When you see polls with wild week-to-week swings, it generally means the voters are reacting to the latest results rather than thinking through the process. If they have the rankings right, the teams in fact shouldn't move much, as you will note week to week in this poll later in the year as the season progresses. This week, the top seven has been in that top seven for five straight weeks, a sign that they have been ranked where they should be.
Remember as you follow the rankings that since both the Pac-12 and Big 12 had a request from Boise State to join their respective leagues and they did not invite the Broncos, the "strength-of-schedule" argument does not work against Boise State for those two conferences, and thus their teams will always be ranked behind Boise State with the same number of losses. As it should be. You can't deny a team a place in your conference and then complain about their strength of schedule.
A team that beats another head-to-head on the field will always be ranked ahead of that team if they have the same record. As it should be. If the winner of that game has more losses, further evaluation regarding the closeness and location of the game needs to take place, as well as week-to-week evaluation of all season results.
1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-1. Notre Dame (11-0, beat Wake Forest 38-0 biggest wins over #12 Stanford, #13 Oklahoma, Michigan and BYU)
2-2-3-3-3-3-3-4-2. Alabama (10-1, beat Western Carolina 49-0; biggest wins over #7 LSU, Mississippi State and Michigan, lost to #8 Texas A&M)
13-11-7-5-4-2-1-1-3. Kansas State (10-1, lost to Baylor 52-24; biggest wins over #13 Oklahoma, #22 Oklahoma State, #25 Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU and Iowa State, lost to Baylor)
4-4-2-2-5-4-4-3-4. Oregon (10-1, lost to #12 Stanford 17-14 in overtime; biggest wins over USC, Washington and Fresno State, loss to #12 Stanford)
7-6-10-9-8-5-5-5-5. Georgia (10-1, beat Georgia Southern 45-14; biggest win over #6 Florida, lost to #9 South Carolina)
12-10-4-4-2-6-6-6-6. Florida (10-1, beat Jacksonville State 21-0; biggest wins over #7 LSU, #8 Texas A&M and #9 South Carolina, loss to Alabama)
6-5-8-6-6-7-7-7-7. LSU (9-2, came from behind again to beat Mississippi 41-35; biggest wins over #8 Texas A&M, #9 South Carolina, Mississippi State and Washington, lost to #2 Alabama and #6 Florida)
----------------------22-16-9-8. Texas A&M (9-2, downed Sam Houston State 47-28; biggest wins over #2 Alabama, Mississippi State and #24 Louisiana Tech, lost to #6 Florida and #7 LSU)
8-7-5-7-13-8-8-8-9. South Carolina (9-2, beat Wofford 24-7; biggest win over #5 Georgia, losses to #6 Florida and #7 LSU)
10-9-14-18-17-14-11-10-10. Florida State (10-1, beat Maryland 41-14; biggest win over #16 Clemson, loss to North Carolina State)
15-13-11-10-9-9-12-11-11. Boise State (9-2, crushed Colorado State 42-14; biggest wins over Fresno State and BYU, losses to Michigan State and San Diego State)
3--16-13-16-16-16-14-13-12. Stanford (9-2, upset #4 Oregon 17-14 in overtime; biggest wins over #4 Oregon, #15 Oregon State, #23 San Jose State and USC, losses to #1 Notre Dame and Washington)
17-19-16-11-10-11-13-12-13. Oklahoma (8-2, squeaked by West Virginia 50-49; biggest wins over #14 Texas, #25 Texas Tech, West Virginia and Iowa State, lost to #Notre Dame and #3 Kansas State)
5-3-9-14-15-17-15-14-14. Texas (8-2, idle this week; biggest wins over #22 Oklahoma State, #25 Texas Tech and Iowa State, lost to #13 Oklahoma and West Virginia)
20-17-15-8-7-10-9-15-15. Oregon State (8-2, cremated California 62-14; biggest wins over #17 UCLA and Wisconsin, losses to #12 Stanford and Washington)
15-23-20-20-20-19-17-16-16. Clemson (10-1, came from behind to beat North Carolina State 62-48; biggest win over Georgia Tech, loss to #10 Florida State)
23-21-25-25-25-20-21-20-17. UCLA (9-2, held off USC 38-28; biggest wins over #19 Nebraska and USC, lost to #15 Oregon State and California)
---------------------21-23-21-18. Nebraska (9-2, defeated Minnesota 38-14; biggest wins over Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State, lost to #20 UCLA and Ohio State)
18-20-19-19-18-15-10-18-17-19. Louisville (9-1, idle this week; biggest win over Cincinnati, loss to Syracuse)
---------------------23-24-22-20. Kent State (10-1, edged Bowling Green 31-24; biggest win over #21 Rutgers, lost to Kentucky)
20-24-21-21-25-24-25-23-21. Rutgers (9-1, got by Cincinnati 10-3; biggest win over Arkansas, lost to #22 Kent State)
------------------------------25-22. Oklahoma State (8-3, blew out #25 Texas Tech 59-21; biggest wins over #25 Texas Tech, TCU and Iowa State, lost to #3 Kansas State, #14 Texas and Arizona)
----------------------------------23. Utah State (9-2, beat Louisiana Tech 48-41 in overtime, biggest wins over #23 San Jose State and Louisiana Tech, losses to Wisconsin and BYU)
----------------------------------24. San Jose State (9-2), beat BYU 20-14; biggest wins over San Diego State and BYU, losses to #12 Stanford and Utah State)
-------------12-11-12-19-25. Texas Tech (7-4, lost to #22 Oklahoma State 59-21 biggest wins over West Virginia, TCU and Iowa State, lost to #3 Kansas State, #13 Oklahoma, #14 Texas and #22 Oklahoma State)
Dropped Out: Louisiana Tech, USC
Also Considered: Northern Illinois (10-1), Michigan (8-3), TCU (6-4), Louisiana Tech (9-2), Tulsa (9-2), Fresno State (8-3), San Diego State (8-3), Arizona (7-4), USC (7-4), Washington (7-4), Cincinnati (7-3), Mississippi State (8-3), Northwestern (8-3), Ball State (8-3)
2-2-3-3-3-3-3-4-2. Alabama (10-1, beat Western Carolina 49-0; biggest wins over #7 LSU, Mississippi State and Michigan, lost to #8 Texas A&M)
13-11-7-5-4-2-1-1-3. Kansas State (10-1, lost to Baylor 52-24; biggest wins over #13 Oklahoma, #22 Oklahoma State, #25 Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU and Iowa State, lost to Baylor)
4-4-2-2-5-4-4-3-4. Oregon (10-1, lost to #12 Stanford 17-14 in overtime; biggest wins over USC, Washington and Fresno State, loss to #12 Stanford)
7-6-10-9-8-5-5-5-5. Georgia (10-1, beat Georgia Southern 45-14; biggest win over #6 Florida, lost to #9 South Carolina)
12-10-4-4-2-6-6-6-6. Florida (10-1, beat Jacksonville State 21-0; biggest wins over #7 LSU, #8 Texas A&M and #9 South Carolina, loss to Alabama)
6-5-8-6-6-7-7-7-7. LSU (9-2, came from behind again to beat Mississippi 41-35; biggest wins over #8 Texas A&M, #9 South Carolina, Mississippi State and Washington, lost to #2 Alabama and #6 Florida)
----------------------22-16-9-8. Texas A&M (9-2, downed Sam Houston State 47-28; biggest wins over #2 Alabama, Mississippi State and #24 Louisiana Tech, lost to #6 Florida and #7 LSU)
8-7-5-7-13-8-8-8-9. South Carolina (9-2, beat Wofford 24-7; biggest win over #5 Georgia, losses to #6 Florida and #7 LSU)
10-9-14-18-17-14-11-10-10. Florida State (10-1, beat Maryland 41-14; biggest win over #16 Clemson, loss to North Carolina State)
15-13-11-10-9-9-12-11-11. Boise State (9-2, crushed Colorado State 42-14; biggest wins over Fresno State and BYU, losses to Michigan State and San Diego State)
3--16-13-16-16-16-14-13-12. Stanford (9-2, upset #4 Oregon 17-14 in overtime; biggest wins over #4 Oregon, #15 Oregon State, #23 San Jose State and USC, losses to #1 Notre Dame and Washington)
17-19-16-11-10-11-13-12-13. Oklahoma (8-2, squeaked by West Virginia 50-49; biggest wins over #14 Texas, #25 Texas Tech, West Virginia and Iowa State, lost to #Notre Dame and #3 Kansas State)
5-3-9-14-15-17-15-14-14. Texas (8-2, idle this week; biggest wins over #22 Oklahoma State, #25 Texas Tech and Iowa State, lost to #13 Oklahoma and West Virginia)
20-17-15-8-7-10-9-15-15. Oregon State (8-2, cremated California 62-14; biggest wins over #17 UCLA and Wisconsin, losses to #12 Stanford and Washington)
15-23-20-20-20-19-17-16-16. Clemson (10-1, came from behind to beat North Carolina State 62-48; biggest win over Georgia Tech, loss to #10 Florida State)
23-21-25-25-25-20-21-20-17. UCLA (9-2, held off USC 38-28; biggest wins over #19 Nebraska and USC, lost to #15 Oregon State and California)
---------------------21-23-21-18. Nebraska (9-2, defeated Minnesota 38-14; biggest wins over Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State, lost to #20 UCLA and Ohio State)
18-20-19-19-18-15-10-18-17-19. Louisville (9-1, idle this week; biggest win over Cincinnati, loss to Syracuse)
---------------------23-24-22-20. Kent State (10-1, edged Bowling Green 31-24; biggest win over #21 Rutgers, lost to Kentucky)
20-24-21-21-25-24-25-23-21. Rutgers (9-1, got by Cincinnati 10-3; biggest win over Arkansas, lost to #22 Kent State)
------------------------------25-22. Oklahoma State (8-3, blew out #25 Texas Tech 59-21; biggest wins over #25 Texas Tech, TCU and Iowa State, lost to #3 Kansas State, #14 Texas and Arizona)
----------------------------------23. Utah State (9-2, beat Louisiana Tech 48-41 in overtime, biggest wins over #23 San Jose State and Louisiana Tech, losses to Wisconsin and BYU)
----------------------------------24. San Jose State (9-2), beat BYU 20-14; biggest wins over San Diego State and BYU, losses to #12 Stanford and Utah State)
-------------12-11-12-19-25. Texas Tech (7-4, lost to #22 Oklahoma State 59-21 biggest wins over West Virginia, TCU and Iowa State, lost to #3 Kansas State, #13 Oklahoma, #14 Texas and #22 Oklahoma State)
Dropped Out: Louisiana Tech, USC
Also Considered: Northern Illinois (10-1), Michigan (8-3), TCU (6-4), Louisiana Tech (9-2), Tulsa (9-2), Fresno State (8-3), San Diego State (8-3), Arizona (7-4), USC (7-4), Washington (7-4), Cincinnati (7-3), Mississippi State (8-3), Northwestern (8-3), Ball State (8-3)
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