The Wisconsin Badgers return to the AP Top 25 was short-lived as they fell out of the rankings this week after a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and a win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Coming in at No. 24 last week, Wisconsin probably needed a pair of wins to stay in the rankings, which unfortunately didn’t happen as the Badgers lost by 17 on the road to Ohio State on Tuesday.
The Badgers were the only team to fall out of the rankings this week, but they didn’t fall far, earning the most votes of any team outside
the Top 25 with 47 votes. Tennessee, which was the third team out last week, replaced Wisconsin in the rankings and jumped up to No. 22.
The three lowest teams in the AP Top 25 (St. Louis, Louisville, and Vanderbilt) fell five, three, and six spots, respectively, due to losses this week. With the Badgers out, there are now five Big Ten teams in the Top 25: Michigan (No. 3), Purdue (No. 8), Illinois (No. 10), Nebraska (No. 12), and Michigan State (No. 13).
Wisconsin will have a chance to crack back into the rankings this week, as they face the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies on the road. Neither team has a winning record this year, and they’ve gone a combined 8-24 in Big Ten play.
However, Oregon has picked up recent wins over Penn State and USC, snapping a 10-game losing streak, while Washington recently beat Minnesota.
