Hlas' AP Top 25 ballot for Dec. 2: All right, already, Alabama is No. 2

I thought about throwing Nebraska off my ballot altogether after that dismal performance last night against Wisconsin. But 10 wins and a Big Ten division title should count for something. I guess.

1. Notre Dame (12-0)

2. Alabama (12-1)

3. Florida (11-1)

4. Oregon (11-1)

5. Ohio State (12-0)

6. Kansas State (11-1)

7. Texas A&M (10-2). The Aggies are two-touchdown favorites over whoever they play in the Capital One Bowl.

8. Stanford (11-2)

9. Georgia (11-2). Good team, but only three wins against opponents with winning records, and one of those is Georgia Southern.

10. LSU (10-2)

11. South Carolina (11-2)

12. Oklahoma (10-2)

13. Florida State (11-2)

14. Clemson (10-2)

15. Northern Illinois (12-1)

16. UCLA (9-4)

17. Oregon State (9-3)

18. Utah State (10-2)

19. Wisconsin (8-5). It doesn't feel right ranking a five-loss team this high, but it's the best non-probation team in the Big Ten.

20. Kent State (11-2)

21. Nebraska (10-3). It doesn't feel putting a team that lost 70-31 in its league-title game in the rankings at all, but it beat my Nos. 22 and 23.

22. Michigan (8-4)

23. Northwestern (9-3)

24. Vanderbilt (8-4)

25. San Jose State (10-2)

The AP poll:

RANK TEAM RECORD POINTS

1 Notre Dame (60) 12-0 1500

2 Alabama 12-1 1424

3 Ohio State 12-0 1302

4 Florida 11-1 1279

5 Oregon 11-1 1250

6 Georgia 11-2 1213

7 Kansas State 11-1 1129

8 Stanford 11-2 1094

9 LSU 10-2 1051

10 Texas A&M 10-2 1025

11 South Carolina 10-2 907

12 Oklahoma 10-2 851

13 Florida State 11-2 789

14 Clemson 10-2 691

15 Oregon State 9-3 638

16 Northern Illinois 12-1 534

17 UCLA 9-4 440

18 Utah State 10-2 379

19 Michigan 8-4 306

20 Boise State 10-2 276

21 Northwestern 9-3 266

22 Louisville 10-2 248

23 Nebraska 10-3 227

24 San Jose State 10-2 157

25 Kent State 11-2 117

Dropped from rankings: Texas 23, Oklahoma State 24

Others receiving votes: Penn State 83, Vanderbilt 67, Wisconsin 62, Texas 51, San Diego State 22, Fresno State 20, Baylor 15, Cincinnati 15, Oklahoma State 15, TCU 14, Arkansas State 13, USC 11, Tulsa 9, Rutgers 6, Ball State 2, North Carolina 1, West Virginia 1