Big Ten makes history with 4 teams in Top 25
For the first time ever, the Big Ten has four teams ranked in the top five of this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Prior to this week, the Big Ten had three teams ranked among the top five on 16 occasions in the 88-year history of the AP poll.
By the way, the SEC is the only other conference to previously have four teams ranked in the top five.
In its first year of membership, undefeated Oregon (10-0) is trying to become the second straight Big Ten school to win the national championship (Michigan won it all a year ago). The Ducks continue to be the nation’s top-ranked team and play at Wisconsin Saturday night.
One of the big stories this college football season continues to be the Indiana Hoosiers and first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. All he has done in Year One in Bloomington is guide the Cream and Crimson to a 10-0 start, IU’s best start in history. In addition, the Hoosiers are ranked fifth in the country, marking the first time IU has been in the top five since 1967.
The Hoosiers had their first “scare” of the season this past Saturday when they beat visiting Michigan 20-15. It was IU’s first single-digit victory of the season.
“Not many style points there,” said Cignetti in reference to the College Football Playoff rankings after his team’s first close game of the season. “Not going to be many people banging the drum saying Indiana ought to be rated higher in the BCS and all that good stuff.”
IU will enjoy a bye week this Saturday before its huge showdown Nov. 23 at Ohio State.
The following week the Hoosiers will close out the regular season when 1-8 Purdue visits Bloomington in the Old Oaken Bucket battle.
The other Big Ten teams that are ranked include No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State.
On Saturday the 8-1 Buckeyes face 4-5 Northwestern in Wrigley Field, while the 8-1 Nittany Lions travel to Purdue to face a Boilermaker team that is winless in conference action.
There are no other ranked Big Ten teams outside of the top five.
Notre Dame climbs to No. 8 in the latest poll.
The Irish close out their regular-season home schedule this Saturday against 5-4 Virginia.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, whose team is 8-1, knows the final three games of the regular-season will be like a one-game playoff.
”Every game, this game is the Super Bowl,” Freeman said. “No matter if we are in the playoff hunt or not, it’s the same mindset we have. You get 12 of these guaranteed opportunities. I told the team, we’re guaranteed one more opportunity in Notre Dame Stadium for these seniors. To think about anything other than that, you’re doing this game a disservice.”
Notre Dame will finish the regular season with a “neutral” game against unbeaten Army (9-0) in Yankee Stadium, which is part of its annual Shamrock Series, and at 4-5 USC.
The biggest game this Saturday will be sxith-ranked Tennessee visiting No. 11 Georgia in what will be a playoff elimination game.
Without question the homestretch of the regular season will be very interesting to say the least as the nation’s top teams jockey to try and lock down one of the coveted top four seeds in the College Football Playoff and others try to solidify themselves as one of the top 12 so they can play for a national title.
Remember the top four seeds will receive a first-round bye in the playoff and seeds 5-12 will open first-round play Dec. 20-21. Those opening round games will be play on campus.
The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket will be revealed on Sunday Dec. 8.
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