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My Top 25 Ballot

Here's my Any Given Saturday ballot for this week.

1. Delaware
2. Eastern Washington
3. Western Kentucky
4. Harvard
5. North Dakota St
6. James Madison
7. Montana
8. Furman
9. New Hampshire
10. Cal Poly
11. Southern Illinois
12. Montana St
13. Lehigh
14. Northern Iowa
15. Hampton
16. William & Mary
17. South Carolina St
18. Penn
19. Western Carolina
20. Northwestern St
21. Appalachian St
22. Coastal Car
23. Grambling
24. Lafayette
25. Jacksonville St

Lafayette's still in your Top 25? Yes, they are. As disappointing as their loss was Saturday, I still believe they deserve to be in the Top 25. They are a good team, and we don't know how good Princeton is quite yet.

No UMass in your list? UMass is 2-1 and have beaten 2 awful teams, and lost to a mediocre team in Colgate. Hofstra hasn't beat any significant team, but they're 3-0. It pained me to take a fifth A-10 team, but I just didn't see any other good option except Hofstra. I don't belieive in Rhode Island yet, either.

Jacksonville State is 0-3, yet they're in your Top 25? Yep. They played I-A UAB tough, and were 2 plays away from beating Furman and Chattanooga. I think they will take the OVC this year and will get the autobid - and they will deserve that Top 25 ranking.

What's your love affair with Grambling? They're 2-1 and have only lost to a I-A, dog. The Top 25 isn't only supposed to be I-AA playoff teams. Grambling's good. They're in.

Only one Southland team - Northwestern St. - and at #20? Yep. The Southland, granted, are playing lots of I-A's, but too many of them are 1-2 and have problems. The only one that has proven anything to this point is the Demons, who at least toppled I-A Louisiana-Monroe. Texas State has played nobody, I don't beleieve in Sam Houston St., and McNeese St. needs to show me a good win as well.

Tomorrow is my Lehigh/VMI preview. Be there!

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