BlogPoll Ballot Week 9 (Draft)
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | -- |
| 2 | Michigan | -- |
| 3 | Southern Cal |  2 |
| 4 | Florida | 2 |
| 5 | Tennessee |  2 |
| 6 | California | 2 |
| 7 | Auburn | 3 |
| 8 | Clemson | 4 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 1 |
| 10 | Texas | 3 |
| 11 | Arkansas | 2 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 1 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 1 |
| 14 | Boston College | 11 |
| 15 | Louisville | 6 |
| 16 | Rutgers | 6 |
| 17 | LSU | 2 |
| 18 | Oregon | 2 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 1 |
| 20 | Nebraska | 2 |
| 21 | Georgia Tech | 4 |
| 22 | Wake Forest | 1 |
| 23 | Boise State | -- |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 2 |
| 25 | Missouri | 6 |
Dropped Out: Pittsburgh (#24).
Remember: no looky at last week's ballot. Now that I see the finished product I have my reservations. Hell, I had reservations about the ballot as submitted.
Remember: no looky at last week's ballot. Now that I see the finished product I have my reservations. Hell, I had reservations about the ballot as submitted.
- I've reconsidered a couple ACC teams. Clemson obliterated a Georgia Tech team that is actually kind of good. Sure, they were aided heavily by Reggie Ball's essential Reggie-Ball-ness, but CJ Spiller is fast. They kind of fluked their way into the Wake win but that still ended up a ten-point victory over a decent team. The BC loss was by literally the thinnest of margins -- one point -- and was pretty fluky overall, with a KO return for a touchdown and a missed extra point providing the difference. Clemson outgained BC by over 150 yards. They move up quite a bit. I hear SMQB's plea on BC, as well. Though the win over Clemson was, as discussed, fluky, but so was the NC State loss. The four wins over other actual teams -- Central Michigan, undefeated in the MAC, TCU-beating BYU, FSU, and Va Tech -- warrant a ranking in the solid teens. Up they go.
- I think I was unfair to Louisville, but the teams in front of them are beginning to roll up actual resumes and Louisville has no one of stature on theirs -- and how I love being able to say that about a schedule that contains Miami.
- Of course, neither does West Virginia and I haven't punished them nearly as badly, though they do slip behind Clemson. This is probably unjustified.
- I have a feeling that Pitt's run defense is just atrocious. Anyone who remembers Darius Walker blowing up for a billion yards in last year's opener could tell you that. Walker's a nice back but when he's streaking past your secondary, you have problems. Earlier this year, Pitt was cut to ribbons by Michigan State. Now it's Rutgers turn to shred the Panther run defense. What I'm saying: Rutgers probably not that good against a team that can stop the run.