Ray's Top 25: Stanford continues to climb

Every week, our Senior Decider votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, which of course makes all other opinions both superfluous and valueless.

RATTO: Stanford win creates a beautiful mess

1NOTRE DAMEAhh, forthe days when Brian Kelly was considered insufficiently Irish. Up next, atUSC2OHIO STATEThe stealth champion, if Notre Dame goes down. Up next,Michigan. Winner gets tattoos3ALABAMAThey were dead. Now they're not. Nothing means anything anymore.Up next, crummy old Auburn4OREGONJackson Rice is their punter, and you know that now. Up next, atOregon State5KANSAS STATEHalf a hundred to Baylor? Half a hundred to Baylor. Up next,Texas in two weeks6STANFORDDavid Shaw is Jim Harbaugh with a slightly softer edge. Up next,at UCLA7GEORGIATaught Georgia Southern a lesson for only 475K. Up next,Georgia Tech8FLORIDA STATEMaybe just spirited Maryland to the B1G. Up next, Florida9CLEMSONEither North Carolina State is better than we thought, or thiswas a bad win. Up next, South Carolina10OREGON STATEMay have sent Jeff Tedford into retirement. Up next, Oregon11LOUISIANA STATEScared to death by Ole Miss is no way to go through life, son.Up next, at Arkansas12FLORIDAThey've pretty much hit the wall, it seems. Up next, at FloridaState13TEXAS A&MJohhny Football's two losses were to . . . LSU and Florida athome. Up next, fellow freshman Missouri14LOUISVILLEDid nothing. Up next, Connecticut15SOUTH CAROLINAWofford? Wofford. Yeah, Wofford. Up next, Clemson16NORTHERN ILLINOISToledo is good, but yesterday's news. Up next, at EasternMichigan, then Kent State17KENT STATEBowling Green is good too, but same thing. Up next, Ohio18OKLAHOMANeeding a late score to beat West Virginia is not going to makethe cover of the media guide. Up next, Oklahoma State19UCLAJim Mora just squeezed Lane Kiffin's head. David Shaw's won'tbe nearly so easy. Up next, Stanford20TEXASExcellent bye. Up next, TCU21RUTGERSDraws the team that nearly killed Notre Dame. Well, one of theteams who nearly killed Notre Dame. Up next, at Pittsburgh22NEBRASKAYes, the team that got crushed by UCLA a hundred years ago. Upnext, at Iowa23UTAH STATEJust a hair better than Louisiana Tech, as it turns out. Whichwas good enough. Up next, Idaho24OKLAHOMA STATEThree quality losses. God, I hate that sentence. Up next, atOklahoma25MICHIGANThis could be a brief stay because . . . Up next, at Ohio State