When you lose games you have to drop in the polls. Lose to 3-6 Kansas and you can expect a big drop. Lose two consecutive games after looking like crap for most of the last few games and you can expect another 5 spot drop. It's how the polls work. It just is.
This is why we are behind Boise and Tulane. Because we have lost two straight currently. We aren't trending well at all. If we lost two early, there is a lot of time to creep back up and we would not be behind Boise and Tulane. If we would have lost to SMU and k-State but won out since then looking good, we would be ranked higher with fewer good wins.
You don't have to like it but this is why. This is your answer. We need to stop crapping the bed late in the season.