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. To that end, Boise will probably not climb much higher in my poll for the rest of the year because they don't really play anyone. And if they don't blow out the weak competition every week, they will start to slip in addition to not climbing.
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.
Change my mind using my criteria if you can.
Notes: Not a lot of change in the top teams as they keep on winning. Clemson had to overcome some self inflicted wounds against Maryland, however Georgia Tech was not able to get a stop against Virginia when they needed it most. They drop a considerable ways for a 'bad loss.' Too far? Not far enough? Texas gets bumped out after their second consecutive loss. Do they deserve to be one of the 2 loss ranked teams? Not sure about Houston being ranked this high. They did crush a bad opponent this week however their best win is against 3-3 UCLA. Penn St. keeps winning. It's ugly, but they keep winning. Kansas State, while not blowing out teams, has 4 solid wins against Miami, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas Tech.
Don't forget to do your Tomahawk Nation College Pick'em. Games have been selected.
Tomahawk Nation Ballot - Week 8
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 2 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 3 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 4 | Clemson Tigers | -- |
| 5 | Wisconsin Badgers | -- |
| 6 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys |
 1 |
| 7 | Stanford Cardinal |
2 |
| 8 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 9 | Oregon Ducks |
1 |
| 10 | West Virginia Mountaineers |
1 |
| 11 | Kansas St. Wildcats |
6 |
| 12 | Michigan St. Spartans | -- |
| 13 | South Carolina Gamecocks |
3 |
| 14 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 15 | Virginia Tech Hokies |
5 |
| 16 | Michigan Wolverines |
 -4 |
| 17 | Texas A&M Aggies |
6 |
| 18 | Penn St. Nittany Lions |
6 |
| 19 | Houston Cougars | -- |
| 20 | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
2 |
| 21 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |
-15 |
| 22 | Auburn Tigers | -- |
| 23 | Washington Huskies | -- |
| 24 | Illinois Fighting Illini |
-9 |
| 25 | Arizona St. Sun Devils |
-7 |
| Dropouts: North Carolina Tar Heels, Baylor Bears, Texas Longhorns, Rutgers Scarlet Knights | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "