Mumme Poll Ballot: Week 7

If you haven't turned in your Mumme Poll ballot for this week, go do it now.

As for mine, here's how I voted. Remember, the Mumme Poll does not ask for rankings, but I've included them here anyway.

1. Alabama - South Carolina is no slouch, and 'Bama still looked good. They've been what we expected Florida to be.

2. Florida - Is it better to be lucky or good? Eh, doesn't matter when you get the calls from the refs that Florida gets.

3. Texas - We're seven games into the season, and I'm still not sure if Texas is really that good. Add in that they could get Okie State at half-strength and a lousy Big 12 North opponent in the title game (like Kansas State?) and I'm not sure the 'Horns have a much better argument for the title game than Boise State does.

4. Cincinnati - And neither of those two have as good an argument as Cincinnati. Mark it now: These guys are going undefeated. Brian Kelly is a great coach, the Big East is (marginally) a BCS conference and Cincy still gets two more games vs. top-25 teams. Tell me why they couldn't make it.

5. Iowa - They don't make any of them easy, but hey, someone has to embarrass the Big Ten in the BCS this year, and Iowa is now the hands-down favorite.

6. Southern Cal - I really thought they'd blow the doors off Notre Dame, and now I'm angry that we'll be subjected to more "moral victory" talk for the Irish. (NOTE: In the first BCS rankings, Southern Cal is 11th in the computer ranking.)

7. Boise State - No, their schedule isn't going to get any more impressive, and yes, they keep winning close ones against teams they should thump, but the bottom line is they keep winning. Already at No. 4 in the BCS, perhaps that Boise State-in-the-national-title-game isn't quite so far-fetched.

8. Oregon - We're two weeks away from USC-Oregon to decide who has the best one-loss team.

9. Miami - That win over Oklahoma could have looked a lot better if the Sooners could have held on to knock off Texas. If there's one team on this list I think I'm probably undervaluing, it's Miami.

10. Georgia Tech - Will anyone be shocked if the Jackets follow up that huge win over Tech by laying an egg against Virginia this week? Yeah, me neither.

11. TCU - They haven't beaten anyone but they haven't lost to anyone either. Beyond the top 10 teams, there really isn't anyone who particularly excites me, so I see no reason to keep TCU out. Plus, they'll get their chance to prove themselves this week against BYU.

12. LSU - In the past three weeks, the Bayou Bengals have celebrated a touchdown in just one quarter of action. And yet, they move up this week.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

13. Virginia Tech - They kept it close, just as they did against Alabama. The Hokies are easily the best two-loss team in the country, but moral victories still don't count for me.

14. Penn State - Beat someone, and you'll get respect.

15. Houston - Two good wins and one ugly loss. But how can I not put them ahead of Oklahoma State?

WHERE I WENT RIGHT LAST WEEK: I was among the few (just 14 percent) who included Oklahoma on their ballot last week. While the Sooners couldn't come through against Texas, they came awfully close. Three close losses to three top-15 opponents without their Heisman-winning QB. If anyone gets to talk about moral victories, it's Oklahoma... I was one of only about 27 percent of the voters to leave Ohio State off their ballot. The Buckeyes proved me right by getting thumped by gawd-awful Purdue.

WHERE I WENT WRONG LAST WEEK: I had Cincy ranked way too low at No. 11. I hope I made up for it this week... I had Virginia Tech ranked too high, apparently, but I still think the Hokies are probably one of the few two-loss teams that are still upper-echelon.

* See last week's poll results HERE.