My AP top 25 ballot: Say hello to BC, Iowa State, UAB and these other newcomers
.JPG "Iowa State wide receiver Hakeem Butler (18) runs up field after catching a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 40-31. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)")
Just about every college football team that won Saturday will be receiving votes in the top 25 polls today. That’s what happens when 11 ranked teams lose on the same weekend.
I had a very difficult time filling out my ballot. After I got to about No. 17, it was a struggle to find deserving teams. Here’s guessing the AP voters see very little agreement on the last few teams in this week’s rankings.
My playoff four changed a bit. With Texas and Florida going down, LSU moved up to join Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson.
Here’s a complete look at how I voted:
Trending up
Boston College.
The Eagles took advantage of the chaos. I haven’t ranked them all year, but today they are No. 18 on my ballot. Boston College is 6-2 and just whipped Miami. Seems like a deserving team.
Trending down
Washington.
The Pac-12 stinks and the Huskies aren’t even the class of the conference. Other than a Week 3 win over Utah, they have done nothing to deserve a ranking. Once ranked in the top 10, Washington falls off my ballot after losing to California.
Say hello to ...
Boston College, Iowa State, Virginia, Fresno State, Houston and UAB.
Lots of new members this week. The Cyclones have been on a roll lately, winning three in a row to climb up to No. 20. Virginia has a sneaky good resume. Fresno State might be the best team in California. Houston and UAB have impressive records. I decided to go with them instead of some floundering power-conference teams.
Say goodbye to ...
South Florida, Oregon, Appalachian State, Washington, Miami and Texas Tech.
I would like to apologize for ranking the Hurricanes for so long. Miami is not a good football team this year.
My AP top 25 ballot:
1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Clemson
4. LSU
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan
8. Washington State
9. Central Florida
10. Ohio State
11. West Virginia
12. Kentucky
13. Florida
14. Penn State
15. Texas
16. Utah
17. Utah State
18. Boston College
19. Iowa
20. Iowa State
21. Virginia
22. Fresno State
23. Houston
24. UAB
25. Texas A&M
This story was originally published October 28, 2018 at 9:39 AM.