Gophers football picked third in Big Ten West in media poll

Wisconsin edged Iowa as the pick to win the West in the annual cleveland.com poll.

July 25, 2023 at 2:26PM
FILE - Michigan running back Blake Corum (2) is chased by Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman during the second half of an NCAA college football game Nov. 27, 2021, in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Ohio State defense that was shredded by backs Hassan Haskins and Corum for 256 yards last year is vastly improved under new coordinator Jim Knowles. But Corum is better than ever in 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
Michigan running back Blake Corum, left, has helped the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes for two consecutive seasons. (Carlos Osorio, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Two-time defending champion Michigan is the pick to win the Big Ten football championship again over Ohio State — by a substantial voting margin — according to a Cleveland.com poll of media members who cover the conference. Wisconsin is favored to win the Big Ten's West Division, edging Iowa by one vote. The Gophers are picked to finish third in the West in the poll released Tuesday.

Michigan, which has defeated Ohio State the past two years to claim the East title, received 27 of 37 first-place votes and 248 points, while the Buckeyes had eight first-place votes and 226 points. Last year, both teams reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, with Ohio State falling 42-41 to eventual champion Georgia and the Wolverines dropping a 51-45 decision to TCU.

Penn State was third in the East, receiving the other two first-place votes and 192 points. Maryland (143), Michigan State (105), Rutgers (74) and Indiana (48) rounded out the East.

In the West, Wisconsin received 20 first-place votes and 233 points to edge Iowa, which had 16 first-place votes and 232 points. The Gophers received the remaining first-place vote and had 176 points. Rounding out the West were Illinois (152), Nebraska (116), Purdue (89) and Northwestern (38).

Fifteen media voters predicted Michigan to beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, followed by Michigan over Iowa (11 votes), Ohio State over Iowa and Ohio State over Wisconsin (four votes each), Michigan over the Gophers, Penn State over Iowa and Penn State over Wisconsin (one vote each).

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was named preseason offensive player of the year in the Cleveland.com poll, with the Michigan duo of running back Blake Corum and quarterback J.J. McCarthy finishing second and third. Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean was named preseason defensive player of the year, edging Illinois lineman Jer'Zhan Newton.

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about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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