I feel like I was ahead of the curve last week by putting the Oregon Ducks at #3 – they stay there after another dominating performance that vaulted them to the top ratings on offense and defense. Oregon may deserve #1, but I am not ready to move Alabama and Ohio State down. Temple sneaks in, I refuse to vote in USC, and lots of teams move six spots. Worthy of consideration – Oklahoma State, UCF, Air Force and Nevada. Talented teams without the results? Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Pitt – don’t worry, I know you are out there.

What did I miss? I want to drive the point home that your commentary means a lot before this 25 goes final on Wednesday.

Fantasy College Blitz Ballot – Week 4

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	–
2	Ohio St. Buckeyes	–
3	Oregon Ducks	–
4	Boise St. Broncos	1
5	TCU Horned Frogs	1
6	Nebraska Cornhuskers	1
7	Oklahoma Sooners	-3
8	Texas Longhorns	1
9	Florida Gators	-1
10	Arkansas Razorbacks	7
11	South Carolina Gamecocks	3
12	Utah Utes	6
13	Arizona Wildcats	6
14	LSU Tigers	1
15	Stanford Cardinal	6
16	Auburn Tigers	-5
17	Miami Hurricanes	-5
18	Michigan Wolverines	-5
19	Iowa Hawkeyes	-9
20	West Virginia Mountaineers	–
21	Penn St. Nittany Lions	–
22	Michigan St. Spartans	–
23	Wisconsin Badgers	2
24	N.C. State Wolfpack	–
25	Temple Owls	–
Dropouts: Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Air Force Falcons, Oregon St. Beavers, California Golden Bears, Virginia Tech Hokies

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

Fantasy College Blitz changed its “representation” in the SB Nation BlogPoll Top 25 from Oklahoma State to Central Florida, since everyone but me in the ownership group affiliates with the Knights and also NO ONE ELSE was representing the largest student body enrollment in the Sunshine State.

I will bet fewer Virginia Tech fans will represent their team well after the loss to a good FCS James Madison, and as such will tumble on everyone’s board. As well, the entire state of Boise now really hates the Hokies as it crushes the Broncos strength of schedule for the entire year. On to my rankings.

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Fantasy College Blitz again represents Oklahoma State in the SB Nation Blogpoll Top 25, “a transparent, authentic weekly college football poll. More than 100 of the most knowledgeable college football bloggers representing fans from virtually every rooting interest align weekly to rank the Top 25 college football teams. Every ballot is available for review.”

I put little weight on preseason polls since there is so much complexity involved not only week to week but then trying to prognosticate said complexity over the course of an entire season. That has nothing to do with the fun and discussion that results from the exercise.

After the Crimson Tide swamped the Gators and Texas squeaked by the Huskers, many of the final pins of the BCS lock fell into place to setup the long awaited battle of the best college football teams in the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th at 8pm.

At least the best teams not in the SEC. No nice way to say this, but the Gators got their gluteus handed to them by Alabama, in every phase of the game. And who was that QB dressed up like Greg McElroy? He looked very good, almost looked like Colt McCoy with that one-foot tightrope move.

So I wrote last week that McCoy should be a lock for the Heisman Trophy, but after Ndamukong Suh spent the evening bumping into him I am inclined to edge Mark Ingram up to #1 in my expected Heisman result.

Gentlemen, please return those signs to the walls of the field. The Tide celebrates the beatdown of the Gators in the SEC Championship Game Saturday. (Icon SMI)

Finally, I was thisclose to putting TCU at #2 for my final regular season poll after Texas came one second from losing the Big 12 Championship game. I also noticed that Cincinnati got the edge at #2 on the BCS Computer polls. Longhorns need to count their blessings that they have a shot at the title after the last two games. Put that coffee down, coffee is for closers only.

Rank	Team
1	Alabama
2	Texas
3	TCU
4	Cincinnati
5	Florida
6	Boise State
7	Oregon
8	Georgia Tech
9	Ohio State
10	Iowa
11	Virginia Tech
12	LSU
13	Miami (Florida)
14	Penn State
15	Brigham Young
16	Oregon State
17	West Virginia
18	Pittsburgh
19	Nebraska
20	Oklahoma State
21	Arizona
22	Stanford
23	Utah
24	Wisconsin
25	Central Michigan

As I was working through my Index cards to identify the 25 best teams in college football, I couldn’t help but notice that there are four teams that start with O (Oregon, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Oregon State), and the best one of the decade isn’t here (Oklahoma). Who knows, if things go well with the chick in logistics and Ohio beats Temple…

I am shaking up the Top 3 a little bit as I just couldn’t take seeing Chattanooga and North Texas on the Crimson Tide docket, yielding the edge to Texas who took on ULM and a decent Wyoming squad at altitude outside the conference. Yep, that and Colt McCoy becoming the games most victorious QB was enough for me to give the #2 spot to the Longhorns. As a former journalist, it is not without irony that I am failing the agenda-setting advantage that I have with this pulpit – most sports journalists would keep Alabama at #2 just to set the stage for the SEC Championship Game. But notice I said former…that means that (a) I am a poor storyteller hence the new line of work, or (b) I have matured enough to stand up for what is right and just and fair with no regard for the lack of popularity that could ensue.

Enough eloquence, on to the Top 25, only further enhanced by a Big Ten Team heading out and another Pac 10 team in…oh, and Stanford, it was so nice to see you, stay around longer next time…

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