Who knew college football polls could have personalities?

In fact, think of the Associated Press, USA Today and Harris Interactive polls as Facebook friends who take a personality quiz and share results.

It might be enlightening, following Sunday's poll releases.

There's the Associated Press poll, the outlier. It's more likely to challenge convention, believing that it's worth risking criticism and long-term embarrassment for the chance to jump ahead of the curve.

And why not take risks when one no longer counts in the prevailing national-championship system?

For two weeks in a row, media voters on this poll have jumped undefeated Alabama over other undefeated, major-conference teams. The Crimson Tide jumped Texas to No. 2 the previous week, then jumped Florida to No. 1.

Moving on, we have the USA Today "coaches" poll, the insider who'd rather go with what it knows than go with the flow.

The insider poll holds fast to an austere sense of responsibility to the system it serves and a stubborn adherence to the concept that a win is a win is a win. It believes results before believing its own eyes.

The coaches, or those who vote in their stead, were a week behind others in voting Alabama ahead of Texas to No. 2. They still have Florida at No. 1.

And Alabama picked up just four first-place votes in the USA Today poll this week, going from five to nine.

The Harris poll, meanwhile, serves as the inside agitator.

Like its insider cohort, the inside agitator respects the system it serves but sees a broader view. It's willing to believe its own eyes and doesn't mind gently nudging the insider toward compromise with the outside view.

Compromise with honor, of course.

Harris voters — a mix of media and former coaches, players and administrators — moved Alabama up a spot to No. 2 a week ago. The Crimson Tide stayed No. 2 this week but picked up 20 more first-place votes, up to 33.

Ultimately, the insider and inside agitator meshed with their computer counterweights to rank Florida No. 1, Alabama No. 2 and Texas No. 3 in the season's first Bowl Championship Series standings, also released Sunday.

This after Florida staved off upset by unranked Arkansas, 23-20, and Alabama hiccupped through a 20-6 victory over then-No. 22 South Carolina on Saturday.

Elsewhere around the Big 3, Auburn lost to Kentucky 21-14 and Jacksonville State was idle.

Crimson Tide analyzing the rankings

Alabama can blame itself for not jumping Florida in polls that matter in the BCS title chase.

A night of Greg McElroy turnovers and consecutive Saturdays of offensive grind kept the Crimson Tide from looking more dominant than Florida.

Florida started the season ranked No. 1, Alabama No. 5. Florida hasn't lost. To overcome Florida in polls that matter, especially USA Today, Alabama must win more impressively.

But the question of which team deserves the higher ranking is different, and neither team's resume is decidedly stronger.

Both teams have beaten a team ranked in the Top 10 at kickoff, but Florida beat a top-five team. LSU was No. 4 at kickoff, and Florida beat the Tigers 13-3.

Virginia Tech was No. 7 when Alabama beat the Hokies 34-24.

Then again, Alabama has two more victories against ranked teams for a total of three. Florida has one.

Alabama is unbeaten through seven games, Florida through six.

Alabama beat Arkansas 35-7 at home. Florida beat the Razorbacks 23-20 at home.

Then again, Florida thumped Kentucky 41-7 in Lexington. Alabama struggled a week later in Lexington, 38-20.

It's hard to find a decisive answer in the objective factors, and the eye test doesn't help much, either. Both teams have dominating defenses and suddenly iffy offenses.

Alabama's defense is No. 1 in the NCAA statistics.

Then again, Florida has Tim Tebow, a Heisman winner, at quarterback, and Alabama has McElroy.

As of now, it looks like Tebow and Florida's preseason positioning at No. 1 are prevailing in polls that matter in the BCS.

Of course, none of this will matter if both teams get to the SEC Championship unbeaten and ranked 1 and 2. They'll settle it on the turf.

Tigers pause cause for concern

Poll personalities agree on dropping Auburn. Consecutive losses to Arkansas and Kentucky left them barely hanging among others receiving votes.

The Tigers achieved their first ranking of the season two weeks ago, after a 5-0 start, but looked bad in losing to Arkansas nine days ago. They showed a lethal mix of poor defense, penalties and turnovers.

Now Auburn has lost to Kentucky at home. That looks bad, period, and quarterback Chris Todd added a 2008-like performance to the lethal mix.

Everyone knew that first-year Auburn coach Gene Chizik inherited a team bereft of depth. That was bound to catch up to the Tigers in the season's second half.

But after a promising first half, Auburn looks ready to revert to 2008 second-half form.

Suddenly, what looked like winnable games against Ole Miss and Georgia don't look so winnable.

The Tigers do play Furman, which means they're likely to escape this season with at least a 6-6 record and bowl eligibility. Two months ago, Auburn fans would have called that progress.

Auburn's 5-0 start and brief ranking reset the progress bar, and the Tigers look less able to clear it.

Could there be another winter of discontent on The Plain?