The Big Ten is finally heating up, stealing the NCAA basketball spotlight from the SEC with a slate of Top 10 games sure to rattle next week’s AP Poll.
No. 8 Ohio State tips off the top-ranked party first, embarking on a West Coast trip that will see them face No. 1 UCLA on Wednesday before battling No. 7 USC on Saturday.
Top 10 ups and downs
The Trojans took a slight hit in Monday’s updated AP rankings after falling to unranked Iowa on Sunday, with USC’s second loss of the season sending them three spots down to No. 7 while still retaining their Top 10 status.
Fellow Big Ten newcomer No. 1 UCLA locked in another week at the top after a unanimous vote, but the Bruins won’t be resting on any laurels — Wednesday’s clash with Ohio State will only be their second Top 10 matchup of the season.
Meanwhile, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 UConn, and No. 6 LSU all benefitted from USC’s skid, each inching up one spot while the rest of the Top 10 remained unchanged.
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