Big Ten preseason media poll: Purdue picked sixth in Big Ten West

As college football season is fast approaching, cleveland.com release its 13th annual "Preseason Big Ten Football Poll" on the eve of Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday. The Big Ten conference does not conduct its own preseason poll.

Here is how things shook out after tallying the votes amongst the 37 media members who participated in the annual poll.

Following up its second straight Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff appearance, Michigan found itself atop the Big Ten East rankings and 27 media members voted for the Wolverines to repeat in the Big Ten Championship Game once again.

Since 2011 (when the poll originated), Ohio State has been the preseason favorite to win the conference title eight times, but dropped to second in the 2023 edition. The Buckeyes earned eight first-place votes.

Penn State was the other team that had a first-place vote in the poll, earning two from Big Ten media members. The Nittany Lions were a step below Michigan and Ohio State in points. No other teams earned a top three vote in the East.

The Big Ten East side was rounded out with Maryland at fourth, Michigan State at fifth, Rutgers at sixth and Indiana at seventh. The full East poll is listed below.

1. Michigan: 248 points (27 first-place votes)

2. Ohio State: 226 points (8 first-place votes)

3. Penn State: 192 points (2 first-place votes)

4. Maryland: 143 points

5. Michigan State: 105 points

6. Rutgers: 74 points

7. Indiana: 48 points

In the other half of the conference, it was a tight race for first place in the 2023 Preseason Big Ten Poll.

Wisconsin was the trendy pick for Big Ten West champions. First-year head coach Luke Fickell received 20 first-place votes to take the honors. Iowa came a close second to Wisconsin, having 232 points compared to the Badgers' 233 points.

The other Big Ten West program that received a first-place vote was Minnesota, with one. PJ Fleck is coming off back-to-back nine win campaigns with the Gophers. It is the second straight year Minnesota has been slotted at third in the poll.

Purdue, who won the West in 2022, was picked to finish sixth in the division as it tries to repeat under new head coach Ryan Walters and a new cast of contributors on the field.

The rest of the West rankings were rounded out by Illinois at fourth, Nebraska at fifth and Northwestern in last place. The Wildcats are in the cellar of the preseason poll for the second straight year.

1. Wisconsin: 233 points (20 first-place votes)

2. Iowa: 232 points (16 first-place votes)

3. Minnesota: 176 points (1 first-place vote)

4. Illinois: 152 points

5. Nebraska: 116 points

6. Purdue: 89 points

7. Northwestern: 38 points

Offensive Player of the Year: Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)

If there was any question as to who the Big Ten media would select as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. closed that discussion convincingly. Harrison earned 94 points and 27 first-place votes for the honors.

Michigan teammates Blake Corum and J.J. McCarthy were the only other offensive players to receive first-place votes, earning four and five respectively. Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was the fourth player to have over 20 points in the poll.

Ohio State's Kyle McCord, TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, Penn State's Nick Singelton, Olu Fashanu, Michigan's Donavan Edwards and Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa were the other players to get points.

Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Dejean (Iowa)

Big Ten media members predicted yet another Iowa defender earning Defensive Player of the Year honors this season, which would be the fourth in seven years, as Cooper Dejean topped the poll with 42 points and six first-place votes.

Dejean barely held off Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton, who earned 41 points. Tommy Eichenberg and J.T. Tuimoloau of Ohio State had 29 and 28 points respectively to round out the top four.

Three Penn State defenders, Kalen King, Abdul Carter and Chop Robinson all received first-place votes, as well as Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke.

Other players to earn points in the poll were Michigan's Junior Colson and Will Johnson, Ohio State's Mike Hall and Jack Sawyer, Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay, Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta, Minnesota defensive back Tyler Nubin and Purdue outside linebacker Nic Scourton.