Where is Penn State in the cleveland.com Big Ten preseason poll?
Penn State is among the top teams in the Big Ten and country in various media and data-driven top 25 rankings. Now, we know where it is in the league’s unofficial preseason poll. Cleveland.com published its 14th annual media-driven conference rankings on Monday, a day before the Big Ten starts a three-day media days event in Indianapolis on Tuesday. Head coach James Franklin’s team checked in at No. 3. It sits behind No. 1 Ohio State, which received 21 of 26 first place votes, and conference newcomer Oregon, which received sixth and sits second. Michigan and Iowa round out the top five. Eighteen of the voters also predicted that the Nittany Lions would make the College Football Playoff. It, like the Big Ten, has expanded to feature more teams this year.
“You could even make the argument now that maybe two losses doesn’t end the season,” Franklin told BWI earlier this year. “And I think that’s a big thing that commissioners have been talking about a lot is, when you talk about the strength of the SEC and the Big Ten, that’s where I think there’s a lot of conversations about the SEC and the Big Ten.
“I know there’s been a lot of conversations about how many teams the SEC and the Big Ten get in. Well, if we’re going to play these types of schedules, a two or three-loss Big Ten or SEC team should be and is, should be rewarded for playing this type of schedule. You can’t have it both ways.”
More Big Ten news is coming
The Big Ten Conference will release a player watch list on Tuesday. Penn State candidates to make it include edge rusher Abdul Carter and safety Kevin Winston Jr. The Nittany Lions will take center stage at media days on Wednesday. Franklin will head to the podium for a televised speech and question and answer session on Big Ten Network at 12:45 p.m. ET. He and player representatives redshirt senior+ defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas (former Dvon Ellies), senior safety Jaylen Reed, and senior tight end Tyler Warren will then speak with reporters at roundtables in the afternoon. A full schedule of events has not yet been released as of 11 a.m. ET on Monday.
Order the Penn State preview magazine from Blue-White Illustrated today!
This is a must-have for every Nittany Lion fan! With over 110 action-packed pages, you won’t want to miss out on everything it has to offer. This year’s edition has special features you won’t find anywhere else, including:
- A season preview breaking down Penn State’s best players and position groups, freshmen most likely to play, and more
- A detailed position-by-position look at PSU’s roster with player bios
- Coach Interviews with James Franklin, Tom Allen, Andy Kotelnicki and Justin Lustig
- A final evaluation of the departing recruiting class
- The latest on the recruiting trail
- Opponent previews for each team on the 2024 schedule
Link to order: https://bit.ly/BW-Preview
REMINDER – This special edition is INCLUDED with a regular subscription to Blue White Illustrated’s magazine. That is different from a subscription to the website. You only need to order if you want an additional copy — makes a great preseason gift!
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