The Gophers football team was picked to finish outside the top half of the Big Ten Conference in the Cleveland.com preseason poll released Monday.
Minnesota received 192 total votes and slotted in at 11th in the 18-team league, one spot above rival Wisconsin. Penn State edged out Ohio State to win the conference in its second year with the four new programs from the West Coast.
Gophers sophomore safety Koi Perich received five votes for preseason defensive player of the year, but the U didn’t garner any votes for offensive player of the year nor coach of the year.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is the top DPOY, Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith is the No. 1 OPOY and Nittany Lions coach James Franklin is the COY favorite.
Here is the full preseason poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total votes:
1. Penn State (11) — 435
2. Ohio State (10) — 431
3. Oregon (2) — 405
4. Illinois — 353
5. Michigan (1) — 346
6. Indiana — 305
7. Iowa — 287
8. Nebraska — 277
9. Southern Cal — 269
10. Washington — 216
11. Gophers — 192
12. Wisconsin — 159
13t. Michigan State — 135
13t. Rutgers — 135
15. UCLA — 134
16. Maryland — 91
17. Northwestern — 65
18. Purdue — 39
Related Articles
Gophers football: 8 standout quotes from players at U’s local media day
Gophers in $9 million hole for next year, sketch out plan to tackle it
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck receives contract extension
Gophers football: Top in-state prospect Roman Voss picks U over Alabama
Gophers football: California QB flips to U from Boston College
Leave a Reply