Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, Raekwon McMillan named to 2016 Big Ten preseason honors list

Big Ten Media Days kicks off this morning in Chicago, and while the conference doesn’t run official preseason polls or predictions, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some positive buzz centering around some of Ohio State’s players.

The league announced Monday morning that Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett and linebacker Raekwon McMillan were both named to the conference’s annual preseason honors list. The league doesn’t do an all-conference preseason team the way we’re accustomed to other conference’s doing.

Michigan’s lone representative, Jabrill Peppers, joins Barrett and McMillan representing the East division.

Here’s the complete 2016 preseason honors list:

EAST DIVISION

Jabrill Peppers, Jr., LB/DB, Michigan

Malik McDowell, Jr., DL, Michigan State

J.T. Barrett, Jr., QB, Ohio State

Raekwon McMillan, Jr., LB, Ohio State

Saquon Barkley, So., RB, Penn State

WEST DIVISION

C.J. Beathard, Sr., QB, Iowa

Desmond King, Sr., DB, Iowa

Justin Jackson, Jr., RB, Northwestern

Anthony Walker Jr., Jr., LB, Northwestern

Corey Clement, Sr., RB, Wisconsin

In lieu of the league doing so, the Cleveland Plain Dealer runs an unofficial media poll predicting conference standings, as well as the winner of the Big Ten Player of the Year awards. After counting up the ballots, Barrett was their preseason pick to win the Offensive Player of the Year award, and it wasn’t even especially close.

Voters were asked to give their top three candidates.

Barrett earned 34 first place votes, and 110 total votes, easily outstripping Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, who had three first place votes.

On the defensive side of the ball, Peppers was their leading vote getter.

If Ohio State is going to be successful this season, despite losing an enormous amount of talent to the NFL Draft, Barrett and McMillan will be huge reasons why. If nothing else, it’s clear they have the respect of much of the Big Ten press corps.