Northwestern unranked in the season-opening Amway Coaches Poll

The Week 1 Amway Coaches poll for 2016 has been released, and the Northwestern Wildcats are not in the Top 25.

The Wildcats are ninth among “Others Receiving Votes” with 31 votes received.

There are just four Big Ten teams in this year’s opening poll, with Ohio State at No. 5, Michigan at No. 8, Michigan State at No. 11 and Iowa at No. 15. Additionally, Wisconsin received 82 votes, putting the Badgers fifth-highest in the conference. Big Ten teams behind Northwestern in the “Others Receiving Votes” are Nebraska with 17 and Indiana with one vote. Additionally, 2016 non-conference opponent Duke received three votes.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise; Northwestern has not been featured in other various preseason polls and is coming off a New Year’s Day shellacking against Tennessee (No. 10 in the current poll) in the Outback Bowl.

Northwestern finished last year ranked No. 22 in the Coaches Poll.

Here is the entire poll:

1. Alabama (55 first place votes)

2. Clemson (7)

3. Oklahoma

4. Florida State (1)

5. Ohio State

6. LSU

7. Stanford

8. Michigan

9. Notre Dame

10. Tennessee (1)

11. Michigan State

12. Ole Miss

13. Houston

14. TCU

15. Iowa

16. Georgia

17. USC

18. Washington

19. Oklahoma State

20. North Carolina

21. Baylor

22. Oregon

23. Louisville

24. UCLA

25. Florida

Others Receiving Votes: Miami (Fla.) 120; Wisconsin 82; Utah 73; Boise State 73; Washington State 47; Texas A&M 37; Texas 34; Arkansas 34; Northwestern 31; Navy 30; Mississippi State 19; San Diego State 18; Nebraska 17; Auburn 17; Western Kentucky 11; Pittsburgh 8; Brigham Young 6; Appalachian State 4; Duke 3; Arizona 2; Marshall 2; Toledo 2; South Florida 2; Memphis 1; Indiana 1; Northern Illinois 1.