Sports
College Football Rankings: Big Ten Shut Out of Coaches Poll for First Time Ever
With some key losses and key teams ineligible, Big Ten football has been shut out of the NCAA coaches poll for the first time in its history.
For hardcore Iowa Hawkeyes fans, this will not come as a surprise: It's been a tough year for Big Ten football.
What may come as a surprise is that the latest coaches poll of the top 25 football programs in the nation has no Big Ten team ranked for the first time in its history.
The Hawkeyes certainly haven't helped the cause. Despite a promising conference win against Minnesota a week ago, Iowa (3-2) has had some disappointing, if not head-scratching losses this year.
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Iowa, who did not play this weekend, fell to the Central Michigan Chippewas 32-31 after the game appeared locked up in Iowa's favor with 45 seconds to go. And, before that, Iowa fell to in-state rival Iowa State, in a disappointing, although probably deserved, 9-6 loss.
The Big Ten had key losses this weekend including Northwestern, who was ranked No. 24, and Nebraska, who was ranked No. 21. Those schools fell out. Meanwhile, the teams to whom they lost, who probably should be ranked, Penn State and Ohio State, respectively, are ineligible for the polls due to violation of NCAA rules.
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Other top teams, such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State, fell flat against ranked (and unranked) opponents.
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