Hlas' AP Top 25 ballot for Week 9

They make me stay up late to make sure TCU mauled UNLV in Las Vegas. Hawaii's playing, too, on Aloha Time. But I don't have two-loss Hawaii vying for my 25th spot. Which is kind of fortunate.

So I'm assembling this ballot 13 hours after I left home to head for Kinnick Stadium today. But it's clear eyes, full heart. Or some motivational junk like that.

1. Oregon (9-0). The Ducks are going to the BCS title game. Some of us saw it coming.

2. TCU (9-0). Baylor is the Big 12's Flavor of the Week. TCU beat the Bears by five touchdowns. Air Force pushed Oklahoma and Utah hard. TCU crushed the flyboys. Wisconsin had a pretty good scrap at UNLV before pulling away. Saturday, TCU ran over the Runnin' Rebels.

3. Auburn (9-0). Gene Chizik, Super Coach.

4. Boise State (7-0). Terrific team. Lousy schedule.

5. Utah (8-0). It's possible that the Utes will have knocked off the Big East champ-to-be (Pittsburgh) and the Big 12 champ-to-be (Iowa State). It's also possible Utah will elect Democrats to every single office on next Tuesday's ballot.

6. Wisconsin (7-1). Its win over Iowa looks even better in stature with the Hawkeyes' pasting of Michigan State. And, of course, that 31-18 win over Ohio State the week before the Iowa win still holds up nicely.

7. Alabama (7-1). Arkansas is the only team from last week's Top 25 that 'Bama has beaten. The Tide go to LSU Saturday. That will be noisy.

8. Ohio State (8-1). Incredibly, the Buckeyes have wins over no one that will be ranked in Sunday's polls. The best team OSU has defeated is Illinois.

9. Nebraska (7-1). Consecutive wins at Oklahoma State and at home against Missouri have made up for the strange home loss to Texas two weeks ago.

10. Oklahoma (7-1). Sooners don't yet have a signature win, thanks to the stumblings of Florida State and Texas.

11. Stanford (7-1). Only loss is at Oregon.

12. LSU (7-1). Everyone knows this isn't a particularly special team, but its only loss was at Auburn by a touchdown. We are supposed to vote on performance.

13. Missouri (7-1). Didn't get it done at Nebraska, but the win over Oklahoma the week before carries cache. The Tigers' win over Illinois (5-3) is looking better with time.

14. Arizona (7-1). It beat Iowa, and is a field goal from being unbeaten. Plays at Stanford Saturday.

15. Iowa (6-2). I believe the Hawkeyes are one of the top eight or nine teams in the country, maybe even top five or six. Their 37-6 win over Michigan State Saturday was a pretty good case to shoot them up the rankings (I had Iowa 19th last week). But in moments of truth against Arizona and Wisconsin, Iowa failed. If it beats Ohio State on Nov. 20 (assuming it beats Indiana and Northwestern beforehand), it's well-positioned for a fifth Top Ten (Top 8, really) finish under Kirk Ferentz.

16. Michigan State (8-1). This is a big drop from last week. That was a big egg the Spartans laid in Kinnick Stadium.

17. Oklahoma State (7-1). Nice win at Kansas State Saturday. But the Cowboys have no wins over currently ranked teams.

18. South Carolina (6-2). I'm in no mood to spend time explaining the rest of these.

19. Arkansas (6-2)

20. Virginia Tech (6-2)

21. Baylor (6-2)

22. North Carolina State (6-2)

23. Florida State (6-2)

24. Mississippi State (7-2)

25. Northern Illinois (7-2). Seven straight wins for NIU. Take this week off, Huskies. You've earned it.