Northwestern Wildcats ranked No. 24 in the top 25 AP after the win

The day after his place in the Big Ten Championship game, Northwestern is ranked in the football poll conducted by the Associated Press college for the first time this season.

The Wildcats (6-4) were No. 24 in the Top 25 after beating Iowa to win the Big Ten West with two games to play.

The remainder of the Top 25 was fairly stable, especially at the top where the only difference between the top 11 teams last week was the No. 8 Washington State exceeding the No. 9 state from Ohio and no. 10 from LSU.

Alabama is a No. 1 unanimous, followed by Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan and Georgia. Oklahoma is six and West Virginia seventh. The UCF is still No. 11.

Northwestern was ranked 17th at the end of last season, but lost three of four to start 2018.

ADD

The Wildcats had a strange season, losing early against Duke and Akron and belatedly against Notre Dame, to become the first FBS team to win a division without winning a non-conference game, according to ESPN Stats and Info. But they are 6-1 in the Big Ten game, with only a 20-17 loss to Michigan. Northwestern won four Big Ten games with four points or less and beat Michigan by 10.

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SURVEY POINTS

The number of teams with at least three defeats went from seven to ten this week, including two teams (Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State) with four losses. Last year, the Top 25 released after the 11th week of the regular season included six teams with three losses and none with four.

The last time two teams at four defeats were ranked as early in the season, it was November 7, 1999, while No. 22 Purdue and No. 24 State of the United States. Ohio were both at 6-4.

TO GET CLOSER

The Army was the first team among others to receive votes this week, losing five points less than No. 25 Mississippi Stat. The Black Knights (8-2) have not been ranked since 1996.

UP / DOWN

No big jumps in the top 10, but No. 19 Cincinnati has gone six places and No. 15 Florida, No. 16 Penn State and No. 18 Iowa State have both lost five places.

Kentucky No. 20 had the biggest fall of the weekend among the ranked teams. The Wildcats lost eight places after losing to Tennessee. Kentucky is on a two-game losing streak after reaching No. 9.

OUTSIDE

– Fresno State fell after losing to Boise State. This victory allowed the Broncos to climb up the rankings for the first time since September.

– The state of North Carolina is missing after losing at home against Wake Forest.

– The fourth Michigan State defeat led the Spartans to the standings.

IN

No. 21, Utah returned to the standings after beating Oregon after losing its best quarter and being injured the previous week.

CONFERENCE CALL