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The AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls released earlier this week for Week Eight of the season and six Big Ten teams were fortunate enough to make the cut. It’s an impressive achievement for the league and that’s not even to mention the handful of Big Ten teams who came in just outside the top 25.
Here is where the Big Ten landed:
Week Eight AP Poll:
- No. 5 - Iowa
- No. 7 - Michigan
- No. 9 - Wisconsin
- No. 14 - Illinois
- No. 21 - Ohio State
- No. 23 - Minnesota
- Receiving Votes: Rutgers, Michigan State, Northwestern, Indiana
Week Eight USA Today Coaches’ Poll
- No. 5 - Michigan
- No. 8 - Iowa
- No. 9 - Wisconsin
- No. 13 - Illinois
- No. 19 - Minnesota
- Receiving Votes: Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan State
While it’s disappointing to see teams like Rutgers and Ohio State stuck outside the top 25, there’s still a lot to like here. Three teams in the top 10 and four in the top 15 is an impressive achievement. And that’s not even to mention Minnesota and all the three teams receiving votes. The league remains stacked.
Perhaps the most intriguing question moving forward will be how high teams like Iowa and Michigan can climb in the rankings. The Wolverines face Wisconsin on Tuesday, so there’s a real chance Michigan loses this week, but Iowa has a pretty manageable slate moving forward. Can the Hawkeyes sneak up even higher? We’ll have to wait and see.