BIG TEN BOASTS TOP TWO TEAMS IN SECOND BCS POLL

Michigan climbs to No. 2 while OhioState remains No. 1 in weekly rankings

Park Ridge, Ill. – In the second issue of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings which were released today, the Big Ten recorded yet another first in conference annals with Ohio State (8-0, 4-0 in Big Ten) and Michigan (8-0, 5-0) slotted No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Big Ten becomes the first conference to produce the top two programs in a BCS poll since Oct. 27, 2001, when the Big 12’s Nebraska and Oklahoma were ranked first and second. Wisconsin (7-1, 4-1) rounded out the Big Ten’s BCS contingent at No. 18 overall.
The Big Ten has now boasted two of the top five schools in nine BCS polls, including last week’s initial ranking which featured the Buckeyes at No. 1 and the Wolverines at No. 3. The conference also earned two of the top five spots in the final poll of 2005 (No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Ohio State), on Nov. 24, Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 of 2003 (No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Ohio State) and Nov. 24, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 of 2002 (No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Iowa).
The Buckeyes remain first overall in the latest BCS poll and are the only Big Ten team to earn the No. 1 spot since the system’s inception in 1998. Ohio State also appeared atop the list on Nov. 11, 2002, and Nov. 2, 1998. OSU picked up a home victory over Indiana yesterday to remain undefeated and will host Minnesota next Saturday.
The Wolverines earned their highest spot ever in the BCS poll at second overall by climbing past last week’s No. 2 team, USC, which fell to third in today’s rankings. Michigan’s No. 3 ranking in the initial poll of 2006 surpassed the program’s previous best of No. 4, earned most recently in 2003. The Wolverines collected a victory over Iowa yesterday and will welcome Northwestern to Ann Arbor next weekend.
The Badgers moved up three spots to 18th in the latest BCS rankings to round out the Big Ten’s contingent in the top 25. Wisconsin earned a road triumph at Purdue yesterday and will host Illinois next Saturday.
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The BCS rankings will be announced each Sunday with the final poll being released on Dec. 3 during a special prime time BCS Selection Show at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The teams ranked No. 1 and 2 in the final BCS standings will participate in the BCS National Championship Game to be played on Jan. 8, 2007 in Glendale, Ariz. If a Big Ten team is not ranked No. 1 or 2 in the final BCS poll, the conference champion (or co-champion as designated by the Big Ten tie-breaking procedures) will play in the Rose Bowl.

COURTESY OF THE BIG TEN