Ohio State Moves Up To No. 4 In Associated Press Top-25 Poll

By Colin Hass-Hill on February 8, 2021 at 12:13 pm
CJ Walker
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
53 Comments

Ohio State continues moving up.

After going to Iowa City where they beat the Hawkeyes on the road, the Buckeyes moved up from No. 7 to No. 4 in the Associated Press top-25 poll.

This is the team's highest ranking since they went all they way up to No. 2 on Dec. 23, 2019 by starting last season with only one loss in their first 12 games. It's also the first time the program has been ranked in the top-five since 2012.

Ohio State, now catching the attention of the nation for its strong play to open the calendar year, has won seven of its past eight games in the middle of Big Ten play. Over the stretch of time, it has beaten Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State and Iowa, with the sole blemish coming as a two-point loss to Purdue nearly three weeks ago. This team began the month becoming unranked, and now it has risen all the way into the top-five with less than a month remaining until the regular season comes to a close.

The Buckeyes – now 15-4 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten – have two opportunities to impress voters this week. First, they take on Maryland on the road Monday night, and then they return home to take on Indiana at home on Saturday afternoon.

This is their fifth week in a row being ranked, and they've risen in each passing poll.

AP TOP 25 Poll
RANK TEAM RECORD PTS PREV CONFERENCE
1 GONZAGA 18–0 1,567 (55) 1 West Coast
2 BAYLOR 17–0 1,520 (8) 2 Big 12
3 MICHIGAN 13–1 1,438 4 Big Ten
4 OHIO STATE 15–4 1,365 7 Big Ten
5 VILLANOVA 12–2 1,281 3 Big East
6 ILLINOIS 13–5 1,239 12 Big Ten
7 TEXAS TECH 14–5 1,102 13 Big 12
8 HOUSTON 16–2 1,060 5 American Athletic
9 VIRGINIA 13–3 969 14 Atlantic Coast
10 MISSOURI 13–3 966 18 Southeastern
11 ALABAMA 15–5 911 10 Southeastern
12 OKLAHOMA 12–5 863 9 Big 12
13 TEXAS 11–5 841 6 Big 12
14 WEST VIRGINIA 13–5 824 17 Big 12
15 IOWA 13–6 757 8 Big Ten
16 TENNESSEE 13–4 690 11 Southeastern
17 FLORIDA STATE 10–3 514 20 Atlantic Coast
18 VIRGINIA TECH 14–4 486 16 Atlantic Coast
19 CREIGHTON 14–5 465 15 Big East
20 USC 15–3 411 Pacific 12
21 WISCONSIN 14–6 358 19 Big Ten
22 LOYOLA CHICAGO 17–3 200 Missouri Valley
23 OKLAHOMA STATE 12–5 181 Big 12
24 PURDUE 13–7 85 24 Big Ten
25 RUTGERS 11–6 65 Big Ten
53 Comments
View 53 Comments