My AP ballot

Posted Sep 20, 2009 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Sep 20, 2009 at 08:08 PM

Here is my ballot this week with my ranking last week in parenthesis.

1. Florida (1)
Gators avoid a Rocky Flop, but still manage a school-record 13th consecutive victory. Next real test for the defending national champions isn’t until Oct. 10 at LSU.

2. Texas (2)
Texas gets its revenge against Texas Tech and is now on cruise control for the next three weeks until hooking horns with Oklahoma in Dallas on Oct. 17.

3. Alabama (4)
Crimson Tide continues their early season roll. Now the Hogs come calling Saturday with ‘Bama seeking to win its SEC opener for an 18th consecutive season.

4. Penn State (5)
Think the Nittany Lions are eager for Saturday’s visit from Iowa? Last year the Hawkeyes rallied for a 24-23 win and have won six of last seven vs. Penn State.

5. Ole Miss (6)
Rebels have had more problems dealing with the swine flu than their first two opponents (Memphis, Southeastern Louisiana). First test for Rebels is Thursday at South Carolina.

6. California (8)
Final score from Saturday: Jahvid Best 30, Minnesota 21. Now, Best and Golden Bears visit Oregon where they’ve lost seven of their last eight games.

7. LSU (9)
LSU’s season opening win at Washington sure looks a lot better now, doesn’t it? Tigers visit Starkville Saturday looking for 10th consecutive win vs. Mississippi State.

8. Virginia Tech (13)
Hokies were outgained (and outplayed) by Nebraska, but survived thanks to QB Tyrod Taylor. It doesn’t get any easier with Miami coming to Blacksburg for ACC showdown Saturday

9. Ohio State (10)
Holy Toledo: Buckeyes bounce back from USC loss as QB Terrelle Pryor has a career day in blowout win against Rockets. Bring on the Illini.

10. Cincinnati (15)
Bearcats proved they’re for real becoming the first non-conference team to win in Corvallis since 1996. Cincinnati should be 5-0 when it visits USF on Oct. 15.

11. Oklahoma (11)
The Sooners pitch their second consecutive shutout since losing QB Sam Bradford. Oklahoma gets week off before visiting red-hot Miami on Oct. 3.

12. USC (3)
Now that the Trojans have gotten their annual upset loss out of the way, they can run the table and campaign that they deserve to be in the BCS title game.

13. TCU (14)
Will Purple Reign continue? The Horned Frogs have won five of their last seven contests against BCS opponents entering Saturday’s visit to Clemson.

14. Boise State (16)
RB Ryan Mathews motors for a career-high 234 yards rushing as Boise State outlasts Fresno State in a typical WAC shootout

15. Houston (18)
Can BCS buster Cougars and QB Case Keenum bounce another Big 12 school? Houston hosts Texas Tech Saturday.

16. Miami (20)
“U” believe Miami is back now? QB Jacory Harris (656 yards, five TDs vs. Georgia Tech) and the Hurricanes are blowing through the ACC. Virginia Tech up next.

17. Pittsburgh (19)
What’s this? Pitt QB Bill Stull actually hears cheers, not boos, from the home crowd and Panthers improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2000.

18. Nebraska (12)
The Cornhuskers’ loss at Virginia Tech amazingly dropped Nebraska to 0-17 in true road games against Top 20 ranked teams since 1997.

19. Oklahoma State (21)
With two TD passes against Rice, QB Zac Robinson passed Mike Gundy and Josh Fields as the school’s all-time leader with 56 career touchdown passes.

20. Michigan (22)
Wolverines (3-0) have already matched last year’s win total and should exceed it Saturday vs. Indiana. UM is 30-1 in last 31 meetings against Hoosiers.

21. BYU (7)
Will the real BYU Cougars please stand up? Is it the team that upset Oklahoma 14-13 or the team that was seal clubbed by Florida State 54-28?

22. UCLA (23)
With the Bruins now 3-0 in Rick Neuheisel’s second season at UCLA, the Bruins already are only one victory from matching last year’s victory total.

23. Georgia (24)
Since being held to 10 points in its loss at Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs have scored at least 10 points in six of eight quarters against South Carolina and Arkansas.

24. North Carolina (25)
Tar Heels improve to 3-0 for the first time under Butch Davis. If they don’t stumble at Georgia Tech Saturday, UNC should be 6-0 when Florida State visits Oct. 22.

25. Kansas (NR)
Senior QB Todd Reesing’s 338 yards passing, three TDs pace Jayhawks past Duke giving Kansas its third 3-0 start in the past five seasons.

Teams that are close to making my Top 25 (in alphabetical order): Auburn, Missouri

See you later (teams that fell out of my Top 25 this week): Georgia Tech