Analysis: Ohio State an obvious pick in Big Ten : Sports – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sports media folks don’t agree on much, especially when it’s time to peek into our often-cloudy crystal ball. But all 40 of us invited to participate in a Cleveland.com Big Ten Conference football poll will go into the coming season in complete agreement about one thing. Ohio State is the unanimous favorite to win the Big Ten Conference championship. That’s not a surprise, given the memory of Ohio State slapping aside Alabama and Oregon to win the first-ever College Football Playoff and resulting national championship. Later this week, when we convene in Chicago for the Big Ten’s football media day event, we’ll hear coach Urban Meyer sort through the embarrassment of riches he has on his impressive roster. That should simply confirm our contention. The roster includes running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was named preseason offensive player of the year, and Joey Bosa, the unblockable pass rusher named preseason defensive player of the year. That says nothing of Ohio State’s stable of quarterbacks, a crowded trio that has pushed Braxton Miller to wide receiver and punt returner. The voters who participated in the Cleveland.com poll obviously picked Ohio State to win the East Division and were in agreement about the runner-up, too. Michigan State received every second-place vote in the East. …

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