November 27, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 14

AP LogoDoing the MRI is so much simpler than filling out this ballot. I don't have to make the tough decisions there. The computer does. It looks coldly at the numbers and gives me shockers like Troy moving into the Top 25 this week.

I was not as kind to the little school in Alabama.

And I am not following the masses and putting Missouri at #1 on my ballot. I am choosing to go with West Virginia, which I know will draw a lot of criticism. The Mountaineers lost to South Florida, who ended up losing 3 games in a row after the major victory. However, at this point in the season, no team is playing better than West Virginia. Their defense has stiffened. Pat White is acting as a major leader. They are holding onto the ball.

Plus, I can't take seeing another #1 on my ballot losing this coming weekend. Yes, Missouri is my #2, but like last week, I can't honestly believe that they can win against Oklahoma, even if beating the same team a second time is very hard. Oklahoma is just that much better than Missouri, despite what the records say.

Does that mean I should put Oklahoma ahead of Missouri? Probably, but for the week, I can give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they will actually cover the spread this time around too.

Here is how I would rank the teams going into week 14.

  1. West Virginia
  2. Missouri
  3. Ohio State
  4. Georgia
  5. Kansas
  1. Oklahoma
  2. LSU
  3. Florida
  4. Virginia Tech
  5. USC

  6. Arizona State

  7. Boston College

  8. Auburn

  9. Hawaii

  10. Michigan

  11. Tennessee

  12. Boise State

  13. Oregon

  14. Connecticut

  15. BYU

  16. Clemson

  17. Illinois

  18. Virginia

  19. Texas

  20. South Florida


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 19, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 13

AP LogoNo ballot last week as I vacationed in Arizona.

While there, I had the chance to take in the Chicago Bulls-Phoenix Suns game. I can't tell you the power of the cheers that went up when the final score was announced in the Oregon-Arizona contest from Thursday night. It more than would have drowned out the cheers that greeted National League Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, who was also in attendance. I guess even having a team from their conference playing for the National title wasn't enough to have the citizens of Arizona rooting for the Ducks.

The Ducks would have been my #1 team last week, after Ohio State's loss. Now, they are knocked to #6. Given that their heart and soul, Dennis Dixon is out for the year, it is likely that they will fall even further in the next couple of weeks. It will be just too tough to win without him, even if the level of competition is just UCLA and Oregon State.

Now at #1, LSU, making my ballot now similar in that regard with the MRI. West Virginia is my #2 though. The Mountaineers would be undefeated were it not for losing Pat White for parts of their game against South Florida. That is no excuse for their defense, but it is an excuse for why their offense couldn't act up to full speed.

Next up come the two Big XII contenders, Kansas and Missouri. I am giving Kansas the benefit of the doubt for now, since they have not lost. However, I am not sure that means that the Jayhawks will take down the Tigers. I have a sneaking suspicion that the BCS world is in for another upset.

Rounding out the top 5 is the team now poised to win the PAC-10, Arizona State. They are quietly getting things done and while the loss against Oregon will likely mean they don't play in New Orleans, they are almost guaranteed a spot in the BCS if they can just get past that pesky USC team, still somehow in contention.

Here is my "AP" Ballot for week 13:

  1. LSU
  2. West Virginia
  3. Kansas
  4. Missouri
  5. Arizona State
  1. Oregon
  2. Ohio State
  3. Georgia
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Florida

  6. Virginia Tech

  7. Boston College

  8. Connecticut

  9. USC

  10. Boise State

  11. Texas

  12. Michigan

  13. Auburn

  14. Hawaii

  15. Virginia

  16. BYU

  17. Tennessee

  18. Texas Tech

  19. Clemson

  20. Illinois


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 5, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 11

AP LogoBemoaning the weaknesses of Hawaii's schedule makes it easy to continue to move them down my ballot, especially when they are off for the week. If they aren't there to put up 60 points on the scoreboard, you can easily forget about them. I forgot about them so much that I moved Boise State ahead of them as the top team from the WAC on my ballot, at #16.

The top two on my ballot remain the same this week. Ohio State and Oregon both scored big wins in their quest for the championship. While Oregon remains behind LSU in the BCS standings, they may be getting enough people to notice that they have the chance to jump over LSU or even Ohio State should either of those teams have a less than stellar day.

That said, LSU's less than stellar days are becoming a bit commonplace. While that won't be enough for me to drop them from #3, it does make it seem like they are on the verge of not doing what it seems they were destined to do going into this season - play for the championship in their "home" field, at the Sugar Bowl.

Jumping into my #25 spot this week: Houston. I debated with myself about this, a sort of inner monologue. It came down to having a hard time rewarding any of the other Eastern teams from the SEC. I just haven't seen enough good out of Tennessee or South Carolina (especially with the Gamecock loss) to warrant having either of them around. The other major conferences don't really have strong teams beyond what I already had. So it came down to those other conferences.

The WAC was nothing outside of Boise and Hawaii, although Fresno State could be looked at, even if they are flaky. The Mountain West only really boasts BYU who I am waiting on until they play TCU. That left Conference USA since the MAC and SunBelt conferences are just horrid this season.

Three teams got looks: East Carolina, Houston, and Central Florida. East Carolina scores the big points in the conference, having beaten the other two. However, they also have the worst loss out of conference to North Carolina State. I can't honestly put a team with that loss in the rankings. Central Florida had the best losses outside of conference, with both teams they lost to having been ranked highly, but putting them ahead of a now unranked South Florida when they got spanked by them, didn't work for me.

So you get Houston, who lost the opener to my #2 Oregon and also to my #22 Alabama, both on the road. The Alabama game was almost an upset. Their loss to East Carolina was only by 2 points, so they get the nod for my final ranking position.

Here is how I would rank the teams going into Week 11:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Oregon
  3. LSU
  4. Oklahoma
  5. West Virginia
  1. Kansas
  2. Missouri
  3. Arizona State
  4. Boston College
  5. Georgia

  6. Florida

  7. Michigan

  8. Virginia Tech

  9. Connecticut

  10. USC

  11. Boise State

  12. Hawaii

  13. Texas

  14. Clemson

  15. Auburn

  16. Virginia

  17. Alabama

  18. Penn State

  19. Cincinnati

  20. Houston


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 30, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 10

AP LogoThe AP poll doesn't factor into the BCS anymore, but if it did, at this point in the season, you probably wouldn't have to look past the Top 10 in order to see who was "still in it".

Given that I think that, you would imagine that this list would take approximately 40% of the time it took in the past to put together. The truth is probably just the opposite. Looking at who I had in the Top 10 last week (Florida, Virginia Tech, South Florida, and USC), I had to change totally how I was looking at the football world at this time last week.

And so, welcome West Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, and Georgia, into the list of teams, who probably still have a shot. The true list is more likely confined to the top 5, where I had just one change this week.

Oregon beating USC impressed me more than Boston College doing absolutely nothing against Virginia Tech for 57 minutes. Other than the Eagles keeping Virginia Tech from scoring about 30 points, which would have made the late combeack moot, and some of that may have been helped by the rain, they were ridiculously unimpressive. So for 3 minutes on Thursday, BC was better than Virginia Tech was for 57 minutes. That leaves me dropping them down a bit to the #3 spot.

Here is my AP Ballot for going into Week 10 of the season.

  1. Ohio State
  2. Oregon
  3. Boston College
  4. LSU
  5. Oklahoma
  1. Arizona State
  2. West Virginia
  3. Missouri
  4. Kansas
  5. Georgia

  6. Florida

  7. Hawaii

  8. Michigan

  9. Texas

  10. Virginia Tech

  11. Connecticut

  12. USC

  13. Boise State

  14. Alabama

  15. South Florida

  16. Kentucky

  17. Auburn

  18. Clemson

  19. Virginia

  20. Wake Forest


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 23, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 9

AP LogoIt is nice to have my top two teams not lose for once. Of course, that didn't make the rankings any easier.

Could LSU blow a team out, like they were doing at the beginning of the year? That would be nice, but no, they don't.

Can Oklahoma roll up the 50 points I thought they would on Iowa State? No.

Can Florida go down against Kentucky, much like LSU? Nope, they survive, confounding things because it means I think that a team with two losses, in the mess of undefeated teams and those with one loss, is the #6 team in the country. They could beat almost any team given the chance, and they have been close in every single loss. And yet, maybe they are just a year away from again destroying the world, and some unwary Big Ten foe for another National Championship.

And here is a note to Oregon. Please win against USC. I don't think I can take sitting on the edge of my seat, hoping that on the final week of the season, they manage to lose again. You do know that if USC wins out, they will likely be close to a National Championship game berth, yes? And does anyone really want that? Probably not, but it will happen.

Here is my AP Ballot going into Week 9 of the season:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Boston College
  3. Oregon
  4. LSU
  5. Oklahoma
  1. Florida
  2. Virginia Tech
  3. USC
  4. Arizona State
  5. South Florida

  6. West Virginia

  7. Kentucky

  8. Missouri

  9. Kansas

  10. Hawaii

  11. Texas

  12. Cal

  13. Virginia

  14. Michigan

  15. Boise State

  16. Connecticut

  17. Rutgers

  18. Penn State

  19. UCLA

  20. Alabama


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 16, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 8

AP LogoI guess I can't go wrong this week. Even the professional writers put 6 different teams on the top line. I chose the one that most of them chose, Ohio State. Not that it is getting easy to pick this.

One of the big debates I had was if I should keep LSU in the top 5. I almost did but moved them down to #6 and slotted South Florida in the top 5. Do I think South Florida has what it takes to go undefeated all the way? Maybe. They certainly showed that they have the defense against Auburn and West Virginia to slow teams down. But the Big East that they have left is full of huge offenses, including Louisville, and Cincinnati. I would guess they lose one of those two games (and wouldn't Louisville like to ruin someone else's season now that theirs is in the toilet.)

Feel free to rip me. As with last week, I am not sure that even this ranking of the teams is correct.

  1. Ohio State
  2. Boston College
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Oregon
  5. South Florida
  1. LSU
  2. Virginia Tech
  3. Florida
  4. Cal
  5. USC

  6. Arizona State

  7. South Carolina

  8. Kentucky

  9. West Virginia

  10. Kansas

  11. Hawaii

  12. Missouri

  13. Texas

  14. Boise State

  15. Auburn

  16. Texas Tech

  17. Virginia

  18. Michigan

  19. Penn State

  20. Cincinnati


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 8, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 7

AP LogoI thought the previous week had a lot of upsets, but that was nothing compared to this week. There are some wholesale changes this week in my ballot.

I am not sure that I even think this is correct. Truthfully, our view of college football should be very different than in years past. Look at all of the names that you wouldn't expect to be on this list right now. Illinois, Wyoming, South Florida, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Kansas? I am not saying that they haven't been deserving this season (and I am close to adding Indiana to that list (see the MRI rankings)), but it is a big change for the voters this season, and I am sure it is a big change for some of the long time fans.

So, here you go, my AP ballot if I were a voter after this week's continuing mess:

  1. LSU
  2. Ohio State
  3. Cal
  4. Boston College
  5. Oklahoma
  1. Oregon
  2. USC
  3. Virginia Tech
  4. Florida
  5. South Carolina

  6. South Florida

  7. West Virginia

  8. Missouri

  9. Kentucky

  10. Arizona State

  11. Hawaii

  12. Illinois

  13. Wisconsin

  14. Cincinnati

  15. Florida State

  16. Boise State

  17. Texas A&M

  18. Kansas

  19. Auburn

  20. Wyoming


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 1, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 6

AP LogoWith all the upsets, this was even harder to fill out than last week.

I just keep waiting for teams like Texas or anyone from the Big East, to be the teams that we thought they would be at the beginning of the season. Now, I did think that Texas would struggle this reason more than their pre-season Top 10 rating would say. But I didn't think it would be to this extent.

This season more than most is showing the parity that can exist in college football, especially when you see names like Kentucky, South Florida, and Illinois, in my Top 25.

Here is my AP Ballot looking into Week 6:

  1. LSU
  2. USC
  3. Ohio State
  4. Cal
  5. Boston College
  1. Kentucky
  2. Oklahoma
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Florida
  5. Oregon

  6. Virginia Tech

  7. Georgia

  8. South Carolina

  9. South Florida

  10. West Virginia

  11. Arizona State

  12. Nebraska

  13. Hawaii

  14. Rutgers

  15. Texas

  16. Missouri

  17. Purdue

  18. Illinois

  19. Miami

  20. Florida State


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 25, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 5

AP LogoAnother tough week to fill out. I am still not sure on some of the undefeated teams. Kansas, Arizona State, you still have me baffled until you have a game that means something. Kansas gets theirs this week, but we still have quite a bit of time to wait until we see how really good Arizona State is.

I swapped USC and Oklahoma this week. USC showed me more than Oklahoma did against Tulsa. Tulsa was Oklahoma's first big test of the season and they may have passed, but they were working on a grade of "C" instead of the "A"s that they had earned so far.

The rest of my top five remain the same, but there is a lot of mix-up down the list, including a two loss team. The only thing is that my two loss team doesn't wear blue.

And now, my "AP" Ballot heading into Week 5.

  1. LSU
  2. USC
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Florida
  5. West Virginia
  1. Cal
  2. Ohio State
  3. Texas
  4. Rutgers
  5. Oregon

  6. Boston College

  7. Virginia Tech

  8. Hawaii

  9. Wisconsin

  10. Clemson

  11. Kentucky

  12. Missouri

  13. Nebraska

  14. Georgia

  15. Alabama

  16. South Florida

  17. Michigan State

  18. South Carolina

  19. Penn State

  20. Arkansas


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 18, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 4

AP LogoHarder and Harder to fill out. That is what this fake ballot is. I should have known this week would be bad on Friday when Oklahoma State lost to Troy, or maybe there was an inkling on Thursday when TCU lost to Air Force.

All I know is that game after game just kept coming in with upsets galore, and trying to piece it all together was something of a mess.

I do know that if I were a real pollster, I would have been blasted by the FanIQ blog this week. I don't have Kentucky above Louisville, even if they pulled the upset. I don't even have Kentucky in the Top 25. I don't have South Carolina ranked any higher than #24. There is something about beating up on South Carolina State which doesn't lend itself well to the top of the Top 25, even with a win over Georgia. I even ranked Michigan State, and although Critical Fanatic is a huge Spartan fan, he is probably harder on that team than anyone I know, and would probably run circles around me for my #25 placement of the team.

However, I am not a real pollster (at least not yet), and therefore, I am semi-immune from the blasting.

That said, this was still a tough week to rank. What do you do about UCLA and Louisville? What do you do about Arkansas? I am not quite sure yet.

I am sure that LSU and Oklahoma are the two best teams on the field right now, even if USC beat up on Nebraska this weekend. That said, each has a tough road ahead, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this change a lot anytime soon.

  1. LSU
  2. Oklahoma
  3. USC
  4. Florida
  5. West Virginia
  1. Cal
  2. Penn State
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Texas
  5. Rutgers

  6. Oregon

  7. Virginia Tech

  8. Ohio State

  9. Louisville

  10. Texas A&M

  11. Alabama

  12. Arkansas

  13. Boston College

  14. Hawaii

  15. Clemson

  16. Nebraska

  17. South Florida

  18. Georgia Tech

  19. South Carolina

  20. Michigan State


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 12, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 3

AP LogoIt's a little late, but here is my ballot for Week 3. There is no doubt in my mind at this point that LSU is the top team in the country, no matter what the people who won't drop the Trojans think.

Add in Oklahoma's crushing win against Miami (who should have looked that bad), and I have the Trojans all the way down at #3. It is too bad that no one else really showed what they were made of this week. Filling out this ballot has never been this difficult for me. Between the close games, and the upsets, I was at a loss for what to put into the Top 10, let alone the Top 25.

Feel free to disagree, but next time you complain, try ranking 25 teams so far this year given all of the results.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 3:

  1. LSU
  2. Oklahoma
  3. USC
  4. Florida
  5. West Virginia
  1. Louisville
  2. Texas
  3. Penn State
  4. Cal
  5. Wisconsin

  6. UCLA

  7. Rutgers

  8. Arkansas

  9. Virginia Tech

  10. Nebraska

  11. Georgia Tech

  12. Ohio State

  13. Oregon

  14. Hawaii

  15. Tennessee

  16. Texas A&M

  17. Clemson

  18. Washington

  19. Boston College

  20. South Florida


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 4, 2007

My "AP" Ballot - Week 2

AP LogoAnother year of my fake AP ballot. For those not familiar, maybe soon I will have a chance to do this for real. I have been accepted into Northwestern's Medill school to get my Masters in Journalism. Here's to hoping that turns into a place with a ballot open.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 2:

  1. LSU
  2. USC
  3. Florida
  4. Wisconsin
  5. Oklahoma
  1. Louisville
  2. West Virginia
  3. Cal
  4. Texas
  5. Virginia Tech

  6. Georgia

  7. UCLA

  8. Penn State

  9. Nebraska

  10. Rutgers

  11. Arkansas

  12. Ohio State

  13. Hawaii

  14. Georgia Tech

  15. Texas A&M

  16. Auburn

  17. Tennessee

  18. TCU

  19. Clemson

  20. Boston College


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 29, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 13

AP LogoI am still not sold on USC, even after their win over Notre Dame. They have too many "close ones" and while they blew out the Irish, that is not enough for me to have them in the Top 5.

I do, however, wish to thank LSU, who have finally proven that my faith in the Tigers all season has been justified. They knocked off what is still a very good Arkansas team, and so, remain in my Top 5 overall, even if they could be on the outside looking in come BCS time. I still like them for an at-large pick, especially with all the talent they have on the field, but that is up to others at this point, and not me.

Other than Arkansas falling from the Top 5, there were no big movers this week, but feel free to question my placement of USC at #7.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 13:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Florida
  4. LSU
  5. Louisville
  1. Wisconsin
  2. USC
  3. Arkansas
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Texas

  6. West Virginia

  7. Notre Dame

  8. Auburn

  9. Boise State

  10. Rutgers

  11. Tennessee

  12. Cal

  13. Nebraska

  14. Georgia Tech

  15. BYU

  16. Virginia Tech

  17. Hawaii

  18. Wake Forest

  19. Houston

  20. Texas A&M


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 22, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 12

AP LogoWell, this week was a lot easier than the previous one. I keep Michigan at #2 this week. I will probably do so until I see the aftermath of the SEC Championship game, but it should be very interesting, especially given the games coming these two weeks.

The top three teams from the SEC fill out my top 5, and they will all play before the end of the season. I hesitate to believe that Arkansas will win both games, but given the way all three are playing right now, it is a definite possibility.

And people thought I was crazy for picking them to win the West. Silly people...Ok, yes, I was a little crazy, but it was much more fun to watch them actually do it after having picked them.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 12:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Florida
  4. Arkansas
  5. LSU
  1. Texas
  2. Louisville
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Notre Dame
  5. USC

  6. West Virginia

  7. Oklahoma

  8. Auburn

  9. Rutgers

  10. Boise State

  11. Georgia Tech

  12. Tennessee

  13. Cal

  14. Nebraska

  15. Clemson

  16. BYU

  17. Virginia Tech

  18. Hawaii

  19. Boston College

  20. Houston


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 15, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 11

AP LogoHow do I reconcile the Big East mess that is occurring? Obviously I have to move Louisville out of my Top 5, although I am not sure they deserve to fall that far, especially considering everything else that happened this weekend. And I am not really sure that Rutgers is the best team in the Big East at this point, but right now, you can't deny what they have done this season. So they get the benefit of the doubt and jump into the Top 5, which could be danger.

No team I have had ranked in the top 5 has managed to survive except for Ohio State and Michigan. So, at the risk of spelling doom for Rutgers and their dream season, I am ranking them 5th.

Moving up this week are Florida, who I put at #3, despite a long hard think about it. They have not been impressive lately. Ever since Urban Meyer has started injecting Tim Tebow into the offense more, it seems like they get worse each week. I have my doubts about them, but right now, I can't see who to put ahead of them because they keep winning.

LSU, who I had at #7 last week, jumps to #4. Despite two losses, they are the most impressive two loss team in the country and their defense could face any team and give them a tough time. Let's see if they can stop Darren McFadden and Arkansas in two weeks though. Should Arkansas not beat Mississippi State this weekend, that game could be for the SEC West title. While I am confident that the Razorbacks can take care of business, you just never can tell in the SEC.

So, after much debate this week, here are my "AP" rankings for Week 11:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Florida
  4. LSU
  5. Rutgers
  1. Arkansas
  2. Texas
  3. Louisville
  4. Wisconsin
  5. Notre Dame
  6. USC
  7. West Virginia
  8. Cal
  9. Auburn
  10. Oklahoma
  11. Boise State
  12. Georgia Tech
  13. Tennessee
  14. Nebraska
  15. Clemson
  16. Oregon
  17. Maryland
  18. BYU
  19. Hawaii
  20. Wake Forest


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 9, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 10

AP LogoMy entire bottom five could be the story this week. Although in college football with only 120 teams, #20-25 don't really mean much other than publicity. At the end of the season, I would contend that 20-25 are mostly likely teams with 4 or 5 losses. Not very scary when you see them take the field. The real story should be the Top 10.

I only drop West Virginia to #9. Is that wrong? Still in front of the one loss Notre Dame team because they scare me more than Quinn's arm without a running game.

Feel free to disagree, but this is what I think.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 10:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Texas
  4. Louisville
  5. Auburn
  1. Florida
  2. LSU
  3. Cal
  4. West Virginia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. USC
  7. Arkansas
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Boise State
  10. Tennessee
  11. Rutgers
  12. Oregon
  13. Oklahoma
  14. Georgia Tech
  15. Nebraska
  16. Clemson
  17. Maryland
  18. BYU
  19. Hawaii
  20. Wake Forest


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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November 1, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 9

AP LogoApparently I was a little high on Clemson who falls out of my Top 5 this week. They just got beat up on by Virginia Tech. I am still not ready to say that there is a better team overall in the ACC, but the Tigers are slipping. They fall down my list to #12.

Moving up to take their spot in my Top 5 was Louisville setting up a huge game tomorrow night against West Virginia. All I know is that one of my upper echelon teams will be out of there next week.

Not many other changes this week, except that the Big XII is beginning to look like Texas and everyone else according to my ballot and Wisconsin is making their own slow climb up the charts. I thought they might totally break down against Illinois but recovered in time.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 9:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. West Virginia
  4. Texas
  5. Louisville
  1. Florida
  2. Auburn
  3. Tennessee
  4. LSU
  5. Cal
  6. Notre Dame
  7. Clemson
  8. USC
  9. Boise State
  10. Arkansas
  11. Wisconsin
  12. Rutgers
  13. Oregon
  14. Oklahoma
  15. Georgia Tech
  16. Nebraska
  17. Tulsa
  18. Missouri
  19. Boston College
  20. Texas A&M


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 25, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 8

AP LogoFor those that weren't aware, the real AP voters have their votes posted each week by the Associated Press. You can analyze where any bias in their voting comes from by checking out each individual voter, and looking at the schools they cover.

However, there is still a strange bias out there that I can't figure out. For the past two weeks, there have been two writers out of California who have been voting for West Virginia as #1. If they were from Northern California, I might understand it. Northern California is another world from Southern California, and they would do anything up there to avoid seeing USC play for another National Title. But both of these writers are from the Southern part of the state. And they cover the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans. Now, UCLA, I can understand, but USC? The Trojans are ranking up as one of the top teams in the country and even their own writer won't put them first. And apparently they won't acknowledge the strength of the Big Ten conference either. Either Michigan or Ohio State, I could see the argument for. But West Virginia, I don't get.

That said, I have the Mountaineers third on my list this week after their win over Connecticut. Ohio State and Michigan, my top two for the last few weeks are still holding down the top spots and their hold is getting stronger all the time. I don't expect to see them moving anytime soon either since they have easy roads to their collision in the middle of November

At #4, I still have Texas. Even their close win showed me a lot about how far this team has come from their loss to Ohio State earlier this season. In the game though, I learned a lot about Nebraska and what kind of team they are. They showed something that was missing in their game against USC. As a result, they didn't drop as far as you might expect for a team with two losses. And they are still ahead of those pesky kids at Notre Dame, who squeaked out a win again.

Moving into the Top 5 is Clemson who are pulling away as the class of the ACC and are one of only two ACC teams to make my 25 this week.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 8:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. West Virginia
  4. Texas
  5. Clemson
  1. USC
  2. Louisville
  3. Florida
  4. Auburn
  5. Tennessee
  6. LSU
  7. Cal
  8. Nebraska
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Boise State
  11. Arkansas
  12. Missouri
  13. Wisconsin
  14. Rutgers
  15. Oregon
  16. Oklahoma
  17. Georgia Tech
  18. Tulsa
  19. Texas A&M
  20. BYU


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 18, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 7

AP LogoI must really like the SEC. Or I think that there are a number of teams that could come out of that conference at this point and contend for the National Title. Even though I think that they can contend, at this point in time, I can't see any of them actually being in the title game. Still, some of the best defenses in the country are in that conference, and sometimes, defense is enough to get you to the big dance.

I am sticking with Ohio State and Michigan as my top two this week. Nothing I have seen on the field has led me to believe otherwise. If neither of those teams slip up before the final game of the season, we should be in for a classic game. I hesitate to pump up that game now, knowing that almost anything can happen each week on the field, but it is hard not to anticipate a game which could determine who is playing in Arizona come January.

Moving up to #3 is West Virginia. They may have one of the easiest schedules in the nation, but they have done nothing but roll over it. From game to game, they have shown that they only need one aspect of their offense to win by 30 points a game. That should help when they put it all together against some of the tougher opponents in the Big East. Connecticut this weekend isn't one of those but they can't be caught looking ahead to Louisville if they want to have a shot at the conference or the National Title.

Texas moves up into the Top 5, passing by USC and Louisville this week. They may have taken a quarter to get rolling against Baylor, but Colt McCoy setting records with his arm is reason to believe that the Longhorns will be very good for at least the next three years. Texas might even have a shot at the National Title again, but are starting from 9th in the standings. It might be tough to improve that especially in the computers given the Big XII schedule remaining for the Longhorns.

Falling to 5th this week, I have USC. They are lucky that Louisville struggled also, or they might be out of my Top 5. Too many close calls lately have me doubting whether this is one of the top teams in the nation. They have still not lost, so it is hard to doubt that they are good. But I am not convinced that they are one of the best. I give them credit though. They have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation so far and survived every contest. It is too bad that they do not get a rest game because they are going to need it to survive to the end.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 7:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. West Virginia
  4. Texas
  5. USC
  1. Louisville
  2. Clemson
  3. Florida
  4. Tennessee
  5. Cal
  6. Auburn
  7. Notre Dame
  8. LSU
  9. Nebraska
  10. Georgia Tech
  11. Oregon
  12. Boise State
  13. Rutgers
  14. Oklahoma
  15. Arkansas
  16. Missouri
  17. Pittsburgh
  18. Tulsa
  19. Wisconsin
  20. Texas A&M


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 11, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 6

AP LogoApparently it wasn't South Carolina's defense that was Auburn's problem. It was just that they are maybe not as great as we were making them out to be. I can't say I didn't see something like this coming. Auburn has no bye week on their schedule. They are going to get tired, and they have the brutal SEC to play in. Something had to give at some point. And despite thinking it would be Arkansas to take them down prior to the season, I am just as shocked as you that it actually happened.

So, then it became an issue of where to drop Auburn to because that would also be where I would have to set LSU, since the Tigers and, well, Tigers are very close in terms of strength. #12 seemed reasonable, especially as I started comparing them head to head with the teams I was dropping them by. Let me say that it hurts to be putting Tennessee ahead of Auburn, but such is life in the SEC this season.

My top two don't change this week. Ohio State continues to toy with opponents, and Michigan didn't have the let down that people have been expecting to come at some point this season. These two teams, assuming they don't totally space out, could be undefeated when they meet at the end of the year. This game hasn't had this much meaning in a long time, because this will not only be for the Conference Title, but also a chance at the National Title. Things will be interesting after this coming week when the BCS first comes out. It will definitely be a must see to find out where the Buckeyes and Wolverines sit.

Florida moves up to #3 based on their very convincing showing against LSU. They pass by USC who struggled again, this time against Washington. The Trojans probably don't have a real test until the final three weeks, so seeing them struggle now is definitely a warning sign overall. They are going to keep falling in my mind every time they let a poor team test them. They aren't good enough to toy with opponents like they have in the past. They need to establish the lead and hold on, otherwise a close fight could go the wrong way on the scoreboard.

Wrapping up the Top 5 is West Virginia, pretty much by default. I didn't see anyone else to move into the slot by making a big jump. Now, they have to hold on until November 2nd when they face Louisville.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 6:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Florida
  4. USC
  5. West Virginia
  1. Louisville
  2. Texas
  3. Clemson
  4. Tennessee
  5. Cal
  6. Notre Dame
  7. Auburn
  8. LSU
  9. Missouri
  10. Nebraska
  11. Georgia Tech
  12. Oregon
  13. Georgia
  14. Boise State
  15. Oklahoma
  16. Iowa
  17. Virginia Tech
  18. Rutgers
  19. Pittsburgh
  20. Arkansas


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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October 3, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 5

AP LogoLike the Heisman Watch, this week's ballot was a lot harder than you would think. There were very few upsets this week, and while some of the teams had difficult tests, there was very little to separate the teams from where they were previously in my rankings.

That being the case, I moved up Michigan to #2. I know this is going to bite me. Michigan has a way of doing that. Still, watching them, they are just playing as good, or better than everyone else, so it is hard not to put them at #2 after Auburn and USC had scares. They have a three pronged attack that is probably only equaled by what Ohio State is putting on the field. Now, if Michigan can surprise me and keep this up until the last week of the season, that will be something to talk about.

Ohio State is still my #1. They took it to Iowa in a surprisingly easy win for them. I am genuinely impressed with how quickly their defense came together this season, esepcially when I thought it might be easy for the first few opponents to pick them apart across the middle. As mentioned, Michigan moved to #2. Auburn holds its #3 spot because I have a good respect for the defense that South Carolina has been putting on the field. No shame in having some difficulty against them, considering few teams have had great success against Spurrier. Didn't he used to be known for offense?

USC drops one spot to #4 while Florida finished the week at #5. Both teams looked less than perfect, but no one else showed enough for me to move them up into the upper tier considering the body of work for USC and Florida overall.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 5:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Michigan
  3. Auburn
  4. USC
  5. Florida
  1. West Virginia
  2. Louisville
  3. LSU
  4. Oregon
  5. Texas
  6. Clemson
  7. Georgia
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Tennessee
  10. Notre Dame
  11. Cal
  12. Georgia Tech
  13. Nebraska
  14. Missouri
  15. Virginia Tech
  16. Iowa
  17. Boise State
  18. Rutgers
  19. Florida State
  20. Pittsburgh


Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 27, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 4

AP Logo With the release of the MRI, you might think that I wouldn't still be posting a human ballot. No such luck MRISports fans. I still have an opinion, and one that differs a lot at times from my computer.

First off, you aren't going to see me placing Missouri as the #5 team in the country, no matter how good their defense is. They still have to prove to me with my eyes that they can beat some of the top teams in the Big XII South before they get that honor. That doesn't mean they can't. I am just not sure about them yet to have them any higher than #21. Of course, the actual AP voters and I have been proven wrong time and again by my computer, so maybe I should start to listen.

Ohio State keeps the top spot despite a lackluster game this weekend. Auburn is up to #2 followed closely by USC who struggled through their win against Arizona and gives me even more reason to believe that they may be beatable in the PAC-10 this season. Florida is up one spot to #4, but the SEC isn't the only league with two teams in the Top 5. Michigan joins the lead pack for week 4 thanks to a very big scare given to West Virginia.

Here are my "AP" rankings for Week 4:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Auburn
  3. USC
  4. Florida
  5. Michigan
  1. West Virginia
  2. Virginia Tech
  3. Louisville
  4. Oregon
  5. Texas
  6. LSU
  7. Georgia
  8. Iowa
  9. Oklahoma
  10. Clemson
  11. Notre Dame
  12. Tennessee
  13. Nebraska
  14. Cal
  15. TCU
  16. Missouri
  17. Rutgers
  18. Georgia Tech
  19. Florida State
  20. Boise State

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 18, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 3

AP Logo The MRI is still one week away but here is my second installment of my AP Ballot. Yes, I know I missed last week, which means a lot of teams have jumped around quite a bit. Ohio State holds on to the top spot, but the team in second should look familiar. You can't argue with the leadership that John David Booty has brought to USC. In their two games, they have taken down a great young Arkansas team, though granted, not by as much as last year, and a very good Nebraska team. Play like that might have them rolling to another undefeated season and a chance to have the "Rose Bowl West" in Arizona. Auburn had a close game, but defense is going to win a lot of teams a couple of games on the season. I round out my Top 5 with West Virginia and Florida.

Here ere are my "AP" rankings for Week 3:

  1. Ohio State
  2. USC
  3. Auburn
  4. West Virginia
  5. Florida
  1. Louisville
  2. Michigan
  3. Georgia
  4. Virginia Tech
  5. Oregon
  6. Texas
  7. LSU
  8. Iowa
  9. Oklahoma
  10. Notre Dame
  11. Tennessee
  12. Clemson
  13. TCU
  14. Arizona State
  15. Nebraska
  16. Cal
  17. Rutgers
  18. Florida State
  19. Boston College
  20. Boise State

Ben Miraski writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

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September 7, 2006

My "AP" Ballot - Week 1

AP LogoAs in years past, the first release of the MRI rankings won't occur for a few more weeks. That doesn't mean that I can't weigh in on how I see the top teams being ranked prior to that. A new feature on MRISports.com is "My 'AP' Ballot". I am not a voter for the AP poll (yet), but this feature will show how I would have the teams ranked if I did get the call to submit my opinion.

That said, here are my rankings for Week 1:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Texas
  3. Auburn
  4. Notre Dame
  5. West Virginia
  1. USC
  2. Florida
  3. Florida State
  4. Louisville
  5. Tennessee
  6. Iowa
  7. LSU
  8. Clemson
  9. Georgia
  10. Nebraska
  11. Oregon
  12. Oklahoma
  13. Penn State
  14. Miami
  15. Michigan
  16. Virginia Tech
  17. Texas Tech
  18. TCU
  19. Boston College
  20. Arizona State

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