. . . just not for Syracuse. Ever.
So here's the thing: I'm bad at Wednesday deadlines. Plus, with the holiday, my focus wasn't particularly on blog-related items (which, of course, is a mortal sin). But today marks a return to poll participation, a fact that should both dazzle and amaze.
If there are any glaring deficiencies with the ballot below, you know what to do.
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State |  25 |
| 2 | Michigan | 24 |
| 3 | Southern Cal | 23 |
| 4 | LSU | 22 |
| 5 | Florida | 21 |
| 6 | Louisville | 20 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 19 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 18 |
| 9 | Arkansas | 17 |
| 10 | Auburn | 16 |
| 11 | Virginia Tech | 15 |
| 12 | Notre Dame | 14 |
| 13 | Rutgers | 13 |
| 14 | Wake Forest | 12 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 11 |
| 16 | Nebraska | 10 |
| 17 | Texas | 9 |
| 18 | Boise State | 8 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 7 |
| 20 | Georgia Tech | 6 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 5 |
| 22 | California | 4 |
| 23 | Brigham Young | 3 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 2 |
| 25 | Oregon State | 1 |
Notes:
- I am satisfied with the top four and probably won't acquiesce to challenges concerning the ordering.
- I strongly considered putting Arkansas ahead of Louisville, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it following the tough Razorback loss on Saturday.
- Notre Dame too low? Absolutely not. I have deflated Notre Dame's seeding almost the entire season and the Irish's first-half effort against Southern California solidifies my perception of Charlie Weis' group.
- Wake Forest should probably be higher, but until they rip apart Georgia Tech Saturday, the Demon Deacons will stay behind some bigger guns. Also, if Jim Grobe isn't national coach of the year, it will be a travesty not seen since Jim Brown's Heisman snub in 1956.
- If anyone knows what to do with Boise State, congratulations. I have no clue.
I say you put Boise at #10 so you feel better about the Fiesta Bowl. Then when they lose, you end up at $15, right about where a 12-1 Boise team that played in the Fiesta Bowl belongs.