ohio state michigan christian bryant

Ohio State and Christian Bryant (2) beat Michigan to finish 12-0 last season and the teams will meet again to end the 2013 regular season. And then they could meet for the Big Ten title the next week. The Buckeyes are huge favorites in the Leaders Division in a media poll, while the Wolverines are slim favorites in the Legends Division.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State is the unanimous choice to win the Leaders Division and the overwhelming pick to win the Big Ten title in the third annual Big Ten preseason media poll organized by The Plain Dealer.

In a poll of 26 league writers, two for each of the 12 teams in the Big Ten and two league-wide reporters from ESPN.com, there was no surprise as the Buckeyes received all 26 votes to win the Leaders Division and move to the championship game in Indianapolis for the first time. One writer did have Ohio State tying for the division title with Wisconsin and advancing on the tiebreaker.

The other division was a lot less clear. In fact, it was practically a tie, with Michigan barely edging Nebraska as the choice in the Legends Division.

Writers ranked each division one through six, with teams given six points for a first-place vote and one point for a sixth-place vote, and writers were allowed to predict ties for any place.

Michigan finished with 135.5 points while Nebraska had 132.5. Each team got 14 first-place votes – 10 to finish first alone and four to finish in a tie for first. Michigan State was the third choice with 101.5 points and the Spartans picked up four first-place votes, one alone and three in ties.

Nebraska and quarterback Taylor Martinez were barely edged out by Michigan as the pick to win the Legends Division.

Michigan and Nebraska were each picked to make the Big Ten Championship by 12 writers, while Michigan State got the other two votes.

Ohio State was picked to beat Nebraska in all 12 matchups and Michigan State in both games, while the Buckeyes were predicted to beat Michigan for the title by 11 writers. And one picked Michigan to beat the Buckeyes.

The Plain Dealer started this poll in 2011 when the Big Ten stopped taking picks from reporters and issuing their own projected champion, as the league had done for years and as most other conferences do. The Big Ten meetings take place in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, with Cleveland.com providing day-long coverage.

In 2011, Wisconsin and Nebraska were named the division favorites, with the Cornhuskers holding a 12-11 edge as projected title game winners. That wasn't quite right. That December, Wisconsin beat Michigan State in the first Big Ten title game, which was predicted by three of the 24 writers that year.

In 2012, Wisconsin and Michigan were picked to win their divisions, the Badgers getting 19 of 24 votes and the Wolverines 16 of 24. Michigan was the most popular pick to win the title. While Wisconsin did make the title game, it was Ohio State that really won the Leaders Division, but was banned from the postseason. Only one writer picked that. And only one voted for Nebraska, the Legends Division champ.

So the poll is one for four in projecting division winners and has missed on both title game winners.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, at SEC media days last week, mocked the media for getting the SEC champ correct in just four of 21 years.

The Big Ten is a little better than that. In the 15 years when the conference did announce a predicted champ, the media got it right seven times, including projecting Ohio State as the champ in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

So now the record is seven for 17, a 41 percent success rate. The Buckeyes will hope they can increase that number.

Predictions, with total points and first-place votes

Leaders Division

1. Ohio State 155.5 (26)

2. Wisconsin 128 (1)

3. Penn State 104

4. Indiana 74.5

5. Purdue 52.5

6. Illinois 31.5

Legends Division

1. Michigan 135.5 (14)

2. Nebraska 132.5 (14)

3. Michigan State 101.5 (4)

4. Northwestern 95.5

5. Iowa 43

6. Minnesota 38

Big Ten Championship picks



Ohio State over Nebraska (12)

Ohio State over Michigan (11)

Ohio State over Michigan State (2)

Michigan over Ohio State (1)

There are more poll results to come soon on offensive and defensive players of the year, most surprising and disappointing teams, whether the Big Ten champ will play for the national title and best coach.