Badgers move up and down AP top-25 ballots despite not playing
Only two teams ranked ahead of Wisconsin in the Associated Press top-25 poll lost last week – then-No. 6 Florida (to No. 8 Georgia) and then-No. 15 SMU.
Yet somehow the Badgers still moved up two spots in this week’s poll, from No. 18 to 16, despite Florida still being ranked ahead of them. Sorry, Cincinnati. Wisconsin jumped over the Bearcats, who edged 3-6 East Carolina on the road 46-43 and remained at No. 17.
Of the 62 AP voters, 21 had Wisconsin ranked in the same spot they had the Badgers in Week 10. Many moved UW up just one or two spots, including Cleveland.com’s Nathan Baird, who has the Badgers at No. 11, the highest spot for Wisconsin on any ballot.
Wisconsin had bigger gains from other voters. KSL.com’s Josh Furlong moved the Badgers up six spots, from 21 to 15, while the Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley put UW at No. 18 after not having the Badgers ranked at all the previous week. Ah, the benefits of not playing (or not losing).
While not playing can have its privileges, it can also have its detriments, too. Seven voters moved Wisconsin down on their ballots. A couple, Tom Bragg (dropped three spots) and James Kratch (dropped two spots), still have Wisconsin ranked at No. 15 and No. 16, respectively.
Then there’s Adam Zucker of CBS Sports Network who moved Wisconsin down the largest amount, four spots, from 17 to 21. Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman slid the Badgers three spots, from 19 to 22.
Bottom line: Playing – and winning – is always the true indicator. Unless you’re Cincinnati, I guess.
Here’s how all the AP voters cast their ballots in Week 11 compared to last week:
| Voter | Week 11 | Week 10 |
| Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com | 11 | 13 |
| Matt Baker, Tampa Bay Times | 12 | 12 |
| Aaron McMann, Mlive Media Group | 13 | 14 |
| Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Advertiser | 13 | 14 |
| Nate Mink, Syracuse Media Group | 13 | 13 |
| David Briggs, Toledo Blade | 14 | 14 |
| Davis Potter, Casper Star-Tribune | 14 | 14 |
| Dylan Sinn, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette | 14 | 16 |
| Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News | 14 | 14 |
| Matt Brown, The Athletic | 14 | 14 |
| Rece Davis, ESPN | 14 | 15 |
| Brett McMurphy, Stadium Network | 15 | 17 |
| Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | 15 | 15 |
| Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune | 15 | 15 |
| Jerry DiPaola, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | 15 | 15 |
| Jim Polzin, Wisconsin State Journal | 15 | 16 |
| John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader | 15 | 16 |
| Jon Johnson, The Dothan Eagle | 15 | 16 |
| Josh Furlong, KSL.com | 15 | 21 |
| Lauren Brownlow, WRAL Baltimore | 15 | 18 |
| Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald | 15 | 16 |
| Matt McCoy, WTVN-AM Columbus | 15 | 15 |
| Michael Lev, Arizona Daily Star | 15 | 15 |
| Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman | 15 | 16 |
| Tom Bragg, Charleston Gazette-Mail | 15 | 12 |
| Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | 15 | 16 |
| Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune | 16 | 18 |
| Eric Boynton, Spartanburg Herald-Journal | 16 | 18 |
| James Kratch, The Star Ledger | 16 | 14 |
| Neill Ostrout, Journal Inquirer | 16 | 16 |
| Sam McKewon, Omaha World-Herald | 16 | 16 |
| Soren Petro, 810 WHB Kansas City | 16 | 16 |
| Steve Batterson, Quad City Times | 16 | 17 |
| Andy Greder, St. Paul Pioneer Press | 17 | 17 |
| Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette | 17 | 18 |
| John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal | 17 | 18 |
| Steve Virgen, Albuquerque Journal | 17 | 20 |
| Audrey Dahlgren, WLNS-TV | 18 | 16 |
| Brooks Kubena, The Advocate | 18 | 17 |
| Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman | 18 | 18 |
| Gene Henley, Chattanooga Times/Free Press | 18 | 20 |
| Norm Wood, The Daily Press | 18 | 20 |
| Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun | 18 | NR |
| Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post | 18 | 19 |
| Tom Green, Alabama Media Group | 18 | 20 |
| Blair Kerkoff, Kansas City Star | 19 | 20 |
| Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal | 19 | 20 |
| Conor O'Neill, Winston-Salem Journal | 19 | 20 |
| Theo Lawson, Spokesman-Review | 19 | 20 |
| Rob Long, WJFK-FM Washington, D.C. | 20 | 21 |
| Steve Wiseman, Durham Herald-Sun | 20 | 19 |
| Adam Zucker, CBS Sports Network | 21 | 17 |
| Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News | 21 | 21 |
| Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle | 21 | 21 |
| Gary Horowitz, Statesman Journal | 22 | 24 |
| Jim Holder, WTVA-Tupelo | 22 | 22 |
| Joe Dubin, WSMV-TV | 22 | 25 |
| Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman | 22 | 19 |
| Mark Whicker, L.A. Daily News | 22 | 23 |
| Michael Vega, Boston Globe | 22 | 22 |
| Brian Howell, Daily Camera | 23 | 23 |
| Garland Gillen, WVUE-TV New Orleans | 25 | NR |
Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
