The Week Four AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls were released earlier this week and six Big Ten teams were fortunate enough to make the cut at least in one of the polls. Purdue led the way in both polls, with Michigan just a few spots behind the Boilermakers. Michigan State and Illinois also ended up in the top 15 of both polls.
Here is where the Big Ten landed:
Week Four AP Poll:
- No. 1 – Purdue (46)
- No. 7 – Michigan
- No. 11 – Michigan State
- No. 13 – Illinois
- No. 18 – UCLA
- No. 25 – Indiana
- Receiving Votes: Wisconsin, Oregon, Nebraska, Ohio State, USC, Iowa
Week Four USA Today Coaches’ Poll:
- No. 1 – Purdue (23)
- No. 6 – Michigan
- No. 12 – Michigan State
- No. 14 – Illinois
- No. 19 – UCLA
- No. 24 – Indiana
- Receiving Votes: Wisconsin, Oregon, USC, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State
Overall, it was a solid performance for the league. When you start with the topped rank team, it’s always going to be hard to complain about
things too much, let alone when you add in another team in the top 10 in Michigan and another (MSU) that is just a spot outside. Obviously, all of that has to be pretty encouraging for fans around the conference.
Indiana’s rise also deserves mention. The Hoosiers have been quietly rising up most of the projections and rankings this season and finally jumped into the top 25. Indiana also probably still has more upside with how its schedule shakes out in the weeks ahead.
Another exciting development was the receiving votes category. The league remains well represented there and Wisconsin and Oregon are just narrowly outside the top 25, meaning even a few favorable results in the days ahead could put both in the rankings next Monday. USC and Iowa also feel like sleepers in those categories, with a ton of upside if things go right.
All told, if the Big Ten is going to make a mark in March, it will need to keep things rolling. The good news is the conference gets a ton of quality opponents this week, so there are opportunities galore.
