Here's the first release preseason blogpoll. Feedback is encouraged. There are always bugs in a system that aren't apparent at first glance. This is why it's here for public consumption - to find the bugs. Ah, well, onto some explanations about my choices:

USC #1 ho hum. They'll probably stay there until a big earthquake hits mid-season, taking all of California with it.

Florida is at #3 out of respect for last season's national title. Oklahoma is ahead of Texas because I expect them to repeat as Big 12 champs. Michigan has a ton of talent, but why is this so different than every other year when they've underachieved? Texas has great athletes but too many question marks to rank them in the top five. They'll have to earn it.

Notre Dame at 25? Yes, because I'll enjoy dropping them out when they lose their first game to Georgia Tech.

Should Rutgers be higher? They have a good load of talent coming back. Does Penn State belong in the Top 25? What about Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee?

The Huskers should be around 15th and earn their way up. A win over USC would give them a huge jump but a loss won't hurt them much. Continue to win and they'll rise.

I'm getting mine out early for one reason - influence other voters. They have to start somewhere (insert maniacal laughter here).

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Southern Cal	25
2	LSU	24
3	Florida	23
4	Oklahoma	22
5	Wisconsin	21
6	Michigan	20
7	Texas	19
8	West Virginia	18
9	California	17
10	Virginia Tech	16
11	Louisville	15
12	Georgia	14
13	Ohio State	13
14	Auburn	12
15	Nebraska	11
16	UCLA	10
17	Rutgers	9
18	Penn State	8
19	Boise State	7
20	Tennessee	6
21	Oregon State	5
22	Hawaii	4
23	Texas A&M	3
24	Georgia Tech	2
25	Notre Dame	1