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2012 College Football Rankings: Where Will Big Ten Teams Stand Next Season?

The 2011-12 NCAA football season has finally come to a close, and here is a look at the final rankings for the year, plus a look a head to next season.

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3 Total Updates since January 10, 2012
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College Football Rankings: Michigan Leads Big Ten Pack In SB Nation's Preseason Top 25

It used to be that the Ohio State Buckeyes could be found at or near the top of every early preseason Top 25, but with their grip on the Big Ten temporarily loosened, a vacuum at the peak of the conference has opened up. In his first Top 25 for 2012, SB Nation's Bill Connelly wrestles with filling out his top ten, and eventually lands on the Michigan Wolverines at No. 9. Here's Connelly's reasoning:

9. Michigan Wolverines. A good number of this year's stars return -- Denard Robinson,Fitzgerald Toussaint, Jake Ryan, Craig Roh, Jordan Kovacs -- but I'm getting queasy giving them a single-digit ranking. We'll see.

Rounding out the rankings as it pertains to the Big Ten are the Buckeyes at No. 14, the Wisconsin Badgers at No. 17 and the Michigan State Spartans at No. 21.

For more college football news and notes, visit SB Nation NCAA Football.

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2012 College Football Rankings: Final Coaches Poll Puts Two Big Ten Teams In Top 10

The final Coaches Poll for the 2011-12 NCAA football season has been released, and the Big Ten has fared a bit better than they did with the AP. After the Wisconsin Badgers served as the lone representative in the top 10 for the conference with the AP, now the Michigan Wolverines (No. 9) and Michigan State Spartans (No. 10) hit the top 10 while Wisconsin rolled in at No. 11. The Nebraska Cornhuskers dropped in at No. 24, while embattled Penn State dropped out of the top 25 during bowl season and only recieved 10 votes overall.

For local teams, the Northern Illinois Huskies received 36 votes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish collected one single vote. Here is a complete look at the final Coaches Poll:

Rank
 Team (first-place votes)
Record
Points
Last week's poll
1.
Alabama (59)
12-1
1,475
2
2.
LSU
13-1
1,404
1
3.
Oklahoma State
12-1
1,367
3
4.
 Oregon
12-2
1,290
5
5.
 Arkansas
11-2
1,188
7
6.
Boise State
12-1
1,162
6
7.
 Stanford
11-2
1,106
4
8.
 South Carolina
11-2
1,084
9
9.
Michigan
11-2
925
12
10.
Michigan State
11-3
912
13
11.
Wisconsin
11-3
911
8
12.
 Baylor
10-3
775
16
13.
TCU
11-2
710
15
14.
 Houston
13-1
673
17
15.
 Oklahoma
10-3
610
19
16.
 Kansas State
10-3
602
10
17.
 Virginia Tech
11-3
574
11
18.
 West Virginia
10-3
554
22
19.
 Southern Mississippi
12-2
429
21
20.
 Georgia
10-4
345
18
21.
 Cincinnati
10-3
248
24
22.
 Clemson
10-4
237
14
23.
 Florida State
9-4
205
25
24.
 Nebraska
9-4
144
20
25.
 Brigham Young
10-3
79
NR
Dropped out
No. 23 Penn State (9-4, lost to then-No. 17 Houston 30-14 in TicketCity Bowl).
Others receiving votes
Northern Illinois (11-3) 36; Missouri (8-5) 33; Texas (8-5) 29; Auburn (8-5) 28; Rutgers (9-4) 11; Penn State (9-4) 10; Texas A&M (7-6) 5; Virginia (8-5) 4; Temple (9-4) 2; Washington (7-6) 2; Arkansas State (10-3) 1; Florida (7-6) 1; Louisiana-Lafayette (9-4) 1; Mississippi State (7-6) 1; Notre Dame (8-5) 1; Ohio (10-4) 1.

For more college football news and notes, visit SB Nation NCAA Football.

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2012 College Football Rankings: AP Poll Has Only One Big Ten Team In Top 10

The 2011-12 NCAA football season has finally come to a close, and here is a look at the final AP poll for the year. Wisconsin is the only Big Ten team in the top 10.

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