There is a consensus favorite in the Big Ten and it isn’t Michigan State.
The Spartans under first-year coach Mel Tucker have been picked to finish fifth in the East Division by Big Ten Media. Cleveland.com has been running the unofficial Big Ten preseason media polling for the last ten years.
Ohio State received 33 of 34 first-place votes in the division. Penn State got the other and finished in second. The Nittany Lions were followed by Michigan, Indiana, MSU, Maryland, and Rutgers.
Out west Wisconsin and Minnesota came close to an even split in first-place votes, but the Badgers took the top spot with 19 selections. Minnesota got 14 first-place picks to finish second. They were followed by Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, Northwestern (who got a first-place vote), and Illinois.
Ohio State was predicted to win the league in all but one scenario which had Penn State winning the league.
Ohio State’s Justin Fields was picked as the player of the year on offense and Penn State’s Micah Parsons took home that honor on defense.
