The AP poll came out yesterday, and it included North Carolina.
Um, for what?
SEE RELATED:
For beating a subpar Rutgers team on the road (a victory that looks to be worth as much as a Continental dollar more and more each day)?
For edging a 2-3 Miami team on the road on a miracle final play?
For trouncing an overrated Connecticut team at home (a UConn team, I might add, was No. 22 in this set of rankings last week with the caveat “remain skeptical”)
This is the point where it’s worthwhile to say that even though the Tar Heels are better, are they really that much better – especially with a backup quarterback keeping the seat warm for the injured T.J. Yates.
The truth is a 4-1 UNC team with Yates belongs about 5-8 spots higher than one without him. And that’s why Carolina checks in just inside the top 30 this week.
By the way, only one team (South Florida) is impacted by the adjustment of an overtime game in these rankings. The OT escape at Central Florida is the reason Kansas somehow hops over the Bulls despite the Jayhawks’ head-to-head loss.
Other head-to-head influences include Vanderbilt nosing over Florida by virtue of performance vs. Ole Miss; California over Michigan State; and Georgia Tech edging North Carolina because it lost narrowly to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg rather than at home.
| No./Team | Adj. record
| AP
| Pvs.
| Notable Wins/Head-to-Head
|
1. Oklahoma
| 5-0 | 1 | 1 | * TCU and Cincinnati (H)
|
| 2. Alabama | 6-0 | 2 | 2 | * Clemson (N) and Georgia (A)
|
3. Missouri
| 5-0 | 3 | 4 | * Illinois (N) and Nebraska (A)
|
4. Louisiana State
| 4-0 | 4 | 3 | * Auburn (A) |
| 5. Texas | 5-0 | 5 | 5 | * Colorado (A)
|
6. Southern California
| 3-1 | 8 | 7 | * Ohio State and Oregon (H)
|
7. Penn State
| 6-0 | 6 | 6 | * Oregon State and Illinois (H)
|
8. Texas Tech
| 5-0 | 7 | 8 | * They sure can score a lot
|
9. Ohio State
| 5-1 | 12 | 13 | * Wisconsin (A); lost at USC
|
10. Brigham Young
| 5-0 | 9 | 9 | * Feels slightly overrated
|
11. Georgia
| 4-1 | 10 | 12 | * Home loss to Alabama
|
| 12. Utah | 6-0 | 14 | 14 | * Michigan (A)
|
13. Boise State
| 4-0 | 15 | 15 | * Oregon (A)
|
14. Vanderbilt
| 5-0 | 13 | 28 | * Auburn (H) and Ole Miss (A)
|
15. Florida
| 4-1 | 11 | 16 | * Home loss to Ole Miss looks worse
|
16. Virginia Tech
| 5-1 | 18 | 18 | * Nebraska and UNC (A); lost to ECU (N)
|
| 17. Auburn | 4-2 | 20 | 10 | * Lost to LSU (H) and Vanderbilt (A)
|
18. Tulsa
| 5-0 | 27 | 20 | * 56.4 ppg
|
19. Kansas
| 4-1 | 16 | 17 | * Loss at South Florida
|
| 20. California | 4-1 | 29
| NR | * Michigan State (H); lost at Maryland
|
21. South Florida
| 4-1-1 | 19 | 11 | * Kansas (H); OT win at UCF; loss to Pitt
|
22. Michigan State
| 5-1 | 23 | 25 | * Loss at California
|
23. Northwestern
| 5-0 | 22 | 30 | * Best start since 1962
|
24. Wake Forest
| 3-1 | 21 | 26 | * Florida State (A); lost to Navy (H)
|
25. Ball State
| 6-0 | 25 | 29 | * Still winning despite loss of WR Love
|
26. Oklahoma State
| 5-0 | 17 | NR | * Pokes get Missouri on Saturday
|
27. Texas Christian
| 4-1 | 31 | 27 | * Loss to Oklahoma (A)
|
| 28. Wisconsin | 3-2 | 26 | 21 | * Losses to Michigan (A) and Ohio St. (H)
|
29. Georgia Tech
| 4-1 | 32 | NR | * Loss at Virginia Tech
|
30. North Carolina
| 4-1 | 22 | NR | * Loss to Va. Tech (H); beat UConn (H)
|
– Patrick Stevens
