OBNUG Ballot - Week 3
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
 4 |
| 2 | Stanford Cardinal |
1 |
| 3 | Texas Longhorns |
14 |
| 4 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
3 |
| 5 | Ohio Bobcats |
7 |
| 6 | LSU Tigers |
3 |
| 7 | Ohio St. Buckeyes |
 -6 |
| 8 | Northwestern Wildcats |
10 |
| 9 | South Carolina Gamecocks |
-1 |
| 10 | UCLA Bruins | -- |
| 11 | Florida Gators |
-7 |
| 12 | Georgia Bulldogs |
-6 |
| 13 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | -- |
| 14 | Toledo Rockets | -- |
| 15 | Clemson Tigers |
-13 |
| 16 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
6 |
| 17 | USC Trojans |
-3 |
| 18 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | -- |
| 19 | N.C. State Wolfpack | -- |
| 20 | Louisville Cardinals | -- |
| 21 | Central Florida Knights |
3 |
| 22 | Arizona Wildcats |
-11 |
| 23 | Kansas St. Wildcats | -- |
| 24 | Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders |
-3 |
| 25 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | -- |
| Dropouts: Oregon Ducks, Michigan St. Spartans, Iowa St. Cyclones, Duke Blue Devils, Rice Owls, Miami Hurricanes, Wake Forest Demon Deacons | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings "
You may recall last week's introduction to BlogPolling where I explained why polls are dumb and then completed my self-fulfilling prophecy by putting Ohio State No. 1. Things are a little more normal this week, thanks in no part whatsoever to the way I do my polling. As a reminder, here is the method behind my poll's madness:
My Top 25 operates under the assumption that all FBS football teams are equal because, if they weren't, the NCAA obviously wouldn't group them all into the same classification. That would just make no sense.
Therefore, to choose the best from the FBS, I am building my BlogPoll based on one very big factor: Wins over fellow FBS teams. When ties happen within my standings (and they happen A LOT early in the season), I will do the tie-breaking based on a new stat every week, like, say, points allowed or Dairy Queens per capita. You know, real scientific stuff.
This week's tie-breaking method was turnover margin, with subsequent ties broken by Academic Progress Rate.
Notable:
- Alabama is a runaway No. 1, scoring its three wins against the likes of Michigan, Arkansas, and Western Kentucky, and forcing 12 turnovers while doing so. And just in case you think that 12 of those 12 turnovers came against the WKU Hilltoppers, not so fast. Only four came against Western Kentucky.
- A common theme among winning teams: Positive turnover margin. Georgia is the only three-win school that is upside down. Part of me was kind of hoping UCLA would be 3-0 and minus-10 in turnover margin, just for kicks and giggles. Oh well, maybe next year.
- HT on the turnover margin tiebreaker to Lou Holtz who would like to remind you that the football is so important that they named the game after it.
The complete Top 25 table is below.
| Team | Wins | FCS Wins | New Wins | TO Margin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 3 | 3 | +11 | |
| 2 | Stanford | 3 | 3 | +6 | |
| 3 | Texas | 3 | 3 | +6 | |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 3 | 3 | +5 | |
| 5 | Ohio | 3 | 3 | +5 | |
| 6 | LSU | 3 | 3 | +4 | |
| 7 | Ohio State | 3 | 3 | +3 | |
| 8 | Northwestern | 3 | 3 | +3 | |
| 9 | South Carolina | 3 | 3 | +2 | |
| 10 | UCLA | 3 | 3 | +2 | |
| 11 | Florida | 3 | 3 | +1 | |
| 12 | Georgia | 3 | 3 | -1 | |
| 13 | Mississippi St | 3 | 1 | 2 | +8 |
| 14 | Toledo | 2 | 2 | +5 | |
| 15 | Clemson | 3 | 1 | 2 | +3 |
| 16 | Rutgers | 3 | 1 | 2 | +3 |
| 17 | USC | 2 | 2 | +3 | |
| 18 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 2 | +3 | |
| 19 | NC State | 2 | 2 | +3 | |
| 20 | Louisville | 3 | 1 | 2 | +3 |
| 21 | UCF | 2 | 2 | +2 | |
| 22 | Arizona | 3 | 1 | 2 | +2 |
| 23 | Kansas State | 3 | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| 24 | Middle Tenn | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Got a suggestion for a tie-breaking procedure? I'm all ears.
Got a beef with the way I do my polling? Beef away in the comments.
Got some ways to make this Top 25 better? Please help. I'm easily swayed.