Ohio State slight favorite to win Big Ten in preseason writers' poll

Ohio State will defeat Wisconsin to win the Big Ten football championship this season, according to a cleveland.com preseason poll of 28 writers. The Buckeyes are hardly an odds-on favorite, though. 

The Buckeyes received 14 votes to the Badgers' 13 with Michigan State collecting the final vote.

The poll was conducted ahead of the Big Ten Media Days, which take place Monday and Tuesday in Chicago.

The Cleveland online site has been conducting the preseason poll for eight years after the conference stopped doing one. 

In the East, Ohio State received 23.5 first-place votes while MSU garnered two and Michigan 1.5 respectively. Only 1.5 points separate the second-place Spartans from the fourth-place Wolverines.

Wisconsin was the overwhelming favorite to win the Big West with 28 first-place votes.

BIG TEN EAST

1. Ohio State, 191.5 points (23.5 first-place votes)

2. Michigan State, 142 points (2)

3. Penn State, 141.5 points (1)

4. Michigan, 140.5 points (1.5)

5. Maryland, 75.5 points

6. Indiana, 60 points

7. Rutgers, 33 points

BIG TEN WEST

1. Wisconsin, 196 points (28 first-place votes)

2. Iowa, 155 points

3. Northwestern, 138 points

4. Nebraska, 104 points

5. Purdue, 98.5 points

6. Minnesota, 64.5 points

7. Illinois, 28 points