COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In December's Big Ten Championship game, Wisconsin lost to Ohio State by six points.

Seven months later, the Badgers lost to the Buckeyes by one vote.

In preseason balloting conducted by cleveland.com of 28 writers from around the Big Ten, Ohio State was picked by 14 voters to win the Big Ten this season, while Wisconsin received 13 votes and Michigan State picked up the final vote.

This is the eighth year of our preseason poll, which was started when the Big Ten stopped conducting its own vote of media members, the only power conference to shirk that duty. The Big Ten will release only a list of players to watch when players, coaches, media and fans gather in Chicago for two days of preseason hype on Monday and Tuesday.

Not since seven years ago has the vote been this close.

* See preseason Big Ten player of the year voting

Wisconsin is gaining on the Buckeyes, at least when it comes to perception of the league's premier team.

The Badgers were a unanimous choice to win the West after running through an undefeated regular season a year ago. The Badgers received all 28 first-place votes, while Iowa was a clear choice to finish second in the West.

In the East, Ohio State received 23.5 first-place votes, with one voter picking Ohio State and Michigan to tie for first. Michigan State got two first-place votes, Penn State got one and Michigan earned 1.5. The result was basically a three-way tie for second, as the Spartans, Nittany Lions and Wolverines were separated by 1.5 points.

Here are the full predicted standings, with a first-place vote counting for seven points, down to a seventh-place vote earning one point.

BIG TEN EAST

1. Ohio State, 191.5 points (23.5 first-place votes)

2. Michigan State, 142 points (2)

3. Penn State, 141.5 points (1)

4. Michigan, 140.5 points (1.5)

5. Maryland, 75.5 points

6. Indiana, 60 points

7. Rutgers, 33 points

BIG TEN WEST

1. Wisconsin, 196 points (28 first-place votes)

2. Iowa, 155 points

3. Northwestern, 138 points

4. Nebraska, 104 points

5. Purdue, 98.5 points

6. Minnesota, 64.5 points

7. Illinois, 28 points

* The bottom was nearly as clear as the top. Illinois was picked last in the West by every voter, while Rutgers received 23 of 28 last-place votes in the East.

* Among second-place votes in the East, Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan each received eight, while Ohio State had four second-place votes. No voter picked Ohio State lower than second.

* Northwestern and Nebraska had the widest range, with each team receiving votes for second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth in the West.

So while Wisconsin was the clearer favorite in the division, the Buckeyes held the one-vote lead when it came to championship predictions. Here was the breakdown of the full predictions for the Big Ten Championship game.

Ohio State over Wisconsin (14)

Wisconsin over Ohio State (9)

Wisconsin over Michigan (2)

Wisconsin over Penn State (1)

Wisconsin over Michigan State (1)

Michigan State over Wisconsin (1)

That's the edge. The Badgers were picked by every voter to reach the title game, and that in itself is an advantage over the Buckeyes, who were only pushed to the championship by 23 voters. But we're going by title prediction here, and that went 14 to 13 to 1 in favor of the Buckeyes.

So what does that mean for the College Football Playoff, which left out the Big Ten a year ago? Here were the voter predictions on which Big Ten teams would make the playoff.

Ohio State (13)

Wisconsin (12)

Both Ohio State and Wisconsin (2)

Michigan State (1)

A year ago, Ohio State was the clear favorite, predicted by 29 of 38 writers to win the conference. Wisconsin was the overwhelming choice to win the West, and 22 of the 38 voters correctly predicted the Buckeyes over the Badgers in the Big Ten title game. That was the first time that the poll was right since it started here in 2011.

But usually there has been a clear choice, even though it proved to be wrong.

Ohio State was also the clear favorite in 2016 (27 of 29 voters), 2015 (40 of 40 voters), and 2013 (25 of 26 voters). Michigan State was the pick in 2014 (22 of 25 voters) after Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller's preseason injury.

In 2012, Michigan was the favorite with 11 votes, with Michigan State the next choice with seven.

In 2011, Nebraska edged Wisconsin 12 votes to 11 in the preseason, but the Badgers went on to win the inaugural title game.

In the seven-year history of the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State have each won two crowns and Penn State one. The Badgers have reached the title game a leading five times, winning in 2011 and 2012, but losing in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

It would be a surprise if the Badgers aren't back again as the champions of the West.

Even though they weren't the pick in the poll, it won't be a surprise if they beat the Buckeyes for the title this time. Those who cover the Big Ten see it as almost too close to call.