Football season is here, almost. The first USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll dropped earlier today. The Wisconsin Badgers unsurprisingly made the cut, entering the season at No. 21.
I’m sure a big part of Wisconsin’s ranking is due to brand recognition. When an SEC or ACC coach fills out their top 25, there must be a thought toward No. 20 that Wisconsin annually slides in around that spot.
But another piece is the excitement and optimism about the program under Head Coach Luke Fickell. I doubt coaches across the country have a good grasp on how Phil Longo’s offense will work in year one. But it’s hard to bet against a program under Fickell and Longo given the track record of both coaches.
The Badgers are the No. 4-ranked Big Ten team in the poll, following No. 2 Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State.
A look at the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 0-0 | 1,643 (61) | – |
| 2 | Michigan | 0-0 | 1,510 | – |
| 3 | Alabama | 0-0 | 1,489 (4) | – |
| 4 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 1,485(1) | – |
| 5 | LSU | 0-0 | 1,294 | – |
| 6 | USC | 0-0 | 1,228 | – |
| 7 | Penn State | 0-0 | 1,181 | – |
| 8 | Florida State | 0-0 | 1,145 | – |
| 9 | Clemson | 0-0 | 1,078 | – |
| 10 | Tennessee | 0-0 | 991 | – |
| 11 | Washington | 0-0 | 941 | – |
| 12 | Texas | 0-0 | 848 | – |
| 13 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 841 | – |
| 14 | Utah | 0-0 | 839 | – |
| 15 | Oregon | 0-0 | 820 | – |
| 16 | TCU | 0-0 | 655 | – |
| 17 | Kansas State | 0-0 | 440 | – |
| 18 | Oregon State | 0-0 | 365 | – |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 0-0 | 320 | – |
| 20 | UNC | 0-0 | 315 | – |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 309 | – |
| 22 | Miss | 0-0 | 303 | – |
| 23 | Tulane | 0-0 | 225 | – |
| 24 | Texas Tech | 0-0 | 200 | – |
| 25 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 196 | – |
Others Receiving Votes
Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63; Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28; Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18; Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5; Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2; Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.