JP Top 25: Week 7

Editor's note: J.P. Giglio is one of 60 AP voters.

• JP Top 25 archive
• AP, USA Today polls
• Pollspeak (how everyone else voted)

1. Alabama
Record: 7-0
Last week: 2 (beat South Carolina, 20-6)
This week: Tennessee

Alabama the four years before Nick Saban got there: 4-9, 6-6, 10-2, 6-7.
Since: 7-6, 12-2, 7-0.

Yes, Alabama's a unique program, but this is the reason why N.C. State fans, UNC fans, FSU fans, Nebraska fans, or pick a fan base, don't understand why a coach needs an eight-year rebuilding project to make a team competitive on the national level.

Saban (and Urban Meyer before him) has ruined the patience curve for every fan base.

2. Florida
Record: 6-0
Last week: 1 (beat Arkansas, 23-20)
This week: @ Mississippi State

It's not just the close call against Arkansas, it's that Alabama has played better and looks better, especially on offense.

3. Texas
Record: 6-0
Last week: 3 (beat Oklahoma, 16-13)
This week: @ Missouri

Rivalry games usually aren't beauty pageants but, man, that was ugly. Not sure there would be much difference between an unbeaten Big 12 team and, say, an unbeaten Big East team. That's how bad Texas looked Saturday.

4. USC
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ Washington
Last week: 7 (won @ Notre Dame, 34-27
This week: Oregon State

Combine Boise's lackluster effort at Tulsa with the Trojans' road win at Notre Dame, and you have a new No. 4.

5. Boise State
Record: 6-0
Last week: 5 (won @ Tulsa, 28-21)
This week: @ Hawaii

Problem for Boise is their the "Super Bowl" for every team left on their schedule. Tulsa played that way in a seven-point game. Problem for Boise is, Oklahoma beat "regular" Tulsa, 45-0.

6. Miami
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ Virginia Tech
Last week: 6 (won @ Central Florida, 27-7)
This week: Clemson

The Canes' first ACC game in three weeks, after opening with three straight.

7. Georgia Tech
Record: 6-1
Loss: @ Miami
Last week: 14 (beat Virginia Tech, 28-23)
This week: @ Virginia

GT's running game is so good, it completed one pass and beat the No. 4 team in the country.

8. Cincinnati
Record: 6-0
Last week: 12 (won @ South Florida, 34-17)
This week: Louisville

Cincinnati handled its toughest test yet but lost quarterback Tony Pike. They won't need him until the West Virginia game on Nov. 13.

9. LSU
Record: 5-1
Loss: Florida
Last week: 8 (bye)
This week: Auburn

Two more weeks before they play Bama in Tuscaloosa.

10. Oregon
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ Boise State
Last week: 10 (bye)
This week: @ Washington

Classic "trap" game with a trip Washington before hosting USC next week.

11. TCU
Record: 5-0
Last week: 10 (beat Colorado State, 44-6)
This week: @ BYU

Big game in Provo. The MWC might want to get the SEC officials who worked the Florida-Arkansas game to make sure TCU stays in the BCS mix.

12. Iowa
Record: 7-0
Last week: 13 (won @ Wisconsin, 20-10)
This week: @ Michigan State

Still not that impressed by the Hawks or the Big Ten. Good team but No. 7?

13. Virginia Tech
Record: 5-2
Losses: vs. Alabama, @ Georgia Tech
Last week: 5 (lost @ Georgia Tech, 28-23)
This week: bye

Bye week and then a relative cakewalk to the end with UNC, ECU, Maryland, N.C. State and Virginia.

14. Houston
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ UTEP
Last week: 15 (won @ Tulane, 44-16)
This week: SMU

Texas Tech's win over Nebraska gave Houston a boost in the proper AP poll.

15. BYU
Record: 6-1
Loss: Florida State
Last week: 16 (won @ San Diego State, 38-28)
This week: TCU

Seriously, what happened against FSU?

16. Utah
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ Oregon
Last week: 23 (won @ UNLV, 35-15)
This week: Air Force

There really isn't much difference between the next 10 (or 30) teams.

17. Oklahoma State
Record: 5-1
Loss: Houston
Last week: 17 (beat Missouri, 33-17)
This week: @ Baylor

Good win over Mizzou; could be the Big 12 spoiler against Texas on Halloween.

18. Texas Tech
Record: 5-2
Losses: @ Houston, @ Texas
Last week: NR (won @ Nebraska, 31-10)
This week: Texas A&M

Shout-out to Mike Leach. Every year I think the Raiders are going to fall off the map, and every year he keeps on finding new QBs and more wins.

19. Penn State
Record: 6-1
Loss: Iowa
Last week: NR (beat Minnesota, 20-0)
This week: @ Michigan

Penn State's not that good, and the Nits will probably lose at Michigan this week, but I'm trying to tell you that the alternatives are that bad.

20. West Virginia
Record: 5-1
Loss: @ Auburn
Last week: NR (beat Marshall, 24-7)
This week: UConn

Still not sold on Bill Stewart-Coker-Torbush, but once again, take a look around at the other options.

21. Ohio State
Record: 5-2
Losses: USC, @ Purdue
Last week: 9 (lost @ Purdue, 26-18)
This week: Minnesota

So much for "Tressel Mode." Sadly, they're still in the BCS at-large mix (and Big Ten race) because of their ability to sell tickets.

22. Central Michigan
Record: 6-1
Loss: @ Arizona
Last week: 25 (won @ Western Michigan 34-23)
This week: @ Bowling Green

Early season win at Michigan State and a litany of MAC wins, enough to crack the top 25 this season.

23. South Carolina
Record: 5-2
Losses: @ Georgia, @ Alabama
Last week: 18 (lost @ Alabama, 20-6)
This week: Vanderbilt

They're offense is a joke, and Spurrier's becoming a punchline, but the defense has been good (save for the Georgia game).

24. Arkansas
Record: 3-3
Losses: @ Alabama, @ Florida, Georgia
Last week: NR (lost @ Florida, 23-20)
This week: @ Ole Miss

Imagine if Ole Miss was still ranked in the top 10? That's how brutal Arkansas' schedule looked in August. It has still been pretty tough.

25. Pitt
Record: 6-1
Loss: @ N.C. State
Last week: NR (beat Rutgers, 24-17)
This week: South Florida

Seriously, what happened against N.C. State?

Out: South Florida (19), Kansas (20), Nebraska (21), Oklahoma (22), Notre Dame (24)