Big Ten Preseason Poll: Nebraska Picked in the Middle; Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon Favorites

Expectations for the Nebraska Cornhuskers are smack dab in the middle of the Big Ten Conference.

The 15th annual Cleveland.com preseason Big Ten football media poll has the Huskers picked No. 8 in the league. Just ahead of the Big Red are Michigan (5), Indiana (6) and Iowa (7).

Penn State is the narrow preseason favorite, garnering 11 of the 25 first-place votes. Ohio State is second after picking up 10 first-place votes. Oregon is third with a pair of first-place votes. Illinois rounds out the top four.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The full preseason ranking is below.

Penn State (11)
Ohio State (10)
Oregon (2)
Illinois
Michigan (1)
Indiana
Iowa
Nebraska
USC
Washington
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Rutgers
UCLA
Maryland
Northwestern
Purdue

Penn State is the fifth different team to be picked as the Big Ten favorite since the poll began, joining Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Ohio State. This is the first time the Buckeyes or Wolverines are not the preseason favorite since 2014.

Cleveland.com also announced preseason honors for coach, defensive player and offensive player of the year.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State's James Franklin edged out Illinois' Bret Bielema by a single vote for preseason Big Ten Coach of the Year. Ohio State's Ryan Day, Michigan's Sherrone Moore, and Oregon's Dan Lanning also received votes.

Ohio State's Caleb Downs is the preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He received 21 of the 25 first-place votes, running away with the poll. Other players to earn first-place votes include Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara, Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

Ohio State made it a sweep of the player awards with Jeremiah Smith picked as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Smith was awarded 24 first-place votes, with the only other such vote going to Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith makes a catch. — Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No Huskers received votes for either offensive or defensive player of the year.

Big Ten Media Days kick off this week in Las Vegas. All 18 teams will be featured, beginning Tuesday.

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