Breakthrough coming? USA TODAY Sports Network's Big Ten football preseason rankings tabs Penn State as best
But it's a team that has for years played third fiddle that is picked to break the glass ceiling it has faced. A pool of writers across the USA TODAY Sports Network from coast to coast were polled on who will win the league, and Penn State was the preseason choice to win the championship Dec. 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Nittany Lions have not won the Big Ten since 2016, their only time supplanting Ohio State and Michigan in the defunct East Division. Penn State lost to Oregon, 45-37, in last year's championship game, the first without divisions, but went on to reach a CFP national semifinal where they lost to eventual national runner-up Notre Dame.
It may be Penn State's best chance to win a national championship for the first time in 39 years. Though its 1994 team went undefeated, it was Nebraska that claimed the national title after beating Miami in the BCS national championship game. The Nittany Lions will have competition, though, as the Big Ten hopes to have a third straight national champion.
There was a grouping of Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon as the three programs who were predicted to finish first by network writers. A pool of teams were bunched up in the middle, and another cluster in the lower third.
They ranked teams first through 18th with a total points system used to rank teams: a first-place prediction equaled one point and last was 18. The team with the fewest points was ranked first.
First-year Purdue football coach Barry Odom has his work cut out for him. His Boilermakers were a consensus pick to finish 18th. Meanwhile in-state rival Indiana is not expected to have much of a drop off from a (tied) second-place finish in Curt Cignetti's first season.
Toppmeyer: Why the Big Ten desperately wants to rig College Football Playoff
USA TODAY Sports Network preseason Big Ten champion, order of finish
1. Penn State, 16
2. Ohio State, 20
3. Oregon, 26
4. Michigan, 45
5. Illinois, 55
6. Indiana, 63
Insider: IU football schedule a politicking punching bag in inconsistent College Football Playoff process
7. USC, 72
(tie) 8. Nebraska, 85
(tie) 8. Washington, 85
10. Iowa, 86
11. Minnesota, 112
12. Wisconsin, 117
13. Rutgers, 138
14. UCLA, 139
15. Michigan State, 141
16. Maryland, 155
17. Northwestern, 165
18. Purdue, 180
Local Boiler: 'Authentic' Lawrence Central grad can go 'as far as he wants' as Purdue football general manager
Champion: Penn State (5 votes)
Aaron Ferguson is assistant sports editor at the Indianapolis Star. He coordinates Big Ten polls, rankings, enterprise and more for the USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on Twitter/X at @Sports_Aaron, Instagram at a_ferg_writes, TikTok at sports_aaron, Reddit at sports_aaron and BlueSky at sportsaaron.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: USA TODAY Network's Big Ten football preseason rankings, championship picks
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Open (500) featuring Taylor Fritz, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton.📍Kitzbühel, Austria: Austrian Kitzbühel Open (250) featuring Alexander Bublik, Roberto Bautista Agut, Marton Fucsovics and Alexander Shevchenko.📍Umag, Croatia: Croatia Open Umag (250) featuring Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Tseng Chun-hsin, Titouan Droguet and Stan Wawrinka. 📺 UK: Sky Sports; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV 🎾 WTA 📍Washington, D.C.: Citi D.C. Open (500) featuring Venus Williams, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina and Emma Raducanu.📍Prague, Czech Republic: Prague Open (250) featuring Harriet Dart, Ann Li, Anastasia Gasanova and Alycia Parks. 📺 UK: Sky Sports; U.S.: Tennis Channel Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the men's and women's tours continue. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Tennis, Women's Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company
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He went through several injuries as a Duck and just kept going. He missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons and was hampered in 2022. Herbert was finally healthy in 2023, and he showed glimpses of what he could do with 15 catches and three touchdowns. While Herbert never reached the level of "star" in Eugene, he was among the fan favorites and could have a valuable role at the next level if he gets a chance to earn his spot on a 53-man roster. Returning Oregon Ducks Tight Ends Career Stats: 28 games, 29 receptions, 332 yards, 3 touchdowns Analysis: Kenyon Sadiq is primed to have a breakout season in 2025 and become Oregon's next great tight end. The Big Ten got an eyeful of Sadiq in the Big Ten Championship Game with his two touchdowns, including one where he leaped over the defender and strolled into the end zone. He might be the most athletic and talented tight end the Ducks have had in quite some time, and the Ducks expect Sadiq to be an all-conference performer this year. Career Stats: None Analysis: Saleapaga is one of a few young tight ends on the Oregon roster, and he is just waiting for his time to come. With Sadiq and Jamari Johnson (Louisville) ahead on the depth chart, Saleapaga will compete for playing time. Saleapaga hauled in 46 receptions for 671 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2023 before redshirting with the Ducks last year. He suffered a knee injury late in the year, but was making good progress during spring football and could have a role in the offense this season. Career Stats: None Analysis: Pugliano, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end, was one of the best players in the state of Oregon out of North Medford High School. He redshirted the 2024 season, but may see some time on the field next year in some capacity. Incoming Oregon Ducks Tight Ends Career Stats: 12 games, 13 receptions, 158 yards, 1 TD Analysis: Johnson, out of Inglewood, Calif., is a physical presence at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds. He played in five games as a true freshman and just seven games this past season due to injury. Louisville's loss could be a massive gain for the Ducks. He was one of the top players to enter the portal, and Dan Lanning was able to get him. Major recruiting outlets rated Johnson a four-star athlete, and he was voted to the 247Sports' 2023 Freaks List. Career Stats: None Analysis: Vander Ploog was the only tight end signed out of high school in this latest recruiting class. He is a four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals, and the 247Sports Composite and viewed as the top tight end prospect out of California and No. 4 nationally at the position by Rivals, coming in as the No. 161 overall recruit in the 2025 class. Ploog tallied over 2,200 yards and 37 touchdowns in a three-year career at Troy High School in Fullerton, Calif. Predicting Oregon Ducks Starting Tight End Prediction: Kenyon Sadiq After waiting his time behind Terrance Ferguson for the past two years, it feels like 2025 is Kenyon Sadiq's time to shine. He has flashed with the ball in his hands over the last couple of seasons, and fans have been begging for him to have a bigger role in the offense. It feels like that should be coming this season at long last, though Louisville transfer Jamari Johnson will also have a role in the offense. Overall Oregon Ducks TE Outlook The Ducks are in good hands at the TE position this season, but beyond that, there are questions. Sadiq could very well enter the 2026 NFL draft if he has the type of year that we expect him to. Oregon also has a commitment from 5-star TE Kendre Harrison, the No. 2 TE in the nation in the 2026 class, but it's not fair to expect him to have a significant impact as a starter in 2026. So, who will step up next year between Sadiq, should he declare, and Harrison in 2027? That's the major question. We will see who can establish themselves as the standout from the group this season. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
