Where Purdue is Picked to Finish in Preseason Big Ten Media Poll

There isn't much belief in Purdue entering the 2025 college football season. For a second straight season, the Boilermakers have been picked to finish last in the Big Ten Conference.

Monday, Cleveland.com released its annual preseason Big Ten poll. Purdue was picked to finish 18th in the league, the same spot it was projected to end before the 2024 season kicked off. The Boilers concluded last year with a 1-11 record, failing to win a single conference game.

At the end of the 2024 campaign, Purdue moved on from coach Ryan Walters after two seasons and hired Barry Odom away from UNLV. Although expectations from media may be low, Odom has indicated multiple times that he has no interest in waiting to find success in West Lafayette.

"We need to play winning football. Our habits need to align to that," Odom told The Fan Morning Show on 107.5 The Fan last week. "We need to be, in the month of November, chasing the opportunity to compete for a championship, and then we've got to be able to play in the postseason. That's the bottom line."

Can Purdue prove the doubters wrong and finish higher in the Big Ten standings than projected? The season kicks off for the Boilers on Saturday, Aug. 30 against Ball State at Ross-Ade Stadium.

2025 Big Ten Preseason Football Poll (Cleveland.com)

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