Ohio State are the favorites in the 16th annual Cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll.
The Buckeyes received 15 of a possible 31 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Oregon received 11 first-place votes and defending national champion Indiana received five first-place votes.
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After a 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten) record in 2025, the Iowa Hawkeyes were picked eighth in the preseason poll by the 31 media members that voted.
Here’s how the full poll played out:
|
Rank |
Team (1st place) |
Points |
Average Rank |
2025 Big Ten Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No. 1 |
Ohio State (15) |
540 |
1.58 |
9-0 |
|
No. 2 |
Oregon (11) |
527 |
2.00 |
8-1 |
|
No. 3 |
Indiana (5) |
509 |
2.58 |
9-0 |
|
No. 4 |
USC |
446 |
4.61 |
7-2 |
|
No. 5 |
Michigan |
430 |
5.13 |
7-2 |
|
No. 6 |
Penn State |
380 |
6.74 |
3-6 |
|
No. 7 |
Washington |
366 |
7.19 |
5-4 |
|
No. 8 |
Iowa |
361 |
7.35 |
6-3 |
|
No. 9 |
Illinois |
304 |
9.19 |
5-4 |
|
No. 10 |
Minnesota |
268 |
10.35 |
5-4 |
|
No. 11 |
Nebraska |
246 |
11.06 |
4-5 |
|
No. 12 |
Wisconsin |
207 |
12.58 |
2-7 |
|
No. 13 |
UCLA |
199 |
12.32 |
3-6 |
|
No. 14 |
Northwestern |
140 |
14.48 |
4-5 |
|
No. 15 |
Maryland |
137 |
14.58 |
1-8 |
|
No. 16 |
Michigan State |
99 |
15.81 |
1-8 |
|
No. 17 |
Rutgers |
97 |
15.87 |
2-7 |
|
No. 18 |
Purdue |
45 |
17.55 |
0-9 |
Iowa opens its season on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:15 p.m. CT against Northern Illinois from Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes’ annual Kids Day at Kinnick is set for Saturday, Aug. 15 at 11 a.m. CT.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Where is Iowa ranked in preseason Big Ten football poll?
