How they voted: Badgers in 2016 AP football poll (Week 3)

By foxsports
Published

How impressive was Wisconsin's win over Akron last Saturday? Maybe more than you think.

Not showing a hangover / letdown / whatever term you want to use after beating then-No. 5 LSU in Week 1, the Badgers throttled the Zips and moved up to No. 9 in the Associated Press top-25 poll. In the process, UW gained 134 votes, which is a lot, even considering Georgia's massive fall, as the Bulldogs were at No. 9 last week and the Badgers No. 10.

So what gives?

Maybe more people are believing in Wisconsin? Graham Watson of Yahoo Sports was one of those who had LSU ranked higher than Wisconsin in Week 2. But in this week's poll, Watson jumped the Badgers 15 spots, from 24 to 9 (meanwhile dropping LSU from 16 to 21).

That wasn't the only big jump. Michael Bonner moved UW from 18 to 9, Tony Parks from 21 to 10 and Dana Sulonen from 23 to 13. The latter two had LSU ranked higher than Wisconsin last week, but no longer. In fact, of the eight voters who had LSU ranked higher than Wisconsin after the Badgers win in the Week 2 poll, only one continues to have the Tigers higher on their ballot. But a second person has emerged.

Of course, let's take a look at those two head-scratchers.

First, I ask, should the poll be about projection -- how good you think a team will be? -- or results. I believe the preseason poll is about projection, but once the season starts it should be about results. Anything else just seems like trying to make valid a preseason pick. Anyway, back to our LSU two:

Josh Kendall of The State has Wisconsin at No. 14 and LSU at No. 11. Last week he had the Badgers at No. 11 and while I can't find his ballot for that week, we know he didn't have LSU higher than UW (as I tallied all the people who did that), so that means he dropped Wisconsin on his ballot but raised LSU. The Tigers beat FCS Jacksonville State 34-10 at home. Wisconsin beat an FBS team by a greater margin. Oh, and beat the Tigers. Can't figure that one out.

Andy Greger of the St. Paul Pioneer Press did move Wisconsin up from 24 to 20 in Week 3, but he kept LSU at No. 10. He also has four 1-1 teams ranked higher than Wisconsin (other voters also have teams with 1-1 records higher than the Badgers, but this is the most).

I. Just. Don't. Get. It.

Here's the voting from this past week as well as with the first two polls:

* -- Mandy Mitchell took the place of Ngozi Ekeledo, who had Wisconsin at No. 12 in Week 2 and unranked in the preseason poll.

Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as 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