In what seems to be a weekly occurrence, losses by many of the top teams in college hockey have turned the polls upside down and Ferris State is the new top dog.
The Bulldogs (20-8-4), who are 9-0-3 in 2012, leaped from sixth to first in the USCHO and USA Today polls after sweeping what was then 9th-ranked Notre Dame and seeing the top four teams all lose on Friday. They were rewarded by receiving 27 of 50 first-place votes in the USCHO poll.
Last week's number one team, Boston University, fell to second and will face #3 Boston College tonight in the final of the annual Beanpot tournament. Minnesota Duluth fell one spot to fourth this week in lieu of splitting two games against North Dakota (who moved up two spots to 14th). Michigan rounds out the top five and Massachusetts-Lowell is sixth.
Minnesota (19-11-1) ended up being the big loser in this week's rankings after being swept by Denver. The Gophers were ranked 1st or 2nd depending on the poll and fell to seventh in both; they are also now 13th in the Pairwise. It is their lowest ranking this season for Minnesota since they were eighth in the country on October 28.
Union, Merrimack and Denver round out the top ten.
The Gophers' opponent this week, Bemidji State, is unranked but received two votes in the USCHO poll. The Beavers swept Colorado College (who fell from 10th to 15) and have been 4-1-1 in their last six games.