This is not a power poll. I don't attempt to rank teams based on how good I think they are. I only rank teams based on their resume. What have they done? Not how talented are their players or what other polls project them to do, but what have they done? The poll is designed to be dynamic. I try to start from scratch every week.
I do attempt to reward teams for "quality losses," while punishing them for poor performances. I do not give excessive credit for stomping horrible teams. I reward quality play, win or lose, particularly against other good teams. I am not bumping team A 10 spots and docking team B 10 spots when team A beats team B by a field goal in what was essentially an equally played game. I like to reward playing well against good teams, win or lose, and punish losing to poor teams more harshly than I reward defeating poor teams.
I Reward Grinders. I reward those who play difficult schedules. Teams that play a tough team every week don't get to spend extra time preparing for their tough games, and they also don't face the attrition other teams face because they are able to pull their starters in blowouts. Fewer plays for important players reduces the chance those players will get injured.
Notes: As this is not a power poll and is designed to be built on a teams resume, the first week might look a little crazy. But teams that played at least a good/decent team and won earned a spot, perhaps a high spot. Teams that crushed bad teams, remained in place or placed above some teams that struggled against poor competition. There are probably holes in this ballot. North Carolina could be ranked higher, as could Miami, and Notre Dame. Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee are what I assume many of you think are ranked ridiculously high. I agree, but they all played better competition than most schools in the top 25 did in week 1 and were rewarded for it. Should Michigan still have a spot? They got thoroughly stomped by Alabama. They have plenty of time earn a spot back. As we get 4 or 5 weeks into the season, this poll will make more sense as teams get into conference play and out of the 'preseason.'
Tomahawk Nation Ballot - Week 1
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | USC Trojans | -- |
| 3 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 4 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 5 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
| 6 | Clemson Tigers | -- |
| 7 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 8 | Michigan St. Spartans | -- |
| 9 | Tennessee Volunteers | -- |
| 10 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -- |
| 11 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 12 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 13 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 14 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 15 | Georgia Bulldogs | -- |
| 16 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 17 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 18 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -- |
| 19 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 20 | Wisconsin Badgers | -- |
| 21 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | -- |
| 22 | Louisville Cardinals | -- |
| 23 | Miami Hurricanes | -- |
| 24 | North Carolina Tar Heels | -- |
| 25 | Florida Gators | -- |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
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