Purdue Is The Unanimous No. 1 Team In Week 13 Polls

The Week 13 AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls were released on Monday and three Big Ten teams were fortunate enough to make the cut. Purdue also made a clear statement, becoming a unanimous No. 1 team for the first time this season.

Here is where the Big Ten landed:

Week 13 AP Poll:

• No. 1 - Purdue
• No. 21 - Indiana
• Receiving Votes: Illinois, Rutgers, Northwestern

Week 13 USA Today Coaches’ Poll:

• No. 1 - Purdue
• No. 22 - Indiana
• No. 25 - Illinois
• Receiving Votes: Indiana, Rutgers, Northwestern, Michigan State

While it’s been a tough last few weeks for the Big Ten in the weekly polls, this was a nice reprieve. Obviously, the big story was Purdue coming in as the unanimous No. 1 team in both polls. Getting that type of acclaim isn’t easy to do, let alone for a program like Purdue that is often overshadowed nationally. However, this was well deserved, as the Boilermakers continue rolling.

However, it didn’t stop there, as Indiana and Illinois also moved into the top 25 after falling outside the rankings last week. The Hoosiers are playing really well and Illinois isn’t far behind, both knocking off quality teams last week. If they can keep it up, don’t expect them to stop there either, especially as Indiana has a huge opportunity against Purdue this weekend.

The only disappointing mark was in the receiving votes category, as the league saw some regression there. Michigan State didn’t get much love and the Scarlet Knights also seem stuck just outside the top 25. It seems baffling to keep Rutgers out of the top 25, but the team keeps splitting its results, preventing a rise in the rankings. It must be frustrating for fans to watch. We’ll see if that changes in the days ahead.