RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Big Ten preseason media poll was released on Monday and has some fascinating rankings.
Ohio State is at the top of the poll, which was released by Cleveland.com . Ohio State hasn’t won the Big Ten title since 2020, but did win the national title during the 2024 season.
The program is set to reload for the 2026 season and will be a formidable foe.
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Champs come in at third
The Indiana Hoosiers won their first-ever college football national title this past season and enter the 2026 season in third place in this poll behind Ohio State and Oregon.
Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti is unlikely to care since he just led them to the top of the mountain and will be a top contender again this year. Cignetti is also one of the highest-paid coaches in the country and is under contract u ntil 2033 .
Penn State is just outside the top five
It’s a new era for the Penn State Nittany Lions now that Matt Campbell is the new head coach. Campbell took over the program in December after Penn State fired James Franklin in October.
Campbell spent the last 10 seasons with the Iowa State Cyclones and did an outstanding job with them. He compiled five seasons of eight or more wins and had his best season in 2024 when the Cyclones finished 11-3. He finished his tenure with a 72-55 record.
Campbell will try to lead the Nittany Lions after they finished the 2025 season with a 7-6 record.
Full poll
Here’s a look at the full rankings:
Ohio State
Oregon
Indiana
USC
Michigan
Penn State
Washington
Iowa
Illinois
Minnesota
Nebraska
Wisconsin
UCLA
Northwestern
Maryland
Michigan State
Rutgers
Purdue
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