BLOGPOLL BALLOT: WEEK FOUR

Notes, clarifications, and outright apologies.

--No move at the top, so Auburn can only bump two after beating LSU. They could be number one, but in the hypothetical matchup between the two we imagine OSU actually attempting to score a few points, as opposed to Tommy Tuberville's attempt to drag Al Borges' West Coast offense by the hair back into the dark ages.

--USC displaying just a shudder's instant of weakness made moving them down one spot easier. When they meet a defense that can confuse Booty a bit, they'll have problems. Until then they roll. Auburn also benefits from our pernicious Third Coast bias, which explains our ranking of Southern Mississippi at 8. (The first step to recovery is admitting that you are powerless...)

--Michigan scores the most lopsided upset of the season, and for that you get the express elevator and complimentary champagne service. The defense got pressure with their front four, which makes all you do pleasant smelling like the whiff of cinnamon buns coming through an open window. They should run headlong into 110-pound clarinet players every week.

--Louisville gets a bump of one for beating Miami, and as in Michigan's case, the spring-loaded play of the defense explains why. Miami drops out completely for sucking a lot and not showing signs of improving that suckdom.

--Florida and Iowa both remain overrated despite beating top-sirloin rivals this weekend. Drew Tate again tempts dark horse Heisman status, but Iowa's got a way of underwhelming in key games, which is kind of a byproduct of Ferentz's NFL-style system. Everything's designed to perfom in a very risk-averse fashion, which sometimes yields controlled, crushing 34-7 victories, and sometimes gets you in holes you can't quite come back from, as in last year's Outback Bowl. To quote Tim Gunn: "That worries me."

Florida's offense still wobbles at crucial times, but the defense is morphing into a savage bunch of run-stuffing cheese bandits. W00t to that, but the O is still an open casting calll, particularly at receiver, where man/god Dallas Baker doesn't have a solid #2 yet, what with Andre Caldwell dropping passes and the remainder still getting in rhythm. (Converted TE/QB Cornelius Ingram made a dazzling run after the catch against UT, and is HUGE. That would be fun to watch rumble around more often, if only to watch dbs diving frantically at his feet to avoid the ugly issue of tackling him straight-up.)

--Speaking of Florida's defense: we'd love to watch them match up against West Virginia. Speed on speed on speed on speed. The 'Eers would get more of a bump for beating Maryland if the Terps hadn't spent the last three years recruiting with a stopwatch that starts a second slow.

--LSU loses all those spots for their pisspoor gameplanning against Auburn. We're not saying we know what works, we're just saying it wasn't that. Why the hell you don't get the ball somewhere near the endzone on that final play is flabbergasting, especially with those monstrous receivers and Gigantor ready to loft the ball up to them.

--Georgia rises up on strength of shutout, yet we await the first public implosion of Matthew Stafford at quarterback. If you deny it will happen, then you may diagnose a clearcut case of fanicular delusion syndrome combined with irrational exuberance. We'd like to go ahead and schedule your appointment for treatment; does October 28th work for you?

--Rutgers! Catch the fever while you can!

--Notre Dame gets what it deserves. Trust us: as Florida fans, we have deep and recent experience with suffering public explosion of hype bubbles. Go low in the polls, crawl back, and the pain will subside in a matter of days.

--The rest is a sad jumble.