Not surprisingly, IU wasn't included in the first edition of the Associated Press' Top 25. Zero quality wins in 2010 and a coaching change will do that.
But the Hoosiers might not have as much ground to make up as last year because the conference seems to be down a bit. Only four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25, and none are higher than 10th (Nebraska). Wisconsin, my pick for the conference champion, is 11th, while Michigan State and Ohio State come in at 17th and 18th, respectively.
My guess is that only the Spartans or the Buckeyes will finish the season ranked -- not both. Michigan State was somewhat of a surprise in 2010, but the Spartans have a history of underachieving. Ohio State still has a ton of talent, but the Buckeyes are without some of their top playmakers for the first five games of the season and they have a new, inexperienced coach.
It's definitely going to be an interesting year for the league. The gap between the conference's best and worst teams might be as small as it's been in years.
