The ONLY poll that matters is the one at the very end of the season...if your at the top of one of these silly polls at this point, all you are is a target. These polls are controlled by a fixed number of opinionated idiots that have no better opinions than most of us on this board.
I don't put a lot of stock in the polls...especially the AP poll, because they are mainly east cost snobs that want to show that the east and west coast is superior to the midwest schools. If I was to put any credence in a particular poll, it would be the coaches poll...but they don't have time to sit around and actually watch the games that other teams play week to week, so it is pretty misguided also.
Fan polls are totally bogus, because most fans will be homers, and do everything they can to submarine a rival, no matter how good they may be.
Bottom line: Polls are totally worthless until the end of the season.