![Gopher head coach Richard Pitino watched the action on the floor during the first half of the Gopher's scrimmage at Williams Arena in Minneapolis Min., Friday, October 18, 2013. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/7XGSWU2I5YMEROZCSZQECHIUIY.jpg?&w=1080)
Tomorrow is Big Ten media day, and the official poll of the conference's top three teams will be announced. However, Ohio State writer Bob Baptist has made it a tradition of conducting an official poll of the beat writers (two from each team; 24 in all) in ranking all 12 teams – leading up to the official release.
Twelve points are given for a No. 1 vote; 1 is given for a No. 12 vote. And so on.
Here are the full results:
Michigan State, 288 points
Michigan, 241
Ohio State, 240
Wisconsin, 218
Iowa, 192
Indiana, 173
Purdue, 143
Illinois, 127
Minnesota, 74
Northwestern, 70
Penn State, 58
Nebraska, 48
Again, here are my own picks, with thoughts on each team.
Michigan State was a unanimous first-place vote, the only team to be picked for the same position by everyone.
The teams people are most unsure about? Iowa and Purdue. The former was picked in a range from second to eighth and the latter was picked anywhere from fourth through tenth.
Someone picked the Gophers fifth. I'd love to know who that is and interview them. No one else picked them higher than ninth. Four voters picked them last.
Plus, here are more preseason picks from all the Big Ten writers collaborated by Big Ten Network. I've been getting yelled at all morning by Hawkeyes fans, who are upset I didn't put Devyn Marble in any of my All-Big Ten teams. See why it's fun being a sportswriter?
