Where Michigan football stands in preseason Big Ten media poll
It’s a new day for the Big Ten, not only in that there are now 18 teams, but also that Michigan Wolverines football is predicted by the ‘Kings of the North’ preseason media poll to finish fourth in the conference despite winning it the last three seasons.
Ohio State was picked to win the conference, while Oregon and Penn State stand Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, ahead of the Wolverines, who won the national championship last year. Michigan is ahead of Iowa, USC, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Rutgers, the other teams predicted to finish in the top half of the new-look Big Ten.
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The poll, which surveyed 33 media members across the conference, was put on by Doug Lesmerises, who previously worked for Cleveland.com. The Cleveland.com media poll served as the unofficial preseason projection for the Big Ten over the previous 13 seasons (since 2011). It correctly picked the Big Ten champion four times from 2011-23, including last season when Michigan was the consensus choice, receiving 27 of a possible 37 first-place votes.
This year, though, Michigan didn’t receive a single first-place vote, with only one media member predicting that the Maize and Blue will make it back to Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game (losing to Ohio State). Twenty four voters had Ohio State over Oregon, six had Oregon over Ohio State and two had Ohio State over Penn State.
Michigan will take on Oregon (Nov. 2) and Ohio State (Nov. 30) but will not play Penn State, which avoids both the Wolverines and the Ducks on its conference schedule.
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Voters were also asked to project which Big Ten teams will make the 12-team College Football Playoff. Ohio State and Oregon received votes from all 33 media members, while 21 have Penn State in the field and 17 said Michigan will make its fourth-straight CFP appearance.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named the preseason offensive player of the year, while Michigan junior cornerback Will Johnson is the defensive player of the year. U-M junior defensive tackle Mason Graham received the third-most voting points to tie in third in the race for preseason defensive player of the year.
Preseason Big Ten media poll
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Penn State
4. Michigan
5. Iowa
6. USC
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska
9. Rutgers
10. Washington
11. Maryland
12. Minnesota
13. UCLA
14. Illinois
15. Michigan State
16. Northwestern
17. Indiana
18. Purdue
