Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: Texas wins in bye week as chaos ensues and uncertainty abounds

SALT LAKE CITY — When ESPN's Rece Davis' vocal cords failed, he was forced to make the decision as a replacement play-by-play analyst, capping an otherwise difficult day.

But Davis held on until the end, as California – and its all-consuming Calgorithm – narrowly missed handing No. 8 Miami a loss. Instead, it was a remarkable comeback by the Hurricanes, earning a 39-38 win on the road against the Bears – and I don't take that lightly.

Miami used a 29-3 surge to take the win, but the Hurricanes got some help from the referees, who missed a seemingly textbook targeting call that forced the Bears to throw the ball late to Miami. And then Miami scored the game-winning goal with a missed shot at the goal line.

Kudos to Miami for an incredible comeback after looking dead, but the late missed calls marred the end of what could have been another addition to several ranked teams that fell victim to Bloody Weekend.

Five teams in the top 11 lost over the weekend – and all but one faced unranked opponents. In total, seven teams in the Associated Press Top 25 lost a game this weekend.

Therefore, none of the following statements give me much confidence.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be factored into the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.

1.Texas

It was the perfect time for a bye week, and no one benefited from it more than the Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian's program was cut by Alabama last week, but it was a short stay. With all the excitement around the country, is there really a top team right now?

A Red River Rivalry game never had any drama, so Texas should be fine next week…

2. Ohio State

The Buckeyes have weathered the season reasonably well so far en route to a 5-0 record. Their defense had a bye this week – yes, that's a chance for Iowa's offense – but the offense found a rhythm, especially in the second half, to defeat the Hawkeyes in a 35-7 victory.

But there's a big game coming up next week against Oregon…away…across the country. Certainly things have worked out well for the teams heading west this season.

3. Georgia

Someone has to be at No. 3, and I guess it may be Georgia. I maintain that the Bulldogs are still a solid team that has the talent and skill needed to compete for a national championship. However, this is the biggest hesitancy in years to rank Georgia so high.

We live in wild times.

4. Penn State

Penn State keeps winning, so I think that's as good a reason as any to move them up the rankings this week. The Nittany Lions' win over Illinois still stands, but I would imagine this is a bit of a paper tiger situation. I still want more than one test to fully trust Penn State.

5.Oregon

Aside from a Week 1 scare against FCS Idaho and a narrow win over a seemingly very good Boise State team, Oregon is looking more like the team we all expected in the preseason predictions. Next up, the Ducks welcome Ohio State to Eugene, which should tell us a lot more about both teams.

6.Miami

Look, traveling across the country for a late kickoff is no easy task, and yet Miami found a way to make it happen. Cal exposed some things with Miami, but the team clamped down when it mattered most and rebounded remarkably in a turbulent environment. The Hurricanes are the favorite in the ACC, but Clemson is starting to assert itself.

7. Notre Dame

Notre Dame had a bye, meaning there was no chance of losing to a team like Northern Illinois. It still remains one of the most inexplicable losses, but a win over Texas A&M is starting to look even better; and the Fighting Irish also won Louisville despite just losing to SMU.

8.Alabama

You could call it a disappointment after getting a big win against Georgia, but Alabama was completely blown around by Vanderbilt – a team that hasn't even come close to beating the Crimson Tide in living memory. The Crimson Tide's defense is flawed and it was exposed on Saturday.

Alabama is probably still better than some of the teams above, but a loss drops them this week.

9.Tennessee

Tennessee lost to an unranked team, but Arkansas was incredibly difficult to play against this season. For a team that has put up a ton of offense this season, it has been shown that good defense can slow the Vols down pretty quickly.

10. Ole Miss

Entering the season, Ole Miss had all the intangibles (on paper) to do real damage in the SEC. Some questions remain, but the Rebels answered the call and took care of business against a tough South Carolina team.

The team still needs a decisive win to truly prove its worth, which is why I still have the Rebels among the Vols. A meeting with LSU next week should do the trick.

Exit: Michigan, Louisville

Check in: Indiana, Vanderbilt

Considered (alphabetically): Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Colorado, Liberty, Memphis, Navy, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Washington, Washington State

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.