Over The Pylon

You would think that by Week 4 of the season, making a ballot would be exceptionally easy. There’s 4 weekends of data to pull from, tangible results, and most everyone by now has played at least one decent to semi-respectable opponent. The problem with that is that’s basing an awful lot on one particular opponent for the teams that have loaded up on delicious cupcakes as the season started.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama	—
2	Florida	—
3	Texas	—
4	Virginia Tech	3
5	Boise State	3
6	Cincinnati	5
7	TCU	7
8	LSU	1
9	Houston	7
10	Oklahoma	3
11	Southern Cal	1
12	Oklahoma State	5
13	Ohio State	2
14	Nebraska	4
15	Kansas	4
16	Michigan	4
17	Miami (Florida)	7
18	Brigham Young	6
19	Missouri	6
20	Auburn	6
21	Iowa	5
22	Georgia	—
23	Penn State	17
24	Oregon	2
25	South Florida	1
Last week’s ballot

We are not the straight resume rankers like some in this poll, and we are also not hellbent and determined to simply move teams up or down based on how they do in strict tied together movement. Over the next several weeks as we move to a more results oriented poll, there’s going to be some movement. This week, with 4 teams in our Top 10 losing, that movement is on full display. Particulars and explanations after the jump…

Let’s get to the bad first, as 4 teams are dropped entirely out of the rankings. There’s a logic to each:
California (#4 last week) has beaten a Maryland team that is far from decent, an FCS Eastern Washington team, and struggled against Minnesota. Then they went and dropped this weekend’s contest against Oregon. An Oregon team without their biggest offensive threat at the opening of the season in the now suspended LeGarrette Blount. That is far from Top 5 and for now, not even worthy of Top 25, Heisman Candidate or not in Jahvid Best on the roster.

Mississippi (#5 last week) was one of those teams who has played one solid team… South Carolina last week who promptly beat the Rebels. Will the Rebels stay out of the Top 25 for long? Probably not. But for now, wins over Memphis and Southeast Louisiana don’t scream “Rank us!”.

Washington (#21 last week) rode their victory over USC into inclusion in last week’s poll and rode their loss this week to Stanford right the hell out the door. Thanks, Washington. I’m sure it was awesome to be the talk of the town for a week… you can go right on back to mediocrity now.

Florida State (#23 last week) was beaten by South Florida after their impressive win over BYU. This is the same FSU team that struggled with FCS Jacksonville State and got lost to Miami. Being .500 against that schedule isn’t entirely unacceptable. Wait… Matt Groethe was out? Yeah… enjoy that drop, Noles.

The other drops in the poll, but those who stayed in the poll were Penn State and Miami, most notably for not only who they lost to but how they lost. Both teams were respectable in defeat, and lost to opponents which were formidable, and in Miami’s case, ranked higher than they were to start the weekend. Here’s the rationale for the rest of the poll-o-awesome that is OTP’s week 4 ballot…

Alabama
Florida
Texas
Clearly stay at the top of the poll because each team did exactly what they were expected to do. We’re catching a bit of heat dropping the Gators out of the top spot last week, but I am hopeful that we’ll be moving Bama down after Kentucky beats them this weekend. (Ed. Note: By beat we mean lose to impressively)

Virginia Tech
Boise State
Cincinnati
TCU
LSU
Houston
All teams which benefit dramatically simply because those above them lost, and they each of some merits of their own, with the exception being LSU. LSU is damn lucky to stay where they are considering their victory against Mississippi State was more MSU losing rather than them winning, but for now, they sit in the Top 10.

Oklahoma
Southern Cal
Oklahoma State
Ohio State
Nebraska
All teams that have a loss, but none of those losses exceptionally damning or detrimental to their hopes for a successful season. It is entirely plausible that by season’s end, most of these teams will be in the Top 10 for nearly everyone as they play much tougher teams going forward then teams above them in the ballot.

Kansas
Michigan
Missouri
Three undefeated teams but three teams who I have no idea what exactly to do with. Kansas beat Southern Miss and a bunch of no names. Michigan has beaten two MAC schools, lucked into a win over Notre Dame, and barely hung on for a controversial Indiana win. Yes… that Indiana. Missouri has beaten no one of note, and with each Illinois loss, their one “impressive” win loses it’s luster. They all move up now because of the teams ahead of them losing and no real tangible reason to move them down or hold them steady, but my God do I feel queasy about having these teams here.

Georgia
The Dawgs continue to make me question whether or not they belong in the Top 25. They win, and that’s really the most important measuring stick, but each and every game is a cardiac fitness test for any Georgia fan. Eventually, one of these weeks, they’re going to come out on the wrong side of those tests, and when they do, they’re dropping. Until that happens, or until they start winning convincingly, they stay where they are.

Auburn
Iowa
Oregon
South Florida
Auburn gets entry because they’re undefeated and have looked damn solid. The fact that they aren’t ranked in the two mainstream polls shocks me. Iowa, Oregon, and South Florida all get in because of who they beat and how they beat them.

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