Big Ten Media Days are this week. Nebraska football is set to speak on Wednesday and that also means that it’s time for the annual Big Ten media poll.
The Cleveland.com poll hasn’t been released yet, but the Kings of North YouTube channel put together its own preseason poll for the 2024 season. It features voters from newspapers, 247 Sports, and The Athletic.
Media polls aren’t everything. They are often wrong but they give a good indication of where things stand, in a general sense, heading into a season.
It’s also a little more interesting since the Big Ten is welcoming four new teams into the conference this season: USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. Nebraska football will play league games against USC and UCLA this season which is pretty wild when you think about it.
We are a long way from the Big 8.
Where Nebraska football ranks in Big Ten Media poll
Looking ahead to 2024, Nebraska football fans are hoping the Huskers end the bowl-game drought. The fact that Matt Rhule tends to do well in his second season, at least in college, is one reason for optimism. The defense and five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola are others.
However, in terms of the Big Ten, there is still work to do. Nebraska football was picked 8th by the Big Ten media. Ohio State was picked to win the Big Ten, followed by Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, Iowa, USC, and Wisconsin.
Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State were each given better than a 50-percent chance of making the new 12-team playoff. At the end of the day, polls don’t matter but they are a fun discussion point.
Eighth seems realistic for the Huskers, but with a very manageable schedule, a higher finish is certainly possible. Then again, we have learned that the opposite is always very possible.
The season starts on Aug. 31 and like Nebraska football fans everywhere, I can’t wait.
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