Penn State tops Big Ten preseason poll, voted as projected conference champion

Big Ten Media Days kick off Tuesday morning in Las Vegas, which means it’s time for annual Big Ten preseason polling. Kings of the North’s Doug Lesmerises polled a panel of 54 voters about the conference this season, including predictions for the final standings, defensive player of the year and offensive player of the year.

Where does Penn State fall in the poll? Which players stand out for the Nittany Lions? Let’s take a look.

Conference standings

1. Penn State (35 first-place votes)

2. Ohio State (18)

3. Oregon (1)

4. Illinois

5. Michigan

6. Indiana

7. USC

8. Nebraska

9. Iowa

10. Washington

11. Minnesota

12. Wisconsin

13. Michigan State

14. UCLA

15. Rutgers

16. Maryland

17. Northwestern

18. Purdue

Notes: Penn State took the majority of votes here but did not go uncontested. The Nittany Lions are expected to be one of the top tier teams in the conference and earned that distinction despite having a schedule that features three of the other five teams in the top six (Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana). If you go down a few more spots you can add more Penn State opponents, with matchups against No. 8 Nebraska and No. 9 Iowa, as well. Getting to the Big Ten title game may be the expectation for some fans this year, but the Nittany Lions’ schedule will be a difficult one based on the preseason rankings.

Big Ten Championship results

1. Penn State over Ohio State: 23

2. Ohio State over Penn State: 20

3. Penn State over Oregon: 4

4. Penn State over Illinois: 2

5. Penn State over Michigan: 1

6. Ohio State over Oregon: 1

7. Ohio State over Michigan: 1

8. Oregon over Penn State: 1

9. Oregon over Ohio State: 1

Notes: Much like the standings projection, Penn State came away with the majority of votes to win the conference championship game, with four different possible opponents chosen by the voting panel. Only three of the 54 voters did not have Penn State in the Big Ten title game at all. The Nittany Lions were projected to face Ohio State by 43 of the voters, with a slight edge going to PSU in those games. Penn State’s finish to the 2024 season and strong returning roster has put it in a clear poll position as the top team in the Big Ten this season.

Offensive player of the year

1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (39 first-place votes), 137 points

2. Penn State QB Drew Allar (10), 77

3. Penn State RB Nick Singleton (1), 40

4. Oregon RB Makhi Hughes, 14

5. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, 7

Notes: Smith is an unsurprising choice at the conference’s offensive player of the year after one of the best freshman seasons the sport has ever seen from a wide receiver. Multiple Nittany Lions earned votes to finish in the top three, with Allar and Singleton leading the way by finishing second and third. Wide receiver Trebor Pena finished tied for 10th with two voting points, and should be a reliable option for Allar after transferring to the program from Syracuse. For a team that’s offense relied heavily on a player now in the NFL in Tyler Warren for production last year, it’s a good sign that several weapons are seen as among the best in the conference.

Defensive player of the year

1. Ohio State S Caleb Downs (43 first-place votes), 140 points

2. Penn State DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (2), 34

3. Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei (2), 31

4. Oregon S Dillon Thieneman, 22

5. Indiana DL Mikail Kamara (1), 20

Notes: Penn State’s offense will receive much of the attention heading into the season because of players like Allar and Singleton and with the departure of Warren, but its defense has a chance to be the best in the country this year. And according to the panel, Dani Dennis-Sutton should be a big part of that. He was one of six players to receive first-place votes for defensive player of the year and one of two Nittany Lions to get top-three votes. He was joined by defensive tackle Zane Durant, who finished tied for eighth with six voting points. It wouldn’t be a surprise if other Penn State players like cornerback A.J. Harris and defensive tackle Zakee Wheatley also make some noise for defensive player of the year throughout this season, too — a testament to the strength of the Nittany Lions’ defense.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.