Big Ten Daily (July 22): Ohio State, Oregon Land at Top of Big Ten Media Poll

Ohio State and Oregon are projected to finish in the top two spots in the Big Ten in 2024. Will there be any challengers to the Buckeyes and Ducks this year?

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day looks to the scoreboard / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

A traditional Big Ten power and one of the newcomers will be competing for a conference championship at the end of the 2024 college football season. USA Today media voters have pegged Ohio State and Oregon as the two best teams in the league this season.

Monday, as the Big Ten prepares for media days this week (July 23-25), USA Today released its Big Ten preseason poll. The Buckeyes are projected to take the top spot in the conference and compete in the conference championship game on Saturday, Dec. 7 in Indianapolis.

It would be Ohio State's first trip to the Big Ten Championship Game since 2020.

Oregon, one of the four newcomers to the conference, is picked to finish second in the league standings. That would likely secure a spot for the Ducks in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field at the end of the year.

Here's a look at the complete Big Ten preseason media poll as the league enters its first season with 18 teams.

2024 Big Ten football preseason media poll (USA Today)

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8 votes)
2. Oregon Ducks (5 votes)
3. Penn State Nittany Lions
4. MIchigan Wolverines
5. USC Trojans
6. Iowa Hawkeyes
7. Wisconsin Badgers
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers
9. Washington Huskies
10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
11. Maryland Terrapins
12. Michigan State Spartans
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers
14. UCLA Bruins
15. Illinois Fighting Illini
16. Indiana Hoosiers
17. Northwestern Wildcats
18. Purdue Boilermakers

2024 Big Ten Media Days schedule

It's officially the start of "talking season" in the Midwest — and beyond. Big Ten Football Media Days kicks off this week, giving us our first taste of the college football season.

Seven coaches will be making their Big Ten Media Days debut this week in Indianapolis: Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Sherrone Moore (Michigan), Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), Dan Lanning (Oregon), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), Lincoln Riley (USC) and Jedd Fisch (Washington). It should make for an interesting week.

The complete schedule for Big Ten Media Days is listed below (all times ET). Coverage for the event will be available on Big Ten Network:

Tuesday, July 23

• 11:00-11:30 a.m.: Tony Petitti, Big Ten Conference commissioner
• 11:30-11:45 a.m.: Bret Bielema, Illinois
• 11:45-12:00 p.m.: Greg Schiano, Rutgers
• 12:00-12:15 p.m.: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
• 12:15-12:30 p.m.: David Braun, Northwestern
• 12:30-12:45 p.m.: Ryan Walters, Purdue
• 12:45-1:00 p.m.: Ryan Day, Ohio State
  

Wednesday, July 24

• 11:00-11:30 a.m.: Richard M. Clark, College Football Playoff executive director
• 11:30-11:45 a.m.: DeShaun Foster, UCLA
• 11:45-12:00 p.m.: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
• 12:00-12:15 p.m.: Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
• 12:15-12:30 p.m.: Lincoln Riley, USC
• 12:30-12:45 p.m.: Matt Rhule, Nebraska
• 12:45-1:00 p.m.: James Franklin, Penn State

Thursday, July 25

• 11:30-11:45 a.m.: Dan Lanning, Oregon
• 11:45-12:00 p.m.: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
• 12:00-12:15 p.m.: Michael Locksley, Maryland
• 12:15-12:30 p.m.: Jedd Fisch, Washington
• 12:30-12:45 p.m.: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
• 12:45-1:00 p.m.: Sherrone Moore, Michigan

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COMPLETE 2024 BIG TEN SCHEDULE: A complete list of every Big Ten football game during the 2024 season, including dates, kickoff times, television information and more. CLICK HERE