Others Receiving Votes

Let me start this by saying I am one of those who don't put much stock in what it means to be ranked, after all, being ranked in the top 25 doesn't guarantee that you will win, just ask USC. I do realize the potential impact on future recruits, the higher you are ranked, and the longer you stay ranked, the more looks you will get.

When I looked at the rankings the Monday following the Iowa game, I noticed that IU had received 1 vote in the USA today poll. Ok, 1 vote is not much to brag about, Coach Lynch does get to fill out a bracket after all.

This past Saturday, IU handled there business against another Big Ten opponent and sent Minnesota packing. A good solid win for the program, though it was an expected win for most, and should not have made people take notice. Oh, but they did take notice of this win.

If you look at the ESPN.com rankings page you can see for yourself just how much notice the voters took. In the AP Top 25 (press), IU received 40 votes, which is good enough to make them the 29th ranked team in the nation. In the USA Today poll (coaches), they gathered 30 votes, putting them at 33rd in that poll. This is very respectable for a team that the “experts” picked to be at the bottom of the Big Ten this year.

Even college football fans have taken notice of IU and the way they are playing. The ESPNU Top 25 is a fan poll, voted on by people like you and me. This poll does not list how many votes each team received. IU did not crack the top 25, but they are one of 5 listed in the “Others Receiving Votes” category at the bottom.

It is still a little early to rejoice too much, but it is nice to finally have Indiana Football making enough noise that the rest of the country has been forced to pay attention and take notice. Good job Hoosiers!