College Football AP Poll Dissection: Week Five
By Ty Duffy
Nebraska and UCLA Again: UCLA and Nebraska have the same record 4-1. UCLA has played a tougher schedule. The Bruins’ best win is better. Their one loss is to a better team. Most importantly, UCLA BEAT NEBRASKA HEAD TO HEAD. There is no argument for putting Nebraska ahead of UCLA right now, yet 32 voters did so.
Northwestern: With so many sports media alums, how did it take Northwestern this long to get ranked? Are they the best team in the country? No. Is a 5-0 record with four wins against AQ conference teams a better resumé than a few teams in front of them? Absolutely. 58/60 voters have Oklahoma higher ranked. Explain that one.
No Moral Victories: Baylor lost a shootout on the road by one score to West Virginia, a team AP voters determined was the 8th best team in the nation. Only two voters, Andy Staples and Mike Hlas, had Baylor within 15 places.
The Inimitable Jon Wilner: (Takes deep breath) Wilner has Notre Dame and Kansas State in the top five, ahead of Florida State and LSU. He has Michigan (14), six places higher than the next highest voter. He has Michigan State at (16). He is the only voter with Texas lower than (14) at (22). He is the only voter with Tennessee (23) ranked.
Glenn Guilbeau: Guilbeau finally departed the Wisconsin bandwagon, dropping the Badgers from his Top 25. He’s still holding a candle for the Big Ten, however, with both Michigan State (19) and Michigan (20) in the Top 20. He jumped Washington from off the board to (12) and kept Stanford (13) just behind them. He’s one of three voters with Notre Dame (14) lower than (12) and is the only voter with Florida (18) lower than (15).
Losses Ignored: Josh Kendall has Clemson (11) and Washington (12). He still has Michigan State (19) and Arizona (22) ranked.
Popular in Ames: Iowa State lost by 11 at home to Texas Tech, but Ray Ratto remains on the bandwagon. He has the Cyclones at (23), the only voter to still have them ranked, ahead of Texas Tech. Transitive property after Iowa’s big win over Minnesota?
Finally: Scott Wolf has seen enough. He has moved LSU down to (2) and replaced them on the top with Alabama. He is the lowest voter on West Virginia (15) and Notre Dame (16).
Most Overrated: Oklahoma (17). The Sooners’ best (and only) FBS win was pulling away in the fourth quarter against UTEP, a team outside the SRS Top 100.
Most Underrated: Louisiana Tech (unranked). Sonny Dykes’ team is 4-0. Three of the wins were on the road, two came against AQ teams including a blowout of Illinois in Champaign. 42/60 voters
[Photo via Presswire]