The University of Wisconsin Badgers football team is ranked No. 5 in two polls released Tuesday.
The Badgers, who were No. 7 last week, jumped two spots to No. 5 in this week's USA Today Top 25 Coaches poll and also tied for No. 5 with Oklahoma in the Associated Press Rankings.
On Saturday, the Badgers soundly defeated the Washington State Cougars 42-21.
Still, the cause of Wisconsin's leap to No. 5 was the result of Big Ten Conference foe Michigan losing to Appalachian State University - a school that does play in Division 1-A athletics. Michigan was No. 5 last week, this week they dropped from the Top 25 polls.
Also, the No. 4 Texas Longhorns' struggles against Arkansas State on Saturday forced them to drop to No. 7. Southern California, LSU, Florida and West Virginia are still ahead of the Badgers in the polls.
The Badgers are the highest-ranked team in the Big Ten, Ohio State is the next highest at No. 11 and Penn State, who the Badgers play in early October, are No. 15 this week.
Vince Sweeney, senior associate athletic director for external relations at UW-Madison, said although the Badgers rise in the polls has raised some eyebrows nationally, it comes as no surprise.
Sweeney said, from an administrative stand point, that UW football has followed coach Bret Bielema's 1-0"" philosophy and that has led to success.
""Bret has picked up where Barry [Alvarez] left off,"" Sweeney said.
