Hlas' AP Top 25 ballot for Week 10

I continue to focus on the smart things I've noticed ahead of others and ignore the wrong things I once believed.

I've been a TCU guy. I think that defense is ruthless, and thought so before the Horned Frogs buried Utah in Salt Lake City Saturday, 47-7. I had the Frogs No. 2 ahead of Auburn last week and stand by that. They are destroying everyone they encounter. Utah is good, folks.

But Oregon's wrecking machine is still my No. 1.

1. Oregon (9-0). Still plays at Cal, at home against Arizona, and at Arizona State.

2. TCU (10-0). Will be 12-0 and can only hope someone pops Auburn.

3. Auburn (10-0). At Alabama on Nov. 26.

4. Boise State (8-0). At Nevada on Nov. 26.

5. Wisconsin (8-1). At Michigan on Nov. 20.

6. LSU (8-1). At Arkansas on Nov. 27.

7. Stanford (8-1). First team to beat Arizona by more than two points.

8. Ohio State (8-1). The Nov. 20 game at Iowa will be, in reality, needed for the Buckeyes to grab a sixth-straight Big Ten title.

9. Nebraska (8-1). "Just win, baby" was never more true than after the Cornhuskers' overtime win at Iowa State.

10. Oklahoma State (8-1). Gave Baylor a righteous thrashing. If it wins out, it gets a rematch in the Big 12 title game with the only team that has beaten it, Nebraska.

11. Alabama (7-2). All the talk about a one-loss 'Bama moving into the national-title game was washed away at LSU.

12. Iowa (7-2). It was attrition that moved Iowa up on my ballot, not its underwhelming win at Indiana.

13. Michigan State (9-1). Crazy as it sounds, Spartans may be alarmed by beating Minnesota at home by only 31-8. Gophers interim coach Jeff Horton has now lost 19 straight games as a head coach. The first 16 were at UNLV>

14. Utah (8-1). Utah beat Iowa State by 41 in Ames. Nebraska did so by one point in overtime. TCU is good, kids.

15. Arkansas (7-2). One-sided win at South Carolina Saturday was Hogs' best victory of the year.

16. Arizona (7-2). Was outclassed at Stanford.

17. Virginia Tech (7-2). Seven straight wins, and the favorite to represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl in a lean year for that league.

18. Nevada (8-1). Only loss was a forgivable one-TD decision at Hawaii. This WAC team is 3-0 vs. Mountain West teams and hammered California in Reno.

19. Missouri (7-2). Two weeks ago, some wondered if Tigers could slip into BCS title game. Uh, no.

20. Mississippi State (7-2). Only losses were to Auburn and LSU.

21. Central Florida (7-2). One loss in last seven games, and that by 17-13 at Kansas State.

22. Texas A&M (6-3). Had 3-game losing streak in midseason, but has won last three including 33-17 handling of Oklahoma Saturday.

23. Oklahoma (7-2). Was OU really No. 1 in the BCS standings three weeks ago?

24. Northern Illinois (7-2). Hosts Toledo Tuesday night. Pity the Rockets.

25. Temple (8-2). Only losses were at Penn State and Northern Illinois. Fear the Owls. Hey, if you're going to lobby for someone else to be 24th or 25th, go ahead. I won't pay any attention, but go ahead.