As usual, ballot here, thoughts after the jump. Thanks for the great discussion this week! Chris takes back over next week, but it's been fun.
Rocky Top Talk Ballot - Week 10
Rank | Team | Delta |
---|---|---|
1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
3 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 1 |
4 | Boise St. Broncos | 1 |
5 | Stanford Cardinal | -2 |
6 | Oklahoma Sooners | 4 |
7 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
8 | Wisconsin Badgers | 1 |
9 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 6 |
10 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 2 |
11 | Clemson Tigers | -5 |
12 | Michigan St. Spartans | -4 |
13 | Arizona St. Sun Devils | 1 |
14 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 3 |
15 | Michigan Wolverines | 5 |
16 | Houston Cougars | 3 |
17 | Georgia Bulldogs | 4 |
18 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -7 |
19 | Washington Huskies | 4 |
20 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
21 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | -- |
22 | Missouri Tigers | -- |
23 | Texas A&M Aggies | -10 |
24 | Southern Miss. Golden Eagles | -- |
25 | Cincinnati Bearcats | -1 |
Dropouts: Texas Tech Red Raiders, Virginia Tech Hokies, Miami Hurricanes, Baylor Bears |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
*Changes made based on comments: K-State and Washington jump Ohio State and Georgia Tech. Missouri, A&M, and Southern Miss jump Virginia Tech. Toledo gets a special mention as #26. Didn't move Arkansas because some suggested putting them over Nebraska, while I was considering putting them below Clemson. Compromised.
*Extreme votes (as of now--deadline isn't until the morning): we're the highest for Wisconsin, and only Nittany White Out has them in the top ten (#9). We're second highest for Arizona State, who got a #10 vote from The Ralphie Report (must've been impressed this weekend). We're second highest for Ohio State, who Braves & Birds put #19. We're tied for highest Washington vote with UW Dawg Pound and Husker Mike's Blasphemy. We're tied for highest with Missouri and are one of just three blogs (in addition to High Porch Picnic and Hog Database) who voted for them at all. I don't know if anyone else ignored Penn State and Virginia Tech, but I can't imagine it was popular.
*Wisconsin: I want to make a special point of them. They lost a game to an inferior team and went up in the poll. Yeah, that looks a bit ridiculous, but I can't help it that everyone around them lost too. Facts are, they have one of the most impressive wins outside the Elite Seven (31 points over #9 Nebraska), and both their losses were on the road against top 25 teams and decided on the last play of the game. Everyone below them, save I think Houston and Southern Miss, has been housed at least once. It's hard to find an argument (other than "most recent loss") to drop them down near #20, where most have them.
*Ohio State and Georgia Tech. Want to make a note of this too. Their resumes are remarkably similar. Both got destroyed in Miami Gardens, both got home wins this week over legit top fifteen teams. Ohio State has more losses, but their losses to #12 Michigan State and #9 Nebraska were both nailbiters, whereas Georgia Tech lost to unranked Virginia, right between UVA's overtime escape against Idaho and their home loss to NC State. What's more, Georgia Tech had been on a downswing the last few weeks (lost two of three, hadn't covered a spread since September), whereas Ohio State has a new lease on life after early suspensions contributed to their first two losses. So why are we among the only believers in Ohio State when everyone and their mother ranked Georgia Tech? Is there any answer other than hype or prejudice?
*Missouri: Yeah, they lost four games. Their losses are to the teams we have #3 (home), #6 (away), #13 (away, OT), and #18. Excuse me for forgiving them, especially when their signature win is far better than anything Virginia Tech or Penn State could come up with. I refuse to penalize a team for losing to a superior team unless the loss is particularly ugly.