| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | -- |
| 2 | Auburn | -- |
| 3 | Michigan | -- |
| 4 | Florida | -- |
| 5 | Southern Cal | -- |
| 6 | Louisville | -- |
| 7 | West Virginia | -- |
| 8 | Texas |
 1 |
| 9 | Louisiana State |
 1 |
| 10 | Virginia Tech |
1 |
| 11 | Iowa |
2 |
| 12 | Georgia |
2 |
| 13 | Tennessee |
3 |
| 14 | Notre Dame |
2 |
| 15 | Oregon |
1 |
| 16 | Oklahoma |
1 |
| 17 | Cal |
2 |
| 18 | Nebraska |
1 |
| 19 | TCU |
1 |
| 20 | Clemson |
1 |
| 21 | Florida State |
1 |
| 22 | Boise State |
4 |
| 23 | Georgia Tech |
3 |
| 24 | Rutgers |
2 |
| 25 | Boston College |
5 |
I did not look at last week's ballot during my first stab at this week's ballot and was a bit surprised that I ended up with the same top five. (I had originally switched Louisville and West Virginia, but upon further review, decided I had it right last week.) Texas and LSU are sitting pretty, as the Ohio State-Michigan, Auburn-Florida, and Louisville-West Virginia couplets will all work themselves out and will make room for any team with an earlier one-loss record.
Anyway, there were a few changes, of course, and here's what I was thinking.
1. Ohio State. I considered Brian's challenge to refrain from blindly voting the Buckeyes No. 1, but ended up doing it just the same with my eyes wide open. He's got a point that OSU struggled against Penn State, who lost big to Notre Dame, who lost big to Michigan, but I think it's a bad sign for everyone else that the game was eventually sealed by two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Wasn't the only pre-season concern for this team the defense? Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, Jr., and an improving defense spells trouble.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I'd like to claim prescience here for last week's ballot, but, well, it just isn't so. I just don't see any reason to move any of them, though. What do y'all think?
8 and 9. Texas and LSU are basically interchangeable here. I'm thinking about switching them back, but I'm very uncomfortable with seeing no pretty arrows until the ten spot.
10 - 14. Virginia Tech and Iowa move up solely because Georgia nearly lost to Colorado. Ditto Tennessee. I agree with the prevailing view that Notre Dame did not win its game against Michigan State as much as Michigan State lost it.
17. Cal's recovery from the Tennessee opener is looking good for both Cal and Tennessee.
23-25. Thanks to reader Aerobab, who pointed out an inconsistency in the draft, namely that I dinged Notre Dame and rewarded Arkansas for wins given to them by the opposition. So, Arkansas gets bounced from the party, Boston College sneaks back in during the fracas primarily based on a prior victory over Clemson, and the bottom three get shuffled.