The Big Ten conference trails behind the SEC in the latest preseason US LBM coaches poll, with eight teams represented, including the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State, led by Heisman finalist Julian Sayin and all-world receiver Jeremiah Smith, tops the poll with 1741 points. The Buckeyes are joined by six other Big Ten teams in the top 25, including the 6th ranked defending champion Indiana Hoosiers, who now have TCU transfer Josh Hoover at the helm of the offense.
The Oregon Ducks, ranked 2nd in the poll, return QB Dante Moore after he could have entered the draft. The 14th ranked USC Trojans are trying to break into the College Football Playoff (CFP) for the first time under Lincoln Riley and are trusting in the growth of QB Jayden Maiava to get them over the line.
Meanwhile, Penn State fans are rejoicing after the Nittany Lions were ranked 17th in an offseason where their preseason projections were all over the place. With one of the Big Ten's most favorable schedules, who's to say the Blue and White won't be in the conference conversation?
The conference with the most teams in the poll is the SEC with nine representatives, including 3rd ranked defending SEC champ Georgia and 4th ranked Texas. The SEC's strong showing is no surprise, given their recent dominance in college football.
The full preseason US LBM coaches poll is as follows:
1 Ohio State Buckeyes 0-0 1741 38 NR – 1/1
2 Oregon Ducks 0-0 1637 6 NR – 2/2
3 Georgia Bulldogs 0-0 1591 7 NR – 3/3
4 Texas Longhorns 0-0 1544 2 NR – 4/4
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 0-0 1524 5 NR – 5/5
6 Indiana Hoosiers 0-0 1522 14 NR – 6/6
7 Miami (FL) Hurricanes 0-0 1409 0 NR – 7/7
8 Texas A&M Aggies 0-0 1174 0 NR – 8/8
9 Oklahoma Sooners 0-0 1104 0 NR – 9/9
10 Ole Miss Rebels 0-0 1096 0 NR – 10/10
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 0-0 1050 0 NR – 11/11
12 Texas Tech Red Raiders 0-0 1034 0 NR – 12/12
13 LSU Tigers 0-0 951 0 NR – 13/13
14 USC Trojans 0-0 838 0 NR – 14/14
15 BYU Cougars 0-0 781 0 NR – 15/15
16 Michigan Wolverines 0-0 719 0 NR – 16/16
17 Penn State Nittany Lions 0-0 463 0 NR – 17/17
18 Tennessee Volunteers 0-0 428 0 NR – 18/18
19 Washington Huskies 0-0 406 0 NR – 19/19
20 SMU Mustangs 0-0 378 0 NR – 20/20
21 Utah Utes 0-0 313 0 NR – 21/21
22 Iowa Hawkeyes 0-0 291 0 NR – 22/22
23 Clemson Tigers 0-0 235 0 NR – 23/23
24 Houston Cougars 0-0 194 0 NR – 24/24
25 Missouri Tigers
The Big Ten's eight representatives in the poll will be looking to make a statement in the upcoming season, but the SEC's dominance in the preseason rankings suggests that the conference will be a force to be reckoned with once again.
Source: Yahoo Sports