CBSSports.com BlogPoll #11

This image has nothing to do with this week's BlogPoll, but it's Oklahoma week and that means I'll be using it liberally in the days to come.

It takes a lot of swagger to wear the cowboy hat AND the headband. Herbie's complete disregard for aesthetics should feel familiar to this year's Nebraska squad. Everything since the Huskers started conference play has been ugly and it will have to continue this week, perhaps spectacularly so.

To beat Oklahoma Nebraska might need to go even lower. Run some tricks, maybe quick kick on a third down, score on a fumble or two, try an onside kick in the first half, whatever it takes. This isn't the great heavyweight clashes of yesteryear, it's a street fight.

And if the Huskers ugly it up enough, maybe they can creep back into my ugly, misshapen poll. Looking at some of the other teams I have to include, Nebraska wouldn't feel out of place.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Alabama
2	Florida
3	Texas
4	TCU	2
5	Cincinnati
6	Boise State	1
7	Iowa	1
8	Oregon	6
9	Georgia Tech
10	Penn State	1
11	Southern Cal	7
12	LSU	1
13	Houston	2
14	Pittsburgh	3
15	Miami (Florida)	1
16	Oklahoma	2
17	Ohio State	3
18	Utah	4
19	Brigham Young	2
20	Oklahoma State	8
21	Arizona	2
22	Virginia Tech	12
23	Notre Dame
24	Texas Tech	1
25	South Florida
Last week's ballot

OUT
Sakerlina and West Virginia. It sort of feels like the great rural purge of CBS in the early seventies. Also on the outside looking in: Hee Haw, Green Acres, and The Johnny Cash Show.

IN
Notre Dame, by underachieving and losing twice already on what everyone thought was a BCS sort of schedule, welcome to the fold. Also, USF. Do they have more talent than Nebraska? It looked that way Friday night.

METHODOLOGY
--I'm not sure there's a viable method left this season. We're still playing musical chairs with the top three in the BCS and it looks like Texas should have smooth sailing to play the winner of 'Bama/Florida which, of course, means that at least one of those teams will lose in November. Florida still has to go to Sakerlina and face the ghost of Steve Spurrier and the Tide plays an LSU team that has yet to impress me. The most interesting game the Longhorns have left might be at A&M on Thanksgiving.
--In theory, it will be interesting to see the delicate dance the pollsters do with Boise State and Oregon. The Ducks just beat USC like nobody has before in the Caroll era but they got absolutely dominated by the Broncos to open the season. That said, the writing seems to be on the wall--just like at Autzen Stadium!--with Boise's unimpressive remaining slate and the fact that the Trojans still represent the gold standard this decade. I don't like the Broncos chances.
--How many "those are the type of breaks you get in a championship season" breaks will Iowa get? That pinball interception for a touchdown was just the latest and it broke the Hoosiers' backs. I say good for the Hawkeyes but what I really mean is I'm insanely jealous because this looked like the sort of season Nebraska could have had following the Missouri game.
--TCU v. Utah could be one of the best games remaining this season. Also, Wyoming is getting better.
--This has nothing to do with the poll but Tennessee and Georgia looked really ugly in their black Halloween costumes and I loved it. I'm always for switching it up on occasion.