1. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) LW 1
In their first true test of the season, the Sooners passed with flying colors. It may not have been the blowout that I thought it would be, but Oklahoma looked good and is deserving of their #1 rankings. Landry Jones is the real deal and the defense is their usual stingy self. Watch out Big 12, the Sooners are for real.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) LW 2
Alabama made little work with North Texas in a dominant victory 41-0. The offense continues to improve in just the right time as they face off against an #9 Arkansas who is looking to prove that they are SEC Title contenders. However Alabama is just too good and should come out victorious in that match up.
3. LSU Tigers (3-0) LW 3
You don't see too many SEC games between two top 25 ranked teams on a Thursday night. However the Bayou Bengals relied on their top flight defense and mistake free offense to knock off a very good Mississippi State team. However that defense will have to deal with the high octane spread of #15 West Virginia which will give them one heck of a test. Its no rest for this team.
4. Boise State Broncos (2-0) LW 4
Toledo gave Ohio State everything they had and almost got the victory in Columbus. However they were no match for the Broncos at home. Boise State continues to roll. Kellen Moore lived up to his nickname (the Surgeon) and carved up the Rocket defense. Boise State should continue to roll until their match up against TCU later in the year.
5. Stanford Cardinal (3-0) LW 5
The match up between Nick Foles and Andrew Luck was thought to be a shoot out, but it was only Stanford that put up the points. The Cardinal defense looked good against a good offense, but they do deal with the lose of LB Shayne Skov who is a big time player. But this team is a lot deeper than people think. UCLA is their next victim as we await the big time match up against Oregon.
6. Wisconsin Badgers (3-0) LW 6
Wisconsin is clearly the class of the Big 10 and a big part of that is the offense that has gone from predictable (but still good) and an explosive attack that can beat you from anywhere. QB Russell Wilson threw for over 300 yards in their win against Northern Illinois. I know it was NIU, but when was the last time a Wisconsin QB did that?
7. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0) LW 7
Navy gave them a scare, but when push came to shove the Gamecocks made the plays when they needed to and got the win against a very tough match up. Gamecock fans would like them to win these games more convincingly, but these close wins could be what they need to get them ready for the SEC. But its going to be hard for any team to stop Marcus Lattimore.
8. Oregon Ducks (2-1) LW 8
It wasn't a surprise that against FCS Missouri State the Ducks put up a bunch of points and LeMichael James put up big stats. But now the Ducks will be starting off Pac 12 play and their match ups will be a lot tougher than against the Bears. But everything all falls to their November 12th game against Stanford which will be their shot at a 3rd straight Pac 12(10) Championship.
9. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0) LW 9
Troy gave the Razorbacks all kind of fits, but they got out with a victory. However they can't have a game like this next week when they face off against Alabama. This will be their big chance to get a win over one of the SEC's elite and at their goal of a SEC Title. Don't believe they will do it, but their offense will be in for it against that Tide D.
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0) LW 10
Did anybody stay up to watch their game against Tulsa? Heck was anybody even there when they finished into the wee hours of the night/morning. But the Cowboys won the game and continue their warm up before conference games start. This upcoming week they get their first big match up against #12 Texas A&M. The winner of this game puts them into the position to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship.
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) LW 12
The Huskers are known for the defense and after three games there are some question marks. But HC Bo Pelini is a defensive mastermind, so don't expect this to last all season. But unlike the defense, the offense is starting to take shape. QB Taylor Martinez is starting to get comfortable in the system and it showed with 51 points over a Washington which isn't good, but isn't bad. Thier match up in two weeks against Wisconsin should be a preview of the Big 10 Championship.
12. Texas A&M Aggies (2-0) LW 13
Lost in the whole A&M to the SEC talk, the Aggies are playing some good football. They didn't start off to strong, but they got their ducks in order in a 30 point win against Idaho. But it will be their showdown with Oklahoma State next weekend that tells us what type of team the Aggies really are. Top 10 team or just a middle of the road Big 12 team? Should be a fun one to watch.
13. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0) LW 14
VaTech continues their roll through their non-conference schedule with a win over Arkansas State. It wasn't pretty, but the Hokies got the job done. Look for a lot of that this year. They are a talented team, but will grind out wins with their running game and a tough defense. This weekend they face off against Marshall before a huge game against Clemson who will be coming off of a big game against Florida State.
14. Florida State Seminoles (2-1) LW 11
I didn't really drop Florida State far because I never really bought into their hype. They are a very talented team that might be a year away from being a contender. But they did do a lot better job than I thought they would and a big part of that was their defense. If the Noles can get past a red hot Clemson team this weekend they'll be in a good position. But it's not going to be easy.
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) LW 16
The Mountaineers got a big win against a Maryland team that hasn't looked to bad this year. Geno Smith keeps improving and had a career game throwing for 388 yards. However those yards are going to be hard to come by this weekend when they face off against #3 LSU and arguably the best defense in the nation. If Geno can limit his mistakes they could have a shot. But the Tiger D is very opportunistic.
16. Florida Gators (3-0) LW 19
A lot of people thought that Tennessee could knock off Florida, but the Gators showed that they aren't that far removed from being a National Title contender. Charlie Weis has this offense humming and he is getting the most out of John Brantley and Chris Rainey. But we'll see how good they really are when Alabama comes to the swamp in two weeks.
17. South Florida Bulls (3-0) LW 23
The Bulls got outplayed in South Bend in week 1 and were lucky to get out of there with the win. However they haven't looked back since and have looked very good. Hanging 70 on Florida A&M was no joke. The team is lead by talented QB BJ Daniels and looks like a team that could win their first Big East Title if they continue this momentum.
18. Clemson Tigers (3-0) LW NR
Dabo Sweeney had his Mike Gundy moment this past weekend when the Tigers ended the longest active winning streak that Auburn had from last year. Clemson has always had the potential to be a good team, but always lost the big games. Their win against Auburn was a great start. However now they have to face off against Florida State who just got off a tough loss to Oklahoma. FSU better have Oklahoma off their mind or Clemson could make them pay.
19. Baylor Bears (2-0) LW 22
Baylor is a team that can't wait for conference play to start. They had a great opening win over TCU, but with a bye week right after and then a game against Stephen F. Austin doesn't really get you a lot of national attention. A game against Rice won't either. But they do get wins and keep moving up the polls when other teams lose.
20. Texas Longhorns (3-0) LW 20
The Longhorns avenged their loss last season to the Bruins and did it behind new QB Case McCoy. Switching from Garrett Gilbert to McCoy has breathed some new life into the team and has the offense looking much better. Now let's see if the Longhorns can keep avenging last season's losses when they face off against Iowa State who is 3-0 for the first time in a while.
21. TCU Horned Frogs (2-1) LW NR
After starting the season off ranked in the middle of the top 25 the Horned Frogs find themselves back in the mix. They got a big win against an Air Force team that is a lot better than people give them credit for. This past week they took care of business in their win against Louisiana-Monroe. TCU looks a lot more comfortable and are settling in with their new players.
22. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) LW 17
The Buckeyes just can't get their suspended players soon enough. After a solid first two games the Buckeyes offense really stalled against Miami where QB Joe Bauserman only completed 2 passes. Adding DeVier Posey, Dan Herron, and Mike Adams would really help out. However if Bauserman doesn't improve than it won't matter who comes back. Ohio State looked like they could challenge for the Leaders Division Championship but not anymore. They'll be lucky to be ranked at the end of the season.
23. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-0) LW NR
768 yards of offense. Yes, 768 yards. And just think that Kansas beat Georgia Tech last year. After a down year, the Yellow Jackets seem to be back on track but they'll have a big time match up this against a North Carolina team that is surprisingly 3-0 despite all the turmoil. If Tech can keep up their rushing attack they'll have no problem with the Tar Heels.
24. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) LW NR
When was the last time that you've seen the Fighting Illini ranked in the top 25? Probably not since Kurt Kitner was the QB and Ron Turner was the HC and they won the Big 10. But Ron Zook has done a good job and has one heck of a QB in Nate Scheelhaase. The dual threat QB has been a big part of the Illini success and helped them knock off previously ranked Arizona State. But the Illini have to show that they can win in conference. Something they have struggled to do consistently.
25. Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-2) LW 25
Even though the Bulldogs lost two in a row, I couldn't drop them from he rankings. They are just too good of a team. And their losses where to LSU and Auburn. Not like it was FAU and North Texas. The Bulldogs should be able to rebound and will probably knock off a few SEC big dogs as the season progresses.
Dropped from Rankings: Central Florida Knights, Arizona State Sun Devils, Auburn Tigers
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