Comparing Badgers, Gophers on ballots of AP top-25 voters
You might have heard there’s a big game this weekend.
Not only is this year’s Wisconsin-Minnesota game for bragging rights and Paul Bunyan’s Axe, but also the winner will claim the Big Ten West title and face Ohio State in the conference championship game the following week.
The Gophers are ranked No. 9 in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll while the Badgers are No. 13.
Minnesota will be at home for this year’s Axe week – yet Wisconsin is favored by Las Vegas. The point spread was four to open and is now 2 1/2.
Maybe Vegas knows something?
Well, we know not all AP voters think Minnesota is better than Wisconsin, although most do. Twelve of the 62 voters rank the Badgers higher than the Gophers.
Dave Reardon of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has the biggest gap – seven spots. He has Wisconsin ranked No. 9 and Minnesota at No. 16. Two others have a difference of at least five slots: Cleveland.com’s Nathan Baird (Badgers No. 11, Gophers No. 17) and Garland Gillen of WVUE-TV New Orleans (10, 15).
On the flip side, Steve Wiseman of the Durham Herald-Sun has an 11-point difference in Minnesota’s favor (19, 8) and Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has a margin of 10 (17, 7).
It’s all interesting to talk about. Of course, the matter will be settled on the field Saturday.
Here’s how all the AP voters cast their ballots in Week 14 for Wisconsin and Minnesota:
| Voter | Badgers | Gophers |
| Aaron McMann, Mlive Media Group | 9 | 10 |
| Adam Zucker, CBS Sports Network | 11 | 7 |
| Andy Greder, St. Paul Pioneer Press | 17 | 7 |
| Audrey Dahlgren, WLNS-TV | 14 | 9 |
| Blair Kerkoff, Kansas City Star | 14 | 8 |
| Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette | 15 | 8 |
| Brett McMurphy, Stadium Network | 12 | 9 |
| Brian Howell, Daily Camera | 17 | 8 |
| Brooks Kubena, The Advocate | 16 | 11 |
| Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune | 15 | 17 |
| Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman | 12 | 9 |
| Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal | 15 | 9 |
| Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News | 15 | 10 |
| Conor O'Neill, Winston-Salem Journal | 16 | 8 |
| Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Advertiser | 9 | 16 |
| David Briggs, Toledo Blade | 12 | 8 |
| Davis Potter, Casper Star-Tribune | 13 | 8 |
| Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | 15 | 9 |
| Dylan Sinn, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette | 12 | 7 |
| Eric Boynton, Spartanburg Herald-Journal | 12 | 7 |
| Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune | 10 | 11 |
| Garland Gillen, WVUE-TV New Orleans | 10 | 15 |
| Gary Horowitz, Statesman Journal | 14 | 9 |
| Gene Henley, Chattanooga Times/Free Press | 11 | 8 |
| James Kratch, The Star Ledger | 12 | 9 |
| Jerry DiPaola, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | 12 | 8 |
| Jim Holder, WTVA-Tupelo | 14 | 16 |
| Jim Polzin, Wisconsin State Journal | 13 | 8 |
| Joe Dubin, WSMV-TV | 16 | 10 |
| John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal | 13 | 10 |
| John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader | 14 | 10 |
| Jon Johnson, The Dothan Eagle | 12 | 11 |
| Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News | 14 | 17 |
| Josh Furlong, KSL.com | 11 | 9 |
| Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman | 19 | 10 |
| Lauren Brownlow, WRAL Baltimore | 14 | 12 |
| Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald | 12 | 8 |
| Mark Whicker, L.A. Daily News | 11 | 14 |
| Matt Baker, Tampa Bay Times | 11 | 9 |
| Matt Brown, The Athletic | 12 | 8 |
| Matt McCoy, WTVN-AM Columbus | 11 | 8 |
| Michael Lev, Arizona Daily Star | 9 | 8 |
| Michael Vega, Boston Globe | 18 | 9 |
| Nate Mink, Syracuse Media Group | 14 | 9 |
| Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com | 11 | 17 |
| Neill Ostrout, Journal Inquirer | 14 | 8 |
| Norm Wood, The Daily Press | 10 | 8 |
| Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun | 12 | 7 |
| Rece Davis, ESPN | 14 | 9 |
| Rob Long, WJFK-FM Washington, D.C. | 13 | 7 |
| Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle | 14 | 8 |
| Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman | 13 | 8 |
| Sam McKewon, Omaha World-Herald | 13 | 15 |
| Soren Petro, 810 WHB Kansas City | 13 | 11 |
| Steve Batterson, Quad City Times | 14 | 17 |
| Steve Virgen, Albuquerque Journal | 14 | 10 |
| Steve Wiseman, Durham Herald-Sun | 19 | 8 |
| Theo Lawson, Spokesman-Review | 18 | 11 |
| Tom Bragg, Charleston Gazette-Mail | 14 | 9 |
| Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post | 10 | 14 |
| Tom Green, Alabama Media Group | 12 | 9 |
| Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | 15 | 9 |
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
