Don't get me wrong, I love team state rankings in any and all sports where they are available. It gives recognition to schools that have worked hard to deserve it and it gives fans something to talk about.

It also puts a huge X on the backs of those teams which receive the ratings.

Here is the fundamental problem, as I see it. When rankings are compiled in the preseason -- as The Associated Press did this week with high school football -- it's truly impossible to know which teams ultimately will be the best. So votes are based on which schools traditionally have been strong.

That in itself is not troubling, but what generally occurs is that if a team is included in the early-season rankings, it stays there as long as it keeps winning. By Week 3 or 4, we might be aware of a potential powerhouse forming at what was previously an unexpected location, but that school could have troouble breaking into the top 10 until there are some openings based on losses.

Would a better system be to not start the rankings until about Week 3? That way all schools have two games to establish what the current athletes can do and the overall poll would seem to be more meaningful than if we base it on reputation.

Here's a rundown of  this week's AP state football poll:

CLASS 8A

1. Chicago Mount Carmel (12-1)

2. Park Ridge Maine South (10-2)

3. Carol Stream Glenbard North (9-5)

4. Chicago St. Rita (10-4)

5. Downers Grove South (9-1)

6. Palatine Fremd (11-1)

7. Naperville North (13-1)

8. Homewood-Flossmoor (8-5)

9. Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (9-3)

10. Brother Rice (9-3)

Others receiving votes: Bolingbrook, Bartlett, Barrington, New Lenox
Lincoln-Way Central

CLASS 7A

1. East St. Louis Senior (11-2)

2. Wheaton Warrenville South (13-1)

3. Mundelein Carmel (10-3)

4. Geneva (11-1)

5. Mount Prospect (5-5)

6. Glen Ellyn Glenbard West (5-5)

7. Rockford Boylan (11-1)

8. Lake Zurich (13-1)

9. Oak Park Fenwick (5-6)

10. (tie) Wheaton North (5-5)

St. Charles East (8-3) Others receiving votes: Rolling Meadows, Chicago
DeLaSalle, Crystal Lake South, Moline

CLASS 6A

1. Joliet Catholic (13-1)

2. Rock Island (10-2)

3. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (8-2)

4. Chicago Morgan Park (11-3)

5. Cary-Grove (9-2)

6. Normal Community (12-1)

7. Batavia (5-5)

8. Oak Lawn Richards (11-1)

9. New Lenox Providence (7-5)

10. Bloomington (7-4)

Others receiving votes: Peoria Richwoods, Lemont, Danville, Oak Forest,
Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge, Country Club Hills Hillcrest, Chatham
Glenwood

CLASS 5A

1. Woodstock Marian Central Catholic (10-3)

2. Metamora (14-0)

3. Morris (11-3)

4. Jacksonville (5-5)

5. Geneseo (8-3)

6. La Grange Park Nazareth (8-4)

7. Washington (7-4)

8. Pontiac (9-3)

9. Lombard Montini (9-2)

10. Sterling (6-4)

Others receiving votes: Marion, Effingham, Champaign Central, Rochelle,
Mattoon, Normal U-High, LaSalle-Peru, Troy Triad, Belvidere North

CLASS 4A

1. Addison Driscoll (14-0)

2. (tie) Bloomington Central Catholic (13-1)

Aurora Christian (12-1)

4. Mount Carmel (12-1)

5. Breese Mater Dei (9-2)

6. Quincy Notre Dame (8-3)

7. Coal City (12-1)

8. Mendota (9-2)

9. Plano (13-1)

10. Chicago Leo (6-5)

Others receiving votes: Dunlap, Harvard, Charleston, Chillicothe IVC,
Palos Heights Chicago Christian, Mahomet-Seymour, Anna-Jonesboro,
Herrin, Mascoutah, Braidwood Reed-Custer, Kankakee McNamara

CLASS 3A

1. Columbia (12-2)

2. Aledo-Westmer (9-2)

3. Sterling Newman (8-3)

4. Decatur St. Teresa (10-2)

5. Carthage Illini West (7-3)

6. Spring Valley Hall (5-5)

7. DuQuoin (8-3)

8. (tie) Tolono Unity (7-4)

Greenville (12-1)

10. St. Joseph-Ogden (11-1)

Others receiving votes: Carterville, Pittsfield, Amboy-LaMoille,
Carlinville, Marshall, Wilmington, Oregon, Petersburg PORTA, Newton

CLASS 2A

1. Orion (12-1)

2. (tie) Casey-Westfield (12-1)

Maroa-Forsyth (11-1)

4. Westville (13-1)

5. Minonk Fieldcrest (8-2)

6. Auburn (7-4)

7. Morrison (11-1)

8. Forreston (9-2)

9. Momence (4-5)

10. (tie) Lena-Winslow (5-5)

Lanark Eastland-Pearl City (6-4)

Others receiving votes: Red Bud, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, Macon
Meridian, Elmhurst Immaculate Conception, Flanagan Woodland, Tremont

CLASS 1A

1. Galena (14-0)

2. Dakota (14-0)

3. Greenfield (11-1)

4. Sidell Jamaica Salt Fork Co-op (8-3)

5. Milledgeville (8-3)

6. Cambridge (9-3)

7. Alden-Hebron (9-2)

8. (tie) Cerro Gordo (8-3)

Jacksonville Routt (10-1)

10. Mt. Sterling Brown County (5-5)

Others receiving votes: Tuscola, Heyworth, Lewistown, Polo