@BTNStatsGuys: 14 Big Ten facts about AP preseason poll

The AP preseason poll was released Sunday, and four Big Ten teams made the cut.

With Ohio State (No. 6), Michigan (No. 7), Michigan State (No. 12) and Iowa (No. 17) ranked, all of which land in the Coaches preseason poll, the Big Ten is tied for the third-most ranked teams in the nation, trailing the SEC (6) and Pac-12 (5).

Here's 14 Big Ten facts about the poll:

1. The Big Ten has four teams in the top 20 of the preseason top 25 poll for the first time since 2012, when it had five.

2. One season after being the poll's first unanimous No. 1, Ohio State, the 2014 national champ, is receiving just one first-place vote.

3. The Buckeyes are making their 28th consecutive appearance in the preseason poll, which is 11 more than Oklahoma; the streak dates to 1989, and is tied for the second-longest all-time, trailing 1970-2002 Nebraska and 1968-2000 Penn State, both of which spanned 33 seasons.

4. Urban Meyer's three national titles came when his teams were ranked 7th, 5th, and 5th in the preseason poll.

5. Michigan and Ohio State were just two of nine schools to be ranked in the Top 25 by all 61 voters, joining Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Florida State, LSU, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.

6. At No. 7, Michigan has its highest preseason ranking since it was No. 5 in 2007, Lloyd Carr?s final season. It's also receiving one first-place vote, along with LSU and Ohio State.

7. Michigan State, No. 12, is the only team from last year?s College Football Playoff not to be in the top 3 (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Oklahoma). The ranking makes it 42 straight appearances in the poll, marking the 5th-longest active streak in the nation.

8. Three voters left the Spartans off their preseason rankings.

9. Michigan (No. 7), Michigan State (No. 12) and Ohio State (No. 6) are all ranked in the preseason AP top 15 for the first time since 1975, when Michigan was No. 3 (finished 8th), Ohio State was No. 4 (finished 4th), and Michigan State was No. 12 (finished unranked).

10. No. 17 Iowa is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 2010 (No. 9).

11. Three of the previous four times Iowa was ranked in the preseason poll it finished the season unranked (2005, 2006, 2010).

12. Wisconsin and Northwestern are two of six teams that were ranked at the end of 2015 but are unranked to start the 2016 season. Utah, Navy, Oklahoma State, and Western Kentucky are the others, for the curious minds.

13. The Badgers are unranked to start a season for the first time since 2009.

14. Northwestern, which won 10 games in 2015, received one top 25 vote (No. 21).