Preseason polls are ridiculous. You know that, and so do I.

So I don't do preseason polls here at The Sports Blog. I don't pretend to know the future. I don't know if Florida will beat Auburn. I think they will, but I don't know. Neither does anyone else. Sure, predictions are fun and previews are exciting, but they're not the game. The game is the game.

By now, four weeks into the NCAA season and three weeks into the NFL, we've had some games.

And so it's time for The Sports Blog to unveil the inaugural edition of the Florida Football Power Rankings, a complicated system of ropes and pulleys that results in a list of the state's eight major football teams, organized in order from best to worst. It's based entirely on performance to date - not prospects of future performance, not preseason rankings, not anything but the games they've played.

Because, for example, the South Florida Bulls are not playing over their heads. They are playing exactly at their heads, and preseason polls didn't know where their heads actually were. The Miami Dolphins aren't underachieving - they're simply not achieving, and anyone who thought they were going to be good was wrong.

And now, the list:

1.

Record: (4-0, 2-0 SEC) AP No. 4, USA Today No. 3

Last game: Bea Ole Miss 30-24.

Next up: Hosts Auburn on Saturday.  

The Gators' secondary is shaky, and they barely made it out of Mississippi with a win. Whatever. This team has layers of talent and the best college football player in the nation.

2.

Record:  2-1

Last game:  Beat St. Louis 24-3.

Next up:  Visits Carolina on Sunday.

This is what makes sports so frustratingly awesome. The Bucs are old at QB, old at WR, and old on D. Their running back was essentially useless last year. And yet they're winning. You figure it out.

3.

Record:  (3-0, 0-0 Big East) AP No. 18, USA Today No. 18

Last game:  Beat North Carolina 37-10.

Next up:  Hosts West Virginia on Friday night.

A dazzling win at Auburn and a  thorough pounding of UNC has the Bulls at unprecedented heights. Have to compete with W.Va. to stay there.  

4.

Record:  (2-1) 

Last game:  Beat Denver 23-14.

Next up:  Bye week.

Never managed to push that back-breaking TD across in Denver, but got a late field goal to net the win. Defense is outstanding, offense is good enough.

5.

Record:  (3-1, 0-0 ACC) unranked

Last game:  Beat Texas A&M, 34-17.

Next up:   Host Duke on Saturday.

This team looked horrible opening the season against Oklahoma, but the Sooners have looked just as good against everyone else. Win over A&M shows the Hurricanes are turning the corner.

6.

Record:  (2-1, 1-0 C-USA), unranked

Last game:  Beat Memphis 56-20.

Next up:  Host Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.

Played an inspiring game against Texas, but a loss is a loss. If that's their only loss heading into Oct. 13 at USF, they'll be certifiably legit.

7.

Record:  (2-1, 0-1 ACC), unranked

Last game:  Beat Colorado 16-6.

Next up:   vs. Alabama in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Have come a long way from that disastrous first half vs. Clemson, but their wins have been uninspiring and their offense continues to be maddening.

8.

Record:  0-3

Last game:  Lost to Jets 31-28.

Next up:   Host the Raiders on Sunday.

Thank goodness that whole Trent Green thing worked out this summer. Otherwise, this team would be pretty bad.