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:

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