The Harris poll (which is one element in the BCS rankings) conducts its first balloting this week.
For the third straight year, I’m on the panel.
SEE RELATED:Unlike the Associated Press poll, the Harris poll does not release ballots every week —- only the last week of the season (i.e. the only one that really matters). But I’m all for transparency, which is why I post this every week.
A reminder: This is results-based, so teams can fluctuate rapidly early in the season. For example, Wisconsin didn’t own a particularly valuable victory until hammering Nebraska on Saturday. The Badgers jump from No. 15 to No. 5 —- though it should also be noted that I don’t look at my previous ballot until I finalize a new one.
The point is to constantly re-evaluate teams’ resumes, not to mindlessly move a team up three spots when it winds and down six spots when it loses —- regardless of context.
Also, it ensures things like Auburn being ranked ahead of South Carolina or Arizona State being ranked ahead of Southern California (thanks to head-to-head wins) when the teams are otherwise comparable. It also leads quality victories being re-evaluated (for example, Oklahoma State’s best win takes a minor hit when Texas A&M loses to Arkansas).
Onto this week’s top 30 (which, unlike the actual Harris ballot, includes a Southern Cal team ineligible to be included in that voting):
| No. Team |
W-L | LW | Resume |
| 1. Louisiana State |
5-0 | 1 | * Oregon (N), WVU (A), Mississippi St (A), Kentucky (H) |
| 2. Alabama |
5-0 | 3 | * Florida (A), Arkansas (H), Penn State (A), N.Texas (H) |
| 3. Oklahoma |
4-0 | 2 | * Florida State (A), Missouri (H), Tulsa (H), Ball St. (H) |
| 4. Clemson |
5-0 | 5 | * VT (A), Florida State (H), Auburn (H), Troy (H) |
| 5. Wisconsin |
5-0 | 15 | * Nebraska (H), Oregon St. (H), N. Illinois (N), UNLV (H) |
| 6. Oklahoma State |
4-0 | 4 | * Texas A&M (A), Arizona (H), Tulsa (A) |
| 7. Boise State |
4-0 | 7 |
* Georgia (N), Toledo (A), Nevada (H), Tulsa (H) |
| 8. Georgia Tech |
5-0 | 14 |
* UNC (H), NCSU (A), Kansas (H), Middle Tennessee (A) |
| 9. Michigan |
5-0 | 9 | * Notre Dame (H), WMU (H), SDSU (H), Minnesota (H) |
| 10. Stanford |
4-0 | 16 | * Arizona (A), UCLA (H), Duke (A), San Jose State (H) |
| 11. Auburn |
4-1 | 23 | * S. Carolina (H), Miss. St. (A), Utah St. (H); L: Clemson (A) |
| 12. Illinois |
5-0 | 19 |
* Arizona State (H), NW (H), W. Michigan (H) |
| 13. South Carolina |
4-1 | 6 | * Georgia (A), Navy (H), Vanderbilt (H), ECU (N); L: Auburn (A) |
| 14. Arkansas |
4-1 | 25 | * Texas A&M (N), Troy (H), New Mexico (H); L: Alabama (A) |
| 15. Oregon |
3-1 | 17 | * Arizona (A), Nevada (H); L: LSU (N) |
| 16. Florida |
4-1 | 12 | * Tennessee (H), Kentucky (A), UAB (H), FAU (H); L: Bama (H) |
| 17. Nebraska |
4-1 | 11 | * Washington (H), Fresno St. (H), Wyoming (A); L: Wisc. (A) |
| 18. West Virginia |
4-1 | 20 | * Maryland (A), Marshall (H), BGSU (H); L: LSU (H) |
| 19. Texas |
4-0 | 18 | * BYU (H), Iowa State (A), UCLA (A), Rice (H) |
| 20. Kansas State |
4-0 | 28 | * Baylor (H), Miami (A), Kent State (H) |
| 21. Arizona State |
4-1 | 24 | * USC (H), Missouri (OT-H), Oregon State (H); L: Illinois (A) |
| 22. South Florida |
4-1 | 8 |
* Notre Dame (A), UTEP (H), Ball State (H); L: Pitt (A) |
| 23. Southern Cal |
4-1 | 29 | * Utah (H), Cuse (H), Ariz. (H), Minn. (H); L: Ariz. St. (A) |
| 24. Baylor |
3-1 | 10 | * TCU (H), Rice (H); L: Kansas State (A) |
| 25. Virginia Tech |
4-1 | 13 | * E. Carolina (A), Marshall (A), Ark. St. (H); L: Clemson (H) |
| 26. Notre Dame |
3-2 | NR | * Michigan St. (H), Pitt (A), Purdue (A); L: Michigan (A), USF (H) |
| 27. Houston |
5-0 | 30 |
* UCLA (H), Louisiana Tech (A), UTEP (A) |
| 28. Texas Tech |
4-0 | NR |
* Nevada (H), Kansas (A), New Mexico (A) |
| 29. North Carolina |
4-1 | 26 | * Rutgers (H), ECU (A), Virginia (H); L: Ga. Tech (A) |
| 30. Texas A&M |
2-2 | 21 |
* SMU (H), Idaho (H); L: Oklahoma State (H), Arkansas (N) |
Fell out: No. 22 Texas Christian, No. 27 Iowa State
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