Big Ten Preseason Poll Crowns College Football Powerhouse as No. 1 Team

It's a three-team race for the Big Ten crown, according to this latest preseason college football poll, but one program still sticks out from the pack.

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It looks like a three team race for the Big Ten championship, according to the annual preseason poll released by the media heading into the 2026 kickoff.

On a three year run winning the national championship in college football, the Big Ten is making a good argument that it has surpassed the SEC as the best conference in the country, and a few schools are in position to make that case even stronger.

While the Big Ten no longer issues its own preseason media football rankings, the folks at Cleveland.com still collect a vote from reporters, giving fans an early look at where things stack up across the conference before anyone steps on the field.

It’s a 3-team race in the Big Ten

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Looking over the media vote, just three teams came away with votes to finish the season as the conference champion, and it looks like a close call.

Ohio State emerged as this year’s trendy pick, but by a narrow margin, collecting 15 of the 31 total first-place votes from the preseason pollsters.

In a close second position is Oregon, checking in with 11 of those votes, while reigning Big Ten and national champion Indiana earned five endorsements to make it a second-straight title in Indy.

Why each team can win the Big Ten

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Ohio State? They still have the best wide receiver in college football in Jeremiah Smith, in tandem with Heisman finalist quarterback Julian Sayin, all working alongside a solid backfield and another elite group of blockers. But they play a harder schedule and have important replacements to make on defense.

Oregon? It seems like the Ducks’ “turn” after Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana won national titles, and Dan Lanning’s outfit returns quarterback Dante Moore, a tremendous defense, and what might be college football’s best overall receiving corps.

Indiana? Curt Cignetti wowed the world with his two-year run, and while his Hoosiers lost some key contributors from last season’s 16-0 team of destiny, they also brought enough back, and added veteran quarterback Josh Hoover in the transfer portal.

Who else can make a run?

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What has USC done in the Lincoln Riley era to deserve Big Ten title consideration? Not much, to be honest, not with the caliber of defense the Trojans have played the last few seasons, but Gary Patterson could have the key to turn that unit around while Jayden Maiava leads another potent offense.

Kyle Whittingham is coming off a two-decade run at Utah where he coached some of the nation’s most physical defenses, and now at Michigan has the tools to create another powerful unit, in tandem with No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood starting his second season at quarterback.

Don’t overlook Penn State under the new Matt Campbell regime, either, with a bevy of talented incoming transfers led by quarterback Rocco Becht, tight end Ben Brahmer, tailback Carson Hansen, and linebacker Caleb Bacon, among others.

Big Ten preseason media football rankings

1. Ohio State (540 points)
2. Oregon (527)
3. Indiana (509)
4. USC (446)
5. Michigan (430)
6. Penn State (380)
7. Washington (366)
8. Iowa (361)
9. Illinois (304)
10. Minnesota (268)
11. Nebraska (246)
12. Wisconsin (207)
13. UCLA (199)
14. Northwestern (140)
15. Maryland (137)
16. Michigan State (99)
17. Rutgers (97)
18. Purdue (45)

(cleveland.com)