My AP top-25 ballot: LSU remains No. 1, followed by Ohio State

Highlights from the ballot …

Few changes this week on account of the paucity of substantive results.

* Oregon lost to an unranked team, Penn State lost to Ohio State and … that’s about it.

We didn’t ding the Nittany Lions, who pushed the No. 2 team in the land into the fourth quarter on its home field.

* Oklahoma moved into the No. 5 slot after a combination of results fortified the Sooners’ resume.

* Oregon dropped seven spots, to No. 13, after the loss at unranked Arizona State.

* Utah is No. 10, an upward move of one spot.

We’re impressed with the Utes; we picked them to win the Pac-12 before the season; and we consider them the class of the conference.

But little has changed from one week to the next: They thumped another second-rate opponent and haven’t posted a quality win all season.

(For more on my assessment of Utah, go here.)

1. LSU2. Ohio State3. Georgia4. Clemson5. Oklahoma6. Alabama7. Florida8. Penn State9. Michigan10. Utah11. Notre Dame12. Auburn13. Oregon14. Wisconsin15. Baylor16. Iowa17. Minnesota18. Cincinnati19. Texas A&M20. Memphis21. Boise State22. Oklahoma State23. Appalachian State24. USC25. Virginia Tech

Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or — introductory offer alert! — just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.