What a difference a year makes.
Last year’s darlings of the Big Ten East are this year’s dead last team. That was the pattern on the field from 2020 to 2021, and many of those who cover the Big Ten for a living believe IU will stay on the bottom in 2022.
Of course those same voters had it all wrong last summer when it came to Indiana.
A year ago the annual poll had IU finishing third in the Big Ten East before they went 0-9 in league play. This year the same preseason vote resulted in the Hoosiers looking up at the rest of their division.
According to 36 voters in the 12th annual cleveland.com preseason Big Ten football poll, it won’t be a rebound season in Bloomington. By two points IU will finish behind Rutgers in last place according to the poll. Ohio State was the unanimous choice to win both the East Division and the conference championship game in Indianapolis.
Wisconsin is the favorite in the West according to 31 of the 36 voters, with Iowa and Minnesota also receiving votes. Indiana faces the 4th (Purdue), 5th (Nebraska) and 6th (Illinois) place teams from the West this season, with the Purdue and Illinois games being held in Bloomington. (See the complete schedule.)
Here are the complete results of the poll:
EAST DIVISION
1. Ohio State (36 first-place votes) 252 points
2. Michigan 203
3. Penn State 169
4. Michigan State 162
5. Maryland 104
6. Rutgers 60
7. Indiana 58
WEST DIVISION
1. Wisconsin (31) 246
2. Iowa (3) 198
3. Minnesota (2) 162
4. Purdue 153
5. Nebraska 123
6. Illinois 65
7. Northwestern 61
This is the 12th year of the preseason media poll, which comes each year before the Big Ten’s annual media day.
Ohio State has been picked to win in eight of the 12 years of the poll, and they’ve won it on the field five times during that span, including three of the years they were selected.
Stay tuned for a guide of the coverage of Big Ten media day on the Big Ten Network. The event is Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The Daily Hoosier will also have extensive reporting and video from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indiana opens the 2022 season on Sept. 2 against Illinois in Bloomington.
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