The Big Ten football media believes in the Michigan Wolverines.
According to an annual poll from Cleveland.com, the conference's football media members voted that Michigan will win the Big Ten East for the third consecutive season in 2023. Ohio State was selected to finish second in the division.
After winning back-to-back Big Ten titles, Michigan received 27 of 37 first-place votes to win the Big Ten East crown this fall. Fifteen media members picked the Wolverines to defeat Wisconsin in the championship game, while 11 picked them over Iowa and one picked them over Minnesota.
Ohio State received eight of the 10 remaining first-place votes. Those eight media members were split on who the Buckeyes would face in the Big Ten championship, with four selecting them to defeat Wisconsin and four selecting them to defeat Iowa. Penn State received the final two first-place votes. One of those media members picked the Nittany Lions to beat Wisconsin in the championship, and the other picked them to beat Iowa.
The preseason favorite in the Big Ten West is Wisconsin, which received four more first-place votes than Iowa and finished with 233 points to the Hawkeyes' 232.
At this time last year, Ohio State was a unanimous selection to win the Big Ten East and the conference championship in Cleveland.com's 2022 poll. The Buckeyes were also the preseason pick to win the Big Ten in 2021 and 2020, while the Wolverines' most recent preseason selection came in 2019.
Cleveland.com released the poll on Tuesday ahead of the Big Ten Media Days, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The league does not survey media members for an official poll.
Ohio State will be represented by head coach Ryan Day, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., defensive end JT Tuimoloau and tight end Cade Stover at Big Ten Media Days. Eleven Warriors will have a full contingent of reporters in Indianapolis to cover the event. Stay tuned for coverage here at 11W.
Complete Preseason Big Ten Media Poll Results
Big Ten East
- Michigan (27 first-place votes) 248 points
- Ohio State (8) 226
- Penn State (2) 192
- Maryland 143
- Michigan State 105
- Rutgers 74
- Indiana 48
Big Ten West
- Wisconsin (20) 233
- Iowa (16) 232
- Minnesota (1) 176
- Illinois 152
- Nebraska 116
- Purdue 89
- Northwestern 38
Championship Game Result
- Michigan over Wisconsin (15)
- Michigan over Iowa (11)
- Michigan over Minnesota (1)
- Ohio State over Wisconsin (4)
- Ohio State over Iowa (4)
- Penn State over Wisconsin (1)
- Penn State over Iowa (1)
