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The Big Ten had a team in the top-ten every week of the season. And, it's gone. Michigan State's loss to Nebraska pretty much made assured the the Big Ten would drop out of the prestigious top-ten, not to worry though, MSU has a pretty big game coming up this week that can get them back there. Here's how the whole league looks in the rankings:
AP Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Michigan St. Spartans | 21-5 | 788 | 9 |
| 15 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 19-6 | 721 | 16 |
| 16 | Wisconsin Badgers | 21-5 | 609 | 21 |
| 20 | Michigan Wolverines | 18-7 | 421 | 15 |
| 24 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | 20-6 | 133 | 22 |
Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Michigan St. Spartans | 21-5 | 406 | 10 |
| 15 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 19-6 | 375 | 15 |
| 18 | Wisconsin Badgers | 21-5 | 255 | 21 |
| 20 | Michigan Wolverines | 18-7 | 159 | 18 |
| 23 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 20-6 | 97 | 20 |
Who's Hot:
Can someone say Nebrasketball? No one, not even Taylor Martinez, believed that the Nebraska Cornhuskers would go into East Lansing and beat the Michigan State Spartans. If you did, you're taking the BTP staff to Las Vegas; we'll pay for gas. Nebraska also beat Illinois this week and is on a three-game winning streak. With six games left, and only one against a top-half Big Ten opponent, the NCAA Tournament talks have begun in Lincoln.
Who's Not:
Dropping two straight before the end of a back-loaded schedule probably isn't the best game plan for getting into the Big Dance. Indiana would've had a fighters chance at making the tournament with wins over the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Purdue Boilermakers and an upset or two down the stretch. Losing the should-be victories really hurts those chances, and barring a miracle, you can count the Indiana Hoosiers out in March.
Notables Nationwide:
"Hello, SEC?" Rather, "Hello, Florida." The Florida Gators ended the Syracuse Orangemen's stranglehold on first-place votes by earning just one this week; the Gators' effort was probably aided by the 'Cuse struggling with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The top-ten is still split by ten conferences, with the AAC having two teams in the top 11 in the Cincinnati Bearcats (7) and the Louisville Cardinals (11). Keep an eye on the UCLA Bruins; they're athletic, skilled and getting hot at the right time as they climb into the rankings.