Buckeyes picked to finish second in preseason Big Ten media poll
LAS VEGAS — Ohio State is the reigning national champion in college football after winning four games across a month to win the first 12-team College Football Playoff. But the Buckeyes haven’t won the Big Ten since 2020, coming up short every year since then.
Voters from around the Big Ten don’t expect Ohio State to win it this season, either.
Ohio State was picked to finish second in the Big Ten this fall in the preseason poll conducted annually by the folks at Cleveland.com. Penn State is officially the favorite in the Big Ten for the 2025 college football season, receiving 11 first-place votes. The Buckeyes earned 10 first-place votes while third-place Oregon received two votes and fifth-place Michigan received one first-place vote.
For Penn State, this season features as much pressure as the Buckeyes had to win last year. James Franklin returns his stars on offense and weapons on defense. Oh, and he stole the Ohio State defensive coordinator this offseason, which ramps up expectations even more.
Franklin has an abysmal track record of meeting expectations or winning the biggest games on the schedule, which this year will feature games against Oregon (Sept. 27) and at Ohio State (Nov. 1). He’ll have to contend with the highest expectations he and his program have ever had.
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Ohio State, meanwhile, now has plenty of motivation to get back to the top of the Big Ten after four years without a league crown. With four straight losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes have that hump to get over this season, as well.
The Buckeyes have Cleveland.com’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is widely considered the best individual player in the country regardless of position. They also have Cleveland.com’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in junior safety Caleb Downs. They’ll lead the way for the program moving into this season.
The full preseason Big Ten media poll from Cleveland.com can be found below.
1. Penn State (11 first-place votes)
2. Ohio State (10)
3. Oregon (2)
4. Illinois
5. Michigan (1)
6. Indiana
7. Iowa
8. Nebraska
9. USC
10. Washington
11. Minnesota
12. Wisconsin
t13. Michigan State
t13. Rutgers
15. UCLA
16. Maryland
17. Northwestern
18. Purdue