Apparently, the BlogPoll has fallen victim to Appalachian State.
Sorry -- couldn't resist.
In any case, the BlogPoll software told me that I had submitted my ballot, which was due at 11 a.m. Thursday instead of the usual 11 a.m. Wednesday because of software issues. The place where the HTML for the chart usually appears, however, was a 404 error message. So we'll go straight to the Ranks.
1 Missouri
All hail the kings -- for this week. They're dogs against Oklahoma, but they're playing for a shot in the NC game, so what could possibly keep them from...
Um. Hmm. Well, then. That changes things, doesn't it?
2 West Virginia
3 Ohio State
Possibly the hardest dispute on the ballot to solve, in part because it was the weightiest. Ohio State's Big Ten schedule and West Virginia's Big East schedule are, to me, almost a wash. The Big Ten is just a touch better than the Big East this year, and West Virginia has annihilated all but the best teams on its schedule, and it blasted Connecticut, too. (When did you think you'd ever hear that as a compliment?) The Mountaineers also have the edge in nonconference SOS. Their slate -- in order of impressiveness -- includes Mississippi State (38-13), Maryland (31-14), East Carolina (48-7), Western Michigan (62-24) and Marshall (48-23). Ohio State's consists of Washington (33-14), Kent State (48-3), Akron (20-2) and Youngstown State (38-6). You can almost throw in Minnesota (30-7) as comparable to a nonconference game, because they don't really deserve to be regarded as a Big Ten team right now, and that evens up the conference and nonconference slates. But, like SMQ, this isn't clear-cut to me.
4 LSU
5 Georgia
6 Oklahoma
7 Virginia Tech
One of the things about the BlogPoll is we're supposed to resist the urge to drop teams far just because they lost, unless of course it's justified. In LSU's case, their wins can match anyone's and both losses came in overtime, which is almost a crap shoot, against pretty good teams. (But no, Les, you're not undefeated.) Georgia's losses were to a mediocre South Carolina team (still hurts to type that) and a shellacking at the hands of Tennessee that should not have happened. Oklahoma and Virginia Tech both have some impressive wins and some bad losses. (Colorado and Texas Tech for the Sooners, coughing up the lead against BC and getting waxed by LSU for the Hokies.)
8 Southern Cal
9 Boston College
10 Florida
Southern Cal and Florida have rebounded from rough patches to snag a few good wins. Boston College did well by beating Clemson, though I'm not sure what to think of the two-TD defeat of Miami.
More after the jump...
11 Illinois
The loss to Missouri almost looks good in retrospect. The loss to Michigan is excusable. The loss to Iowa is Zookery at its finest. But the Illini are a pretty good team, and the one unit so far to beat Ohio State.
12 Oregon
Yes, Dixon is hurt. But this poll is supposed to be about what you've done, not what you might do. The slide could continue, though.
13 Tennessee
I still can't figure this team out. How did they get blasted by Alabama? The rivalry factor, I suppose. They're a good team, just not a great one.
14 Hawaii
Ugh. But Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada are decent teams, and there's no loss to hold the Warriors back. This is about as high as they'll go; Washington isn't a good enough team, even if the Warriors blow them out, for the team from the islands to move into the Top 10. Thankfully.
15 Clemson
I don't think I put them below Hawaii intentionally. They were able to move the ball with ease against South Carolina, but 10 chihuahuas and a rabid cocker spaniel could move the ball with ease against South Carolina. The Tigers have feasted on the mediocre and the dregs of the ACC, come up with the requisite "Baby Bowden Annual Confusing Loss" when they got Channed against Georgia Tech, and lost to the good teams in the ACC. You could argue that this is too high, but I don't think it's too low.
16 Arizona State
They have beaten San Jose State, Colorado, San Diego State (a rare sweep of the SxSU schools), Oregon State, Stanford, Washington State, Washington, Cal and UCLA, and by beating Arizona they're in the BCS? Wow, that was easy.
17 Kansas
I didn't realize until I looked at the Mayor's ballot to point out that I was closer to the Mayor than I had previously been that he and I agree on the Jayhawks this week. Given our track record on agreeing about anything, that means we're either both right or both very wrong.
18 Texas
Fran finally beat Texas! Fran finally...oh, they fired him after that? Huh.
19 Cincinnnati
Strong defensive team with a knack for the confusing loss.
20 Virginia
Still a great season for the Cavaliers.
21 BYU
Maybe the best mid-major, definitely the second-most accomplished. I'd love to see them play Hawaii in a sort of mid-major BCS, but that won't happen.
22 Arkansas
Overtime or no, they knocked off the team formerly known as No. 1. That gets you some respect and, when you're 5-1 to close the season, a spot near the bottom.
23 Connecticut
They might not have fallen down this far had they kept it respectable against the 'Eers, but they apparently got dominated. (I say apparently because I saw very little Saturday football.)
24 South Florida
Welcome back, Bulls. Try to stay here this time.
25 Texas Tech
I might have been a bit too enthusiastic about the Red Raiders last week, so I moved them down to 25th. But they're still a good team, and they also get credit for knocking off one of the elite.