Big Ten football media poll released with new and old toward the top and Gophers lower

Big Ten football power Ohio State will rule the conference, newcomer Oregon will push the Buckeyes for the title and defending national champion Michigan will take a step back in 2024, according to results of the Cleveland.com poll of media members who cover the conference.

The Gophers, meanwhile, were picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten, which will have 18 teams for the first time this season with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

Ohio State, which has finished runner-up to Michigan the past three years, is the clear favorite to return to the top. The Buckeyes received 21 of 27 first-place votes, outdistancing Oregon, which garnered the other six first-place votes. Penn State is picked to finish third, with Michigan and Iowa rounding out the top five.

The poll also asked media members to predict how many Big Ten teams will make the 12-team College Football Playoff. The most popular answer was three, with 16 votes, while four received nine votes. Ohio State was included on every ballot, while Oregon made it on all but one. Other teams getting playoff support were Penn State (18), Michigan (15) and Iowa (three).

Cleveland.com Big Ten preseason football poll

1. Ohio State (21 first-place votes), 480 points

2. Oregon (six), 448

3. Penn State, 418

4. Michigan, 411

5. Iowa, 363

6. USC, 346

7. Wisconsin, 313

8. Nebraska, 293

9. Rutgers, 249

10. Washington, 236

11. Maryland, 185

12. Gophers, 183

13. Illinois, 145

14. Northwestern, 138

15. UCLA, 124

16. Michigan State, 119

17. Indiana, 76

18. Purdue, 65