1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) LW 1
The Crimson Tide kept their roll going against an reeling Tennessee team. QB AJ McCarron lead the way with 306 yards passing and 4 TDs. McCarron continues to improve and is no longer simply a game manager. They'll need McCarron to be at his best when they play host to undefeated Mississippi State this weekend. Should be a good test for Alabama who hasn't really been tested so far.
2. Oregon Ducks (7-0) LW 2
If you happened to turn the channel to watch the NFL game or ran a quick errand, you probably came back to the game being practically over. Oregon jumped out to a quick 43-7 lead at halftime and cruised their way to the victory. Oregon continues to roll and should until they face USC in two weeks. Until then, Colorado is just another speed bump.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-0) LW 3
There are some people that are freaking out about Notre Dame only beating BYU by 3 and having to come back to do so. However people need to relax. Notre Dame did win and they were able to rush for 270 yards on at top 5 rushing defense. That's pretty impressive for an offense that has had it's struggles. Now Notre Dame moves onto their game at Oklahoma. This will be Notre Dame's toughest test and a win would really set them up for a run at the National Title.
4. Florida Gators (7-0) LW 4
Any questions on whether Florida is for real or not have been answered. With a win over LSU already, the Gators destroyed a South Carolina team many thought would be the favorite to win the SEC West. Their 44-11 was even more impressive considering Florida's offense isn't very explosive. But the Gators can't get too confident because they have to travel to Georgia this weekend. A win there would lock them into the SEC Title Game.
5. Kansas State Wildcats (7-0) LW 5
It's safe to say that Kansas State's win over West Virginia was statement game. Not only did KState beat West Virginia to remain unbeaten, they steam rolled the Mountaineers and established themselves at the team to beat in the Big 12. QB Collin Klein was amazing. He had over 300 total yards of offense and 7 TDs. Klein is now the front runner for the Heisman and the Wildcats are contenders for the National Title Game. But Texas Tech looms this weekend. The Red Raiders are better than most people think and have the ability to knock off KState.
6. LSU Tigers (7-1) LW 6
For most of the first half it looked like the Tigers were going to suffer their second loss of the season. But 14 quick points at the end of the 1st half gave LSU the lead and they never looked back. RB Jeremy Hill lead the way with 127 yards rushing and a TD. But QB Zach Mettenberger continues to struggle. The Tigers have a week off, but they then have to face Alabama. Their going to need Mettenberger to step up if they want to win there.
7. USC Trojans (6-1) LW 8
It was against Colorado, but it was still nice to see USC's offense break out. Especially QB Matt Barkley who has had a pretty underwhelming year so far. But against the Buffaloes Barkley completed 19/20 passes and threw 6 TDs. The Trojans have to hope that this game was a sign of things to come because USC has some big games on the horizon.
8. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) LW 10
RB Roy Finch made an impact on special teams returning two kick offs 100 yards to get the Sooners going from the start. Add in another great game by QB Landry Jones and the Sooners are ready to go for their huge match up against Notre Dame. The Sooners could really use the win to get them back into the National Title race. But they'll need to do it against one of the best defenses in the nation.
9. Oregon State Beavers (6-0) LW 15
It's still amazing the season that Oregon State is having. After beating Utah 21-7 the Beavers improve their record to 6-0 and have moved into the top 10 in the rankings. But they can't get too comfortable because they have to travel to Washington this weekend. This is the same Washington team that knocked Stanford out of the top 10.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) LW 9
After surviving a scare with Braxton Miller and an near upset by Purdue, the Buckeyes are ready for their showdown with Penn State. It's amazing that these two teams are probably the best in the Big 10 and neither team is eligible for the post season. If not, this could be a game that would be for the Leaders Title. Instead it will just be one heck of a game to watch.
11. Florida State Seminoles (7-1) LW 14
Looking to move their way back into the top 10, Florida State had to beat in state rival Miami. The Seminoles started off slow and struggled throughout the first half, but were still able to take the lead and then took control in the second half. Florida State better hope that they can get things figured out because they will face off against Duke this weekend and the Blue Devils are no longer a push over.
12. Clemson Tigers (6-1) LW 11
Last year the Clemson Virginia Tech game would have been a must see game to help decided ACC supremacy. Instead VaTech is struggling and the Tigers don't have a lot of hype around them. But that didn't stop them from taking control in the second quarter and getting out with the victory.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) LW 7
After beating Georgia it looked like the Gamecocks were going to be the team to beat in the SEC East. Instead they dropped two straight games and are in a free fall. QB Connor Shaw has struggled and even got benched against Florida. Luckily the Gamecocks get a break and face off against a Tennessee team is is on their own losing streak. Which one will come to an end?
14. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1) LW 13
Kentucky was suppose to be an easy bounce back win for the Bulldogs. They won, but it was too close for comfort. But as they say a win is a win. That's especially true since South Carolina lost again and that puts the Bulldogs right back into the SEC East Title race. If they can beat Florida this weekend they will be in the lead. But Georgia will need their defense to step up and stop the run. No easy task.
15. Louisville Cardinals (7-0) LW 16
It took a Tedd Bridgewater TD pass with 1:35 left in the game to take the lead and win the game. In a case of looking ahead, the Cardinals looked past South Florida to their showdown with Cincinnati and were lucky to escape with the win. But unlike Cincinnati, they got the win. Louisville now can focus on the Bearcats and a win would give them one of the two wins they need to win the Big East.
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-0) LW 17With their victory over Middle Tennessee State, the Bulldogs got their easy part of the schedule out of the way. Now the Bulldogs move into the hearth of their SEC schedule and we'll get to see how good this team really is. First up in Alabama.
17. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2) LW 21
Penn State went into their game against Iowa looking to continue their hot streak. Not only did they win, they took the Hawkeyes behind the shed and whooped them. They lead Iowa by 31 at one point. Now Penn State moves on to host Ohio State in what could have been a game that would decide the Leaders Division. Instead with both teams ineligible, it's just a game between two very good teams.
18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-0) LW 19
Trailing 10-0 at halftime it looked like Temple was going to spoil Rutgers perfect season. But QB Gary Nova lead the Scarlet Knights to 35 straight points and the defense held the Owls scoreless and we ended with a blowout. Now Rutgers has to try not to look past MAC foe Kent State or they could suffer the same fate that Cincinnati did against Toledo.
19. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) LW 12
Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when West Virginia had just out dueled Texas and moved up to top 5 territory. Geno Smith was the front runner for the Heisman. All was good in Morgantown. Then two straight losses and the Mountaineers are reeling. Was it just games against two tough teams or was most of the season a fluke? But West Virginia couldn't have a bye week at a better time. Rest up and fix what has been going wrong.
20. Ohio Bobcats (7-0) LW 20
After cracking the Top 25 for the first time in school history the Bobcats enjoy a weekend off before their game at Miami of Ohio. This bye week will allow the Bobcats a chance the heal up and prepare for a possible undefeated season. This is especially true for QB Tyler Tettleton who is a little banged up.
21. Stanford Cardinal (5-2) LW 22
There wasn't any bands on the field nor did this game come down to the wire. It was basically a butt whooping. Even though the score (21-3) didn't indicate it, Stanford manhandled Cal and did whatever they wanted to. And when you do that it's easy to win games. Stanford will look to do that again when they host Washington State this Saturday.
22. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) LW 23
Michigan hasn't beaten Michigan State in four straight years. Nobody on Michigan's team has beat the Spartans. So it must have felt pretty good when Brendon Gibbons' FG made it's way through the uprights and gave the Wolverines the win. This is also quite the turnaround for Michigan who looked dead in the water earlier in there year. Now all they have to is beat Nebraska and they have the Legends Division and a possible Big 10 Title within their grasps.
23. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1) LW NR
After Texas Tech lost big to Oklahoma many thought their early season success was nothing more than just feasting on inferior competition. But wins against West Virginia and now TCU have people thinking that the Red Raiders are for real. The biggest different in this years Red Raider teams is that they are playing defense. That defense will be put to test this weekend as they travel to KState and face off against Collin Klein and the Wildcats. A win there would really throw a monkey wrench into the Big 12 standings.
24. Texas Longhorns (5-2) LW 25
Texas survived a shootout with Baylor to improve to 5-2 on the season. The win was a good one in that it gets them back on track after their blowout loss to Oklahoma the week before. Things only get better as the Longhorns get to travel to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks. That should be an easy win.
25. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) LW 18
They have new coaches, new schemes and some new players, but the Aggies are suffering the same problems that they had last year. Holding on to leads. In both of the Aggies losses they had double digit leads only to let the game slip away. Against LSU they were up 10 points but then gave up two quick TDs at the end of the second quarter and were never able to make up for it. But they do catch a break this weekend as they face off against an Auburn team that might be one of the worst teams in a BCS conference.
Dropped From the Rankings: Cincinnati
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