Early season polls mean nothing.
1. Oklahoma
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Wisconsin
5. Boise State
I think the FSU team Oklahoma beat on the road is a better team than the Oregon team LSU beat at a favorable neutral site. I want to reward those teams for scheduling aggressively, so they go on top. Take the rest and shuffle them; I really don't care much.
6. Arkansas
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma State
9. Stanford
10. FSU
The first four from this grouping keep cruising; Arkansas will either validate my high ranking of them or prove me a fool this weekend. I can't put FSU too far down because, again, I don't want to punish a team for aggressive scheduling.
11. Nebraska
12. South Carolina
13. Virginia Tech
14. Oregon
15. Baylor
I want to drop all of these teams lower. I wish I could.
16. West Virginia
17. TCU
18. Georgia Tech
19. Houston
20. Florida
We'll also get to see this weekend if my relatively aggressive ranking of West Virginia is justified. Georgia Tech has been hammering cupcakes, but I'm impressed with the magnitude of their hammerings. Past GT, I start to wonder, "Do I really not have better teams to put here?"
21. Illinois
22. Clemson
23. USF
24. Michigan
25. Michigan State
A bunch of teams ranked only because they're undefeated and Michigan State. Not a great ending to the ballot. Anyone got any better ideas?