Athlon Sports Names Wisconsin No. 17 in 2012 Preseason Top 25 Poll

Athlon Sports, publisher of the No. 1-selling college football magazine, continues the release of its preseason Top 25 poll atwww.athlonsports.com. The countdown commences every year in early May and leads to the on-sale date of Athlon's category-leading college football preseason annuals.

To celebrate the Wisconsin Badgers being named No. 17, AthlonSports.com will devote an entire day to the program, including a look at the Top 10 Players for 2012, the Greatest Players since 1967 and a Team Preview. (Direct links are included below.)

Bret Bielema’s Wisconsin Badgers continue the countdown at No. 17 with five preseason All-Americans and eight players selected as All-Big Ten performers. Athlon Sports predicts Wisconsin will finish second in the Big Ten’s Leaders Division. In the five year period from 2007-11, Athlon Sports was one of the most accurate preseason magazines in prediction accuracy.*

“Heisman candidate Montee Ball will lead the vaunted Badgers’ running attack once again,” says Athlon Sports Managing Editor Mitch Light. “The loss of Russell Wilson is big, but Bret Bielema's program is a perennial contender and will have a good shot at a third consecutive Rose Bowl.”

Five Wisconsin standouts were named preseason All-Americans, with running back Montee Ball and offensive lineman Ricky Wagner being voted to the first team. Punt returner Jared Abbrederis, offensive lineman Travis Frederick and linebacker Chris Borland were selected to the third team. In addition, the Badgers running backs unit was ranked No. 2 nationally and best in the Big Ten. The offensive line was rated No. 6 in the country and tops in the Big Ten, while the linebackers unit was tabbed No. 5 in the nation.

Eight Badgers earned preseason All-Big Ten honors, including Ball, Wagner, Frederick, Borland, linebacker Mike Taylor and Abbrederis at both wide receiver and punt returner on the first team. Tight end Jacob Pedersen was named to the second team, while defensive lineman David Gilbert garnered third-team honors.

Wisconsin Team Preview

Wisconsin's Top 10 Players of 2012

Wisconsin’s 10 Greatest Players Since 1967

 *Stassen.com analysis of college football preseason publications.