The Guru's BlogPoll Ballot (Preseason)

As previously noted, the Guru will take part in the BlogPoll this season. I have submitted my preseason ballot as shown below:

Rank	Team
1	Florida
2	USC
3	Texas
4	Oklahoma
5	Ohio State
6	Virginia Tech
7	Penn State
8	Alabama
9	Boise State
10	TCU
11	Utah
12	LSU
13	Oregon
14	Georgia
15	Oklahoma State
16	Mississippi
17	Georgia Tech
18	California
19	Notre Dame
20	North Carolina
21	Pittsburgh
22	Iowa
23	West Virginia
24	Brigham Young
25	Florida State

This is a significant departure from the "Guru's Rankings" and also will vary quite a bit from the first Sim-BCS Standings due out next week. Here's why:

1. The BlogPoll's purpose is to rank teams based on their performance. By definition, there really shouldn't even be a preseason poll since nobody has played a down yet. But since we must submit a preseason ballot, this is what I got. Teams may move up or down my ballot pretty dramatically in the first few weeks of the season as I'm by no means married to these preseason rankings.

2. The "Guru's Rankings" is not subjective, like any of the polls, including the BlogPoll, Coaches Poll and AP Poll. It's an algorithm designed to rank the teams' chances of reaching the BCS championship game. Teams playing soft schedules, particularly the better teams from BCS conferences, will be ranked preferentially. (Florida vs. Charleston Southern, anyone?)

3. The Sim-BCS Standings (previously the "Unofficial" BCS Standings) is the closest facsimile to the real BCS Standings until it's officially released in mid-October. The sim standings will strictly follow the BCS formula, with a couple of substitutions until all components of the standings are made available.