NCAA Top 25 (Week 12)

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) LW 3
By the time Notre Dame got done routed Wake Forrest they couldn't have believed by the end of the day they'd be the #1 team come Sunday night.  It was the Irish that thought they'd be left out of the National Title picture, but now all they need is a win over USC and they are a lock.


2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) LW 4
SEC fans were all up in arms at the notion that their conference champion being left out of the National Title Game.  However all they needed was a little patience and with KState and Oregon both losing, that leaves the title game wide open.  Alabama after their loss to A&M are now on track for a possible back to back championship season.  Just have to get past Georgia now.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) LW 5
Georgia is sitting in a good spot now.  Because of the top two teams losing, the Bulldogs are a SEC Championship away from making it to the National Title Game.  They'd face Alabama, but as we saw against A&M they are clearly beatable.


4.  Oregon Ducks (10-1) LW 1
I guess we saw how good the Ducks offense truly is.  Facing off against poor Pac 12 defenses all season, the first true test for the Ducks was Stanford.  It was Stanford's physical defense that beat down the Ducks fast offense and held them to only 14 points.  Ouch!  Now Oregon needs UCLA to beat Stanford or Oregon can't even compete for the conference championship.


5.  Florida State Seminoles (10-1) LW 7
The Seminoles make the jump up to five mainly because they are playing much better than KState and Florida.  This past weekend they blew out Maryland to improve their record to 10-1 with a game against in state rival Florida coming up this weekend.  If the 'Noles can play like they did this weekend, they should be able to beat the struggling Gators for the third straight year.


6.  Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) LW 2
What stings the most about the Baylor loss is that how could the Wildcats only score 24 points on one of the worst defenses in the nation?  But Kansas State fans should be use to this.  If you remember 1998 the Wildcats were ranked #1 and poised to go to the championship game before losing to Texas A&M.  Another case of history repeating itself.


7.  Florida Gators (10-1) LW 6
Ever since the Georgia game, the Gators just haven't been right.  Probably doesn't help that starting QB Jeff Driskel didn't play most of the Louisiana-Lafayette game and all of the Jacksonville State game.  But even without they they should have lost to both Missouri and Lafayette.  They better get things figured out, cause if they don't Florida State will roll right over them. 


8.  LSU Tigers (9-2) LW 8
LSU almost had a scare against Ole Miss but used a TD with 15 seconds left on the clock to take the lead and get the win.  Not what Tiger fans were thinking going into this game.  But they were lucky to get the win and as long as they don't lay an egg against Arkansas they should find themselves in the Sugar Bowl.


9.  Texas A&M Aggies (9-2) LW 9
A&M must feel like a true SEC team now.  This week they got their standard FCS opponent before the end of the season.  It's truly amazing that people criticize other schools for scheduling FCS schools, but nobody ever says anything about the SEC doing it.  Anyways, A&M cruised past Sam Houston State and now has their final game against fellow SEC newcomer and old Big 12 mate Missouri.  A win here could put the Aggies in contention for a BCS Bowl.


10.  Clemson Tigers (10-1) LW 10
They no longer have as shot at going to the ACC Title Game, but with a win over South Carolina the Tigers could make it back to their second straight BCS Game.  However they haven't won in over three years.  The game should be interesting since both HCs have been taking shots at each other all year long.  I don't think they'll brawl again, but this game means a lot to both schools.


11.  Stanford Cardinal (9-2) LW 14
Not too many people (me included) thought too much of Stanford going into this season.  Not only are they two years removed from Harbaugh, but they lost a ton of talent on a record setting offense.  They offense has struggled this year, but the defense has picked up the slack.  They've knocked off both Oregon and USC and should have beaten Notre Dame if not for a questionable replay review.  If they beat UCLA this weekend they will have their chance at winning the Pac 12 for the first time since 1999.


12.  Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) LW 11
I'm really curious to see where the Buckeyes would be ranked in the BCS if they weren't on NCAA probation.  Even with an undefeated record I couldn't see them too high.  They really haven't beaten anybody besides Nebraska and have struggled with some poor teams.  We should see how good they really are when they face Michigan this weekend.


13.  South Carolina Gamecocks (9-2) LW 12
Tied at halftime with Wofford, it was clear that the Gamecocks were looking ahead to in state rival Clemson.  However South Carolina kicked it into gear in the 2nd half and put away the FCS school to get their 9th win of the season.  The Gamecocks have to be looking forward to the Clemson game to get their 4th straight win over the Tigers.  But they can't start slow in this one, or Clemson's high powered offense could put the game out of reach. 


14.  Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) LW 13

In a wild game against West Virginia, the Sooners were able to escape with the win in the final seconds.  It took a Kenny Stills TD reception with 24 seconds left to take the lead and secure the win.  But you have to be concerned about Oklahoma's defense who gave up 344 yards rushing to Tavon Austin and 205 yards receiving to Stedman Bailey.  With Oklahoma State coming to town this weekend they cannot afford another poor defensive showing against another powerful offense, because the Sooner offense might not be able to keep up again.

15.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2) LW 15
After weeks of come from behind wins, the Huskers had an easy one against Minnesota.  The Huskers jumped out to a 38-0 lead before pulling the starters on senior day.  The win puts the Huskers one more game away from clinching the Legends Division and setting up a rematch game against Wisconsin, who they beat earlier in the season. 


16.  Texas Longhorns (8-2) LW 16
With no more Big 12 Championship Game, we are seeing some teams in the conference taking a bye week so that they can still have a game the last weekend of the year.  But add that with Texas playing TCU on Thursday and that's why the Longhorns are off.  It will be interesting to see how Texas' offense does against the test TCU defense.  They could get QB David Ash fits all game long.


17.  Louisville Cardinals (9-1) LW 17
Before their beat down against Syracuse the Cardinals looked to be cruising towards the Big East Title.  But now they needed to use the bye week to refocus and finish the season out strong.  They shouldn't have any trouble with UConn this weekend, but with Rutgers on the horizon, they cannot afford to look ahead.


18.  UCLA Bruins (9-2) LW 20
Beating USC is a big step forward for the Bruins, now they are the team on the rise while the Trojans are spinning their wheels.  But they cannot stop there with Stanford on the schedule next.  A win against the Cardinal will set up the Bruins to face Oregon in the Pac 12 Title game.  But a loss to Stanford would mean a rematch in Palo Alto.


19.  Oregon State Beavers (8-2) LW 21
Oregon State got a great blowout victory over Cal to improve to eight wins.  However they are effectively eliminated from the Pac 12 Championship race.  Even with a win over Oregon and UCLA beating Stanford, the Cardinal would have the tie breaker against them.  But if that does take place and UCLA wins the Pac 12 Title, we could see Oregon State become an at large team in the BCS.  But they have to beat a pissed off Oregon team first.


20.  Michigan Wolverines (8-3) LW 22
In their game against Iowa we got to see a glimpse of what the Wolverines plan on doing with both Devin Gardner and Dennard Robinson.  And frankly it's a smart idea.  Even when his arm is 100%, Robinson isn't a great thrower and the offense was better with Gardner at QB.  But against Iowa they used Robinson as a RB, QB, and WR.  It made the defense have to guess what he was going to do.  Add in that Gardner has been playing at WR, they can leave both in at the same time and do multiple things.  That should drive the Ohio State defense crazy and could be enough to score a bunch of points against them.


21.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-1) LW 25
With their win over Cincinnati the Scarlet Knights are in the drivers seat to win the Big East.  All they need to do is beat Pittsburgh and then Louisville and they are the Big East Champions.  And we've seen they have the defense to do so.  They held Cincinnati to only 3 points.  But they can't look past Pittsburgh because they are very capable of knocking off the Scarlet Knights.


22.  Kent State Golden Flashes (10-1) 24
Kent State's victory over Bowling Green gives the Flashes the most wins in their program's history and also puts them into the MAC Title Game against Northern Illinois.  But the Golden Flashes can't be thinking ahead because they have a very tough game against Ohio this weekend.  The Bobcats might be struggling now, but they were a top 25 team earlier this year and could halt Kent State's momentum before the championship game.


23.  Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-3) LW NR
After a horrible three game stretch where the Bulldogs went from undefeated to three losses, the streak finally came to an end against Arkansas.  Miss State blasted the Razorbacks and got back into the win column.  Now all that's left is in state rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.  However this isn't the same Ole Miss they've seen lately.  It will be a hard fought game that is even harder since it's at Ole Miss.


24.  Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-3) LW NR
Oklahoma State was just too much for Texas Tech and for a second straight year the Cowboys dominated the Red Raiders for the win.  The win improves their record to 7 wins and gives them some much needed momentum going into Bedlam with in state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys have to be licking their chops seeing what West Virginia's offense was able to do to the Sooners.  We could see much the same with #6 passing attack.


25.  Northern Illinois Huskies (10-1) LW NR
Northern Illinois win over Toledo secured their place in the MAC Title Game against Kent State.  Now all they have to do is not look past Eastern Michigan and they have a huge showdown against the Golden Flashes.  The Huskies make their debut in the rankings because of a MAC leading offense that has carried them to 10 wins on the season.


Dropped From the Rankings:  USC, Louisiana Tech, Texas Tech

NCAA Top 25 (Week 11)

1.  Oregon Ducks (10-0) LW 2
Unlike last year, the Ducks didn't want to mess around with Cal and took the early lead and never looked back winning 59-17.  This was the Ducks final tune up game before facing off against Stanford and then Oregon State.  But the win also allows the Ducks to take advantage of Alabama's loss and move up into the #1 spot.  This also assures the Ducks of going to the National Title Game if they win out.

2.  Kansas State Wildcats (10-0) LW 4
I've thought about moving KState ahead of Notre Dame for a while, but finally pulled the trigger.  This is especially true after KState continues to win and the Fighting Irish seem to be stalling.  The Wildcats took care of the pesky TCU Horned Frogs with a 23-10 win.  The win keeps the Wilcats in the title game hopes and continues Collin Klein's Heisman hopes.  Now the Wildcats must hope that they're defense can slow down Baylor's high powered offense.


3.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-0) LW 3
Notre Dame's momentum has slowed down.  But almost a controversial win over Stanford, almost losing to Pitt and looking meh against Boston College will do that.  The Irish could really benefit by throttling Wake Forrest this week and then beating USC the next week.  But when there is three unbeatens and the Irish are the least sexy, it may be a little too late.

4.  Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1) LW 1
I'm not ready to have Alabama fall down too far.  They squandered away their undefeated season and if there is two undefeated teams the Tide will miss out on the National Championship Game.  That's too bad because Alabama is one of the better teams in the nation.  But a hot A&M team and some crucial mistakes cost them.  They have to be hoping for a few upsets to sneak their way back in.


5.  Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) LW 5
It must be nice this year when you see Auburn as your next opponent.  Nothing like cruising to an early lead and then being able to ride out the win.  The Bulldogs finish the SEC conference slate with only one loss and will likely face Alabama in the SEC Title Game.  Now the Bulldogs are on to win the state of Georgia.  They have Georgia Southern and then Georgia Tech left.

6.  Florida Gators (9-1) LW 6
Just think, if it wasn't for a blocked punt and recovery for a TD in the final seconds we could be talking about Louisiana Lafayette knocking off the Gators in overtime.  Because the way the game was going, it certainly could have happened.  But the Gators got the win and that's all that matters.  Now they face off against FCS Jacksonville State in a tune up for Florida State to end the year.


7.  Florida State Seminoles (9-1) LW 7
Florida State maintained their lead in the Atlantic Division with a win over Virginia Tech on Thursday night.  It wasn't pretty, but it isn't going to be a beauty contest to get to the ACC Championship Game.  They'll have to win out because Clemson won't likley lose.  Once they get to the ACC Title Game it should be a breeze cause the Coastal Division is a joke.

8.  LSU Tigers (8-2) LW 10
It's too bad that Zach Mettenberger is finally starting to come into his own, because it may be little too late.  LSU even with the Alabama loss won't be in the SEC Title game and are hoping for an at large birth in a BCS Bowl.  But they can't look past an Ole Miss team that is vastly improved.


9.  Texas A&M Aggies (8-2) LW 16
What a win for the Aggies.  I'll be the first to admit that I didn't see this coming.  A&M has improved, but I thought that Alabama's veteran defense would be too much for freshman QB Johnny Manziel.  Mainly because he struggled in the 2nd halves against LSU and Florida.  But Manziel was able to continue his ascension and get the huge upset victory.  Now he finds himself in the middle of the Heisman Race


10.  Clemson Tigers (9-1) LW 8
The Tigers continue stay under the radar with their blowout win over Maryland.  They need FSU to lose another game to get to the ACC Championship game, but even without going there they still have a shot at a BCS Game if they can beat in state rival South Carolina.


11.  Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0) LW 9
Ohio State had a bye this week and it gives them a chance to get healthy before their final two games of the season.  QB Braxton Miller needed the rest more than anybody and it will better serve them as they face off against Wisconsin and then Michigan.  Both games will be very tough.  But you have to wonder why Ohio State didn't take the bowl ban last year when they only won 7 games and not look forward to this year.  Too bad  because they could be a BCS Bowl team.

12.  South Carolina Gamecocks (8-2) LW 11
South Carolina may have beaten Arkansas to get their 6th SEC win of the year, but with Georgia's win it eliminates the Gamecocks from the SEC Title Game.  But the Gamecocks are in a position where if they win out they could get an at large birth in the BCS.  They just have to beat Woffard (easy) and then in state rival Clemson (not that easy). 

13.  Oklahoma Sooners (7-2) LW 12
The win over Baylor moved HC Bob Stoops into second place in the Oklahoma all time wins list.  He did it by slowing down the nations best passing team while getting 277 yards and 2 TDs from QB Landry Jones.  The Sooners continue to roll and hoping that KState falls off a cliff.  But that likely won't happen.

14.  Stanford Cardinal (8-2) LW 15
It wasn't nationally known as a big game, but Stanford's win over Oregon State was huge for the Cardinal.  Both teams were fighting for 2nd place in the conference and at a chance of sneaking their way into the Rose Bowl.  Stanford's defense came to play and QB Kevin Hogan was able to give them the lead with a late TD pass.  Now Stanford's reward for the win, a trip to Eugene.  A win there would be hard, but people said that about Texas A&M and Alabama.

15.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-2) LW 17
Can we call the Huskers the "cardiac kids?"  Mainly because the way they have been coming from behind for wins has to be giving Husker fans all sorts of heart issues.  Their win over Penn State was their fourth win this season after trailing by double digits.  Heck their the anti Texas A&M from last year.  Now Nebraska just has to not lay an egg against Minnesota and Iowa and they are set for the Big 10 Championship and a possible Rose Bowl.

16.  Texas Longhorns (8-2) LW 18
Just when we thought that Texas was struggling and the push for HC Mack Brown to retire was starting to heat up, the Longhorns have gathered themselves and are on quite the roll.  They were able to fly past the pesky Iowa State Cyclones and now could play spoiler on KState who they play the last weekend of the year.  But don't look past TCU who is no slouch themselves.

17.  Louisville Cardinals (9-1) LW 13
After having a few close games earlier in the season, the Cardinals couldn't keep the winning going and dropped their first game of the season to Syracuse.  Not only did they lose, they got dominated by Syracuse who controlled the entire game left little doubt.  Adding insult to injury, the Cardinals also lost star RB Senorise Perry for the season when he tore his ACL in the game.  Louisville should still win the Big East, but their hopes for the BCS could be lost.

18.  USC Trojans (7-3) LW 19
This is going to be a make or break two weeks for the Trojans.  USC faces off against rival UCLA this weekend in a battle for Las Angeles.  The winner of this game will represent the South Division against Oregon.  Then USC hosts Notre Dame.  A win there would ruin the Irish's undefeated season.  Both games are winnable, but they both could be losses.  If the Trojans lose both games they will finish the year at 7-5 and be a huge disappointment from a team that was #1 to start the year.


19.  Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-1) LW 20
It was a lot closer than LaTech would have hoped, but they beat Texas State 62-55 and improved their record to 9-1.  Now the Bulldogs must face off against a very tough Utah State team in what is the de facto WAC Championship Game.  If the Bulldogs keep winning they might be able to sneak into the BCS, but they could also lose their HC Sunny Dykes who is becoming a hot name for a better job.


20.  UCLA Bruins (8-2) LW 21
Can you remember the last time that the Bruins vs Trojans match up was actually meaningful?  Well this year it is as they face off to decide who goes to the Pac 12 Title Game.  UCLA has steadied themselves after two early season conference losses, but ends the season with the Trojans and then Stanford.

21.  Oregon State Beavers (7-2) LW 14
For a while it looked like the Beavers were going to pull out the win against Stanford, but the defense couldn't hold and the Cardinal got the late TD to get the win.  The loss practically ends the Beavers chances off winning the Pac 12 North and will need to upset Oregon if they want to go to the Rose Bowl.  Likely won't happen.


22.  Michigan Wolverines (7-3) LW NR
When Dennard Robinson went down with the nerve injury against Nebraska and QB Russell Bellomy struggled immensely.  But WR Devin Gardner was moved back to QB and the Wolverines offense has taken off.  Heck the offense might be better off than it was with Robinson because Gardner is a better thrower.  Don't be surprised when Dennard comes back they keep Gardner as the starter and work Robinson in at other spots.


23.  Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3) LW NR
After losing to Texas, the Red Raiders bounced back to knock off Kansas.  It was a lot closer than it should have been, but a win is a win.  Now the Red Raiders taken the #1 passing offense into Stillwater to face an Oklahoma State team that is no slouch passing the ball either.  It should be a shootout and that could favor the Red Raiders who have the better defense.


24.  Kent State Golden Flashes (9-1) LW NR
So far I've kinda had a jinx of small conferences in the rankings.  At the beginning of the season I had FIU ranked #24 and they fell apart.  Then I had Ohio in the rankings and they lost.  Toledo jump up and then they lost.  Now I have Kent State.  Oh no, will it continue?  But it's hard to ignore the season that Kent State is having.  They gave Rutgers their only loss and have gone through the MAC schedule so far without a loss.  Their only loss so far is to Kentucky which now looks a lot worse than what it was at the time.


25.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-1) LW 25
Rutgers was able to do what they couldn't do the week before and win against an inferior team.  After losing to Kent State the week before the Knights were able to beat Army to get some momentum back.  Now Rutgers enters the final stretch that sees them playing Cincinnati and then Louisville.  Rutgers season will be defined by how they do in those two games. 

Dropped From the Rankings:  Toledo, Mississippi State, Northwestern

NCAA Top 25 (Week 10)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) LW 1
There was a point in the 4th quarter where I was thinking that Oregon was going to move up to the #1 spot, but AJ McCarron lead the Crimson Tide to a come from behind win and keeps the Tide's undefeated record in tack.  There's no rest for Alabama as they must host a red hot Texas A&M team looking to prove themselves in their new conference.


2.  Oregon Ducks (9-0) LW 2
USC made it interesting towards the end, but Oregon was in control of this game from the start.  RB Kenjon Barner was the star with his 321 yard 5 TD night.  The defense wasn't great, but they did enough to slow down the high powered USC attack enough to ensure the win.  Now Oregon must avoid a trap game against Cal before facing off against Stanford.


3.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-0) LW 3
It took two OTs, but the Fighting Irish avoided a terrible loss to Pittsburgh and keep the undefeated mark intact.  But things had to be a little nerve racking when Notre Dame was down 20-3.  Luckily the defense regained their form and Golson got the offense back on track.  Now the Domers move on to face off against Boston College in the annual Catholic Bowl.


4.  Kansas State Wildcats (9-0) LW 4
Kansas State may have won the game against Oklahoma State, but they may have lost their Heisman front runner and heart and soul of the team.  QB Collin Klein left the game in the 3rd quarter and never came back.  He didn't look to bad on the sidelines during the game, but with KState not sharing any info about injuries and it will keep us wondering all week long.  Because without Klein, the Wildcats might be toast.


5.  Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) LW 6
After having a horrible game last week against Florida, QB Aaron Murray bounced back for the tune of 384 yards and 4 TDs to give the Bulldogs their 8th win of the season and put them one step away from getting to the SEC Championship Game.  All they have to do is not get upset by a very bad Auburn team.


6.  Florida Gators (8-1) LW 7
After getting beat by Georgia even though they picked off Aaron Murray 3 times, the Gators were looking to bounce back and get back to their dominating ways.  Instead they played another clunker and should have lost to Missouri.  Missouri QB James Franklin threw 4 INTs and they were all bad.  If he could have just taken care of the ball the Tigers would have escaped with the win.  Florida better figure things out because Florida State is just around the corner.

7.  Florida State Seminoles (8-1) LW 8
The Seminoles had the weekend off as they get ready to travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday.  Must be nice having a bye week before playing a short week.  But VaTech is struggling and the Seminoles should have an easy game.  But week day games have the tendency to get crazy and VaTech isn't without talent.  FSU better come ready to go, cause the Hokies would love to knock them off.


8.  Clemson Tigers (8-1) LW 9
I don't know why Clemson isn't getting very much attention.  They've only lost one game and it was a close one to Florida State and yet they get no talk in the media and it's taken them a while to get back into the top 10 in both the AP and Coaches Poll.  There tied with FSU for their Division and if the 'Noles lose another game, the Tigers will go to the ACC Championship game.  Don't get it.

9.  Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0) LW 10
Don't think that I'm not listing Ohio State higher because of their NCAA sanctions.  They may be undefeated, but they really haven't played a tough schedule and haven't really been winning to convincingly (expect Nebraska).  They should have lost to a bad Purdue team and almost got knocked off by Cal.  I don't see them beating any of the teams ahead of them in these rankings.  The biggest reason they are having such a great year is Braxton Miller.  Without him they could easily have 3 or 4 losses.

10.  LSU Tigers (7-2) LW 5
If I were to tell you that QB Zach Mettenberger played his best game of the year and the Tigers were winning in the final minutes of the 4th quarter you'd probably assume they'd win.  But the Tiger defense just couldn't get that one last stop and allowed Alabama to drive the field and score the winning touchdown.  Now the Tigers must bounce back against a Miss State team that just got embarrassed against A&M to avoid dropping their third game of the year.

11.  South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2) LW 11
The Gamecocks had a weekend off after narrowly beating Tennessee the week before.  This week they face off against a Arkansas team that has struggled all year.  This is a must win for South Carolina as they have to hope that Georgia and Florida lose so they can back their way into the SEC Title Game.  But that's a lot to ask.


12.  Oklahoma Sooners (6-2) LW 12
Even though the game was never really that close score wise, the Sooners had their hands full with the pesky Cyclones looking to knock off the Sooners.  But Landry Jones had another big game throwing for 405 yards and 4 TDs to lead the way.  Now the Sooners will move on to their game against  Baylor hoping they can do enough to get an at large BCS berth.

13.  Louisville Cardinals (9-0) LW 13

When Temple returned the opening kickoff and then added another score in the first quarter it looked like Louisville was going to be in for a tough game.  However the Cardinals quickly overcame that deficit and shut down the Owls to take a commanding lead.  QB Teddy Bridgewater was amazing again for the Cardinals as he threw for 324 yards and 5 TDs.  He may not make it as a finalist for the Heisman, but he's giving leading the Cardinals to an undefeated season and should be a favorite in next year's race.

14.  Oregon State Beavers (7-1) LW 14
After losing their first game of the season against Washington, the Beavers bounced back and avoided a second straight loss.  Oregon State took control in the early parts of the 2nd quarter and didn't look back.  The win gives the Beavers their 7th win and puts them in contention of making their first BCS Bowl since 2000.  But they'll have to knock off Stanford this next weekend if they want to make it to the Rose Bowl.

15.  Stanford Cardinal (7-2) LW 18
It must be fun for Pac 12 schools when they see Colorado as their next opponent.  Colorado is terrible and Stanford wasted no time ending this game in a hurry.  Stanford used a 28 point 2nd quarter to blow the game up before ending with a 48-0 win.  But the big story was that Stanford made a QB move.  Kevin Hogan replaced the struggling Josh Nunes.  But it won't be till the Oregon State game before we see if he is any better.


16.  Texas A&M Aggies (7-2) LW 19
In a battle of SEC West teams the Aggies made little work of Miss State and cruised to a 38-13 win.  The game was not even as close to what the final score was.  QB Johnny Manziel was dynamic in this game and basically did whatever he wanted.  He threw for 311 yards and rushed for 129 yards.  A&M now moves on to face Alabama and will be Alabama's last hurdle for an undefeated regular season.


17.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2) LW 20
Ever since the Huskers lost to Ohio State they have been a different team.  That was evident in their win over Michigan State.  Down 10 in the later stage of the 4th quarter the Huskers stepped up the defense and got two TDs that helped them pull out the victory.  If Nebraska can beat Penn State this Saturday they have a great shot at a 10 win season and should be the Big 10 Champions.  But they can't afford any slip ups.


18.  Texas Longhorns (7-2) LW 21
Going into their match up against Texas Tech there was a thought that the Longhorns weren't the best team on the field and that the Red Raiders would win.  Especially with the struggles Texas has had lately on both sides of the ball.  QB David Ash regained his earlier form throwing for 264 yards and 3 TDs.  Defensively the Longhorns held Tech to only 22 points which helped ensure the win.  If the Longhorns can keep playing good defense they should have a good end to their season.

19.  USC Trojans (6-3) LW 16
Well it wasn't the blow out that many people thought could happen, but the Trojans couldn't slow down the Ducks enough to get the win.  You would think that 51 points would win you most other games, but the lack of depth on defense really hurt the Trojans.  The loss is their 3rd on the season and with games against UCLA, Notre Dame, and possibly Oregon left, the Trojans can't afford any more losses.

20.  Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-1) LW 22
Their game against Texas San Antonia was a penalty fueled game that saw the Bulldogs pull away in the 4th quarter to get 9th consecutive WAC conference win.  LaTech was lead by QB Colby Cameron who had 348 yards passing and 3 TDs.  The Bulldogs now turn their attention to another FBS newcomer Texas State, which should be another easy win.

21.  UCLA Bruins (7-2) LW NR
The Bruins have kinda be a forgotten team lately after a couple of tough losses, but with their 66-10 win over Arizona it's clear that the Bruins have gotten the ship righted.  Also pair in USC losing to Oregon, the Bruins have a chance to make it back to the Pac 12 Title Game, but this time they won't be backing their way into it.  But to do so they'll need to beat USC and Stanford.


22.  Toledo Rockets (8-1) LW NR
Toledo makes their first appearance in the rankings and have done so with a great season under HC Matt Campbell.  Their only loss on the season is to Arizona to start the year, but they have a big win over Cincinnati on their record.  The Rockets are the favorites to in the MAC West Division and match up with either Ohio or Kent State in the conference championship game.  But to do so, they still have to beat Northern Illinois who has only 1 loss on the season also.

23.  Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-2) LW 15
It was interesting to see Miss State climb so high in the polls despite the fact that they really haven't played anybody that good.  Before the Alabama and Texas A&M games their toughest opponent was either Tennessee or Arkansas.  Not really juggernauts.  But they even climbed to the top 10.  But when the played teams like Alabama and A&M they got blown out.  Heck I almost dropped them out of the top 25 because of that.  But for another week they get to stay.

24.  Northwestern Wildcats (7-2) LW NR
I don't think that people truly appreciate the success that Northwestern is having this year.  They are 7-2 and the two teams they've lost to they had a chance to win the game.  Penn State and Nebraska scored in the final seconds to win those games.  That's pretty good for a private school that doesn't get very many top athletes.  But if the Wildcats want to earn some more respect they'll need to beat a Michigan team that wants to sneak into the Big 10 Title Game.  Should be a tough one.


25.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-1) LW 25
After dropping their last game to Kent State the Knights had an extra week to think about losing their undefeated season to a MAC school.  Now Rutgers has to face off against an Army team that is coming off a huge win against Air Force.  Rutgers can't find themselves looking past Army to their game against Cincinnati or they could drop a second game in a row.



Dropped From the Rankings:  Texas Tech, West Virginia

NCAA Top 25 (Week 9)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) LW 1
Is it possible that the team that won the National Title last year and has been the #1 ranked team most of the year is underrated?  Maybe forgotten?  In a season where we are all trying to see who is the 2nd best team it seems that Alabama is being overlooked.  But they go out and dominate week in and week out.  This weekend was no different as they gave Miss State their first loss of the season.  Now they can move on to LSU.


2.  Oregon Ducks (8-0) LW 2
To me it's a shame that Oregon is #4 in the BCS.  I know it's all because of their schedule, but they are clearly the second best team in the nation.  Offensively they are unstoppable averaging over 53 points per game.  This weekend they had 56 on Colorado at half.  Defensively they are much better, but because they pull their starters so early, their scoring defense isn't a good reflection.  Their game against USC this weekend will be a good showcase of how good they truly are.


3.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-0) LW 3
If you haven't taken Notre Dame serious so far this season, it's about time you do.  After racing out to a 7-0 start, the Fighting Irish had to travel to Oklahoma to face the top 10 rated Sooners.  Not only did Notre Dame win, but they pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 30-13.  Manti Te'o was the star of the game totalling 11 tackels, a sack, and the game clinching INT.  The win keeps the Irish unbeaten and gives them a great shot at a possible National Title appearance.


4.  Kansas State Wildcats (8-0) LW 5
Kansas State has had a habit of blowing out ranked teams.  After only beating Oklahoma by 5 the Wildcats smothered both West Virginia and Texas Tech in route to big victories.  With each game QB Collin Klein seems to be turning in bigger game after game.  This past weekend he had 4 TDs to go along with his 316 yards.  Will this trend continue against Oklahoma State?


5.  LSU Tigers (7-1) LW 6
LSU fans had to be pleased with the performance the Tigers had coming from behind to beat Texas A&M.  Now all the Tigers get to do is rest up and prepare to play host to Alabama.  The winner of this game would be in the drivers seat to the SEC Title Game and more than likely the National Championship game.


6.  Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) LW 14
After getting blown out by South Carolina and only narrowly beating Kentucky it looked like the Bulldogs were going downhill and their game against Florida was going to be their second loss.  Instead the defense stepped up and got them the win.  The biggest reason was that they forced the Florida offense into six turnovers!  It's pretty hard to lose when you are doing that.  But if Georgia wants to win the SEC East, they'll need Aaron Murray to play a better game than he did this weekend.


7.  Florida Gators (7-1) LW 4
All the Gators had to do was beat Georgia and they would clinch the SEC East and be assured their spot for a possible National Championship opportunity.  However it's hard to win games when you turn the ball over 6 times.  It stings even worse when you force 3 INTs your self and still lose.  But that's what happens when you have a ball control offense.  Now the Gators must hope that Georgia losses another game or their left on the outside looking in.


8.  Florida State Seminoles (8-1) LW 11
Florida State is another team that people are tending to forget about.  They were considered by some to be a National Title contender before they lost to NC State, but they've bounced back and have a great shot at meeting Florida in the final week for state supremacy.  This past weekend they handled a Duke team that surprisingly is pretty solid.  Next up is Virginia Tech.


9.  Clemson Tigers (7-1) LW 12
Wake Forrest really didn't have a chance.  Especially when QB Tajh Boyd sets school records for passing yards (428) in a game and TDs (5) and WR Sammie Watkins set the new school record for most receiving yards (202) in a game.  You also have to be impressed with the defense only giving up 13 points in a blowout.


10.  Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) LW 10
I know that Ohio State isn't allowed to be ranked in the BCS standings or even the Coaches Poll, but you have to wonder how well would they do if they were?  I know the Big 10 is down, but the Buckeyes are likely go to undefeated.  Would they be a title contender?  Either way they scored a huge victory over Penn State this weekend.  Let's call it the "Ineligi-Bowl."  Braxton Miller continued to show us how good he is and that he can bounce back from his trip to he hospital.  Now it should be easy sailing for Ohio State until their end of the year rivalry game with Michigan.


11.  South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2) LW 13
They may have beat Tennessee, but it feels .like the Gamecocks lost.  Probably because of the injury to RB Marcus Lattimore is such a blow.  Not only are you losing your best player, but you feel awful for the young man that he's having to deal with this again.  They do have a weekend off to get things figured out before facing Arkansas in on November 10th.


12.  Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) LW 8
Beating Notre Dame would have given the Sooners the jump start that they needed to get back into the National Title picture.  Instead a poor fourth quarter gives the Sooners their second loss of the season and ends their chances.  Now the Sooners hope to win out and get back into a BCS Bowl.


13.  Louisville Cardinals (8-0) LW 15

All Louisville needs to do is beat Cincinnati and Rutgers and they should finish with the Big East Title and an undefeated season.  Louisville got one part of that done on Friday Night beating Cincinnati in OT 34-31.  The Cardinals intercepted Cincinnati and then kicked the winning field goal to get the "Keg of Nails" and stay unbeaten.

14.  Oregon State Beavers (6-1) LW 9
Oregon State's dream season came to an abrupt end at the hands of Washington.  It was the same Washington team that knocked off Stanford.  Oregon State mounted a comeback, but it was for not because Washington was able to get the game winning field goal.  Oregon State's season isn't over and they still have a chance to beat Oregon in a couple of weeks

15.  Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-1) LW 16
Mississippi State didn't move a lot in the rankings because it's hard to fault a team that has only one loss and that loss was the consensus #1 team Alabama.  It's hard to gauge how good the Bulldogs really are against such a good team, but we'll find more out when they host Texas A&M this weekend. 

16.  USC Trojans (6-2) LW 7
Do you remember when USC was considered the best team in the nation and thought to go undefeated.  Well after losses to Stanford and now Arizona have ruined the Trojans season.  What makes matters worse is that they face off against Oregon this weekend and a loss there would give them their third of the season.  Add in Notre Dame at the end and we could be looking at a USC team with 4 or more losses.


17.  West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) LW 19
This bye week couldn't have come at a better time for West Virginia.  After riding high for their first five games the Mountaineers have gotten punched in the mouth two straight weeks.  Hopefully they can take some time to get things figured out offensively and get back to the same team we saw early in the season. 


18.  Stanford Cardinal (6-2) LW 21
If it wasn't for their defense we could be talking about a Stanford team with more than two losses.  Instead the defense continues to play at a high level and give the offense enough breathing room to get wins.  After disposing of Washington State the Cardinal move on to face hapless Colorado.  That should be an easy win before they face Oregon and Oregon State.

19.  Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) LW 25
You'd be a lier if you thought A&M would be contending for the SEC West at the beginning of the season.  But the Aggies have only two losses and in both games they were leading by double digits.  A&M didn't want that to happen against Auburn where they jumped out to an early 42-7 lead at halftime and cruised to an easy victory.  Now the Aggies have a little tougher competition against Miss State this weekend.  The winner here still has an outside shot at the SEC West.  The loser will be eliminated.


20.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-2) LW NR
After Nebraska lost big to Ohio State it looked like the Huskers had too many questions and not enough answers.  But the Huskers got things figured out after their bye week and got big wins at Northwestern and against Michigan.  Now Nebraska is in the lead of the Legends Division and has four winnable games to end the season.  With the Big 10 down this could be a great opportunity for the Huskers to make it back to a BCS Bowl.

21.  Texas Longhorns (6-2) LW 24
You have to be a little concerned how Texas only beat a horrible Kansas team by 4 points.  Ever since the Oklahoma game the offense has really taken a nose dive.  QB David Ash is on the verge of losing his job and the defense is a sieve.  They better get it fixed because an improved Texas Tech team in coming to town and they have a great opportunity to beat Texas and drop them out of the rankings.

22.  Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-1) LW NR
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs made an appearance a couple of weeks ago in the rankings but fell after a tough loss to Texas A&M.  But they've rattled off two straight wins and are setting at 7-1 on the season.  Pair that up with four very winnable games left and the Bulldogs should finish with an 11-1 record. 

23.  Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-2) LW 23
Sure Texas Tech lost to Kansas State, but they didn't get blown out and they did a lot better against the Wildcats than West Virginia or Oklahoma did.  Was it luck or are the Red Raiders better than we think?  We can find this out this weekend as they travel to Austin to face the Longhorns.  If the Red Raiders can win that game they will be in 3rd place and and chance to play in an upper tier bowl game.

24.  Penn State Nittany Lions (5-3) LW 17
Penn State's five game winning streak came to and end this weekend at the hands of Ohio State.  Going into the game the Nittany Lions were playing like one of the conferences best, but the talented Buckeye team was just too much for this undermanned team.  Penn State now faces off against a reeling Purdue team before they travel to Lincoln to play the red hot Huskers.

25.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-1) LW 18
There is something about MAC schools ruining the Big East race.  Last week it was Toledo that ended Cincinnati's perfect season, and now Kent State did the same against Rutgers.  What makes matters worse is that Rutgers now has a week off to think about the loss before they play Army in two weeks.


Dropped From the Rankings:  Ohio Bobcats, Michigan Wolverines

NCAA Top 25 (Week 8)

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 17
With 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

NCAA Top 25 (Week 6)

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

College Football Top 25 (Week 3)

1.  USC Trojans (2-0) LW 1
Not even a lighting storm could stop the Trojans in their win over Syracuse at Met Life Stadium.  Behind QB Matt Barkley's 6 TDs passes the Trojans cruised to an easy victory.  This game also saw former Penn State RB Silas Redd surpass the 100 yard mark for the first time as a Trojan.  The only cause for concern may be USC's defense.  They gave up 29 points to Syracuse and even though the game was already decided it raises some red flags for bigger games.  Either way the Trojans should get their first true test with Stanford next.

2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) LW 2
In the week leading up to the game Alabama Head Coach took the local media to task about taking Western Kentucky too lightly.  It was all a motivational ploy to make sure his players didn't let up after drilling Michigan the week before.  Saban probably didn't need to do so, but none the less the Crimson Tide rolled Western Kentucky and even shut out the Hilltoppers.  Next week Saban shouldn't have any trouble motivating his players as they travel to Arkansas.  And even though Arkansas lost to Louisiana-Monroe, they are still a very dangerous team with the ability to upset the Tide.

3.  LSU Tigers (2-0) LW 3
In what what was thought to be a be a good match up between up and coming Washington and the 3rd ranked Tigers turned out to be a blowout.  Behind a strong running game, the LSU Tigers were able to manhandle the Huskies to the tune of 242 yards and 3 TDs.  Alfred Blue lead the way with 102 yards and a score while Kenny Hilliard had two scores also.  QB Zach Mettenburger also step up his game from week 1 and looked a lot more comfortable running the offense.  Next week should be an easy one for the Tigers as they play host to Idaho.  Which should serve as another warm up game to get ready for SEC play.

4.  Oregon Ducks (2-0) LW 4
The running backs were main story in Oregon's 42-25 victory over Fresno State.  Kenjon Balmer was the star of the game with his 201 yards rushing and 3 TDs.  His running mate De'Anthony Thomas chimed in with 102 yards and 2 TDs also.  Oregon was able to do what ever they wanted rushing the ball and it showed.  The Ducks have one more tune up game (Tennessee Tech) left before they start the Pac 12 season.  They'll use it to get even more experience for QB Marcus Mariota who they'll need to have a big year if they want to make it back to their 2nd National Championship game in three years.

5.  Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) LW 5
After trailing for most of the game, Georgia had to rally late to get the win.  Welcoming Missouri to the SEC.  A huge reason for the comeback was the play of start OLB Jarvis Jones.  Jones  forced a fumble when he sacked Missouri QB James Franklin and then on the next series he picked off a Franklin pass which he nearly took back for a TD.  Those two plays really jump started the Bulldogs and allowed them to cruise to a 41-20 win.  This win had to be extra satisfying mainly because Georgia had to endure Missouri players running their mouth about the Bulldogs playing "Old Man Football."  This weekend the Bulldogs should have an easier road against Florida Atlantic which should allow them to work out some cinks.

6.  South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0) LW 6
When it was announced that QB Connor Shaw wasn't going to play, I didn't get all the concern people where having.  Sure not having your starting QB is a big issue.  But when your team is build around the running game and defense and your playing a average at best CUSA team it shouldn't be too big of a concern.  That proved to be right when the Gamecocks roared out of the gates and won by 38 points and backup QB Dylan Thompson looked very good.  330 yards and 3 TDs good.  Thompson played so good I would rest Shaw in their game against UAB to make sure that he is fully rested.  UAB isn't very good and Thompson should be able to lead them to victory.

7.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) LW 7
It was your typical top 10 team vs FCS type of game here.  Oklahoma overwhelmed Florida A&M in route to a 69-13 victory.  It's hard to gauge much from a game like this, but Sooner fans have to be excited about the play of junior RB Damein Williams.  Williams stole the show with 156 yards and 4 TDs.  The speedster had scores from 89 and 65 yards.  The Sooners were also able to get Penn State transfer WR Justin Brown into the action and hopefully get him some chemistry with QB Landry Jones.  Oklahoma has a week off before their big showdown with #15 Kansas State. 

8.  Clemson Tigers (2-0) LW 8
Clemson's offense is really starting to take off and they still haven't had stud WR Sammie Watkins who was still serving a suspension.  QB Tajh Boyd has continued to improve his accuracy and running this team.  His play in big games could be the difference between them going undefeated or losing a key game or two.  But none the less this Clemson offense is going to be even more dangerous than last year.  The biggest key will be their defense which didn't get tested against Ball State and probably won't against next week's opponent, Furman. 

9.  Michigan State Spartans (2-0) LW 10
After their big victory over Boise State in week 1, the Spartans had an easier road against in state Central Michigan.  RB Le'Veon Bell didn't have a huge game, but Michigan State didn't need him to do so.  Instead they used this opportunity to get QB Andrew Maxwell's confidence going.  And they definitely did that here.  Maxwell passed for 275 yards 2 TDs and 0 INTs.  Right now Michigan State looks like the cream of the crop of the Big 10 and they're going to need a big season out of Maxwell if they want to continue this positive momentum.  They get a big opportunity this weekend when they host Notre Dame.  Notre Dame has played well so far, so a win by the Spartans could jump them past a few teams here in the rankings.

10.  Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0) LW 12
It's always nice to have a cupcake game right after a hard fought contest to start the year.  After beating Georgia Tech and their triple option offense the Hokies got a break facing off against FCS foe Austin Peay.  In their win it was vintage Beamer Ball.  VaTech had a blocked punt and a near punt return for a TD to help get things going before they open things up offensively in route to a 42-7 victory.  You have to wonder if slow starts like they've had both games could come back to hurt them once they get to ACC play.  We'll find out this week as they face off against Pittsburgh who is struggling now, but still has a ton of talent.

11.  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) LW 13
Braxton Miller continues to shine in Urban Meyer's spread offense.  This week he did it mainly with his legs.  Miller rushed for 141 yards and 3 TDs and is putting fear into defensive coordinator minds.  However he did struggle passing the ball which could hurt him come conference season.  But with a strong defense the Buckeyes are going to be one heck of a team to beat.  This upcoming weekend they'll face off against California who got back on track after losing to Nevada to start the season.

12.  Michigan Wolverines (1-1) LW 14
After being embarrassed at the hands of Alabama, the Wolverines were anxious to get back on the field and show everybody that they are a much better team that what they showed in that game.  Against Air Force their offense showed that they are still very dangerous.  QB Dennard Robinson bounced back and had a combined 426 yards and 3 TDs.  However there are still some concerns since they only beat an average Air Force team by 6 and gave up 25 points.  What will happen when they play Michigan State, Ohio State, or Nebraska whose offenses are far superior than them.

13.  West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0) LW 15
After a big blowout of Marshall, West Virginia enjoyed an off week.  I'm not a big fan of off weeks this early in the season, but at least it five st eh Mountaineers to fine some mistakes they saw in the opener.  If there were any.  This weeks match up against James Madison should be interesting.  Meaning how many points is Dana Holgerson and QB Geno Smith going to put up on the FCS school.  Will they approach the 84 that Oklahoma State put up on Savannah State or will they call of the dogs early?

14.  Florida State Seminoles (2-0) LW 17
Just think what could have been.  FSU was scheduled to play West Virginia this game, but because the Mountaineers went to the Big 12 they had to opt out of this game.  FSU then was forced to schedule Savannah State because they had no other option.  Instead of a top 15 match up we got to see FSU just steam roll a team that might be lucky to win 2 games against FCS competition.  Luckily the game was called in the 3rd quarter due to lightning and we didn't have to endure too much more of it.  As of right now we still don't know how good of a team FSU is, but we'll get a better look this weekend as they face off against a much improved Wake Forrest team.  This could be a trap game with a trip to Clemson on the horizon.

15.  Kansas State Wildcats (2-0) LW 19
With Miami coming to town everybody was primed for hard fought game between two good teams.  Well KState quickly showed that they were the better team and asserted their dominance winning 52-13 over the Hurricanes.  The Wildcats jumped on Miami right out the gate and never stood a chance.  With 281 yards and 4 TDs total, Klein has shown everybody that he is a real contender for the Heisman Trophy.  Look for more the same with the Wildcats when they face off against North Texas this weekend.  But a big time showdown with Oklahoma is right around the corner.

16.  Florida Gators (2-0) LW 21
Along with Georgia, the Florida Gators had the luxury of welcoming a newcomer to the SEC.  Here it was Florida traveling to College Station to face off against the Aggies.  It didn't start out very good for Florida who gave up 17 points in the first half and trailed 17-10 at halftime.  But the Gator defense stepped up and shut the Aggies down in the 2nd half to get their first win for HC Will Muschamp when trailing at halftime.  Along with a stellar defensive performance, the Gators were able to make the comeback largely due to their running game.  RB Mike Gillislee had another strong showing rushing for 83 yards and both Florida TDs.  But Florida won't be able to start off slow against their next opponent, because the Tennessee Volunteers offense is one of the best in this young season.  Their game should be a must watch and will really tell us where both of these teams stand.

17.  Texas Longhorns (1-0) LW 18
It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball for the Texas Longhorns.  Defensively they did give up 241 yards to the Lobos, but they were able to shut them out and force two turnovers.  But the big story was the play of QB David Ash.  Ash threw for 221 yards and 2 TDs and even had a nice 49 yard run for a TD.  If Texas wants to get back to the top of the Big 12 they are going to need David Ash to become a big time player.  Otherwise they'll get lost in the schuffle like they have for the past couple of years.  Their game against Ole Miss should be an interesting gauge.  Ole Miss comes into this game 2-0 and a win over UTEP.  This was the same UTEP team that gave Oklahoma fits. 

18.  Lousiville Cardinals (2-0) LW 20
Sophomore QB Teddy Bridgewater used a career day to help the Cardinals soar past FCS Missouri State.  Bridgewater threw for 344 yards and 2 TDs, but what has been the most remarkable stat for Bridgewater has been his accuracy.  Against Missouri State he completed 77% of his passes.  No matter who you play that is pretty damn good.  Add in that the Cardinals defense held the Bears to only one TD and it was a pretty successful day. 
19.  Tennessee Volunteers (2-0) LW NR
One of the biggest stories to this young college football season has been the Tennessee Volunteers.  Picked by many to finish as one of the worst teams in the SEC might have a legit shot to winning the SEC West.  The biggest reason has been the play of their offense.  QB Tyler Bray is a potential top 10 pick and he has a couple very talented WRs that he can get th ball to.  In their game against Georgia State WR Justin Hunter was unstoppable grabbing 8 balls for 146 yards and 3 TDs.  But we'll really see if this Tennessee team is for real when they face off against lon time rival Florida this weekend.  A win there would really give the Vols a ton of momentum to carry themselves through the season.

20.  TCU Horned Frogs (1-0) LW 22
With their win over Grambling State, TCU head coach Gary Patterson has become TCU's all time winningest coach.  The Horned Frogs definitely decided to get him his win in easy fasion.  What's most impressive in this game is that QB Casey Pachall threw for 201 yards completing all 9 of his passes. Pretty fantastic.  But this year will be a true test of how good of a program Patterson has built.  Coming from the Mountain West to the Big 12 (Which was rated as the #2 conference last year) it's going to be a step up week in and week out.  But at least the Big 12 did them a favor by scheduling their first conference game with Kansas.  Which should be an easy win.

21.  Stanford Cardinal (2-0) LW 24
In what could have easily been a trap game, the Caridnal were able to quickly dispose of Duke without the fear of an upset.  Drew Terrell was the star of the game with a punt return for a TD and a TD reception.  So far this season the Cardinal have aired it out a lot more.  And why not, they know what they have in Stepfan Taylor and they might as well work on the pass game before their big game against USC this weekend.  This game will really show what this team will be like without Andrew Luck and company.

22.  Baylor Bears (1-0) LW 25
It was an off week for the Bears before they play host to Sam Houston State.  If Baylor can play at the same high level they did in their opener against SMU they should be able to win convinclingly against the FCS school.  However don't sleep on Sam Houston State.  It was Sam Houston State that made it to the FCS National Championship game and lost in a close game.  So they won't be a push over.  However Baylor just has too much fire power for the Bearkats to handle.  This should be an easy one.

23.  UCLA Bruins (2-0) LW NR
This doesn't look like your UCLA teams of the past 10 years.  New head coach Jim Mora Jr. has really done wonders with this roster.  The biggest difference has been the intensity.  In their win against Nebraska their defense was all over the field and laying the lumber to the Husker players.  Offensively offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has the offense running at an extremely high level.  QB Brett Hundley is a threat both on the ground and through the air.  But the true star is RB Jonathan Franklin.  Against Nebraska he ran for 217 yards while scoring on the game clinching TD reception.  Watch out for this team, because they have a ton of talent and schedule that should allow them to get off to a great start.

24.  Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1) LW 9
It was a very bad day for the Razorbacks.  Not only did they lose a bad game to a Lousiana-Monroe team that they should have never lost to.  But starting QB Tyler Wilson suffered a concussion and may be out of action for a while.  Not what you want when you have to face off against Alabama this next week.  But if Arkansas can't fix their issues on defense it won't matter who is playing QB for them. 

25.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-1) LW 16
Nebraska let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers.  UCLA is a much better team than they have been in the past, but the Huskers were a better team and still should have won.  Their defense was the huge issue giving up 653 total yards.  UCLA spread them out and beat them in one on one situations.  Offensively they had things rolling in the first half, but stalled in the 2nd.  And once they got behind they became very predictable.  The sky isn't falling, but the Huskers now have to fix some major holes on defense if they want to challenge Michigan and Michigan State for the division crown.

Dropped From Rankings:  Wisconsin Badgers, Oklahoma State Cowboys