With the 2021 Big Ten season now under way after yesterday’s game between Illinois and Nebraska, the conference season is officially here. To mark the start of the year, 15 members of our staff completed a conference poll, predicting who they expect to take each divisional title (and who will finish second in both the West and East), the conference championship and the awards for Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. The results are as follows:

West Division Champion - Wisconsin

First Place Votes:

1. Wisconsin - 10 votes
2. Northwestern - Three votes
3. Tie: Iowa and Minnesota - One vote each

Second Place Votes:

1. Iowa - Nine votes
2. Tie: Northwestern, Minnesota and Wisconsin - Two votes each

As has been the case for most of the last decade, the Badgers enter as the preseason favorite to emerge out of the West and make their way to Indy.