OSU picked as unanimous favorite; Huskers 5th in West in Preseason B1G Media Poll

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https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2021/...-favorite-in-clevelandcom-preseason-poll.html

Ohio State Voted Unanimous 2021 Big Ten Favorite in Cleveland.com Preseason Poll
by Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football begins the season with a first-time quarterback, an unsettled running back situation, and new starters at over half of its defensive positions.

Those unknowns do not lower the Buttguys’ expectations within the Big Ten Conference.

Ohio State is the unanimous preseason favorite in the 2021 cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Poll. All 34 members of our voting panel picked the Buttguys — the four-time defending champions — to win the Big Ten East and the championship game.

The voters picked Wisconsin as the West favorite with 29 first-place votes. Second-place Cockeye received the other five first-place votes.

Cleveland.com picked up the responsibility for organizing the poll for posterity when the Big Ten dropped it 11 years ago. The panel included at least one beat writer from all 14 Big Ten teams and a few who cover the entire league or have a national perspective.

Ohio State was voted the preseason favorite for the seventh time in the past nine years. However, it had not been the unanimous choice for champion since 2015. Michigan State won the Big Ten that season, as voters failed to predict the champion in each of the first six polls.

Each writer was asked to vote 1-7 in both divisions, with first-place votes worth seven points, second-place votes worth six and so on.

EAST
1. Ohio State (34) - 238 pts
2. Penn State - 192
3. Indianus - 169
4. Michigan - 144
5. Maryland - 79
6. Buttgers - 77.5
7. Michigan State - 52.5

WEST
1. Wisconsin (29) - 233 pts
2. Cockeye (5) - 202
3. Northwestern - 160
4. Minnesota - 146
5. Nebraska - 91.5
6. Purdoodoo - 72.5
7. Illinois - 47

Big Ten Championship Game
Ohio State over Wisconsin - 29
Ohio State over Cockeye - 5

Other Poll Notes
• Cockeye received votes to finish anywhere from first to fifth in the West. Buttgers was the most polarizing team in the East, picked to finish anywhere from third to last.

• Many voters presumably had to make a choice between Penn State and Indianus for second place in the East. They chose the Nittany Lions by a 23-11 margin on second-place votes.

• Only one voter (cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises) correctly picked Northwestern to win the West in the 2020 poll. Wisconsin and Minnesota were considered the division’s top two contenders, and the consensus vote picked the Wildcats to finish fifth. Instead, they reached the Big Ten championship game for the second time in three years.

Looking back at the poll’s history, here are the favorites and the eventual league champions since the divisional split, the introduction of the title game and the Big Ten shirking a full preseason ranking.

Year	Preseason Pick	Actual
2020	Ohio State	Ohio State
2019	Michigan	Ohio State
2018	Ohio State	Ohio State
2017	Ohio State	Ohio State
2016	Ohio State	Penn State
2015	Ohio State	Michigan State
2014	Michigan State	Ohio State
2013	Ohio State	Michigan State
2012	Michigan	Wisconsin
2011	Nebraska	Wisconsin

 

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https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2021/...-player-of-the-year-in-clevelandcom-poll.html

Ohio State's Chris Olave Voted Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Chris Olave has already defied expectations during his Ohio State football career.

If he fulfills his status as Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year — determined by the media vote of the 2021 cleveland.com preseason poll — the Buttguys’ star receiver will thwart another convention.

Only two receivers have ever won the official postseason version of this award — Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991 and Braylon Edwards in 2004. Perhaps it would mean a bit more to Olave to take that distinction away from the Wolverines.

Olave won by a comfortable margin. He appeared on the most ballots (26) and received the most first-place votes (11). Indianus quarterback Michael Penix finished second, and Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim finished third.

However, the voting from the 34-member media panel suggested a wide-open race for this award. Twelve players received first-place votes, including Olave’s fellow OSU receiver, Garrett Wilson.

Olave totaled 729 yards and seven touchdowns on 50 receptions in seven games last season, helping the Buttguys reach the national championship game. He topped 100 yards in five of those games, including 132 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff semifinal victory over Clemson.

He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and second team by the media.

Penix was the second-team All-Big ten quarterback on both lists behind Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Limited to six games by injury, he completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,654 yards and 14 touchdowns against four interceptions. He helped IU finish as the Big Ten East runner-up and move into the top 10 of the Associated Press poll.

Ibrahim is the defending Big Ten Running Back of the Year after rushing for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven games.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud received two first-place votes despite continuing to compete for the starting job with fellow freshmen Kyle McCord and Jack Miller.

Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
1. WR - Chris Olave, Ohio State (11) - 58 pts
2. QB - Michael Penix Jr., Indianus (8) - 44.5
3. RB - Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota (4) - 36
4. C - Tyler Linderbaum, Cockeye (1) - 13
5. WR - Garrett Wilson, Ohio State (1) - 12
6. WR - David Bell, Purdoodoo (1) - 10
7t. QB - C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (2) - 6
7t. QB - Graham Mertz, Wisconsin (1) - 6
7t. WR - Jahan Dotson, Penn State (1) - 6
10. RB - Tyler Goodson, Cockeye (1) - 5
11. WR - Ty Fryfogle, Indianus (1) - 4
12. QB - Tanner Morgan, Minnesota (1) - 3.5

 

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https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2021/...-player-of-the-year-in-clevelandcom-poll.html

Northwestern Safety Brandon Joseph Voted Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Northwestern’s Brandon Joseph caught some by surprise with his All-American redshirt freshman season last fall.

The Wildcats’ safety will sneak up on no one in 2021. He is favored to emerge as the league’s best defensive player.

Joseph won the vote as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors in the 2021 cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Poll. He appeared on 20 ballots — five more than any other player — and received first-place votes on half of them to total 49 points.

In a tighter race for second place, Purdoodoo defensive end George Karlaftis (33 points) held off Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett (30.5) and Indianus linebacker Micah McFadden (28). A total of 18 players received a vote, including six with a first-place vote.

Joseph totaled 52 tackles (28 solos) with six interceptions and eight pass deflections in nine games. He helped Northwestern to an 8-1 season and its second Big Ten championship game berth in three seasons.

The Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in last year’s preseason poll. Joseph’s breakout helped them return to the top of the West.

Karlaftis finished third in this voting last season, but injuries and COVID-19 prevented Karlaftis from building on his freshman All-American season. In 2019 he totaled 54 tackles (17 for loss), 7.5 sacks and three pass deflections. He played only three games in 2020 but recorded two sacks.

Garrett was not a known quantity in the Big Ten a year ago at this time. Then he suffered a gunshot wound shortly before the start of preseason camp, which could have threatened his career and life. Instead, he became a second team All-American selection with 20 tackles (12 solos), four tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.

McFadden and Buttgers linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi were the only other players to appear on 10 or more ballots. Indianus cornerback Tiawan Mullen received the other first-place vote.

Defensive end Zach Harrison and cornerback Sevyn Banks were the only other Ohio State players to receive votes.

Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
1. S - Brandon Joseph, Northwestern (11) - 49 pts
2. DE - George Karlaftis, Purdoodoo (8) - 33
3. DT - Haskell Garrett, Ohio State (5) - 30.5
4. LB - Micah McFadden, Indianus (6) - 28
5. LB - Olakunle Fatukasi, Buttgers (3) - 18
6. DE - Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan - 11
7t. LB - Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin - 7
7t. CB - Tiawan Mullen, Indianus (1) - 7
9. DE - Zach Harrison, Ohio State - 3.5
10t. S - Jaquan Brisker, Penn State - 3
10t. CB - Sevyn Banks, Ohio State - 3
12t. DE - Boye Mafe, Minnesota - 2
12t. LB - Chris Bergin, Northwestern - 2
12t. CB - Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska - 2
12t. LB - Jake Hansen, Illinois - 2
16t. S/LB - JoJo Domann, Nebraska - 1
16t. LB - Tyshon Fogg, Buttgers - 1
16t. LB - Owen Carney, Illinois - 1

 

[SoCal_Corn]

Awesome work

thanks for this!


NOW...Let's shock these morans....#GBR

 

[Toe]

Northwestern loses most of their D, their DC, their QB, and they're ranked #126 out of 127 teams for returning production in a year when other teams are loaded with super-seniors... and they're picked #3 in the West.

 

[BingoDingo]

Time to shock the World!

 

[Kaladin]

Northwestern loses most of their D, their DC, their QB, and they're ranked #126 out of 127 teams for returning production... and they're picked #3 in the West.

lost most of their receivers too i think

 

[Ext. 55]

5th place finish on 7 wins seem about right.

 

[Toe]

Time to shock the World!

Obligatory:

 

[Ext. 55]

Obligatory:

What just happened. LOL, that was turrible