Big Ten Preseason Media Poll Picks Penn State Football to Finish Third in East Division

Penn State football coach James Franklin and Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Photo by Paul Burdick

Penn State football was selected to finish third in the Big Ten East in the Cleveland.com preseason media poll released on Monday. The voting by a panel of 36 media members from across the Big Ten serves as the conference’s unofficial preseason poll.

The Nittany Lions finished with 169 points in the poll behind unanimous No. 1 Ohio State (36 first-place votes, 252 points) and defending Big Ten champion Michigan (203 points) while coming in just ahead of Michigan State (162).

Wisconsin claimed the top spot in the West with 31 first-place votes and 246 points, followed by Iowa and Minnesota.

Ohio State, which garnered all 36 first-place votes in the East, is the odds-on favorite to win the conference for the third preseason poll in a row as the Buckeyes have finished atop the conference in four of the last five years. The Cleveland.com poll has not picked a Big Ten favorite other than Ohio State or Michigan since 2014, when Michigan State took that top spot. Ohio State finished that year as the conference’s best.

Penn State last won the Big Ten in 2016 after being picked to finish fourth in the conference with the Buckeyes once again selected atop the preseason rankings. The Nittany Lions upended Ohio State that year but the Buckeyes would end up being selected for the College Football Playoffs instead of Penn State, eventually falling Clemson 31-0.

Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell was picked by the media as the preseason favorite defensive player of the year. Nittany Lions receiving votes included cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (fifth place), safety Ji’Ayir Brown (sixth place) and defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher (T-11th place).

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was tabbed preseason offensive player of the year. No Penn State player received a vote.

East Division

1. Ohio State (36 first-place votes) 252 points

2. Michigan 203

3. Penn State 169

4. Michigan State 162

5. Maryland 104

6. Rutgers 60

7. Indiana 58

Big Ten West

1. Wisconsin (31) 246

2. Iowa (3) 198