Big Ten preseason media football rankings for 2025, and there's a new No. 1 team

There's a new team to beat in the Big Ten as members of the media reveal their preseason football rankings ahead of 2025 Media Days.

Where things stand in the new Big Ten preseason media football rankings for 2025 ahead of Media Days. | Ron Chenoy | Imagn

Another key moment on the preseason calendar has arrived, as fans get their first glimpse of a somewhat more professional version of the Big Ten football power rankings ahead of the conference’s 2025 Media Days event in Las Vegas.

Cleveland.com has unveiled the preseason media poll for the league, giving us a preview for how members of the press predict the Big Ten will finish the 2025 football season.

And it appears there’s a new team to beat in the conference, as the defending national champion Buckeyes do not top these rankings.

Big Ten media preseason football rankings for 2025

First-place votes in parentheses

18. Purdue. The only real consensus across any rankings is that the Boilermakers sit firmly in the Big Ten’s basement, coming off a winless conference season and overseeing an exodus from this roster. Head coach Barry Odom is a promising hire, but he faces a rebuild.

17. Northwestern. Some promise on the offensive side of the ball after acquiring transfer quarterback Preston Stone and retaining lead rusher Cam Porter, but the Wildcats could prove susceptible against the pass in a reworked secondary.

16. Maryland. Another squad due for a rebuild with a new quarterback and needing to redesign a defense that allowed more than 36 points per game last season.

15. UCLA. Nico Iamaleava transferring in from Tennessee is a huge upgrade at quarterback, but second-year coach DeShaun Foster needs to give him more help at the skill positions and along the offensive line to get anything out of him.

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T-13. Rutgers. Continuity at quarterback helps, but the Scarlet Knights lose the star of their ground game and face a much tougher schedule this time out.

T-13. Michigan State. Aidan Chiles is an intriguing piece to build the Spartans’ offense around, a unit that averaged fewer than 20 points last season, but gets two notable transfers at wide receiver to change that.

12. Wisconsin. Luke Fickell is just 13-13 through two years and returns an offense that posted just 23 points per game and a run defense that was 17th in the BIg Ten last season.

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11. Minnesota. Expect the Gophers’ offense to rely a ton on running back Darius Taylor while they sort out the quarterback position, but at least this offensive line returns three of its five starters from a year ago.

10. Washington. Demond Williams is a quarterback to watch after posting over 1,200 all-purpose yards in limited action last year, and he’s aided by returning back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston.

9. USC. Jayden Maiava embraces the QB1 role for good, in tandem with Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane at receiver, but the Trojans need much better offensive line play and for D’Anton Lynn’s defense to keep getting better.

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8. Nebraska. It’s usually around the third year at a school that Matt Rhule starts turning things around, and he certainly has the pieces to pull it off with Dylan Raiola back under center after an inconsistent but promising debut, and with Dana Holgorsen calling his plays.

7. Iowa. Mark Gronowski has the arm to make this Hawkeyes offense, which doubled its scoring output a year ago, move a little more, provided he has enough targets after the departure of running back Kaleb Johnson.

6. Indiana. Curt Cignetti’s historic first season saw the Hoosiers make the College Football Playoff, and while there’s some roster turnover to consider, incoming quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a key pickup, and there’s some important continuity on this defense.

5. Michigan (1). We’ll see if Sherrone Moore can get something, anything, out of his passing offense. Bryce Underwood, college football’s top recruit who UM plucked from LSU’s waiting arms, could be the answer.

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4. Illinois. Coming off a 10-win season, the Illini return the bulk of their production, including quarterback Luke Altmyer and edge rusher Gabe Jacas, and play an easier schedule that could put this team in playoff contention if they can handle the pressure.

3. Oregon (2). Dante Moore steps into the quarterback position and the Ducks have another solid rotation of playmakers on both sides of the ball, including a potential difference-maker in transfer tailback Makhi Hughes.

2. Ohio State (10). College football’s defending champions replace both coordinators, their quarterback, two thousand-yard rushers, two elite edge blockers, and two blue-chip edge rushers, but they have arguably the nation’s top wide receiver room and what should be another solid secondary rotation.

1. Penn State (11). If offensive continuity gets you to the playoff, then we should see the Nittany Lions make another deep run, returning their quarterback and two star running backs, but a key question remains whether they can improve their receiver play.

(Cleveland.com)

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