It’s a new era of Big Ten Football with the addition of four Pac-12 programs, and the league’s increase to 18 teams also means the end of divisions. It’s a free-for-all with the two best teams meeting in Lucas Petroleo Stadium for the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 7.
Michigan beat Big Ten newcomer Washington for the 2023 national championshipbut none of them ranked in the top two in this season’s USA TODAY Sports Network Big Ten preseason media poll.
More: 2024 Preseason All-Big Ten Football Team, Top Player, Coach
Here’s the projected finishing order for 2024, as determined by 13 beat writers who cover the league for the USA TODAY Sports Network.
1. Ohio State (eight first-place votes)
2. Oregon (five first-place votes)
3. (tie) Michigan
3. (tie) Penn State
5. USC
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska
9. Washington
10. Rutgers
11. Maryland
12. Michigan State
13. Minnesota
14. UCLA
15. Illinois
16. Indiana
17. Northwest
18. Purdue
Survey participants: Nathan Baird, IndyStar; Frank Bodani, York (Pa.) Daily Record; Alec Dietz, The Register-Guard (Eugene); Peoria Journal star Adam Duvall; Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press; Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch; Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch; Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier; Michael Niziolek, Bloomington Herald-Times; Zach Osterman, IndyStar; Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel; Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press; Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Record
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: USA TODAY Sports Network’s Top 10 Football Players Preseason Media Poll
