Tuesday, September 25, 2012

NCAA Top 25 (Week 4)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) LW 1
If it wasn't for giving up a late TD, this would have been a perfect game for the Crimson Tide.  Both sides of the ball were really running on all cylinders.  AJ McCarron continues his development and is showing people he is far from just being a "game manager."  Defensively Alabama was at it's best, holding the Florida Atlantic to only 110 yards of total offense.  Pretty impressive no matter who the opponent is.  Next up for Alabama is the start of SEC conference action.  First up Ole Miss.  This should be fun!

2.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) LW 3
Don't get me wrong.  Oregon's 49-0 win over Arizona was impressive.  However I don't think Arizona was as good as some people were making them out to be.  But with their win and LSU's clunker against Auburn vaults the Ducks into the #2 ranking ahead of LSU.  Oregon scoring 49 points isn't a surprise.  Their offense is stacked and Arizona is dreadful.  But what impressed me the most was that the Ducks shut out Arizona.  This was an Arizona team under Rich Rod that averaged more than 46 points per game.  And the Ducks (whose defense isn't know for being good) shut them out.  Look for the Ducks to continue their momentum into this weekend where they face off against a Washington State team that gave Colorado their first win.  Should be another blowout.


3.  LSU Tigers (4-0) LW 2
LSU's game against Auburn is a true testimat of how tough the SEC is.  Auburn (who almost lost to Lousiana Monroe) isn't a very good team.  However they gave the Tigers a huge scare and almost upset the (previously) #2 ranked team.  Good thing LSU has such a good defense, because their offense was horrible in this game.  The big concern has to be the offense.  QB Zach Mettenberger was beginning to look pretty good, but he struggled in this game.  He only completed 55% of his passes and had 2 first half fumbles.  However the Tigers have this next weekends game against Towson to work out the cinks before they get into the heart of their SEC schedule. 

4.  Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) LW 4
Even though Vanderbilt is struggling, it's still a big accomplishment for the Bulldogs to lay the lumber to them.  Georgia started early and keep and often cruisng to an early 27-3 lead at halftime.  QB Aaron Murray continues to run this offense like a fine oiled machine.  He threw for 250 yards and 2 scores.  But the story is the defense.  Holding the Commadores to only 3 points is pretty good.  If the defense keeps playing at this level the Bulldogs should win the SEC East and have a good shot at winning the conference.  But they'll have to get past an improved Tennessee team before thier big showdown with South Carolina.


5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0) LW 5
Even though there was some mismanagement of Connor Shaw, luckily he was alright and able to play in their game against Missouri.  And it's a good thing he did play, because Shaw was one of the biggest reasons that the Gamecocks were able to get an easy 21 point win.  Shaw was so good that he complete 20 straight passes in route to 249 yards and 2 TDs.  That's pretty good considering he hurt his shoulder two weeks in a row.  The Gamecock defense was also on theri game against Missouri.  Holding the Tigers high powered offense to only 10 points.  South Carolina now travels to Kentucky before their big time showdown with Georgia.  Kentucky isn't very good, but South Carolina cannot afford to look past the Wildcats because if this season is any indicator.  Anything can happen.


6.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) LW 12
I wasn't a big believer of Notre Dame early in this season, but their wins against Michigan State and Michigan have shown us that this Fighting Irish team is their best they've had in 10 years.  And are a serious contender.  The biggest reason is the play of their defense.  Lead by Manti Te'o the Irish defense is suffacating and has help both Michigan Schools to a total of 9 points.  Pretty good considering that Michigan's Dennard Robinson is such a dynamic player.  However their downfall could be the offense.  Surprising since HC Brian Kelly is a "offensive guru."  Notre Dame needed back up QB Tommy Rees to come in to spark the team to get the win.  When they play against Stanford and USC they'll need more than 13 points to get the win.


7.  Florida State Seminoles (4-0) LW 11
In the battle for ACC supremiscy, the Seminoles came out the winner.  Their game against Clemson was suppose to be a battle between Clemson's high powered offense vs the Seminoles stout defense.  But it was Florida State's offense that got them the victory.  EJ Manuel was the star of the game.  He threw for 380 yards and rushed for another 102 yards.  Manuel's preformance has thrust him right into the Heisman Race.  Defensively the Seminoles were far from great, but they did enough to insure the win.  Florida State has an easy schedule ahead of them.  As long as they stay focused, their only two challenges will come from Virginia Tech and Florida. 


8.  Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) LW 14
After losing to Oklahoma by 41 points last year, the Wildcats were out for revenge and to show everybody that they are for real.  They sure did that in their win over the Sooners.  QB Collin Klein was his typcial self, but it was the play of RB John Hubert that allowed the Wildcats to get the victory.  Hubert rushed for 130 yards and a score to help take some of the burdeon off Klein.  Add in a TD off a fumble recovery and it was a good game all around for KState.  KState has a bye week before facing off against in state rival Kansas.  The bye week could allow the Wildcats a chance to regroup after a big win, but they can't get too big.  However they do face off against Kansas ni their next game.  So playing an in state rival could keep their focus.  But the Wildcats are for real and have a great shot at winning the Big 12.


9.  Stanford Cardinal (3-0) LW 8
After upsettting USC, the Cardinal had a week off to rest up before continuing their Pac 12 schedule.  Their opponent this weekend is a Washington team whose only loss came at LSU.  Mobile QB Keith Price will really test how good this Cardinal defense really is.  However if Stanford plays like they did against USC, they should have no issues with Washington.  But they can't take them lighly.  Washington is very underrated.


10.  USC Trojans (3-1) LW 9
After losing to Stanford, the Trojans were happy to get back to playing and took out some of their frustrations on California.  The Trojan offense focused their efforts to the ground and it payed off with Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal both going for over 100 yards and combining for 273 yards.  This is a good sign because USC struggled to run the ball last year.  Elsewhere, QB Matt Barkley continued to play sloppy throwing 2 INTs for the second straight week. USC has a bye week this weekend to get things in order before they get into the heart of Pac 12 play.  They'll need to get the offense back in order if they want to get victories over UCLA, Oregon State, and Oregon.


11.  West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) LW 10
It wasn't the blowout or the video game like stats we thought we'd get from West Virginia's game against Maryland.  But the biggest thing was that the Mountaineers got the victory.  QB Geno Smith didn't complete 90% of his passes, but he still played at a high level throwing 338 yards 3 TDs and 0 INTs.  WR Tavon Austin had a career day against his home state team.  He caught 13 passes (sets the WV all time receptions record) for 179 yards and 3 TDs.  After a realtively weak non conference season, the Mountaineers begin their first Big 12 season and they drew a dousy to start.  Baylor and West Virginia will be a shootout between to high powered offenses.  However the Mountaineers appear to have the better defense and the game is at home.  But this will be a fun game to watch.


12.  Clemson Tigers (3-1) LW 7
Could you imagine how good Clemson could be if their defense was above average?  We may be talking about a National Championship contender.  They brought in Brent Venables (former Oklahoma DC) to be their new DC, but they haven't seen an immediate return.  The offense did their job scoring 37 points.  Which in most games will get you a win.  However the defense allowed Florida State to score 49.  That's just not going to cut it.  Luckily the Tigers don't have to face a lot of high powered offenses the rest of the season.  But if Clemson ever wants to get to the next level.  They are going to need to figure it out.


13.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) LW 6
Landry Jones' struggles were a big reason the Sooners lost to Kansas State.  Sure you can't place the entire blame on him, but he did make some crucial errors at the wrong time.  He had a critical fumble that KState ended up returning for a TD and then threw a INT that helped give the Wildcats the lead.  Landry was thought at one time to be a future top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, but his play since the middle of last year has left a lot to be desired.  Add in that backup QB Blake Bell's fumble at the goal line resulted in a FG instead of a TD doesn't make matters any better.  It's a shame because this Sooner defense is pretty good.  Oklahoma now has a bye this weekend for them to stew about this loss before they play Texas Tech before the Red River Shootout against Texas.  The Sooners cannot afford to look past the Red Riaders, because they've done it before and it's come back to bite them.

14.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) LW 15
Ohio State gets the win over UAB to stay perfect.  However you have to wonder when or if their struggles are going to catch up to them.  In every game so far this season the Buckeyes have struggled at some point.  Their biggest struggle is slow starts.  Those are fine when you are playing UCF and UAB, but in Big 10 play teams could jump out early and take you out.  However QB Braxton Miller has sparked the Buckeyes to get the victories.  Against UAB he was just average.  He'll need to be at the top of his game this weekend against Michigan State.  The Spartan defense is one of the best in the nation and has the athletes to contain Miller.

15.  Florida Gators (4-0) LW 16
It wasn't much of a challenge for Florida in their 38 to 0 win over Kentucky.  Florida started early and never let up.  But did you know that this shut out win was the first time the Gators have shut out an SEC opponent since 2001?  That's over 10 years!  With all the crappy offenses we've seen in the SEC lately, the Gators haven't shut one out.  That's pretty remarkable.  Florida can now shift their focus towards LSU who they play in two weeks.  Having an extra week to prepare should get the Gators extra focused.

16.  Michigan State Spartans (3-1) LW 17
I know that Eastern Michigan is improving, but seriously Michigan State?  Your going to struggle against them?  I guess you were really looking ahead to the Ohio State game.  Because there is no reason that Michigan State had to score 20 straight points to sneak away with a victory.  What's even more alarming is that Le'Veon Bell got 36 carries.  This was suppose to be a game where the Spartans could rest Bell a little before the Big 10 season.  Instead they needed all 36 carries to get the win.  What's worse is that the Spartans now face an Ohio State team that has a ton of talent.  Michigan State is going to need QB Andrew Maxwell to really show up if they want to win.

17.  Texas Longhorns (3-0) LW 18
Texas enjoyed a nice weekend off in preperation for the start of Big 12 season.  Texas starts off conference play with back to back tough games against the state of Oklahoma.  Oklahoma State is up first.  This ain't your Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State teams, but they still know how to score and they're going to put Texas defense to the test.  After Okie State, Texas then travels up to Dallas for the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma.  The Sooners have dominanted lately, but there coming off a loss to KState and the Longhorns now have some stability at the QB position.  Because history has told us that the team with the best QB usually wins that game.


18.  Louisville Cardinals (4-0) LW 19
Even without Teddy Bridgewater at the top of his game, the Cardinals were able to secure a victory over Florida International and get revenge from last year's defeat.  Bridgewater threw for more incompletions in this game than he had all three previous.  Add in 2 INTs and it wasn't what we've seen so far this year.  However he throw 2 TDs and rush for another one to help keep Lousiville undefeated.  Louisville now moves on to face Southern Miss who despite an 0-3 record is still a dangerous team.

19.  TCU Horned Frogs (3-0) LW 20
It was a complete game victory for the Horned Frogs.  Defensively TCU played up to their reputation.  They held Virginia to 7 points and forced 4 turnovers.  offensively QB Casey Pachall had a game.  He threw for 305 yards and 3 TDs.  WR Brandon Carter was the leading receiver and made a highlight one handed catch that put TCU ahead for good.  TCU now moves on to face in state rival SMU to finish out the non-conference schedule.  SMU should be an wasy win and give the Horned Frogs their 12 straight win.


20.  Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1) LW 21
Virginia Tech couldn't wait to get back onto the field after their horrible loss to hapless Pittsburgh.  What better way to do that then to beat up on a MAC school.  That's exactly what VaTech did in their 37-0 victory over Bowling Green.  QB Logan Thomas didn't put up eye popping numbers, but he ran and passed for 209 yards and 3 TDs.  But what is alarming is that VaTech has to rely on Thomas to help their running game.  That will be something they figure out soon because it could cost them a few games.  Especially if Thomas gets banged up.  The Hokies now travel to Cincinnati which has all the firepower to knock off the Hokies.


21.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) LW 23
When you schedule a FCS opponent your suppose to be them like Nebraska did against Idaho State 73-7.  Severly overmatched the Bengals just couldn't do much against the Huskers.  Heck Nebraska even rested QB Taylor Martinez in the 1st quarter.  The game didn't accomplish much, but it did allow the Huskers to get RB Rex Burkhead back on the field and get some reps before their game against Wisconsin.  The Big 10 is wide open this year and it may come down to whose offense is playing the best.  And right now the Huskers are the only team (besides Ohio State who is ineligible) whose offense has shown that can put up points consistantly.  Add in Wisconsin's struggles so far and this should allow the Huskers to get revenge from last year's beat down in Madison.


22.  Baylor Bears (3-0) LW 24
After knocking off Arkansas and then almost getting Auburn, the Lousiana Monroe Warhawks almost got another BCS conference team.  Baylor needed two late TDs to take then lead and then get some breathing room.  Baylor was lead by QB Nick Florence's 351 yards 4 TDs.  But the big concern with Baylor is always their defense.  If they give up 42 points to Lousiana Monroe, how many are they going to give up against West Virginia?  That game could be a track meet.


23.  Tennessee Volunteers (3-1) LW 25
Everybody was real quick to write off Tenessee after their loss to Florida.  However they almost won that game and still have looked pretty impressive so far this season.  They followed up the loss to Florida with a 21 point win over Akron.  The offense continues to score a boat load of points, but if they want to make some noise in the SEC, they'll have to play some defense.  Georgia is their next opponent and that will be tough.  However they have the firepower to do so.


24.  Northwestern Wildcats (4-0) LW NR
One of the surprise teams so far this season has to be Northwestern.  The Wildcats are 4-0 and have three wins over BCS conference schools.  It's not like Northwestern's success is a product of their schedule.  They've looked impressive in wins over Vanderbilt, Syracuse, and Boston College.  The schedule also sets up where they can be 7-0 heading into the game against Nebraska.  The same team Northwestern beat in Lincoln last year.  The Big 10 is wide open right now and with the scoring they can do, they could be a sleeper in the Lengends Division.


25.  Michigan Wolverines (2-2) LW 13
Michigan was everybody's darling to start the season.  With Dennard Robinson back, Greg Mattison's defense, and Brady Hoke's personality the Wolverines were going win the Big 10 and be a contender for the National Championship.  Their dominating loss to Alabama in the first game was a huge blow, but their latest loss against Notre Dame was even more damning.  We all knew that there were questions about their defense, but the loss to Notre Dame raises questions about their ability to score.  Notre Dame has a good defense, but Michigan should be able to score at least a TD.  Michigan now moves on to face a Purdue team that is underrated.

Dropped From the Rankings:  UCLA

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