Ohio State earned the top spot in the Big Ten preseason media poll released July 27, 2026 [1].
The rankings set the stage for the upcoming college football season, highlighting the perceived power balance within the conference as teams prepare for kickoff.
NBC Sports analysts Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry broke down the standings during a broadcast from Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. According to the poll, Ohio State is ranked first [1], followed by Oregon in second place [2], and Indiana in third [2].
During the segment, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema joined the analysts to discuss the current state of the sport. Bielema used the platform to voice criticism of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its influence on the collegiate landscape.
Beyond the Big Ten rankings, the analysts provided sleeper picks for the Group of 6 and the Power 4 conferences. This analysis aimed to identify undervalued teams that could disrupt the expected order of the 2026 season.
The discussion occurred amid broader debates regarding the governance of college athletics. Jon Steinbrecher, writing for The New York Times, noted the impact of conference leadership on the sport's structure.
"We're now living with what happens when the autonomy conferences make the rules," Steinbrecher said.
“Ohio State earned the top spot in the Big Ten preseason media poll”
The preseason poll reflects a concentration of power among a few elite programs, while the friction between coaches like Bielema and the SEC suggests ongoing tension over the redistribution of influence and revenue in the modern era of conference realignment.
