This actually makes less sense than any other ballot I've put together up to this point. Why? Because if I did this like I have, this wouldn't make any sense. There's some adjustment going on here, so check below the jump to read the reasoning:
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Alabama | |
| 3 | Texas | |
| 4 | Southern Cal |
 2 |
| 5 | Virginia Tech |
2 |
| 6 | Boise State |
 1 |
| 7 | Ohio State |
2 |
| 8 | Iowa |
11 |
| 9 | Miami (Florida) |
1 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | |
| 11 | LSU |
7 |
| 12 | TCU |
1 |
| 13 | Oregon |
4 |
| 14 | Penn State |
1 |
| 15 | Oklahoma |
1 |
| 16 | Nebraska |
3 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State |
5 |
| 18 | Brigham Young | |
| 19 | Kansas |
3 |
| 20 | South Carolina |
3 |
| 21 | Georgia Tech | |
| 22 | South Florida |
2 |
| 23 | Notre Dame | |
| 24 | Utah | |
| 25 | Texas Tech | |
| Last week's ballot | ||
Dropped Out: Georgia (#20), Missouri (#21), Auburn (#22), Wisconsin (#25).
Okay, here we go:
- VT hasn't jumped USC yet because I simply can't fathom any way the Hokies would beat the Trojans. It wouldn't even be close, in my opinion; I have trouble ranking VT even this high, because I really feel like they don't deserve it. But based on their resume, they are a top ten team.
- Boise State gets jumped here, even on a bye week, because Tech jumped, so I had to jump USC with them to keep the best team theme going.
- Iowa is looking more and more legit every day. If they can pull off an upset over OSU, they very well could be undefeated.
- Oklahoma State was really unimpressive with their win, and PSU, Oregon, and Iowa all jumped them; that explains their drop.
- Ditto for Kansas.
- I'm keeping Texas at #3, but doing so very carefully. They have no idea how to start a game, and that will kill them against Oklahoma next week.
- Four new teams: Georgia Tech is first. They re-emerge with a win over an FSU team that is talented but can't figure out how to win. Then is Notre Dame. I feel worse and worse about them by the day, but their resume gets them on the list. Then Utah: only one loss, by one TD, to a top 15 team. That's a top 25 team, without a doubt.
- Okay, hear me out on Texas Tech: they have two losses, both to very good teams, by a combined ten points. Their offense is still ridiculous, as always, and they will be in every single game they play in. That alone will get them at least one upset. They'll be a fringe top 25 team again all year long, in my opinion, especially if they knock off Nebraska next week, like I'm predicting. Also, I'm trying to vary myself a bit here. If Texas Tech played Houston again, I'd pick the Red Raiders.
- FWIW, Houston, Navy, and all of the teams that dropped out are waiting on the doorstep right now.