AP Top 25 College Football Poll 2011: 5 Teams the AP Got Wrong in Week 2

The new AP poll is a farce.

Sure it’s early in the season, and we still don’t know a ton about teams, but there are more than a few squads that got completely misread by the committee.

Whether they are ranked too high or too low, there are some serious errors that make you wonder how close the voters are watching.

It's been a big issue in the past that coaches would get some sort of an assistant to fill out their ballot with little thought being put into the process; not the fairest way to go considering it has major implications on a team's fate when the BCS rankings comes out.

I'm here to clear up this mess.

Here are the biggest errors that the AP poll made in their Week 2 rankings.

5. Florida State at No. 5

How in the world is a team with a bevy of inexperienced players, including QB E.J. Manuel, ranked in the Top Five?

There is no way in the world the Seminoles should be ranked ahead of teams like Stanford and Texas A&M. Why does a team that struggled to run the ball on Louisiana-Monroe suddenly deserve such a lofty ranking?

This young team has to beat an actually decent squad before they can be taken seriously. That won’t happen until Week 3 against Oklahoma.

Enjoy the Top Five while you can, FSU.

4. Missouri Tigers at No. 21

You beat Miami (OH) 17-6, and don’t get knocked out of the polls?

The Tigers entered the fourth quarter against their MAC opponent with a nail-biting 10-6 lead. The Redhawks held the advantage in time of possession and had much more success through the air.

Add nine penalties for 81 yards, and this Tigers team will be knocked out of the polls in no time.

South Florida should be ahead of them, as should Penn St. and Texas.

3. TCU at No. 25

The Horned Frogs are living off their success of last year, and it’s not fair to teams being denied Top 25 access.

The massive amounts of new players in pivotal roles foreshadowed a letdown before the season started—and their 50-48 loss to Baylor confirmed it.

The defense is in shambles, and the offense needed 25 fourth-quarter points just to make it a game.

This team is going to be fighting for the right to play in a bowl game by season's end—not for the right to be in the Top 25.

2. South Florida at No. 22

The most shocking victory of Week 1 belonged to Bulls, who held a 16-point halftime lead over Notre Dame before hanging on for the 23-20 win.

After being absent from the rankings to begin the season, the shocking upset only vaulted the team up to No. 22. They are stuck behind a mediocre (at best) Missouri team and a Baylor squad that went from unranked to 20th.

Sure they beat TCU, but that's not the same level of victory as the Rams, and it’s a travesty that South Florida isn’t higher.

The voters seem to have a bias against Big East football, and this ranking does nothing to dispel the reputation.

They should swap rankings with Baylor.

1. Ohio St. at No. 15

The Buckeyes were disrespected in the first poll because of the messy summer endured in Columbus.

But all it took was one week to be reminded that this team is still chock full of talent and deserving of a Top 10 ranking—the same place where they ended last season.

The QB situation is under control with Joe Bauserman, and the defense looks as ferocious as ever. With a very manageable schedule, expect the Buckeyes to be back where they belong soon.

For now, they are stuck having to earn back the respect of the voters, something that isn’t fair to any of the players on the team.

The Buckeyes should be at least 4-5 spots higher right now.