Editor’s note: Joe Giglio is one of 60 AP voters

The single toughest part of college football is duplicating the same effort, week after week. Only the best teams can do it and that’s why the regular season in college football (excluding 2011) means so much.

Which is a long way to lead into LSU (coincidentally, the same team that learned the regular season doesn’t mean everything in 2011). The Tigers dropped a spot in the AP poll for the second straight week. I still have them at No. 2. Why?

Well, Washington beat Stanford on Thursday night. AP voters thought enough of the Huskies (3-1) to move them to No. 23 (same spot I have them).

But the same voters moved LSU down because the Tigers "struggled" with Towson, a lower level Division I team. LSU only beat Towson 38-22, and even trailed in the second quarter (9-7).

But LSU also beat Washington 41-3 on Sept. 8. How can it be both that LSU isn’t as good as the collective we thinks, yet the collective we thinks Washington is pretty good? I don’t know.

The good news for LSU, which fell from No. 2 to No. 3 last week after a 12-10 win over Auburn, is it doesn’t matter as long as it keeps winning. The Tigers will get a shot at No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 3. And in theory, that game will have BCS implications.

Washington presents another poll conundrum. Washington, Stanford and USC are all 3-1 with Stanford’s loss to Washington and USC’s loss to Stanford.

Head-to-head results should matter, but it’s difficult to put the three teams in order without losing an argument with yourself. So I’m with the consensus there, with USC (13), Stanford (18) and then Washington (23).

Giglio: 919-829-8938

Giglio’s Top 25

Out: Michigan State (19), Tennessee (20)

Giglio: 919-829-8938