Badgers finish 9th in polls

Cal looks at Wilcox for coach

Madison — Wisconsin’s players and coaches can soon turn their attention to the 2017 football season — if they haven’t already done so.

UW finished No. 9 in both the Amway coaches poll and the Associated Press poll. Both polls were released Tuesday, after Clemson’s 35-31 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff title game Monday night.

The Badgers finished in the AP top 10 for the 13th time in program history but the first time since 2011. UW finished in the top 10 of the coaches poll for the fifth time.

UW will move forward without two of its best players from the team that reached the Big Ten title game and defeated Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-3.

Redshirt junior left tackle Ryan Ramczyk on Monday informed the UW staff he will enter the 2017 NFL draft. Ramczyk joined outside linebacker T.J. Watt in giving up his final season of eligibility to enter the draft. Both players garnered All-American honors this season.

Meanwhile, California officials hope to interview UW defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox for their vacant head coaching position. Head coach Sonny Dykes was fired Sunday.

UW finished No. 4 nationally in scoring defense (15.6 points per game) and No. 7 in total defense (301.4 yards per game) in Wilcox’s first season on the staff.

Wilcox is set to be paid $950,000 in 2017 and will receive an additional $100,000 if he is still on the staff on Jan. 1.

Wilcox coached linebackers at Cal from 2003’05. However, Cal interim coach Jake Spavital reportedly has emerged as a strong candidate.