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