Conference Coaches’ Poll: Big Ten
By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Season 20 is fast approaching and it is time to take a look at the conference previews. However, this time with a new spin. This season the conference previews will be structured just like the coaches’ poll in college football.
Each AD was asked to list his top four teams in their conference without listing themselves. Then all the results were totaled to make the list below. Here are the teams the ADs think will be contenders!
| Rank | Team | First-Place Votes |
| 1 | USC | 4 |
| 2 | Michigan | 1 |
| 3 | Penn State | 1 |
| Vote-in | Illinois | 1 |
The Big Ten conference was the best in the league last season and had plenty of intrigue and tight games. It looks like the ADs think that will continue but with some noticeable changes. Last season Illinois won the conference while USC had to get voted into the playoffs. Now, the opposite is expected to happen.
The Trojans had an impressive showing in the playoffs last season. As they head into their second season, ADs around the Big Ten have taken notice of what’s going on in Southern California.
The race between Michigan, Penn State, and Illinois was unbelievably tight. In fact, they all tied in points. The tie-breaker was how many second-place votes they had received. If the ADs know what they are talking about, we could be in store for an exciting race to the playoffs in this conference.
We don’t know yet if the Big Ten will still be the toughest conference in the league, but we do know there is no shortage of great teams in the conference. I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Good luck to every team in the Big Ten!
