College Football Rankings: 5 Teams That Felt the Shaft by the AP Poll Monday

Every week the AP poll gets released and someone is left on the outside looking in or looking up at a team it could clearly beat.

The polls are not perfect—whether computer or human, there is no way to calculate every variable so the teams are ranked from best to worst.

Here are five teams that have a gripe with the AP.

Michigan

Landing just outside the top 25 is Michigan, led by the dynamic Denard Robinson.

After leading his team to a come-from-behind victory against a talented Notre Dame squad (the Irish are talented, the record just doesn't reflect it), Robinson and Michigan were left on the outside looking in for no real reason.

With so few in the top 25 losing, there were no real spots for any teams to jump back in the top 25. With that, though, TCU beat on a poor Air Force team and was able to remain in the top 25 despite playing inferior opponents and getting lit up by Baylor the week before.

Auburn also moved back in, and Mississippi State remained in the top 25 despite losing to an Auburn team that was unranked.

The Wolverines were easily better than TCU, Auburn or Mississippi State.

Wisconsin

The run-first Wisconsin Badgers may have a change in philosophy. Russell Wilson went 17-of-21 for 189 yards and three touchdowns—not exactly how the Badgers usually go about business.

The defense pitched a shutout, its first in almost two years.

What should not be held against the Badgers is their opponents' lack of skill. In the first game, the Badgers clearly wanted a warm-up. Oregon State was not supposed to be this bad, though.

The Badgers wanted to face a better non-conference opponent in Week 2. They thought they had one. It's not their fault the Beavers played like woodland creatures.

Florida

Florida hasn't played the best and the brightest of the college football ranks, but expectations were so low for this Florida team that recognition must be paid.

Florida came into this season with an uncertain quarterback, an unproven defense and new coaches. All have proven to be better than expected.

The Gators have a legitimate Heisman candidate in Chris Rainey, who has been nothing short of explosive so far. John Brantley has proven critics wrong and showed he deserves to be the starting quarterback and he was used incorrectly last season.

The Gators will only improve as the season goes on. While they have played lesser competition, they should have been rewarded for being better than expected, not trailing behind the likes of a one-loss Oregon team and a sloppy Virginia Tech team.

South Carolina

South Carolina went into Athens to face a Georgia team that was coming off a big loss to Boise State. Georgia needed this win and South Carolina pulled out a win off several Bulldogs errors.

Steve Spurrier claimed Georgia outplayed the Gamecocks, which might be true, but going on the road to face a rival and winning on foreign turf counts for something.

For a game as close as this one was, the Gamecocks should receive credit for their defensive effort around their end zone. Three times the Bulldogs were within striking distance and each time they came away with three instead of seven.

South Carolina probably should not be a top-five team, but cracking the top 10 is not out of the question.

Alabama

Alabama only received seven first-place votes in the AP poll. That's a shame.

Granted, LSU deserved some votes after dismantling Oregon the week before, but the Tigers followed that up with Northwestern State. That might be the biggest talent drop-off a team will see from one week to the next in its opponents.

Alabama went the opposite direction, facing Kent State and then going after a big-time program in Penn State. The Nittany Lions are not a title contender, but they certainly deserve more respect than the Northwestern State Demons.

Making things worse is Oklahoma received more first-place votes despite not playing. Oklahoma takes on a very athletic Florida State team this week, so Alabama may feel less disrespected when it moves up in the polls this week.