We cross another significant milestone toward the return to Penn State football this week, with Big Ten Media Days set to kick off on Tuesday. In an offseason filled with sky-high expectations, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will officially arrive in Las Vegas as the team to beat in the conference.
The Blue and White were ranked as the top team in the annual Big Ten preseason poll released by Cleveland.com on Monday. It is the first time in the poll’s 15-year history that Penn State has claimed the No. 1 spot.
Out of 25 voters from across the conference and national media, 11 picked the Nittany Lions to finish in first place in 2025. Ohio State finished second with 10 first-place votes; Oregon (2) and Michigan (1) also received votes for the top spot.
Penn State becomes fifth different team to claim top spot in Big Ten preseason poll
| Rank |
Team (1st place) |
Total Points |
|
| No. 1 |
Penn State (11) |
435 |
|
| No. 2 |
Ohio State (10) |
431 |
|
| No. 3 |
Oregon (2) |
405 |
|
| No. 4 |
Illinois |
353 |
|
| No. 5 |
Michigan (1) |
346 |
|
| No. 6 |
Indiana |
305 |
|
| No. 7 |
Iowa |
287 |
|
| No. 8 |
Nebraska |
277 |
|
| No. 9 |
USC |
269 |
|
| No. 10 |
Washington |
216 |
|
| No. 11 |
Minnesota |
192 |
|
| No. 12 |
Wisconsin |
159 |
|
| No. 13 |
Michigan State |
135 |
|
| No. 13 |
Rutgers |
135 |
|
| No. 15 |
UCLA |
134 |
|
| No. 16 |
Maryland |
91 |
|
| No. 17 |
Northwestern |
65 |
|
| No. 18 |
Purdue |
39 |
|
While Cleveland.com has Penn State slightly edging Ohio State for the top of the Big Ten during the regular season, the poll’s voters selected the Buckeyes to defeat the Nittany Lions in December’s conference championship game by a 13-12 count. Expanding outside the league, the Nittany Lions were picked to return to the College Football Playoff in all but one ballot.
Expectations only continue to rise for James Franklin’s squad throughout the summer, which is widely viewed as one of the favorites to be the top team in the AP preseason poll when it is released in August. On Monday, college football data analyst Parker Fleming projected Penn State with the highest win total in the country at 10.2 wins. The Nittany Lions were one of only four teams averaging 10+ wins in Fleming’s model based on 10,000 regular season simulations.
Franklin, along with Drew Allar, Nick Dawkins, and Zakee Wheatley will hit the circuit at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.
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