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Where Michigan football stands in 2025 preseason Big Ten media poll

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie07/21/25CSayf23
Michigan HC Sherrone Moore
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan Wolverines football was picked as the No. 5 team in the Big Ten in Cleveland.com’s annual preseason media poll, after finishing tied seventh out of 18 teams a season ago.

Twenty-five voters were featured in this year’s poll. The Cleveland.com poll has served as the Big Ten’s unofficial media poll over the last 14 seasons (since 2011). It correctly picked the Big Ten champion four times from 2021-24. The last time it had the champ right was in 2023, when Michigan beat Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, finished 15-0 and was crowned national champions.

Penn State — which hasn’t won the conference since 2016 — was picked to win the Big Ten, after making a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal last year. Of the 25 voters, 11 selected the Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten.

Ohio State, last year’s favorite, finished fourth in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have come in second in this year’s media poll, with 10 first-place votes — only 1 shy of Penn State. Oregon (2 first-place votes) and Illinois (0) stand third and fourth in the poll.

Michigan received one first-place vote and is one of four teams with at least one, joining Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon. The Wolverines’ average rank was 5.16.

Michigan plays Ohio State Nov. 29 to cap off the regular season but avoids taking on Penn State, Oregon and Illinois — three of the four teams ranked ahead of the Maize and Blue. The Wolverines also won’t see No. 6 Indiana or No. 7 Iowa in the regular season.

Cleveland.com also polled voters on how many Big Ten teams would make the College Football Playoff.

“Every ballot featured Ohio State making it, while all but one featured Oregon,” Stephen Means wrote. “Illinois and Michigan were both featured on nine ballots and one featured Indiana.”

Cleveland.com preseason media poll

RankTeam (1st place)PointsAverage Rank
No. 1Penn State (11)4351.60
No. 2Ohio State (10)4311.76
No. 3Oregon (2)4052.80
No. 4Illinois3534.88
No. 5Michigan (1)3465.16
No. 6Indiana3056.80
No. 7Iowa2877.52
No. 8Nebraska2777.92
No. 9USC2698.24
No. 10Washington21610.36
No. 11Minnesota19211.32
No. 12Wisconsin15912.60
No. 13Michigan State13513.60
No. 13Rutgers13513.60
No. 15UCLA13413.64
No. 16Maryland9115.36
No. 17Northwestern6516.40
No. 18Purdue3917.44

***Poll courtesy of Cleveland.com***

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