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Inside Nebraska's predictions in the 'officially unofficial' 2025 Preseason Big Ten Poll

DSC07818by: Zack Carpenter07/24/25Zack_Carp
Big Ten Media Days

Perhaps a little later than usual – by a day or two – but here it is: What is delightfully dubbed the “officially unofficial” Preseason Big Ten Poll.

Conducted annually by Doug Lesmerises of the Kings of the North College Football show – which covers Northern college football, focusing on 28 Northern power conference teams – this poll is the longest-running annual preseason poll administered in Big Ten media.

This year’s version had 54 total voters, featuring 20 national voters, two beat writers from most schools and at least one beat writer from every school in the 18-team conference.

Below is the consensus vote by media members, plus how Inside Nebraska publisher Zack Carpenter voted in the poll.

Note: Individual ballots are not made public. It is up to the discretion of each voter whether or not to reveal their ballot.

Consensus Preseason Big Ten Predictions

Big Ten Predicted Order of Finish:

  1. Penn State (35 first-place votes)
  2. Ohio State (18)
  3. Oregon (1)
  4. Illinois
  5. Michigan
  6. Indiana
  7. USC
  8. Nebraska
  9. Iowa 
  10. Washington
  11. Minnesota
  12. Wisconsin
  13. Michigan State
  14. UCLA
  15. Rutgers
  16. Maryland
  17. Northwestern
  18. Purdue

Predicted championship game winner:

Penn State: 30

Ohio State: 22

Oregon: 2

Predicted Big Ten championship game matchups:

Penn State over Ohio State: 23

Ohio State over Penn State: 20

Penn State over Oregon: 4

Penn State over Illinois: 2

Penn State over Michigan: 1

Ohio State over Oregon: 1

Ohio State over Michigan: 1

Oregon over Penn State: 1

Oregon over Ohio State: 1

How many Big Ten teams will make the playoff?

4 – 65%

3 – 35%

5 – or more 0%

2 – or fewer 0%

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year voting:

50 voters (4 from team ranking didn’t vote) 

3 points for first-place vote, 2 points for second, 1 point for third. 

1 – Caleb Downs (43 first-place votes), 140 points

2 – Dani Dennis-Sutton (2), 34

3 – Matayo Uiagalelei (2), 31

4 – Dillon Thieneman, 22

5 – Mikail Kamara (1), 20

6 – Koi Perich (1), 16

7 – Gabe Jacas, 7

T8 – Xavier Scott (1), 6

T8 – Zane Durant, 6

10 – Jaishawn Barham, 4

11 – Derrick Moore, 3

T12 – Bryce Boettcher, 2

T12 – Sonny Styles, 2

T12 – Aiden Fisher, 2

T12 – D’Angelo Ponds, 2

T16 – Rayshaun Benny, 1

T16 – Ernest Hausmann, 1

T16 – Kamari Ramsey, 1

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year voting:

50 voters, (4 from team rankings didn’t vote)

3 points for first-place vote, 2 points for second, 1 point for third. 

1– Jeremiah Smith (39 first-place votes), 137 points

2 – Drew Allar (10), 77

3 – Nick Singleton (1), 40

4 – Makhi Hughes, 14

5 – Fernando Mendoza, 7

6 – Luke Altmyer, 5

7 – Julian Sayin, 4

T8 – Elijah Sarratt, 3

T8 – Darius Taylor, 3

T10 – Ja’Kobi Lane, 2

T10 – Jonah Coleman, 2

T10 – Trebor Pena, 2

T13 – Dylan Raiola, 1

T13 – Nico Iamaleava, 1

T13 – Denzel Boston, 1

T13 – Demond Williams Jr. 1

Inside Nebraska Preseason Big Ten Predictions

Predictions from Inside Nebraska publisher Zack Carpenter:

Big Ten Predicted Order of Finish:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Penn State
  3. Oregon
  4. Illinois
  5. Nebraska
  6. Indiana
  7. Michigan
  8. USC
  9. Iowa
  10. Minnesota
  11. Wisconsin
  12. Michigan State
  13. UCLA
  14. Northwestern
  15. Maryland
  16. Rutgers
  17. Washington
  18. Purdue

Predicted championship game winner:

Ohio State over Penn State

How many Big Ten teams will make the College Football Playoff?

3

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year:

  1. Matayo Uiagalelei
  2. Dani Dennis-Sutton
  3. Gabe Jacas

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year:

  1. Drew Allar
  2. Jeremiah Smith
  3. Dylan Raiola