The media members that cover Big Ten college football seem to agree with me, and that they have selected Michigan as their preseason favorite.

Of course, this is all meaningless, or why would each team schedule a full slate of games?

The media panel selects the three top teams in the conference, and only three. With Michigan in the top spot, Wisconsin followed as the second pick, while defending Big Ten champion Ohio State was tabbed third.

The voting members of the media also honored Michigan running back Mike Hart as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis.

The Wolverines put together a successful 7-1 Big Ten record under head coach Lloyd Carr last year and tied for second overall in the conference standings.

Michigan represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl and ended last season with a record of 11-2.

With 11 starters returning for the Maize and Blue this year, including six on the offensive side of the ball, Michigan will look to capture its record 43rd conference title.

Wisconsin was selected second in the preseason poll after tying Michigan as Big Ten runner-up last year.

The highly overrated Badgers went 7-1 in conference play under Bret Bielema last season, who became just the third first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history to pilot his team to 12 victories.

Wisconsin concluded last year with a win over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl.

The Badgers return 18 starters this season, including 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year P.J. Hill.

My thoughts, though, still favor that the Badgers were a fluke last year.

Ohio State enters the 2007 campaign on the heels of a berth in the BCS National Championship game, a game which I don’t seem to remember, like it was erased from my memory banks.

The Buckeyes were 12-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in conference play last season under head coach Jim Tressel, who became the second OSU coach in school history to win three Big Ten titles in his first six years on campus.

OSU returns 11 starters for the 2007 campaign.

Hart headlines the conference’s offensive players this season after an impressive 2006 campaign that saw him rush for 1,562 yards with 14 touchdowns last season.

Hart was tabbed a first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Laurinaitis received the Big Ten’s top preseason defensive honor after concluding his sophomore season as an All-American and Nagurski Trophy recipient.

The OSU linebacker was a defensive force for the Buckeyes in 2006, leading the team with 115 tackles and adding five interceptions and four sacks.

Note: Ohio State is the REAL Linebacker U.

Now let’s play some football!

Tags: Football //