The Badgers dropped out of the AP Top 25 after a three-game losing streak earlier this month.
The new year is arriving and the Wisconsin Badgers are getting prepared to kick off the second part of their season, with the extended conference slate opening up on Friday against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
At the break, the Badgers stand 10-3, while losing both of their Big Ten games thus far during a three-game losing streak back in early December. That prompted a drop from No. 11 in the AP Top 25 to unranked in a matter of two weeks, and Wisconsin will open the new year outside of the rankings as well.
The expectations were lower for the Badgers this season, as they were projected to finish 12th in the Big Ten in the preseason media poll. But, a veteran-laden team has impressed early in the season, beating teams such as Arizona, UCF, Pitt, and Butler during their non-conference schedule.
Where do the Badgers stand in the Big Ten heading into conference play?
Looking specifically at conference record, Wisconsin is all the way at the bottom, given their 0-2 record against Big Ten opponents.
However, when considering the AP Top 25 rankings, let’s see how the Big Ten teams stack up currently.
The Oregon Ducks lead the way, standing at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 with a 12-1 record, holding victories over the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon State, USC, and Stanford, while their lone loss was a two-point defeat to the No. 15 UCLA Bruins, who were unranked at the time.
Not surprisingly, the Bruins are next up at No. 15, sporting an 11-2 record and jumping up seven spots in the latest AP Top 25 rankings.
After an early-season loss to Richard Pitino’s New Mexico Lobos, the Bruins have bounced back with wins over Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and most recently No. 14 Gonzaga to improve to 11-2. Their only other loss was a two-point defeat to North Carolina.
Michigan State ranks right behind them at No. 18 with a 10-2 record, with their two losses coming to No. 1 Kansas and Memphis. They’ve also beaten Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, and FAU thus far.
Purdue (No. 20) and Illinois (No. 22) round out the Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25, with both teams playing some strong competition thus far.
The Boilermakers, standing at 9-4, have played five ranked teams thus far, beating No. 2 Alabama and No. 23 Ole Miss, while losing to No. 15 Marquette, No. 17 Texas A&M, and No. 2 Auburn. They also have a loss to Penn State, but have beaten Maryland and NC State as well.
The Fighting Illini, standing at 9-3, have lost to No. 8 Alabama, Northwestern, and No. 2 Tennessee, but have beaten Wisconsin, No. 19 Arkansas, and Missouri thus far.
Michigan is the fifth team out, receiving 65 votes in this week’s polls. Behind them are Ohio State (36th overall, received 19 votes) and Indiana (40th overall, received 11 votes) before we get to Wisconsin (43rd, received 7 votes).
So, looking strictly at the AP Top 25, the Badgers are currently ninth in a competitive Big Ten entering conference play, which will be a true indicator of where this team currently is.