How the Top 25 should look: Recency bias collides with body of work

Movement atop the AP Top 25 poll is negligible at this point of the season, a matter of aesthetics among the elite.

Texas was idle and should maintain the No. 1 spot, but after that, there’s plenty of room for debate among the Top 10 as voters must weigh their recency bias against each team’s complete body of work.

The case for Alabama to move ahead of Georgia at No. 2 has less to do with how dominant the Bulldogs have looked in each win — the backup quarterback has played in each game — and more to do with the Tide’s resume and most recent win.

Alabama went on the road and controlled the game against a No. 16 Mississippi State team (56-23), and now with Kentucky’s ascension into the Top 25, the Tide has two road wins against ranked competition, having defeated the Wildcats 45-17 in Week Two.

Georgia has yet to play a ranked team, so the opportunity for that body of work has not been possible. Further, it’s not a stretch to say the Tide looked better in its road win against a ranked Mississippi State than did Georgia at home in a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt.

The good news, for those in search of clarity, is the Bulldogs play at Alabama at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and can settle ranking supremacy — for the time being, at least — on the field.

Miami kept its record perfect with a 41-13 win at Clemson.

Ohio State — its only blemish a 24-23 road loss at No. 1 Texas in Week Two — continued to look like the best one-loss team in the nation with its road win at No. 14 Iowa, 31-14.

Notre Dame should slip in this week’s poll, having a tougher time than a top-five team should before putting away a 2-2 North Carolina team, 37-26.

Indiana, a week removed from its home escape against Northwestern, handled Rutgers on the road 47-15 to stay unbeaten at 5-0.

The true quagmire is separating one-loss SEC teams Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, Florida and Mississippi State, where transitive properties went out the window with Missouri’s shocking 45-17 win over No. 8 Florida.

Missouri beat Florida, which beat Ole Miss, which beat LSU … but Missouri lost to Mississippi State, which lost badly at home to Alabama on Saturday.

It’s a beauty contest at this stage of the season, as only future results can sort it out any further.

There will be plenty of controversy and discussion when this week’s AP Top 25 comes out on Sunday, with many sound cases to be made for teams to be ranked higher, or lower.

Fortunately, the CFP Selection Committee will have four more weeks of football season evidence before releasing its first set of rankings on Nov. 3.

Mike Griffith’s AP Top 25 ballot

1. Texas (4-0)

Was idle

2. Alabama (5-0)

Won at No. 16 Mississippi State, 56-23

3. Georgia (5-0)

Beat Vanderbilt, 38-14

4. Miami (5-0)

Won at Clemson, 41-13

5. Ohio State (4-1)

Won at No. 14 Iowa, 31-14

6. Notre Dame (5-0)

Won at North Carolina, 37-26

7. Indiana (5-0)

Won at Rutgers, 47-15

8. LSU (4-1)

Beat McNeese, 63-14

9. Tennessee (4-1)

Beat Auburn, 24-14

10. Utah (4-0)

Was idle

11. Ole Miss (3-1)

Was idle

12. Oregon (3-1)

Was idle

13. Texas Tech (5-0)

Won at Colorado, 29-7

14. Missouri (4-1)

Beat No. 8 Florida, 45-17

15. Florida (4-1)

Lost at No. 25 Missouri, 45-17

16. BYU (4-0)

Won at TCU, 17-10

17. Boise State (4-1)

Beat Utah State, 37-18

18. Mississippi State (4-1)

Lost to No. 7 Alabama, 56-23

19. USC (5-1)

Beat Washington, 25-21

20. Pitt (5-0)