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Kirby Hocutt on Wisconsin: The defense is what has really impressed the selection committee
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Wisconsin still hasn’t cracked into the College Football Playoff picture yet. Despite the perfect 10-0 record and a B1G West title, the Badgers were ranked No. 5 in the latest poll that was released Tuesday night.
It’s an improvement, that’s for sure. The Badgers moved up three spots after coming in at No. 8 last week, which seemed a little low for one of the sport’s few unbeaten teams. Now, Wisconsin is on the cusp of earning one of those top four spots. Many believe that if it wins out, the committee would automatically insert and undefeated B1G champion into the Top 4.
After the rankings came out, selection committee member Kirby Hocutt gave an explanation about Wisconsin’s rise, which was obviously aided by a few key losses in Week 11.
“We were impressed with the Iowa win, a team who beat Ohio State the week before,” Hocutt said. “Wisconsin continues to execute their offense in the manner that they do. The defense is what has really impressed the selection committee. The style of defense, the productivity on the defensive side of the ball is something that has really impressed the selection committee.”
The Top 4 spots in the most recent poll belonged to Alabama (No. 1), Clemson (No. 2), Miami (No. 3) and Oklahoma (No. 4).
Wisconsin has another opportunity to bolster its résumé this week, taking on No. 24 Michigan in Madison. A win over the Wolverines would be the second-straight victory over a Top 25 team for the Badgers.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB