Badgers take a (small) hit from AP top-25 voters after lackluster performance

By Dave Heller
Published

Wisconsin’s game against Northwestern on Saturday, frankly, wasn’t the most fun college football game to watch.

However, it was a win and Associated Press top-25 voters likely can’t watch every game on the docket and rely on scores and (welp) game stories, columns, etc.



That being said, most AP voters kept Wisconsin right where they had the Badgers on their ballot the previous week. Most, but not all.

Twelve voters moved Wisconsin down from their previous ballot, including all three who had the Badgers ranked No. 6 in Week 5. Of those 12, 10 slid Wisconsin down just one spot.

Two voters dropped the Badgers two slots, both from nine to 11: James Kratch of The Star Ledger, who jumped Notre Dame and Oregon ahead of Wisconsin, and Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, who moved Auburn and Oregon in front of UW.

Six voters did move Wisconsin up on their ballot, including two from No. 10 to 8: Pat Dooley of Gainesville Sun, who moved the Badgers over Florida and Penn State from his previous ballot, and Gene Henley of the Chattanooga Times/Free Press, who put UW over Florida and Notre Dame.

Because of more voters moving Wisconsin down rather than up, the Badgers also dropped in overall points, from 1,071 in Week 5 to 1,046 in Week 6, while still remaining at No. 8 in the rankings.

However, Wisconsin’s lead over the No. 9 team (Florida last week, Notre Dame this week) actually increased – by one. Go figure.

Here’s how all the AP voters cast their ballots in Week 6 compared to Week 5:


















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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