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The AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls released earlier this week for Week Nine 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 three other Big Ten teams who narrowly missed a spot in the top 25.
Here is where the Big Ten landed:
Week Nine AP Poll:
- No. 4 - Iowa
- No. 7 - Michigan
- No. 10 - Wisconsin
- No. 15 - Ohio State
- No. 17 - Minnesota
- No. 22 - Illinois
- Receiving Votes: Michigan State, Purdue
Week Nine USA Today Coaches’ Poll
- No. 4 - Iowa
- No. 7 - Michigan
- No. 10 - Wisconsin
- No. 17 - Minnesota
- No. 18 - Ohio State
- No. 24 - Illinois
- Receiving Votes: Michigan State, Rutgers
While it’s disappointing to see teams like Michigan State and Purdue 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, Illinois, and the three other Big Ten teams currently 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 Hawkeyes have a pretty manageable week with just Indiana on the docket and the Wolverines have two winnable games as well. Can the Hawkeyes and Wolverines sneak up even higher? We’ll have to wait and see.