This isn’t getting any easier, people.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Boise State
- LSU*
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon
- Southern Cal
- Stanford
- Wisconsin
COMMENTS
- I swear, I feel like I’ve changed this list at least four times in the last day. I can’t imagine how much time I’d need to compose a top 25 ballot in order.
- I dumped Michigan and Kansas State this week. Michigan, because I don’t think a top ten team struggles with Ohio State’s offense like it did. Kansas State, because I grow less convinced each week that the Big 12 is as strong as everyone insists and because that Miami win shrinks in value week by week.
- I think Wisconsin is the best team in the Big Ten right now. The Badgers are playing good ball. And as much as it pains me to say it, so are Junior’s Trojans.
- Virginia Tech is out because the Hokies don’t have a win over an upper tier opponent. And if I exclude them on that basis, Georgia stays out, too. Georgia is a better team right now than South Carolina.
- Houston… yeah, they keep winning. But the best wins the Cougars have are over UCLA and Tulsa. That ain’t much at all. It’s an undefeated team with a great quarterback that ranks 60th in total defense playing Sagarin’s 111th rated strength of schedule. A slightly shinier version of 2007 Hawaii, in other words. I can’t buy in.
Get The Picture 
IMO There are several teams on that list that really don’t want to play UGA right now. Understand that it’s the body of work but we’re hot…I’ll take a shot at Wisconsin or ARK and like our chances.
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I am starting to believe you have some kind of deep hatred in your heart for the ACC and VT. Who is Oklahoma’s signature win? Kansas State? Baylor? Florida State? Meh. Weak sauce.
The Hokies are deserving of a top 10 placement. They just dismantled a good Virginia team.
I guess we will see if VT can get redemption this weekend on Clemson.
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I’m a UVa grad and still follow the ‘Hoos. They’ve had a better than expected season, certainly, but I’d call Virginia more gritty than good.
Agree with you about the Clemson game, though. If VT wipes the floor with Clemson, I’ll take them a lot more seriously.
The ACC is a really, really mediocre conference this year, by the way.
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Lots of talent with no coaching, and lots of coaching with no talent. Same script every year.
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Pretty sad you have Oklahoma still on your ballot. No actually, it’s REALLY sad.
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I know, I know. I thought about leaving them out of the mix, but couldn’t quite bring myself to do it.
Besides, I have this weird feeling they’re going to upset OSU this week.
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I actually have very little doubt in my mind that Oklahoma will beat OK State. I understand that the Cowboys are having a special season this year, but they’ve already taken two inexplicable losses, and is it really an upset if it’s what you’ve always done? I mean, even though that 2009 Tech team was on its way to winning an ACC Championship (oh wait, that got vacated and the ACC’s taking the trophy! My mistake) it didn’t feel like an upset to grind them into the turf. It’s what always seems to happen.
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OSU’s only lost once so far this year.
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Oregon beats Stanford which beats USC which beats Oregon… gee, they must all be Top 10.
I get where you’re coming from. I also get that the P-12 as a conference has two wins over Notre Dame and one over Missouri. After that, it’s just completely circular, and that conference, 4-12, reeks. They have guys with limps playing corner. Seriously.
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Why Arkansas and no UGA? They have lost their 2 toughest games and barely won their 3rd toughest. Thier Schedule is nearly identical to UGA’s. I’m not saying UGA is a top 10 team. I’m just wondering what your logic was?
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No, the schedules aren’t nearly identical. Besides that, the big difference is how each school played against S Carolina.
That being said, if Georgia plays a competitive game on Saturday, I’ll move it ahead of Arky.
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Same as my ballot except I have UGA in over Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s losses are too much for me to overlook.
Others who I considered were South Carolina, Kansas St., Mich. St., Houston, and VT.
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Same as Sanford222 for me. My last two in were UGA and Wisconsin. UGA for its defense and Murray’s play over the last month. Wisconsin for the balance of Ball and Wilson. The Texas Tech loss combined with personnel losses is too much to overlook for Oklahoma. VA Tech finally impressed me Saturday, but something’s missing. The two Michigan schools got consideration, too.
I have no idea who I’d rank 4th right now. None. But as much as it pains me to say it, I’d have a hard time putting too many teams ahead of USC right now. They’re playing very well.
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A few comments, Senator:
Funny that you drop Michigan “because [you] don’t think a top ten team struggles with Ohio State’s offense like it did” but Wisconsin is in the top ten despite a loss to OSU.
Also, the argument about scheduling (VT, UGA) is difficult because several of your top ten don’t really have a big signature win. It really comes down to judgment calls on several of these teams (after the obvious few). [Disclaimer: I’m still pissed at Mark May for putting down Georgia only a few minutes after the win Saturday, shrugging his shoulders and asking Lou “who have they played?” Lou replied, “they played in the SEC.” I hate it when I agree with Lou…]
P.S. I marred a UVa grad. Wahoowa! That was ugly.
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Good catch on my Wisky rationale – I could have phrased that more artfully, for sure.
As for my scheduling point, I’m not necessarily looking for big signature wins. How ’bout just some wins over current top 25 teams?
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Good point.
My problem (other than my blatant SEC-bias) is that many current top 25 teams really aren’t that impressive. Oklahoma has wins over K State and FSU (unless I’m overlooking someone). FSU is barely clinging to the top 25 and that game started a streak where the Noles lost to Clemson and Wake. (Wake! Geez.) I suppose that I should be more impressed with Oklahoma’s win over K State, but I’m not. As you mentioned, the Big 12 is not looking as good as many of us thought earlier in the year. K State’s only top 25 win is over Baylor. (Baylor!? Geez. What is college football coming to?)
All that being said, I vote in the Mumme Poll and you can probably see that I struggle with the last few teams every week. Hopefully this week’s unimportant games (thanks, WWL) will help sort it out (or muddy it up) a bit more. Either way, it’ll be fun.
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I actually did some research this week and spent upwards of an hour on my ballot (usually I run through it in about 15-20 minutes). I realized that I had to have Wisconsin back in my top 10. A great defense and a great offense (top 5 in scoring in both), and they are just two last-second heartbreakers away from being in the title mix.
I’m surprised that almost half of the votership did not have Southern Cal in their top 10.
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I don’t have Michigan in my top ten either, but one thought on the defensive performance this weekend. OSU saved up a LOT of offensive wrinkles for Michigan. Their bloggers were going on and on on Twitter with “where the hell was that all year?” comments during the game. Also, DeVier Posey was out for the first ten games and then had a great game on Saturday. My point is that this was a different OSU offense than the one that struggled all year. That said, Michigan showed some significant secondary issues in the game, so dinging them for that is reasonable.
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I agree that Posey made a surprising difference in the game.
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I do think that the Dawgs are the best 2 loss team in the nation. Or, To put it anther way, I think that the Dawgs are the only 2 loss team in the nation that would have a chance of pulling off the upset against LSU.
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