION
1. Wisconsin (31 first-place votes) 246 points
2. Iowa (3) 198
3. Minnesota (2) 162
4. Purdue 153
5. Nebraska 123
6. Illinois 65
7. Northwestern 61
EAST DIVISION
1. Ohio State (36) 252
2. Michigan 203
3. Penn State 169
4. Michigan State 162
5. Maryland 104
6. Rutgers 60
7. Indiana 58
