It's funny, but I keep seeing this in every preview for us:
"12. UCLA
Expect the Bruins to be among the nation’s most-improved teams in 2026. "
the comments are about the same about improvement, but then they pick us to finish, well, just about exactly where we finished in the Big 10 last year. (we finished tied with Penn St for 12th)
So, my translation is that we have a TON of mediocrity history to overcome. They 'say' that we'll be improved, but can't bring themselves to actually predict it...
...reasonable, given our history, but there's that habit - look at the 3 teams directly ahead of us - Minn/Neb/Ill.
They are mostly picked in that tier because that's where they've been for awhile (well, Illinois has been a bit higher, but in looking at their roster turnover, they do appear like they are falling, just not to the perceived tier we're placed in).
Chesney definitely has his work cut out for him to change that perception of us as being around the 4th tier of B1G football, but the opportunity is there to be seized.