Which team did media pick to win the conference in the 15th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll? (11. Minnesota)

[BleedGopher]

Per the annual poll:

Each writer was asked to vote 1-18, with first-place votes worth 18 points, second-place votes worth 17 and so on:

Rank	Team (1st place)	Points	Average Rank
No. 1	Penn State (11)	435	1.60
No. 2	Ohio State (10)	431	1.76
No. 3	Oregon (2)	405	2.80
No. 4	Illinois	353	4.88
No. 5	Michigan (1)	346	5.16
No. 6	Indiana	305	680
No. 7	Iowa	287	7.52
No. 8	Nebraska	277	7.92
No. 9	USC	269	8.24
No. 10	Washington	216	10.36
No. 11	Minnesota	192	11.32
No. 12	Wisconsin	159	12.60
No. 13	Michigan State	135	13.60
No. 13	Rutgers	135	13.60
No. 15	UCLA	134	13.64
No. 16	Maryland	91	15.36
No. 17	Northwestern	65	16.40
No. 18	Purdue	39	17.44

Which team did media pick to win the conference in the 15th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll?

For the first time ever, Penn State is viewed as the favorite to win the Big Ten conference.

www.cleveland.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Schnauzer]

That is a a predicted drop from above .500 to below .500 in the B1G, with an easier schedule. Media must be assuming either Lindsey sucks or the team in general has lost more than it is gaining.

 

[Some guy]

That is a a predicted drop from above .500 to below .500 in the B1G, with an easier schedule. Media must be assuming either Lindsey sucks or the team in general has lost more than it is gaining.

The voters likely didn’t analyze the schedules.
The voters have the gophers picked higher than 5 of their big ten opponents.

Another team on the schedule is picked 10.
So if the gophers beat all the teams their picked higher than + one upset of 10th place Washington, that’s a 6-3 season



This rankings more read to me:
Clear 1-2
Distant 3
Gap until 4-9
10-11 picked next to each other
Little gap and then 12-15 together with Wisconsin being the clear 12
16
17
18
Very clearly in that order

 

[GophersInIowa]

I would group it like this.

Tier 1
Ohio St
Penn St
Oregon

Tier 2
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois

Tier 3
Iowa
Nebraska
USC
Washington
Minnesota

Tier 4
Wisconsin
Michigan St
Rutgers
UCLA

Tier 5
Maryland
Northwestern
Purdue

 

[restovich]

dinks

 

[MaxyJR1]

The voters likely didn’t analyze the schedules.
The voters have the gophers picked higher than 5 of their big ten opponents.

Another team on the schedule is picked 10.
So if the gophers beat all the teams their picked higher than + one upset of 10th place Washington, that’s a 6-3 season



This rankings more read to me:
Clear 1-2
Distant 3
Gap until 4-9
10-11 picked next to each other
Little gap and then 12-15 together with Wisconsin being the clear 12
16
17
18
Very clearly in that order

6-3 was top 6 in the league last year.

 

[LesBolstad]

Illinois and Indiana will not be as good as projected

 

[Some guy]

I would group it like this.

Tier 1
Ohio St
Penn St
Oregon

Tier 2
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois

Tier 3
Iowa
Nebraska
USC
Washington
Minnesota

Tier 4
Wisconsin
Michigan St
Rutgers
UCLA

Tier 5
Maryland
Northwestern
Purdue

I would merge 2 and 3 into group

I would Put Maryland in tier 4 instead of 5

 

[RememberMurray]

The voters likely didn’t analyze the schedules.
The voters have the gophers picked higher than 5 of their big ten opponents.

Another team on the schedule is picked 10.
So if the gophers beat all the teams their picked higher than + one upset of 10th place Washington, that’s a 6-3 season

I don't think the Gophers play Washington this season...

2025 Minnesota Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2025 Minnesota Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Golden Gophers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

 

[RememberMurray]

So 5 teams on the Gophers' schedule are ranked below them in this poll.

If I was going to pick a Gopher win against a team the media ranked above the Gophers, I'd choose the Friday night game at Huntington Bank Stadium vs Nebraska. A Minnesota win at home against the Huskers isn't really that big of an upset in my mind.

Win those 6 B1G games plus the three non-conference games and the Gophers would be 9-3. Add a win in a decent bowl game and you have a 10-win season in what is really a bit of a rebuilding year.

 

[fmlizard]

I would group it like this.

Tier 1
Ohio St
Penn St
Oregon

Tier 2
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois

Tier 3
Iowa
Nebraska
USC
Washington
Minnesota

Tier 4
Wisconsin
Michigan St
Rutgers
UCLA

Tier 5
Maryland
Northwestern
Purdue

Mostly agree. Purdue belongs in their own tier of ineptitude.

 

[RememberMurray]

For anyone who is interested, I thought Klatt made some good observations here. Wisconsin and Washington are B1G teams he mentions. Also, he has some thoughts on Cal, a Gopher opponent in 2025.

 

[RememberMurray]

It may or may not be relevant to this thread, but I keep looking at Wisconsin's schedule...

2025 Wisconsin Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2025 Wisconsin Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Badgers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

 

[Some guy]

I don't think the Gophers play Washington this season...

2025 Minnesota Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2025 Minnesota Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Golden Gophers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

Strike that I misremembered the schedule

Need to be 5-0 vs teams picked behind
1-1 vs Iowa and Nebraska for 6-3
2-0 for 7-2

 

[mggoph]

It may or may not be relevant to this thread, but I keep looking at Wisconsin's schedule...

2025 Wisconsin Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2025 Wisconsin Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Badgers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

Let's pray they are a dumpster fire this year. The NCAA just ruled Nyzan Fourquean is also ineligible for another year, after previously giving it to him.

 

[maroonfive]

Lol Illinois #4. Right there the credibility is lost.

 

[everybody knows my name]

Same old, same old. Every offseason, the media always thinks Minnesota will be worse next year. They just can't imagine the Gophers getting good, staying good, or least of all, getting even better.

 

[GopherGrit]

Illinois and Indiana will not be as good as projected

I hope you're right about Illinois.

Year 4 of Bielema was a great year for them and if they're top 4 in this new even more difficult version of the conf in year 5? For a program that I would guess most Gopher fans feel is inferior to ours on a historical program level?

 

[GopherGrit]

Penn State - massive year for Franklin. Feels like he's gotta make it happen, or else ...?

 

[Some guy]

Penn State - massive year for Franklin. Feels like he's gotta make it happen, or else ...?

You mean the guy in the final 4 last year?
I would think he is safe if they’re 9-3 or better

 

[Unregistered User]

I hope you're right about Illinois.

I think they're right about Illinois, but that doesn't mean that they won't have a good record.

Hardly a murderer's row of a schedule this year:

Western Illinois
@Duke
Western Michigan
@Indiana
USC
@Purdue
Ohio State
@Washington
Rutgers
Maryland
@Wisconsin
Northwestern

And compare it to last year, when they only had 3 losses, but really didn't beat any very good team:
Eastern Illinois
Kansas
Central Michigan
@Nebraska
@Penn State L
Purdue
Michigan
@Oregon L
Minnesota L
Michigan State
@Rutgers
Northwestern

 

[Some guy]

I think they're right about Illinois, but that doesn't mean that they won't have a good record.

Hardly a murderer's row of a schedule this year:

Western Illinois
@Duke
Western Michigan
@Indiana
USC
@Purdue
Ohio State
@Washington
Rutgers
Maryland
@Wisconsin
Northwestern

And compare it to last year, when they only had 3 losses, but really didn't beat any very good team:
Eastern Illinois
Kansas
Central Michigan
@Nebraska
@Penn State L
Purdue
Michigan
@Oregon L
Minnesota L
Michigan State
@Rutgers
Northwestern

Illinois last year essentially had Minnesotas 2025 schedule

 

[GopherGrit]

You mean the guy in the final 4 last year?
I would think he is safe if they’re 9-3 or better

Wasn't Day's job in jeopardy until he done went and won the natty?

Hey, I ain't sayin it's right ...

(You can easily say that was just fan bluster and you'd likely correct. Maybe just the same here)

 

[GopherGrit]

I think they're right about Illinois, but that doesn't mean that they won't have a good record.

Hardly a murderer's row of a schedule this year:

Western Illinois
@Duke
Western Michigan
@Indiana
USC
@Purdue
Ohio State
@Washington
Rutgers
Maryland
@Wisconsin
Northwestern

And compare it to last year, when they only had 3 losses, but really didn't beat any very good team:
Eastern Illinois
Kansas
Central Michigan
@Nebraska
@Penn State L
Purdue
Michigan
@Oregon L
Minnesota L
Michigan State
@Rutgers
Northwestern

Very fair point!

They finished 5th last year and the OP has them 4th preseason. Finishing 4th in this 18 team conference, if they do indeed go on to finish there, is a big deal in my opinion for programs like Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota. "Should" be CFP (in a 16 team for sure).