It seems that no matter what the Irish do on the field it's not sufficient enough for many of those casting votes in the polls.

What's good for other schools doesn't appear to be good for the Domers. On the surface, there seems to be a definite double standard at work here.

How else can one explain the fact that ND drops in the rankings when it survives a squeaker versus UCLA but other Top 10 teams suffer no such fallout when they eke out victories over teams no better than the Bruins.

Or what about when Charlie Weis' crew does what's expected in whipping Navy and yet they take another tumble in the ratings, falling behind a Cal team that didn't even play.

There seems to be some convoluted logic at work in these appraisals. Common sense is taking a back seat.

If not that, then perhaps something a bit more sinister may be behind these perplexing machinations in the polls.

Like what you may ask? How about some good ole fashioned bias! It's not hard to imagine that an element of prejudice could be the reason for ND's recent slippage in the polls.

The harsh truth is that the Irish have long been a lightning rod. They are to college football what the New York Yankees are to the major leagues.

You'd have to go far off the beaten path to find any sports fan who's neutral about either the Domers or the Yanks. When it comes to these two historic teams, there's little middle ground when it comes to how they're perceived.

There's no denying that ND inspires deep-seeded passions, both love and hate. It seems as if you're either hopping aboard the Irish Express or hoping that it gets derailed.

While countless fans pull each Saturday for ND to continue to add to its impressive legacy, just as many are on the other end of the spectrum, salivating at the thought that the Irish will take a fall.

When it come to the Domers, this is a divided country. And the emotions that separation triggers are intense and widespread. 

So is it that much of a stretch to think that some poll voters not all that partial to the Irish aren't exactly bastions of objectivity when it comes to evaluating the men from South Bend?

Sometimes trying to overcome your inherent bias in the name of fairness isn't all that easy to do.

And that's what this basically boils down to, fairness.

No one, least of all Weis or his team expects any sort of preferential treatment. What they do hope for is an even shake.

Don't punish the Irish for a near upset to UCLA while others don't pay a similar price. Don't drop ND in the polls after a boffo win against Navy and then turn around and elevate someone else who scores a comparable win.

Just be consistent and just. Strive to treat everyone the same, regardless of your individual preferences and then there will be few, if any, complaints.

Yes, a strong case can be made that the Irish are getting dissed. But at this stage, it amounts to more of a cold shoulder rather than a slap in the face. Right now, the impact of such a slight is limited though nonetheless disturbing.

As stellar QB Brady Quinn mentioned last week, the Domers can't be distracted by outside influences. In essence, the polls be damned. Their focus must be solely on taking care of business.

Should the Irish manage to run the table, they'll find themselves in a BCS game and should have a commensurate ranking to match. At least in theory, that's the way it should pan out.

But given what's occurred  lately, who can know for sure. What if the Irish don't pound on North Carolina, Air Force and Army in a manner the voters deem impressive? What if Weis and company win comfortably but not in dominating fashion?

Based on recent history, the Irish just might get dinged if they don't produce blowouts. And the prospect for that happening is greatly reduced because of Weis' abhorrence for running up scores.

In the current climate, beating someone like the Tar Heels by say 10 might not be enough for ND to maintain its' standing in the rankings. In the minds of many, that might be inadequate.

In this reporter's opinion, few other schools face such a standard. But don't take my word for it. Monitor the damn polls yourself to see if the above claim isn't rooted in fact.

If the Irish can keep chuggin' along and finish 11and 1, you'd like to believe everything will fall in place. In a perfect world, they'd get what's coming to them, ranking and all.

But putting your trust in pollsters is a dicey business. They've been known to hose some very deserving Irish teams in the past.

Let's hope there's no reoccurrence of such injustice.