Three B1G teams slip, one rises in ESPN's post-signing day top 25 for 2017
Four B1G teams were ranked in ESPN’s original way-too-early top 25 for 2017. Actually, they were all in the top 12.
That, however, was more than three weeks ago.
Since then, underclassmen declared for the NFL draft and recruiting classes filled out. So what did that mean for B1G teams in the top 25?
Well, nothing drastic. But interestingly enough, only one of those four teams rose in ESPN’s post-signing day way-too-early top 25. The others all fell at least one spot.
The one team to rise was Ohio State, which lost no shortage of talent to the NFL draft. Five underclassmen announced their intentions to turn pro. But the Buckeyes loaded up with the No. 2 overall class, and moved up from No. 6 to No. 4.
That moved them ahead of Penn State, which fell from No. 4 to No. 5 despite signing a top-15 class. The Lions did lose Chris Godwin and Garrett Sickels early to the NFL draft. Still, they came in ahead of defending national champion Clemson.
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Wisconsin also suffered a couple of key early NFL departures with Ryan Ramczyk and T.J. Watt, and the Badgers finished No. 40 in the 247sports class rankings. There was also the departure of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. That combination dropped Wisconsin from No. 9 to No. 12 in ESPN’s top 25.
Perhaps the most surprising shift in the rankings was Michigan, which fell from No. 12 to No. 14. The Wolverines just signed a top-five recruiting class while giving their coordinators seven-figure extensions and signing new quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton. Jabrill Peppers was Michigan’s only underclassman to declare early for the NFL draft, but that shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise.
Still, these was what ESPN’s post-signing day top 25 looked like:
- Alabama
- Florida State
- USC
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Clemson
- Washington
- Oklahoma
- LSU
- Oklahoma State
- Auburn
- Wisconsin
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Stanford
- Miami (FL)
- Kansas State
- Louisville
- Colorado
- USF
- Washington State
- West Virginia
- Texas
- Boise State
- Virginia Tech