Highlights from my Associated Press ballot submitted late Monday night…
Georgia secured the top spot after beating Clemson, a result that compares favorably to Ohio State, which struggled for half a game against Akron.
Notre Dame jumped three spots to No. 4 after a win at Texas A&M, which will help the Irish’s playoff chances. (This could turn out to be their toughest game in months.)
Miami was another upstart after the loss to Florida.
But no one moved like USC.
The Trojans weren’t in my preseason poll because questions were asked about, well, everything. But they played well against LSU on Sunday night and are in the top 10 for now.
(It’s entirely possible that the Tigers turn out to be mediocre, in which case we’ll adjust the value of the win to reflect USC’s track record.)
Oregon dropped six spots to No. 10 after struggling to beat Idaho. It could be a temporary dip for the Ducks, but right now they don’t deserve a spot near the top.
All in all, the ballot cast after Week 1 is usually nine parts guesswork and one part substance (i.e., it’s based on material results). We know so little about so many teams, including FCS opponents, giving the heavyweights something to play for early on.
The ballot paper:
1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. State of Ohio
4. Notre-Dame
5. Utah
6. Alabama
7. Miami
8. Penn State
9. USC
10. Oregon
11. State of Oklahoma
12. Mississippi
13. Nebraska
14. Missouri
15. Michigan
16. State of Kansas
17. Arizona
18. Iowa
19. Oklahoma
20. Boise State
21. Tennessee
22. Wisconsin
23. Memphis
24. Kansas
25. Vanderbilt
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