The Buckeyes open the season as the team to beat, claiming the No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings and signaling that the road to a title runs through Columbus. It's a familiar perch for a program that has built a reputation as a relentless, suffocating powerhouse, and the voters made clear that nobody else has closed the gap.
Right behind them, the Badgers and Nittany Lions check in at No. 2 and No. 3, giving the Big Ten three of the top three spots and an undeniable stranglehold on the early narrative. The Golden Gophers at No. 4 only deepens the conference's grip on the poll, while Northeastern's Huskies carry the banner for the rest of the country at No. 5, the lone interloper in an otherwise Big Ten-dominated summit.
The message from the voters is unmistakable: the Big Ten isn't just deep this year — it's the story. Now the pressure shifts to proving it between the lines.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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