1. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) LW 1
After breezing through their first four games, the Tide enjoyed a good weekend off before they travel to Missouri to welcome the Tigers to the SEC. That game shouldn't be too big of a chore for the Tide considering Missouri has been over matched so far in the SEC and Alabama is the clear cut #1 team in the nation. Really Alabama doesn't have much competition till they meet Mississippi State in week 8 and then LSU the following week.
2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) LW 2
With Oregon's blowout win over Washington, the Ducks are making their case as the 2nd best team in the nation. Oregon has looked good all year and this past Saturday was no different. The Ducks jumped out to an early 21-0 lead before expanding it to 35-7 at halftime. Even with a RS freshman QB, the Oregon offense hasn't lost a beat and is arguably the best in the nation. Oregon has a bye week this weekend before they get face off against Arizona State. But with Oregon, USC, and Stanford still left on the schedule we'll get to see for sure if the Ducks are one of the nation's best.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-0) LW 5
It wasn't a surprise that South Carolina beat Georgia this weekend. South Carolina is a very talented team. But it's the nature that they won. South Carolina dominated Georgia from the start of the game to the finish. Georgia came into the game very highly rated (#3 here) with a very talented offense and fierce defense. However South Carolina's defense wanted to show everybody that they are to be feared also. QB Connor Shaw was spectacular, but he didn't need to. He threw only 10 passes but had 162 yards and 2 TDs. He also was a threat on the ground rushing for 78 yards and another score. The Gamecocks can't get too comfortable because they have to now travel to LSU and face off against an angry Tiger team that just lost to Florida.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-0) LW 6
Week after week, the Fighting Irish have been impressive. Their latest example was a 41-3 trashing of a Miami team that was coming into the game playing well. But Miami had no answer for the stingy Irish defense that has been playing at an elite level all season long. Offensively Notre Dame leaned on their rushing attack that churned out 376 yards. If Notre Dame continues to run the ball and play good defense, it's going to be very hard to beat them. Next up on their schedule is #16 Stanford in what should be a very physical game.
5. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0) LW 9
In their first true test of the season the Mountaineers pass the test. It was shaky at times, but it's not like you can blowout every opponent. It took a late Andrew Buie TD run with 1:18 left to seal the victory and give West Virginia a much needed win over a talented team. Geno Smith didn't put up his normal video game numbers, but he didn't need to with the running of Andrew Buie. Buie ran for 207 yards and 2 TDs and gave the Mountaineers a much needed running presence. Now the Mountaineers continue conference play by staying in the state of Texas when they face off against Texas Tech. Tech just got blown out by Oklahoma, so we could see the 70 point mark threatened here.
6. Florida Gators (5-0) LW 11
The Florida Gators are no longer the high flying team we use to see out of Steve Supperior and Urban Meyer. These Gators no rely on good defense and the running game. Behind that strong running game and defense the Gators were able to knock off previous #4 ranked LSU and thrust the Gators back into the National Title discussion. Against an LSU defensive line that could have 4 players taken in the 1st round, RB Mike Gillislee was able to gash the Tigers for 146 yards and the only 2 TDs of the game. Defensively the Gators were lead by safety Matt Elam who was hitting everything in sight (including his own teammates). Lately the SEC East has been about Georgia and South Carolina, but watch out. The Gators are back to regain what use to be theirs.
7. Kansas State Wildcats (5-0) LW 8
When the score was 21-14 at half you had to wonder if KState didn't take Kanas too serious leading up to the game. However the Wilcats kicked it into gear in the 2nd half outscoring the Jayhawks 35 to 2, and the only score Kansas had was on a safety. KState continues to look strong and they did it in this game with out relying too much on QB Collin Klein. Instead they got 101 yards and 4 TDs from RB John Hubert. Kansas State now can turn their attention to Iowa State (in Farmageton) who is coming off of a upset victory over TCU.
8. USC Trojans (4-1) LW 10
If it wasn't for the 28 straight points they scored in the 3rd quarter, we could be talking about USC's outside shot of making it to the National Title game going up in smoke. Utah got up on the Trojans early and held a 21-10 advantage halfway through the 3rd Quarter. But Matt Barkley stepped up and showed everybody why he was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and why he could go #1 in the NFL Draft. USC will need to get things figured out on defense, because they travel to play a Washington team that can put up points.
9. LSU Tigers (5-1) LW 4
I don't get how a team like LSU can't have a good QB. You would think talented QBs would line up to play for LSU because they'd have a great shot at winning a National Title with the defenses they normally field. Instead the Tigers have been hampered by poor QB play and that was more than evident this weekend against Florida. QB Zach Mettenberger completed less than 50% of his passes and threw an INT. But the worst was that LSU couldn't score a TD in the entire game. QB play cost them the National Title last year, and it looks to be the problem again this year. LSU still has a shot to win the SEC West and still a good shot to make it to the National Championship. But they'll need to fix their offense fast or they could be a 3 loss team.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) LW 12
With their blowout win over Nebraska the Buckeyes are clearly the best team in the Big 10. However Ohio State's less than stellar play so far this season (not withstanding the Nebraska game) doesn't necessarily mean much. Also add in that the Buckeyes are ineligible for post season play, so that kinda puts a damper on things. But the Buckeyes are still learning under Urban Meyer and look to be real dangerous. Especially QB Braxton Miller who is thriving in Meyer's spread. Ohio State gets a an easy one this next weekend against Indiana, but still have games against Michigan State and Michigan.
11. Clemson Tigers (5-1) LW 13
It was Georgia Tech last year that gave Clemson their first loss of the season. This year Clemson didn't let the Yellow Jackets get to them again and behind the play of their offense got out of the game with the victory. To say Clemson's offense played well is an understatement. Clemson raked up 601 total yards on the day. Pretty impressive no matter who you play. But the concern with the Tigers continues to be their defense who gave up 31 points to a struggling Yellow Jacket team. Clemson has a bye week this weekend to help them get ready for Virginia Tech who even though they may be struggling, still are dangerous.
12. Oklahoma Sooners (3-1) LW 14
Oklahoma seemed to get some of their mojo back with their win over Texas Tech. The Sooners have kinda been in a rut since the middle of last year and their offense just hasn't really had it. But against an undefeated Texas Tech team the Sooners laid the wood to the Red Raiders in typical Sooner fashion. QB Landry Jones looked like his former self throwing for 259 yards 2 TDs, and 0 INTs. Oklahoma took control at the end of the 2nd quarter where they begin a streak of 27 straight points. That's great medicine for an ailing team as they go into the Red River Rivalry against Texas.
13. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) LW 3
Georgia was one of those teams that looked like they were ready to take the next step and be one of the elite teams in college football. They had a good defense lead by OLB Jarvis Jones and an offense that was becoming explosive. Then came the South Carolina Gamecocks. Both teams were ranked high and both teams were good, so the game was thought to be a hard fought close game that either team could win. Well South Carolina won and they won big. 35-7 big. Georgia's talented defense gave up 21 points in the first quarter. The same defense that many thought would be one of the nations elite. Offensively the Bulldogs struggled and didn't score their TD till late in the game. Georgia has a week off to get things figured out before they return to action against Kentucky. They still can win the SEC East, but they are going to need to win out and have South Carolina lose two games.
14. Florida State Seminoles (5-1) LW 7
With their big win over Clemson the Seminoles were thought to be back. They had a very good defense and an offense that showing they had the ability to score points in bunches. Saturday looked like a typical one so far for FSU. They jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead on North Carolina State and looked to cruise to another easy victory. But the offense dried up and the defense let up. NC State scored two TDs in the 4th quarter with one of them coming with 16 seconds left of the clock to give the Wolfpack the upset victory. It's games like that which reminds us that maybe FSU isn't back to their elite level. At least not yet. Luckily for the Seminoles they face off against a struggling Boston College team this weekend which should allow them to get their confidence back.
15. Louisville Cardinals (5-0) LW 17
They had a week off after their victory at Southern Miss. With the monsoon they played in, they still may be drying off. But Louisville is the class of the Big East and even though teams like Cincinnati and Rutgers are starting to show up in the rankings, Louisville is still leaps and bounds better than them. This next week Louisville faces off against Pittsburgh who has been playing better, but still are bad. Should be an easy week for QB Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of the Cardinal team.
16. Stanford Cardinal (4-1) LW 16
It took two straight TDs in the 4th quarter and one with 45 seconds left in the game for the Cardinal to tie the game and force overtime. Then Stanford took advantage of an interception during overtime and scored their own TD to get the win. This was a big win for Stanford because not only did they get back into their winning ways, QB Josh Nunes played very well and hopefully go his confidence back after a poor showing against Washington. Nunes for 360 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs to help carry the Cardinal to the victory. Stanford will need Nunes to have another big game as they travel to Notre Dame and face off against their very tough defense.
17. Oregon State Beavers (4-0) LW 20
Their win over Washington State was bitter sweet for the Beavers. The big thing was they got the win over Washington State and the Beaver defense held down the potentially explosive Cougars to only 6 points and without a TD. CB Jordan Poyer was the star of the game with 3 INTs that helped the Beavers shut down the Cougar attack. The bad news is that Oregon State might be without starting QB Sean Mannion for atleast one game and possibly more. Mannion hurt his knee during the game. He never came out, but you could tell it was bothering him and his numbers show. Oregon State plays BYU this weekend and the Cougars are no push over. They'll really need their defense to step up in the absence of Mannion.
18. Texas Longhorns (4-1) LW 15
Texas is a much improved team than they have been over the past two seasons, but it doesn't help facing off against two top 5 offenses in back to back games. They were able to beat Oklahoma State, but lost a hard fought game against West Virginia. Texas was right there the entire game and even scored a TD to make it a 3 point game, but couldn't recover the onside kick and ended up losing. You have to be pleased with the play of the offense and mainly QB David Ash who has been really playing at a high level lately. But the secondary has some issues that are getting exploited. It doesn't get much easier this weekend as the Longhorns meet rival Oklahoma for the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma is coming off of scoring 41 on Texas Tech, so they should give the Texas D a good shot.
19. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-0) LW NR
It's really hard to tell how good Mississippi State really is. Mainly because they haven't played anybody. Their best win is probably against Auburn, and that's not saying much. They are 2-0 in the SEC, but the other team they played is Kentucky. Not a heavyweight by any stretch of the means. But they've taken care of business and look to be solid. Which can't be ignored. QB Tyler Russell has looked good throughout the season and the Bulldogs will rely on him. Miss State will face Tennessee this weekend which will be their toughest game of the year so far. We may now get to see how good they really are.
20. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-0) LW NR
Rutgers is another team that is climbing up the rankings after a perfect season so far. But much like Mississippi State, the Scarlet Knights have done it facing inferior competition. But it's hard to take away from a 5-0 record. Rutgers had be lead by RB Jawan Jamison who is getting a lot of comparisons to another Rutgers RB in Ray Rice. Jamison isn't that type of player, but he is still doing a great job. Another thing to watch out for is that the Scarlet Knight have a pretty easy schedule with only Cincinnati and Louisville as possible ranked teams. How they play against those teams will determine the Big East Championship and the automatic bid in the BCS.
21. Michigan State Spartans (4-2) LW 21
I almost knocked Michigan State down after they almost lost to lowly Indiana. For a while it looked like they were going to lose. Indiana had a 13 point lead going into halftime. However Michigan State was able to score 17 unanswered points in the 2nd half to escape Bloomington with the victory. The almost loss looks bad for Michigan State, but it could be a blessing in disguise. Mainly because it forced QB Andrew Maxwell and the Michigan State WRs to rally and get the come from behind victory they need to boost their confidence. This could be a rallying point that could help the Spartans get their season back on track. Or it could be a sign that the Spartans are not very good.
22. Ohio Bobcats (6-0) LW NR
The Ohio Bobcats aren't getting a lot of attention out there, but they deserve some here. HC Frank Solich has done a remarkable job building the Bobcat program from practically nothing into a MAC contender year in and year out. This year they will make a serious run at an undefeated year. Now this isn't a BCS Buster type of team like we've seen out of Boise State or TCU (before they joined the Big 12) but they are still very talented. Early season wins over Penn State and Marshall are still impressive. The star of the Bobcats is QB Tyler Tettleton (son of former MLB catcher Mickey Tettleton) who is threat both in the air and in the running game. If you haven't heard much from the Bobcats, you might want to check them out.
23. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-2) LW NR
The job that HC Bill O'Brien has done at Penn State is flat out amazing. Here was a team that was rocked by the Jerry Sandusky tragedy, NCAA sanctions, and 22 players transfer. They lost their two best offensive players, kicker, and several key backups on defense. Not only has O'Brien brought stability to the program, but he has them playing very well. And with all the lackluster play so far in the Big 10, you could arguably say that Penn State might be playing like the second best team in the conference. This past weekend they trailed a good Northwestern team by 11 going into the 4th quarter, but scored three straight TDs to win the game. O'Brien has transformed QB Matt McGloin from an average at best QB to a star. It will be very interesting to see how Penn State plays moving forward.
24. Baylor Bears (3-1) LW 24
Despite losing to West Virginia two weeks ago and having a bye week this past weekend, the Bears still stay in the rankings. Any why not. They were right there with West Virginia the entire game and have looked good all year so far. This weekend the Bears face off against TCU who lost QB Casey Pachall right before the Iowa State game. TCU struggled without him, but should be more prepared coming to Baylor. Baylor will have a great opportunity to show everybody that they are still a good team. A win even against a TCU team without their starting QB will still be a good win.
25. Michigan Wolverinees (3-2) LW NR
Everybody was writing Michigan off after losses to Alabama and Notre Dame. Sure they didn't look good getting blown out by Alabama and being held to 6 points against Notre Dame. But we have to remember that Alabama is the best team in college football and Notre Dame's defense is one of the best too. We also forget that the Big 10 is down this year and the Wolverinees (who don't have a conference loss yet) are still right in the mix. They started off Big 10 conference play with a bang. Dominating a Purdue team that was every body's sleeper pick in the Leaders Division. Dennard Robinson was unstoppable rushing for 221 yards. Looking at Michigan's schedule they have a great shot at running the table till their match up against Ohio State to end the season. So we could still see a 10 win Michigan team this year.
Dropped From the Rankings: Nebraska, Washington, Northwestern, TCU, Tennessee
