Late last night I sent in my Top 25 ballot to The Associated Press.

I booted Minnesota after an 0-2 week that included a loss to Northwestern. Minnesota has now lost 4 in a row.

I evicted VCU after its 0-2 week.

I kicked out Colorado State after its loss at New Mexico. No shame there, but needed to make room for others.

I did not have to kick out Notre Dame after its home loss to Georgetown because I kicked out Notre Dame last week.

After a week filled with Top 25 teams losing, here is my ballot:

1. With Duke having lost to Miami, I needed a new No. 1 once again. I looked hard at Kansas, but I decided to move Michigan up one spot to No. 1. Michigan beat Purdue and Illinois this past week, but I gave Michigan the nod not for those wins specifically but because of its overall body of work and the way it has been playing. Next: Wed. vs. Northwestern and huge game Sat. at Indiana. Will the Wolverines still be No.1 on my ballot next week?

2. Kansas moves up 2 spots after winning at Kansas St. and beating Oklahoma. Next: tonight at WVU and Sat. against Oklahoma State.

3. Indiana moves up 9 spots after beating Penn State and Michigan State. I also considered Florida for my No. 3 spot but opted for Indiana because of that win over the Spartans. Next: Wed. at Purdue and the huge game Saturday against Michigan.

4. Florida moves up seven spots after beating Georgia and Miss. State. Next: Wed. vs. S. Carolina and big game Saturday against Ole Miss.

5. Gonzaga moves up 2 spots after beating BYU and San Francisco. Next: Loyola Marymount on Thurs. and at San Diego on Sat.

6. Oregon moves up 2 spots after beating Wash. St. and Washington. Next: Wed. at Stanford and Sat. at Cal.

7. Syracuse falls 4 spots after beating Cincinnati and losing in OT at Villanova. Next: good test Sat. at Pitt.

8. Miami cracks my ballot here after squashing Duke and FSU. Hurricanes, now at full strength, are legit. They also beat Mich. State earlier this season. Next: Wed. at Va. Tech and big game Sat at NC State.

9. Duke falls 8 spots after losing at Miami and beating Maryland. Putting Duke behind Miami. Duke just 2-2 with Ryan Kelly hurt. Next: Wed. at Wake and Sat. at FSU.

10. Butler drops 5 spots after losing at La Salle and beating Temple. Don’t like to put Butler behind a team it beat recently (Gonzaga), but that’s the price for losing to an unranked team. Next: Thurs. at St. Louis and Sat vs. Rhode Island.

11. Arizona falls two spots after losing at home to UCLA and beating Southern Cal.  Next:  Thurs.at Wash. and Sat. at Wash. St.

12. Mich. St. moves up 2 spots after winning at Wisconsin and losing at Indiana. Don’t usually move teams up after a 1-1 week, but that was a good road win against Wisconsin, and no shame playing Indiana close on the road. Next:  Thurs. vs. Illinois.

13. Louisville falls 7 spots after losing at Villanova and at Georgetown. Cards have lost 3 in a row. Next: good test tonight against Pitt, and a big game Sunday against Marquette.

14. Ohio State moves up 2 spots after beating Iowa and Penn St. Next: big game Tues. vs. Wisconsin and Sat. visit to Nebraska.

15. Wichita St. moves up 2 spots after beating Missouri St. and Bradley. Next: Indiana St. on Tuesday and visit to Northern Iowa on Sat.

16. Kansas State falls 6 spots after losing at home to Kansas and losing at Iowa State. Next: Texas on Wed. and a Sat. visit to Oklahoma.

17. San Diego State returns to my ballot here after beating Nevada and stifling New Mexico. Next: Sat. at Air Force.

18. NC State drops 3 spots after losing at Wake and beating UNC. Next: Tuesday at UVa and big game Sat. against Miami.

19. Creighton falls one spot after losing at Drake and beating So. Illinois. Next: Wed. against Missouri State and Sat. vs Bradley.

20. New Mexico stays here after beating Colorado State and losing at San Diego State. Next: decent test Wed. at Wyoming and Sat. vs. Nevada.

21. Cincinnati stays here after losing by two points at Syracuse. Next: Wed against Rutgers and Sat. at Seton Hall.

22. Marquette stays here after beating Providence. Next: tonight against S. Florida and big game Sun. at Louisville.

23. Wisconsin stays  here after losing at home to Mich. State and beating Minnesota. Next: big game Tues. at Ohio State , and a Sunday visit to Illinois.

24. Ole Miss moves up one spot after beating Tenn. and Auburn. Next: Tues. vs. Kentucky and big game Sat. at Florida.

25. For my last spot, I looked at La. Tech,  Middle Tenn., Pitt and Memphis. I looked hard at Missouri, UNLV, UCLA, Arizona State and Villanova. I looked very hard at La Salle. But I still want to see a bit more from La Salle and Villanova, despite each having a super week. In the end, I decided to return Georgetown to my ballot here. The Hoyas won at Notre Dame and beat Louisville this past week. Next for the Hoyas: Wed vs Seton Hall and Sat. vs. St. John’s.

That is my ballot. Now, below is the new poll that AP moved this afternoon. You’ll see that Wisconsin and Georgetown did not make the poll, while Missouri and Minn. are included.

Wisconsin should be ranked. Are folks waiting for them to have a 2-0 week instead of a 1-1 week? That could be hard to do in the Big Ten. But the Badgers have beaten Indiana and Minnesota the past few weeks. That’s pretty good.

And why is Minn. still ranked after losing 4 in a row?

I think Duke is too high at No. 5. And I don’t get Arizona being ranked ahead of Oregon still. Arizona has lost to Oregon and UCLA, while Oregon beat Arizona and UCLA. But at least Oregon has made the top 10.

I don’t get how Ohio St. is ahead of Mich. St. Mich. St. beat OSU. It isn’t right that MSU has now fallen behind OSU just because MSU lost to Indiana yesterday.

AP Poll

Record Pts Prv

1. Michigan (51) 19-1 1,611 2

2. Kansas (13) 18-1 1,572 3

3. Indiana 18-2 1,457 7

4. Florida (1) 16-2 1,420 8

5. Duke 17-2 1,328 1

6. Syracuse 18-2 1,322 3

7. Gonzaga 19-2 1,177 10

8. Arizona 17-2 1,160 6

9. Butler 17-3 1,023 9

10. Oregon 18-2 969 16

11. Ohio St. 15-4 945 14

12. Louisville 16-4 905 5

13. Michigan St. 17-4 897 13

14. Miami 15-3 894 25

15. Wichita St. 19-2 621 20

16. Mississippi 17-2 473 23

17. Missouri 15-4 464 22

18. Kansas St. 15-4 463 11

19. NC State 16-4 431 18

20. New Mexico 17-3 333 15

21. Creighton 18-3 312 17

22. San Diego St. 16-4 302 —

23. Minnesota 15-5 281 12

24. Cincinnati 16-4 220 21

25. Marquette 14-4 216 —