 | ||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech | -- |
| 2 | Alabama | -- |
| 3 | Texas | -- |
| 4 | Florida | -- |
| 5 | Oklahoma | -- |
| 6 | Southern Cal | -- |
| 7 | Penn State | -- |
| 8 | Utah | -- |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | -- |
| 10 | Ohio State | -- |
| 11 | Georgia | -- |
| 12 | Missouri | -- |
| 13 | Oregon State |  6 |
| 14 | Boise State |  1 |
| 15 | Michigan State | 1 |
| 16 | TCU | 1 |
| 17 | Ball State | 3 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | -- |
| 19 | Cincinnati | 2 |
| 20 | Brigham Young | 6 |
| 21 | Maryland | 5 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 7 |
| 23 | Miami (Florida) | 3 |
| 24 | LSU | -- |
| 25 | Mississippi | 1 |
Dropped Out: Florida State (#20), Virginia Tech (#22), California (#23), South Carolina (#25).
1-12: It says something about how lousy this week's slate of games was--and how uncompetitive it proved to be--that none of the top 12 teams on the JCCW's previous ballot earned the sort of victory that would merit either a jump or a slide. The only real potential argument-changer was Florida reducing the House of Spurrier to naught but rubble and ash, but even that performance didn't change the fact that--as stated last week--Texas has both a better collection of wins and the better loss.
13-20: The other contenders for this spot aren't even close to having anything like the USC win on their resume, and after beating Cal even the Beavers' second win is better than the likes of Michigan St.'s or Pitt's best win. They're closer to Missouri than their trailers are to them.
As for mid-major states Boise and Ball, Oregon and Navy just aren't good enough to prop them up any longer. The Midshipmen's loss at home to iffy Notre Dame and the Cardinals' mediocre win over a bad Miami (Ohio) team means they have to slip. It's too bad; I think their general week-in, week-out dominance is a tad on the underappreciated side. But when you play in the MAC and your nonconference schedule is Navy, Indiana, Western Kentucky, and Northeastern, them's the breaks. And while we're discussing mids, the combination of BYU actually beating a team with a pulse (in Air Force) and the general chaos in the ACC is enough to push them to 20th.
21-23: You explain to me what the hell the do with the ACC. The one thing I'm sure of is that North Carolina should not go behind Miami, seeing as how the Tar Heels 1) have the same overall record 2) have some decent nonconference wins Miami doesn't and most importantly 3) beat the 'Canes on their home turf. But then, if apply that last criterion, how can I leave Maryland behind the 'Heels? Honestly, I'd like to, since the Terps have the big Cal and UNC wins and pretty much nothing (now that Wake his dissolved) behind them. But oh well, those Cal and UNC wins are worth something, I guess.
24-25: LSU was previously hanging their hat on that South Carolina win; not so much any more. Now it's only the fact that all three of their losses came to top-11 teams that's keeping them in the poll. The last spot came down to two four-loss teams in Ole Miss and Iowa who each have one stunning upset on the resume; since Ole Miss's came on the road over what appears to be the better team, they get in.
Waitlist: Iowa gets in next week over the LSU-Ole Miss loser if they handle their business at Minnesota. Oregon has something of an argument, but they lost to all three of the truly good teams on their schedule and count "home against Arizona" as their best win. Northwestern (@Iowa, @ Minnesota) has better wins (if that ugly Indiana loss, as does half the ACC: Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Florida St. would have all have gripes if they hadn't lost to teams like, well, themselves.
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