The Illinois Fighting Illini Picked To Finish Near Bottom In Big Ten Preseason Media Poll

Shandel Richardson | Jul 22, 2024

Nov 4, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) throws the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini did not get much love from the media in the preseason Big Ten poll.

The Illini were picked to finish No. 14 in the standings. The poll was conducted by Kings Of The North, a podcast that covers college football. Thirty-three media members participated in the voting process.

Ohio State was chosen first while Oregon was second, followed by Penn State, Michigan and Iowa. Oregon is among the four newcomers in the conference, joined by USC, Washington and UCLA.

Here's the entire poll:

Ohio State
Oregon
Penn State
Michigan
Iowa
USC
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Rutgers
Washington
Maryland
Minnesota
UCLA
Illinois
Michigan State
Northwestern
Indiana
Purdue

The podcast also picked a preseason player of the year on offense and defense. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was the offensive pick while Michigan cornerback Will Johnson was the defensive selection.

BIG TEN MEDIA DAY ARRIVES

The Fighting Illini will send three player representatives Tuesday to join head coach Bret Bielema for Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The event runs through Thursday.

The players are receiver Pat Bryant and linebackers Seth Coleman and Gabe Jaces.

Bryant is a two-year starter who last year tied for the most receiving touchdowns (7) in the conference. Coleman finished second in the Big Ten in sacks during conference games (6) and led the Power 5 in sacks during road games (6) last season. A 2022 Freshman All-American, Jacas has 66 tackles and eight sacks during his first two years.

Each of them bring key intangibles to the Illini.

The Big Ten Network will broadcast six consecutive hours of live coverage every day, beginning at 10 a.m., central time.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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