Remember the days when we were supposedly approaching a top-14 standing in the BCS? Yeah, I do, too.
Wisconsin finished Nos. 21 and 22 in the USA TODAY Coaches and AP Top 25 polls, respectively, released Tuesday. These polls certainly don't change the outcome or success/failure of the Badgers' season, though I suppose they're landmarks of of relative significance now that the offseason's officially here.
Of note: Capital One Bowl opponent South Carolina finished fourth in both polls, one spot behind Michigan State. Other Big Ten teams in the top 25s include Ohio State (10th in the coaches; 12th in the AP) and Nebraska (25th in the coaches but unranked in the AP).
Arizona State also finished just one spot ahead of Wisconsin in both polls, SO HEY TAKE THAT, SUN DEVILS?
AP Top 25
RANKING | SCHOOL | LAST WEEK |
1 | Florida State | 1 |
2 | Auburn | 2 |
3 | Michigan State | 4 |
4 | South Carolina | 8 |
5 | Missouri | 9 |
6 | Oklahoma | 11 |
7 | Alabama | 3 |
8 | Clemson | 12 |
9 | Oregon | 10 |
10 | UCF | 15 |
11 | Stanford | 5 |
12 | Ohio State | 7 |
13 | Baylor | 6 |
14 | LSU | 14 |
15 | Louisville | 18 |
16 | UCLA | 17 |
17 | Oklahoma State | 13 |
18 | Texas A&M | 20 |
19 | USC | 26 |
20 | Notre Dame | 25 |
21 | Arizona State | 16 |
22 | Wisconsin | 19 |
23 | Duke | 22 |
24 | Vanderbilt | 29 |
25 | Washington | 33 |
USA TODAY Coaches Poll
RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | FIRST PLACE VOTES | PREVIOUS RANK | CHANGE | HI/LOW |
1 | Florida State Seminoles |
14-0 | 1475 | 59 | 1 | 1/10 | |
2 | Auburn Tigers |
12-2 | 1388 | 0 | 2 | 2/NR | |
3 | Michigan State Spartans |
13-1 | 1375 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3/NR |
4 | South Carolina Gamecocks |
11-2 | 1219 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4/20 |
5 | Missouri Tigers |
12-2 | 1200 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5/NR |
6 | Oklahoma Sooners |
11-2 | 1189 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6/18 |
7 | Clemson Tigers |
11-2 | 1091 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 4/11 |
8 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
11-2 | 1086 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1/8 |
9 | Oregon Ducks |
11-2 | 975 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 2/12 |
10 | Stanford Cardinal |
11-3 | 872 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4/13 |
10 | Ohio State Buckeyes |
12-2 | 872 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2/10 |
12 | Central Florida Knights |
12-1 | 865 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 12/NR |
13 | Baylor Bears |
11-2 | 796 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 4/NR |
14 | LSU Tigers |
10-3 | 719 | 0 | 14 | 6/19 | |
15 | Louisville Cardinals |
12-1 | 703 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 6/17 |
16 | UCLA Bruins |
10-3 | 597 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 10/22 |
17 | Oklahoma State Cowboys |
10-3 | 587 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 6/20 |
18 | Texas A&M Aggies |
9-4 | 443 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 6/25 |
19 | USC Trojans |
10-4 | 313 | 0 | NR | 19/NR | |
20 | Arizona State Sun Devils |
10-4 | 302 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 13/NR |
21 | Wisconsin Badgers |
9-4 | 266 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 14/NR |
22 | Duke Blue Devils |
10-4 | 202 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 20/NR |
23 | Vanderbilt Commodores |
9-4 | 180 | 0 | NR | 23/NR | |
24 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
9-4 | 125 | 0 | NR | 13/NR | |
25 | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
9-4 | 123 | 0 | NR | 15/NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Washington 67; Fresno State 54; Northern Illinois 21; Marshall 17; Texas Tech 13; Kansas State 11; Mississippi 7; Texas 4; Miami (Fla.) 4; East Carolina 3; Cincinnati 3; Arizona 2; North Texas 2; Utah State 2; Navy 1; Louisiana-Lafayette 1.