So I have a problem with the Associated Press.

On Sunday the AP voted LSU as the No. 1 team, leapfrogging the Tigers over Oklahoma, which had been the nation’s No. 1 team since the preseason poll. Also, Alabama dropped to No. 3.

Why do I have a problem with this? It’s not that I don’t believe that LSU is a great team. The Tigers have proven that in spades the past month, beating three ranked teams in the process. It’s that in order to move LSU to the top the voters have punished Oklahoma and Alabama.

Yes, Oklahoma WAS No. 1 and Alabama WAS No. 2. Now they’re Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. They’ve done nothing wrong. Both teams have played their schedule, won four games and remain undefeated. Both the Sooners and Crimson Tide have beaten ranked teams and creampuffs alike, just like LSU. But instead of keeping the two teams where they were, the voters, collectively, chose to drop them.

I know it’s a voter’s prerogative. But this part of the AP poll process has always driven me nuts. This happens every year. A team gets a few wins under its belt, attains a ranking they deserve and then gets dropped a spot by another team that’s undefeated.

I don’t think it’s fair. I think if you’re undefeated and you reach a certain ranking that’s where you stay until you lose. Say you’re the nation’s No. 5 team and you’re undefeated. You’re 6-0 and then you drop a spot, even though your team hasn’t done anything to deserve being dropped.

You take care of your business and yet you get dropped? I don’t like it one bit. Sure, if you’re No. 5 and another undefeated team leapfrogs you to No. 4, I can deal with that, as long as you keep your No. 5 ranking.

But what happened to Oklahoma was wrong. The Sooners were No. 1, were 4-0 and yet, and yet, the voters fell in love with someone else, in this case LSU and were dropped.

So, in MY poll Oklahoma is my No. 1 team, Alabama is my No. 2 team and LSU is my No. 3 team, just like the past two weeks. You may agree, you may disagree.

But my logic is clear and I think I’m right. But I suppose that’s part of why we debate these things every week. Everyone thinks a little differently. But Oklahoma is MY No. 1 team until they lose. If the lose.

So, without further ado, My PigskinU.com Top 25 poll after Week 4:

1. Oklahoma (last week: 1): The Sooners opened Big 12 action by taking care of Missouri, a team that always seems to give the Sooners trouble. The Tigers did so on Saturday, but not nearly enough trouble to put the Sooners on the ropes. Ball State comes to Norman next Saturday, followed by the trip to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry game with texas.

2. Alabama (last week: 2): One down, one to go for Alabama and its early SEC landmines. I’m not surprised that the Crimson Tide took care of Arkansas the way it did. But I am a little intrigued by next weekend’s matchup with Florida, even though that’s more because I’m interested in seeing how the new-look Gators measure up than determining if the Tide are a Top 3 team. I think we know that by now.

3. LSU (last week: 3): QB Jarrett Lee is turning into the one thing Jordan Jefferson was never able to become – consistent. Now that September is over, the Tigers need to take care of business and get ready for the early November tilt with Alabama, one that appears as if it will decide the SEC West.

4. Boise State (last week: 4): I don’t think the Broncos have lost a home game against an unranked opponent since the Clinton Administration. Now the punishment begins. The Broncos start playing Mountain West opponents and its strength of schedule takes a nosedive until the Nov. 12 tilt with TCU.

5. Stanford (last week: 5): The Cardinal remains undefeated and QB Andrew Luck remains a top-flight Heisman candidate. Not a bad month’s worth of work. UCLA is up next.

6. Nebraska (last week: 6): Nebraska took care of business against Wyoming. Now it’s time for the game I’ve had my eye on since Ohio State fell from grace this summer – Nebraska at Wisconsin. The Big Ten opener for both teams. It’s the biggest game of the season (Oct. 1 edition).

7. Wisconsin (last week: 7): Wisconsin has either had it easy or made it look easy. That’s hard to gauge.  But the way QB Russell Wilson has assimilated into the offense so easily should scare the heck out of the rest of the Big Ten.

8. Oklahoma State (last week: : Well, now I think we know that the Cowboys are made of an especially tough kind of stock. Going into College Station and edging out the Aggies in a close game is fodder for making a case that the Cowboys should move up in this poll. But, since no one lost ahead of them, I’ll keep them here.

9. Virginia Tech (last week: 9): Virginia Tech made easy money out of Marshall. It’s been a pretty quiet month for the Hokies, which I assume they’ll take after last year’s 0-2 start with losses to Boise State and FCS’s James Madison. The Hokies’ ACC opener is against Clemson, which is really starting to gather steam after its win over Florida State.

10. Oregon (last week: 11): The Ducks seem to have rebounded nicely since their season-opening loss to LSU. Remember – the Ducks drew a significantly easier conference schedule than some of its Pac-12 North mates. The path seems clear from here to their Nov. 12 meeting with Stanford.

11. South Carolina (last week: 12): South Carolina made sure that Vanderbilt didn’t ruin their shot at an SEC East title. But here’s the thing – does the 21-3 result leave you more impressed with what James Franklin is doing at Vanderbilt or less impressed with the Gamecocks’ 4-0 start? They struggled with Navy the week before. That’s cause for concern for me.

12. Florida (last week: 13): Florida is 4-0 entering next weekend’s matchup with Alabama, a big one for seeing how much progress the Gators have made under first-year head coach Will Muschamp. Frankly, I don’t expect the Gators to win. But I want to see how close they make it. This is also a great game to take stock of QB John Brantley’s ability to handle a top-flight secondary.

13. texas A&M (last week: 10): The Aggies acquitted themselves pretty nicely against Oklahoma State, but they also dropped a 17-point lead in a game they could have won. I’ve felt all along that the Aggies were the No. 3 team in the Big 12, and that loss proves that I’m right. For once.

14. TCU (last week: 17): I expect a placid journey for the Horned Frogs to their Nov. 12 meeting with Boise State. The Horned Frogs ended up dismantling Portland State. But the slow starts are concerning me, and SMU has enough talent to take advantage of those slow starts. I expect TCU to win, but SMU could make it interesting. Just not Baylor interesting.

15. South Florida (last week: 18): QB B.J. Daniels is providing the Bulls with some salty numbers on the ground and in the air. This Bulls team steadily makes its way up our poll.

16. Michigan (last week: 20): Wolverine brass now looks very smart for hiring Brady Hoke, at least in the short term. And bonus points to the coaching staff for not trying to fit QB Denard Robinson into an offense that doesn’t utilize his best skills. Too many new coaches make that mistake.

17. Baylor (last week: 19): The Bears gave Rice the business to improve to 4-0 before starting Big 12 play. Now the fun begins. Are the Bears the best of what’s left after Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, or will they wilt now that they don’t have the element of surprise? I think their Rice could be very interesting, especially since the big teams don’t hit their schedule for a few more weeks.

18. texas (last week: 21): texas was idle this weekend and that gives their dynamic group of freshman some time to reflect before getting ready for their first Red River Rivalry game in two weeks. But before that it’s Iowa State, which is looking like a pretty interesting team right now.

19. West Virginia (last week: 15): First of all, the all-yellow uniforms need to go. Second, don’t totally panic over the Mountaineers’ loss to the Tigers. QB Geno Smith still has enough to carry the Mountaineers to a Big East title. But that South Florida matchup will be the biggee. 

20. Arkansas (last week: 16): So how far do you drop a team that just lost to the No. 2 team in the country. To me, Arkansas probably needs to be in the 20-25 range after losing to the Tide. They’re the third-best team in the West, but the chasm between the Hogs and the Top 2 is significant.

21. Florida State (last week: 14): Oh, what a drop for the Seminoles. The only thing that keeps me from dropping them out of my Top 25 completely is that QB EJ Manuel was hurt. But, goodness, losing to inconsistent Clemson doesn’t bode well for FSU winning its division, much less winning the ACC.

22. Michigan State (last week: 14): It’s time to find out what the Spartans are made of after they just dismantled Western Michigan. Still not ready to put them back in my Top 20 yet.

23. Illinois (last week: 24): Illinois is off to a 4-0 start. But I’m not moving them up after nearly being upset by Central Michigan. But, by my roles, the Illini don’t drop, either.

24. Clemson (last week: 25): A huge two week stretch for the Tigers, who were pegged by many as underachievers entering this season. The Florida State victory now puts Dabo Swinney’s crew among the leading contenders in the conference.

25. Georgia Tech (last week: unranked): I wasn’t high on the Yellow Jackets until they beat North Carolina last weekend, pulling the victory out late. They’re running the ball well, which isn’t unusual. But the defense looks better than the unit I saw play in the Independence Bowl last year.

Dropped out: 23, Southern Cal.

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