Here is it and yes, I voted for Minnesota at #23.
My ballot is unusually different from last week's. I vaulted teams like Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Not so much because they had outstanding weeks but because I felt like I had them too low to begin with. On the flip side I dropped a handful of teams a spot or two despite winning their games, again this was a rethinking of where I had them and feeling as though BYU, Utah, Cal, Wake and Boise State were a bit too high in my week 6 poll.
As far as Minnesota is concerned I have no problem with my current ranking of the Gophers. I realize there is a lot of discussion surrounding their lack of a difficult schedule. But take a look at some of the other teams above or near the Gophers in the most recent AP/Coaches' polls and their strength of schedule ranking...
- Minnesota - 77
- Ball State - 107
- TCU - 91
- Tulsa - 141
- Florida State - 127
- BYU - 121
- Missouri - 87
- Texas Tech - 105
- Kansas - 95
- Georgia Tech - 89
Why do teams like Ball State, BYU, TCU or Texas Tech get ranked as high as they do despite a worse strength of schedule? I know the Big Ten is down but does it actually deserve less respect than MAC or Mountain West? BYU is the eithg best team in the country with a SOS ranking of 121?
Minnesota earned a significant win on the road against a good team. Their strength of schedule is not in the top 30, but they are winning their games and deserve a top 25 ranking as much as any of the other teams in the 20-27 range.
 |
||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |
 1 |
| 2 | Texas |
4 |
| 3 | Penn State |
2 |
| 4 | Oklahoma |
 3 |
| 5 | Southern Cal |
2 |
| 6 | Florida |
4 |
| 7 | Georgia |
2 |
| 8 | Ohio State | -- |
| 9 | Texas Tech |
3 |
| 10 | LSU |
6 |
| 11 | Missouri |
8 |
| 12 | Brigham Young |
1 |
| 13 | Kansas | -- |
| 14 | Oklahoma State |
7 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech |
5 |
| 16 | South Florida |
1 |
| 17 | Utah |
1 |
| 18 | Boise State |
1 |
| 19 | Wake Forest |
1 |
| 20 | California |
1 |
| 21 | Michigan State |
1 |
| 22 | North Carolina |
4 |
| 23 | Minnesota |
3 |
| 24 | Pittsburgh |
1 |
| 25 | Ball State |
1 |
Thoughts?