Thank goodness rankings have no bearing on which team wins the national championship in college basketball.

In any given season, there are a number of rankings decisions that leave you shaking your head. I had one of those moments Monday when this week's top 25 polls were released.

Ohio State was 24-0 overall, 11-0 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 1 in the country -- until it lost by four points Saturday at Wisconsin. Anyone who knows anything about college basketball knows that Madison is one of the toughest places to win in the entire country. Wisconsin has been ranked in the top 20 all year. Ohio State doesn't need to feel bad about losing in Madison -- most teams lose in that arena.

Personally, I didn't see any reason for Ohio State to drop in the polls as a result of that loss. The Buckeyes still have only one blemish on their record, and there aren't any undefeated teams left in the country that deserve the top ranking more. But the voters always penalize you for a recent loss, regardless of circumstances.

Thus, previously-No. 2 Kansas was elevated to the top spot in both polls. The Jayhawks inexplicably got waxed by Kansas State on Monday night, so their stay at the top will be a short one.

By next week, Ohio State might be back atop the polls again. IMO, the Buckeyes never should have been dropped to No. 2 in the first place. If you believed last week that Ohio State was the best team in the country, a close loss on the road to No. 13 Wisconsin probably shouldn't change that opinion. Apparently, for some people, it did. That is the folly of college basketball rankings.

Fortunately, rankings count for nothing in basketball.