To receive votes, you have to start winning games like Lafayette, who is a very dangerous opponent that has nothing to lose.
I don't know what the Top 25 will look like for Top 25 votes each week, but if we can win the next game and look good doing so, I'll take that right now.
The rest of the B1G is also wondering out loud about whether Penn State is legit, how good is Purdue, whether Michigan State will make their annual run in mid January into February with an extended 9 wins out of 10 or 11 games, etc. There is the question of Minnesota's guards looking like All-Americans one day vs Ohio State and going a combined 1-20 from the floor less than a week or so ago.
The key isn't whether RU should be ranked it's really whether the youthful roster with some Top 150 kids at Northwestern, pulls off what RU did last year and wins 6 to 7 B1G games and makes life miserable for the rest of the league.....and if Nebraska's last 2 games (OT loss at Indiana and blitzing Purdue), are legitimate turning points.
IF, Northwestern develops as I expect them to do and Nebraska plays hard, this becomes far and away the best league by a landslide. It will become a week to week survival league, not a league concerned about Top 25 votes....it literally will be 1st half to 2nd half adjustments and game to game improvements from Jacob Young, Mulcahy, Doucoure and Carter and can the bench become reliable.