The Times’ Top 25: TCU is back on top

Welcome back Texas Christian, all is forgiven.

How did we let seven or eight injuries on defense affect our relationship? Or that close call at Minnesota? You were preseason No. 1 for a reason, and you proved it with that Ringling Brothers’ win over Texas Tech followed by a rout of the Texas Shorthorns.

The other big mover is Clemson, up six spots to No. 3. This is mostly to repay Tigers fans for their hate mail in response to my story on Coach Dabo Swinney poking fun at the pope. The best way to get back at Clemson fans is to prompt a panic attack by raising their team’s profile.

1) Texas Christian 5-0; Rationale: No team has ever led Texas, 50-0, and not been No. 1. (7)

2) Utah 4-0; Lost top spot for not playing. (1)

3) Clemson 4-0; Coach Swinney voted best cartoon character since Foghorn Leghorn. (9)

4) Baylor 4-0; Before you criticize, remember the schedule is much easier than it looks. (8)

5) Ohio State 5-0; AP needs to unanimously apologize for making team unanimous No. 1. (3)

6) Michigan State 5-0; The closer you look at the Spartans, the worse they look. (4)

7) Louisiana State 4-0; Best of the three Southeastern Conference Tigers. (11)

8) Alabama 4-1; Oddsmakers promise never, ever to make Tide an underdog again. (14)

9) Notre Dame 4-1; Those who thought Irish could beat Clemson in rain were all wet. (5)

10) Oklahoma 4-0; Preparing for State Fair game vs. Texas by tackling funnel cakes. (13)

11) Northwestern 5-0; Coaches Fitzgerald & Harbaugh meet for junior-lightweight Big Ten belt. (15)

12) Stanford 4-1; Police search for impostor who broke into Coach Shaw’s playbook. (16)

13) Florida 5-0; Some people think rise in polls is simply a fad or “swamp thing.” (19)

14) Florida State 4-0; Miami game not same without Coach Bowden, or someone on probation. (12)

15) USC 3-1; Washington and USC fans finally get to settle where Sarkisian was worse coach. (17)

16) Texas A&M 5-0; Post-it note reminder: Last year, Aggies started 5-0 and finished 8-5. (18)

17) UCLA 4-1; Real reason Mora mad about Thursday games: It’s his bowling night. (2)

18) Michigan 4-1; Playing the way we all thought Wolverines would be playing a year from now. (20)

19) Mississippi 4-1; Falling in love with Ole Miss is a breakup waiting to happen. (6)

20) Georgia 4-1; Herschel Walker takes Uga to Pet Park to get mind off Bama loss. (10)

21) Boise State 4-1; Last week’s final, Hawaii 55-0, also good title for TV series. (23)

22) California 5-0; First of two Bears this year that should put 40-plus on Texas. (21)

23) Toledo 4-0; Nice poem on football team in local paper “Toledo Blades of Grass.” (24)

24) Temple 4-0; Owls could be undefeated heading into Oct. 31 game vs. Notre Dame. (25)

25) Iowa 5-0; Hawkeyes are getting hot just in time for presidential caucuses. (NR)

Dropped out: West Virginia (22)

Moved in: Iowa