NCAA Top 25 (End of Regular Season)

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) LW 1
With their spot in the National Title game all wrapped up, the Irish got to sit back and watch the SEC Championship Game to see who they will play.  It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame does against the Crimson Tide who will be far the best team they played.


2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) LW 2
They didn't look pretty doing it, but the Crimson Tide were able to hold off a final Georgia drive to secure their second consecutive spot in the BCS Championship Game.  The Crimson Tide matches up well against a Notre Dame team whose offense is pretty pedestrian.  If the Tide can crack the Irish defense they could bring home another National Title.


3.  Oregon Ducks (11-1) LW 4
The Ducks might not have won their conference, but they'll make it back to another BCS Game as they face off against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl.  The match should benefit the Ducks whose speed will give KState all sorts of fits.


4.  Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) LW 3
Its a shame that Georgia only loses two games all year but since they lost in the Conference Championship Game Florida moves ahead of them and the Bulldogs have to settle for the Capital One Bowl.  Ignoring the fact that Georgia beat Florida.


5.  Florida Gators (11-1) LW 5
By losing to Georgia and not playing Alabama in the conference title game, the Gators were able to sneak their way back into the BCS in a Sugar Bowl game against Louisville.  The Gators should make easy work out of a Louisville team that has struggled late in the season.


6.  Kansas State Wildcats (11-1) LW 6
In their final game of the season the Wildcats were able to use a 35 point 2nd half to blow out Texas and win the Big 12.  The win secures the Wildcats spot in the BCS as they face off against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.


7.  LSU Tigers (10-2) LW 7
Must be rough to be in a conference where you only lose two games, finish in the top 10, but don't make it to a BCS Game.  Because Florida took the SEC's second spot, the Tigers are now heading to Atlanta to play Clemson in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl. Should be a fun game to watch though.


8.  Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) LW 8
It was quite the first year in the SEC for the Aggies.  Picked to finish towards the bottom of their division they rode freshman QB Johnny Manziel to 10 wins and an upset over then #1 Alabama.  Their reward for this season in a Cotton Bowl match up against former Big 12 rival Oklahoma.


9.  Stanford Cardinal (11-2) LW 9
For the second week in a row the Cardinal beat UCLA.  But this time it was for the Pac 12 Title and a birth in the Rose Bowl.  But unlike their first meeting, the Cardinal needed to score 10 straight points to get out with a 3 point victory.  Next up is Wisconsin, which if your a fan of smash mouth power football you'll love.


10.  Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) LW 10
Ohio State ended their season two weeks ago with their win over Michigan.  You gotta love Ohio State's ignorance that they didn't take their bowl ban last year when they finished with a 6-6 record.  They could have easily missed out on the Gator Bowl and be possibly playing in the National Title Game this year.  But that's Ohio State for you.


11.  South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) LW 11
Even though they beat Georgia in the regular season by 28 points, because they lost two additional games they weren't able to go to the SEC Title Game.  They also missed out on a possible BCS Game because of it also.  Now they face off against a Michigan team in the Gator Bowl who should bring an interesting offense.


12.  Florida State Seminoles (11-2) LW 12
Florida State entered the ACC Championship against Georgia Tech as a heavy favorite.  It looked like the Seminoles would roll to an easy win after a 21-3 start.  But then their offense stalled and the Yellow Jackets were able to add 12 more points to make an interesting finish. But FSU won and will make it back to their second straight BCS Bowl.


13.  Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) LW 13

Oklahoma was all set to play Florida State in the Orange Bowl, but with Northern Illinois win over Kent State gave them enough to bust the BCS and knock the Sooners out.  So instead of a high profile match up and a big check.  The Sooners will settle for a high profile match up with a smaller check.  But it should be a fun shootout to watch against former Big 12 foe Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.


14.  Clemson Tigers (10-2) LW 14

Despite not playing for the ACC Championship or going to a second straight BCS Game it was a pretty good season.  The Tigers continue to improve and as long as QB Tajh Boyd comes back, they should be right in the mix for the ACC Championship and a dark horse candidate for the National Championship.


15.  Northern Illinois Huskies (12-1) LW 17
With their victory over Kent State the Huskies continued their record setting year and now will go to their first BCS Bowl in school's history.  This is also the first BCS Bowl that a MAC school has had.  But with their HC Dave Doren taking the NC State job, it will be interesting to see how they do since he isn't coaching.  It's too bad for the players who really matter here.


16.  Louisville Cardinals (10-2) LW 19
In a conference where it seemed nobody wanted to win, it was the Cardinals who finally won the Big East outright with their 20-17 victory Thursday night over Rutgers.  The win gets the Cardinals back into the BCS for the first time since Bobby Petrino was the HC.  But it could come at a cost as current HC Charlie Strong is top target for coaching openings this year.


17.  Oregon State Beavers (9-3) LW 21
It seems weird that Oregon State played a game on the same weekend as the Pac 12 Title game, but that was because their game got postponed due to Hurricane Issac earlier this year.  But Nichols State might have been better off canceling the game since they gave up 77 points to the Beavers in a complete route. 


18.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) LW 15
It would be very easy for me to drop the Huskers quite a bit after their drubbing at the hands of Wisconsin.  It was an embarrassing loss in a game that the Huskers were favored to win.  But it's hard to ignore the season Nebraska had winning 10 games and their division.  Now they'll face Georgia in the Capital One Bowl and look to end the season on a high note.


19.  Northwestern Wildcats (9-3) LW 22
Northwestern doesn't get a lot of attention or praise, but their three losses all were games that they had won.  Penn State used some returns to take the lead, Nebraska came from double digits to win, and Michigan had a hail mary that allowed them to win in OT.  That's the difference between playing for the Big 10 Title and the Gator Bowl.


20.  UCLA Bruins (9-4) LW 20
Jim Mora Jr. was emphatic that UCLA didn't tank the first meeting with Stanford, but with the way they played on Friday the critics will have a lot of fuel.  Unlike their beating they took in the first game, the Bruins controlled most of the Pac 12 Championship before giving up 10 straight points to lose the game.  But the Bruins improvement this season is quite remarkable and they are set up for a bright 2013 season.


21.  Kent State Golden Flashes (11-2) 16
Their MAC Championship Game against Northern Illinois was one of the top games of the season with both teams fighting for the title.  Kent State came up short and watched as Northern Illinois got a BCS invite.  But Kent State is no slouch and should be proud of the season they had.   


22.  Michigan Wolverines (8-4) LW 23
When the season started the Wolverines had high expectations.  They were favored to win the Big 10 and contend for a National Title.  Instead they struggled against the top teams and as a result dropped four games.  But they did find out that Devin Gardner can play QB and they have somebody to build around in the post Dennard Robinson era.


23.  Utah State Aggies (10-2) LW 24
It's too bad that the WAC Bowl tie ins are so bad because Utah State's prize for winning the conference is to go to Boise to play in the Potato Bowl.  With the season the Aggies are having it would have been nice to see them matched up against a BCS caliber team.  But instead they'll have Toledo in what should still be a pretty good game.


24.  Boise State Broncos (10-2) LW 25
Well the post Kellen Moore era of Bronco football has had it's successes (10 wins) and it's struggles (55th in scoring offense).  It will be interesting to see how they continue to do.  They've always had a good QB, but this team relied on a stingy defense that only gave up 14.9 points per game (6th best).


25.  Texas Longhorns (8-4) LW 18
Texas loss to Kansas State was a perfect synopsis of how their season went.  Leading 17-14 towards the end of the 3rd quarter it looked like the Longhorns were going to pull the upset.  Instead their defense couldn't stop Collin Klein and gave up 4 straight TDs and put the game out of reach.  You have to wonder what this program will do next.  Because you have to know these years of mediocre football is not sitting right down in the heart of Texas.

NCAA Top 25 (Week 13)

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) LW 1
It's now official the Fighting Irish are now in the National Championship Game with their 22-13 win over USC.  Now Notre Dame gets to wait to face the winner of the Alabama and Georgia game.  The good thing about the Irish is that with their elite defense and neither Alabama or Georgia having explosive offenses, they'll have a great shot to win.


2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) LW 2
There was no sleep walking in Alabama's final regular season game against rival Auburn.  The 49-0 beatdown of the Tigers puts the Tide in the SEC Title game and helps the Tigers end one of the worst seasons in their program's history.  Now the Tide moves on to Georgia and a chance at the National Title.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) LW 3
Just think about this for a second.  It was two years ago that Georgia finished 6-7 on the season.  Then in 2010 the Bulldogs lost their first two games of the season.  Richt's seat was red hot and he was in danger of losing his job.  The Bulldogs rattled off 10 straight wins and he kept he job.  Now he has the Bulldogs at 11 wins and a chance to go to the National Title Game. 


4.  Oregon Ducks (11-1) LW 4
Even with their win over Oregon State, there is nothing the Ducks can do to get into the Pac 12 Title Game.  That's unfortunate for a team that only lost one game all year.  Instead they'll have to wait and see what bowl game they will be going to.  They are likely headed the the Fiesta Bowl against either KState or maybe Oklahoma.


5.  Florida Gators (11-1) LW 7
The Gators won a hard fought battle with in state rival Florida State.  The game went back and forth, but a 24 point 4th quarter gave the Gators the final lead.  The win gives the Gators their 11th of the season, but that one loss to Georgia is keeping them out of the SEC Title Game and possible National Title Game.  But we should see the Gators back in the BCS as an at large team.


6.  Kansas State Wildcats (10-1) LW 6
After losing the week before the Wildcats have an extra week to stool about it.  But with Texas coming up this weekend they can't think too much about Baylor or they could suffer a second straight loss and really ruin their once promising season.  A win against the Longhorns would give the Wildcats their first conference title since 2003.


7.  LSU Tigers (10-2) LW 8
It got a little nerve racking in the second half, but the Tigers were able to hold off Arkansas and secure their 10th win of the year.  But the season didn't go the way they wanted with two losses and no BCS game in their future.  Instead they'll have to settle for the Cotton Bowl against a 2nd tier Big 12 team.


8.  Texas A&M Aggies (10-2) LW 9
In a battle of former Big 12 teams and now new SEC foes, the Aggies were able to keep their momentum going and keep Missouri's struggles going for another week.  Not only did A&M win 59-29, but Johnny Manziel might have sown up the Heisman by breaking Cam Newton's single season yardage record in the SEC.  Not a bad year for their first in the SEC.


9.  Stanford Cardinal (10-2) LW 11
Not too many people gave Stanford a chance this year.  Losing all those pieces on offense and another year removed from Jim Harbaugh.  Instead they exceed expectations and with the win against UCLA the Cardinal got their 3rd straight 10 win season.  But they can't get ahead of themselves because if they want to win the Pac 12 they'll have to beat UCLA twice in two weeks.  A very tough thing to do.


10.  Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) LW 12
Without a chance at winning the conference or going to a bowl game, the Buckeyes finished the season with a perfect 12-0 record.  They did so by beating hated rival Michigan with 9 straight points to get a 5 point win.  They may be undefeated, but I'm not sold on this team as one of the best.  They did win their games, but they struggled in all but one.  I'd take every team ranked ahead of them here any day over the Buckeyes.


11.  South Carolina Gamecocks (10-2) LW 13
Steve Spurrier loves to talk and he has never pulled any punches against in state rival Clemson.  However Spurrier and the Gamecocks were able to back it up.  South Carolina's defense was able to slow down the Clemson offense  and put 27 points on the board themselves.  The win also made Spurrier the all time winningest coach in South Carolina history.


12.  Florida State Seminoles (10-2) LW 5
The Seminoles may have lost against the Gators, but they are still going to the ACC Championship Game and with a win over Georgia Tech will get back to a BCS Bowl.  But you have to look at their two losses and wonder what could have been.  They lost in the final seconds to NC State and then lost a 2nd half lead against Florida.  Win those two and they could be in the National Title Game.


13.  Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) LW 14

Landry Jones threw for 500 yards and 3 TDs in Oklahoma's overtime win against Oklahoma State.  But you have to wonder what has happen to the Sooners defense.  Remember when that is what they were known for.  I mean Bob Stoops is suppose to be a defensive genius.  Instead it's their offense that is getting them most of their wins.  They finish the season against TCU who is looking for a signature moment to end their season.


14.  Clemson Tigers (10-2) LW 10
With all the talent on the Clemson team, they just can't beat their in state rival South Carolina.  Their 27-17 loss was their 4th straight to the Gamecocks.  Offensively they were held to only 17 points which is 25 points under their average.  You would have thought if they held SC to only 27 they would probably win with their offense.  Not the case here. 

15.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2) LW 15
It had all the makings of a trap game.  The Huskers had the Legends Division all but wrapped up and were looking ahead to the Big 10 Title Game and possibly their first conference title since 1999.  All that stood in their way was a 4 win Iowa team.  And for the better part of the game it looked like they were going to lose.  But a late Rex Burkhead TD gave them the lead and they never looked back.


16.  Kent State Golden Flashes (11-1) 22
Kent State continued their record setting season with win over Ohio in their season finale.  The 28-6 win was impressive considering many thought Ohio could go undefeated this year.  Now the Golden Flashes will face off against another 11 win team in Northern Illinois to decide the MAC Title. 

17.  Northern Illinois Huskies (11-1) LW 25
In one of the worst weather condition games of the year, the Huskies were able to throttle Eastern Michigan 49-7 and set up their match up against Kent State in the MAC Title Game.  The win was even more impressive considering that the field was covered in snow and had to be hard to move at full speed.  But that didn't stop the Huskies from racking up the yards.


18.  Texas Longhorns (8-3) LW 16
Just when you think Texas righted the ship after a couple of losses, they fall right back down with an ugly loss against TCU.  QB David Ash was terrible with 3 turnovers and was pulled for Chase McCoy.  It's too bad because they have a ton of talent on that team, but just can't put it together at the QB position.  With KState coming this weekend, it could get worse.


19.  Louisville Cardinals (9-2) LW 17
In typical Big East fashion, the Cardinals dropped a game they should have won heading into their final game against Rutgers.  But that is the story of the Big East.  Just when you think you have a team or two separating themselves, they end up losing to a weaker team.  Now we have a four way tie atop the conference standings.  These teams are lucky that they still have a automatic bid to the BCS, because if this was next year, we wouldn't see a Big East Champion in the BCS.


20.  UCLA Bruins (9-3) LW 18
With UCLA's loss to Stanford that sets up a rematch with the Cardinal this week in Palo Alto.  It will be interesting to see how the Bruins do in the second game.  You would think that their chances would go down since they already lost to Stanford at home and now the game is at Stanford.  Unless you buy in that UCLA didn't go 100% in the first match up.


21.  Oregon State Beavers (8-3) LW 19
Unlike most Pac 12 teams, the Beavers season is not over.  They still have Nichols State this weekend in a game that was suppose to be played first week but because of a hurricane was pushed back.  This will allow the Beavers to finish their season on a high note after getting blown out in state rival Oregon.

22.  Northwestern Wildcats (9-3) LW NR
The Wildcats have been a yo-yoing in and out of the top 25 the past couple of weeks.  However with their win over in state rival Illinois the Wildcats got their 9th win of the season and a pretty successful season at that.  It's too bad that the Wildcats are in the Legends Division because they could have easily won the Leaders Division and made it to the Big 10 Title Game.


23.  Michigan Wolverines (8-4) LW 20
On the surface 4 losses isn't a great season.  But when you look at who they lost to, it's still a good season none the less.  The Wolverines dropped games to #1 Notre Dame, #2 Alabama, #10 Ohio State, and #14 Nebraska.  It's not like they were losing to Illinois or Purdue.

24.  Utah State Aggies (10-2) LW NR
Gotta give some love to the Aggies from Utah State.  Their win over Idaho gives the Aggies an undefeated record in the WAC and their first WAC Conference Title.  Pretty good for a program that hasn't had much success at the FBS level.  But their success comes at a price because their HC Gary Anderson is likely going to be pursued for a BCS level job and probably will be gone.


25.  Boise State Broncos (10-2) LW NR
I've been reluctant to put the Broncos in my rankings in the past because I don't feel they are that great of a team.  Top 25 sure.  But I don't see them being a top 16 team like a lot of AP voters.  Who have the Broncos really beat?  The only BCS level team they played they lost to, and Michigan State isn't very good.  Other than that, Boise has been average.

Dropped From the Rankings:  Michigan, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State

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

NCAA Top 25 (Week 5)

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) LW 1
Week after week it looks like it's Alabama and then everybody else.  Other teams struggle from time to time or have some question marks, while the Crimson Tide are rolling through opponents.  Other than Ole Miss getting an early 7-6 lead, it was easy working for Alabama.  QB AJ McCarron was unspectacular but he didn't need to with Alabama scoring an special teams TD and handing the ball off to two good running backs.  The defense forced 3 turnovers and this game was a lot bigger of a blowout than the score indicated.    Alabama gets the next weekend off before traveling to SEC newcomer Missouri to welcome them to the conference.


2.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) LW 2
After a lackluster 1st half against Washington State, Oregon really opened things up in the 3rd quarter in route to a 51-26 win.  Oregon was lead by RB Kenjon Barner who had 195 yards rushing and 3 TDs.  It was 2 of Barner's TDs in the 3rd that sparked the rally.  You do have to be concerned with QB Marcus Mariota throwing 2 picks, but with all the fire power on this team they are able to make up for it.  This weekend the Ducks face off against a Washington team that just came off an upset over Stanford.  Should be a good one for viewers.


3.  Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) LW 4
Yeah their defense gave up a ton of points, but Tennessee's offense is a lot better than most people think.  What was the most impressive part was that this offense continues to show that they can put up points.  Add in that LSU struggled with Towson for most of the night, clearly in my opinion the Bulldogs are the 2nd best team in the SEC.  It's too bad that these teams won't play against each other.  But we will see Georgia face off against our #5 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.  This could be the defacto SEC West Title game.


4.  LSU Tigers (5-0) LW 3
You could easily say that the Tigers were looking past FCS Towson to their game against Florida next weekend.  However if you look back to LSU's season so far, they haven't been too impressive.  Defensively they have a ton of talent, but how do they give up 22 points to a FCS school?  This is suppose to be the best defense in the nation.  Offensively the addition of QB Zach Metteberger was suppose to be the player to put the offense over the top.  But I guess we are seeing why he didn't see the field last year over Jefferson or Lee.  His inability to move within the pocket is really going to come back to hurt him once they face off against better teams.  We'll see how good the Tigers really are when they travel to the Swamp and face off against a Florida team that is playing very well.


5.  South Carolina Gamecocks (5-0) LW 5
Gamecocks fans really have to hope that this weekends game against Kentucky was just them looking past the Wildcats to their big time showdown with Georgia.  Because Kentucky is awful and South Carolina was trailing 17-7 at halftime before they reeled off 31 straight points in the 2nd half to pull ahead.  If the Gamecocks fall behind early to the Bulldogs, it could be game over.  Luckily South Carolina was able to rely on RB Marcus Lattimore to pick them up and provide a spark that they needed to get them over the top.  Now South Carolina can solely focus on Georgia and their showdown for SEC West supremacy 

6.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) LW 6
After a four week stretch that took them from Ireland to defeating three Big 10 schools, the Fighting Irish have a bye week to take a breathe and get ready for the rest of their season.  So far the biggest surprise has been the play of the Irish defense.  LB Manti Te'o has been playing at a different level and that's help this defense be one of the elite in the nation.  Offensively Notre Dame was lead by QB Everette Golson, but after a couple of picks against Michigan he gave way to Tommy Rees who wasn't spectacular but did enough to win.  If Notre Dame wants to continue this momentum they are going to need to get the offense going.  Because if they do, this could be a special season.


7.  Florida State Seminoles (5-0) LW 7
In their first road test for the year, the Seminoles struggled but ultimately pulled out win the win.  But 17 straight points in the 3rd quarter opened up the game and allowed Florida State some breathing room.  QB EJ Manuel was solid again 242 yards but spread the ball to 9 different receivers.  Florida State improves to 5-0 and takes on North Carolina State next weekend.  NC State just gave up a ton of points and yards to Miami, so that's a good sign for Manuel and the Seminole offense.


8.  Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) LW 8
There is something to say about having a bye week after a big win.  Having an extra week allows the players to rest up and get all the excitement out of the way without worrying having to get back into game mode.  After KState took out Oklahoma the Wildcats can rest up and get ready to refocus for the rest of conference play.  KState has a relatively easy start with games against Kansas, Iowa and Texas Tech before ending with Texas, Baylor, and TCU.  But if the Wildcats keep playing like they against the Sooners, they should be fine.


9.  West Virginia Mountaineers (4-0) LW 11
If you went with the overs in this game you had to be a winner.  This game was amazing, unless you are a big fan of defense.  In West Virginia's debut to the Big 12 they went in with style.  Both teams traded scores throughout the first half, but it was the Mountaineers behind three straight second half TDs that took control and never looked back.  QB Geno Smith set West Virginia records for passing yards, TDs, and completions in route to 45 completions 656 yards and 8 TDs.  Not too bad for their debut.  West Virginia has a great shot to win the Big 12, mainly because with so little defense being played in the conference I don't know whose going to out score them.


10.  USC Trojans (3-1) LW 10
USC righted their ship after the Stanford loss, but it's clear that the Trojans aren't as good as we thought they were when the season began.  Injuries and depth concerns on defense have really hurt.  Plus QB Matt Barkley just hasn't been as spectacular as we thought he was going to be.  With an off weekend here, the Trojans can refocus and get their mojo back before getting into a stretch run that can still has them right in the mix for the Pac 12 Title.


11.  Florida Gators (4-0) LW 15
Florida has been playing so much better in their 2nd year under HC Will Muschamp, but we'll get to see how good they really are in a couple of weeks.  This weekend they have a bye, but it gives them an additional week to prepare for them to host the #3 ranked LSU Tigers.  LSU seems vulnerable, so it would be a great statement win for the Gators to knock them off.  They have the talent to do so, could be Muschamps signature win.


12.  Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) LW 14
It's too bad that Ohio State is ineligible for the post season, because this could be the Big 10's best team.  The Buckeye's aren't as explosive as they have been before, but QB Braxton Miller is probably the top QB in the conference.  Against Michigan State Miller had 315 combined yards despite playing on an injured knee suffered in the 2nd half.  Defensively the Buckeyes held Michigan State's only offensive weapon RB Le'Veon Bell to only 45 yards which cuts off most of their offense.  Ohio State looks to keep their momentum going next as they play host to Nebraska who knocked them off last year in Lincoln.


13.  Clemson Tigers (4-1) LW 12
Without WR Sammie Watkins playing (again) the Tigers bounced back after their loss to Florida State with a  win at Boston College.  But it was the "other" Clemson WR that took control.  DeAndre Hopkins stepped up and caught 11 balls for 197 yards and a TD.  But the big concern continues to be their defense.  Boston College isn't going to be mistaken for a offensive juggernaut, but still put up 41 points.  Sooner rather than later the Tigers are going to drop one they shouldn't because they can't stop anybody.  That game could be this weekend as they host Georgia Tech and their triple option offense.  Which is always difficult to prepare for.


14.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) LW 13
Oklahoma's loss to KState not only hurt their shot at getting to the National Title Game, but it raises some real big questions about their team.  The offense and mainly QB Landry Jones just hasn't been the same since the middle of last year when Ryan Broyles went down with an injury.  You really got to wonder how much this team misses former OC Kevin Wilson (current Indiana HC).  But with an off weekend the Sooners will look to get their stuff in order and get back to their winning ways.  Texas Tech is next after the bye, but then the Red River Shootout is on the horizon.


15.  Texas Longhorns (4-0) LW 17
In a controversial game, the Longhorns were able to prevail and remain undefeated.  Despite fumbling on the go ahead TD, the Longhorns were still awarded the TD and escaped Stillwater.  But the other big story out of this game was the play of QB David Ash.  Ash has been pretty solid all year, but in this game he was the big reason why they won.  Ash threw for 304 yards and 3 TDs to propel Texas to the victory.  His play on the Longhorns final drive was clutch.  However the Longhorns can't be too excited because they have to play host to West Virginia and their high powered offense.  The winner will come down to who can score the most.


16.  Stanford Cardinal (3-1) LW 9
Stanford erased a lot of questions people had about how they would do in the post Andrew Luck era with their win over USC.  Stanford shot up the polls and looked to be a serious contender in the Pac 12.  However a lot of those questions have come back after their crushing loss to Washington.  Sure Washington is a lot better than most people think.  But there is no explanation for the Cardinal giving up 14 straight points to lose the game.  Now we're back to square one, how good really are they?  My guess, they're average.


17.  Louisville Cardinals (5-0) LW 18
The weather was the great equalizer in their game against Southern Miss.  Southern Miss was win less on the season, but a monsoon can be a great equalizer.  With standing puddles on the field there wasn't a lot of passing going on and the Cardinals used their two headed rushing attack to eek out the victory.  Senorise Perry ran for 118 yards while teammate Jeremy Wright added another 84.  Style points don't really matter in this contest, winning in these conditions is all the counts.  Louisville has the week off and probably needs it get dry.  But they'll face Pittsburgh in two weeks to start Big East conference play.


18.  TCU Horned Frogs (4-0) LW 19
After winning their first game as a member of the Big 12, the TCU Horned Frogs finished out their non-conference schedule defeating in state SMU.  In another rainy game TCU struggled to adjust and it almost cost them the game.  It could have been a big disaster when they botched a FG hold and almost had a punt blocked because the punter couldn't get a grip on the ball.  But TCU was able to prevail and gets the necessary points to extend their winning streak to 12 straight games.  Also doesn't hurt that CB Jason Verrett had two INTs.  Next up for TCU is for them to resume Big 12 play against Iowa State.  The Cyclones aren't world beaters, but they always knock a team every year.  If TCU can't get the offense going, it could be them.


19.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) LW 21
With the way this game started it looked like Nebraska was going to lay an egg and get blown out by Wisconsin for a 2nd straight year.  The Huskers fumbled on two early possessions and got down to an early 17 point defect   But the offense started taking care of the ball and the defense stepped up in run support and were able to chip away at the lead.  Nebraska forced a Monte Ball fumble on Wisconsin's last drive to seal the win and start Big 10 play off with a win.  Now all the Huskers have to do is travel to Columbus and play the Ohio State Buckeyes.  This will be a tough task for the Husker defense that struggles with mobile QBs.  Plus Braxton Miller was torching Nebraska last year before he got hurt.  A win there would be huge for the Huskers and give them an early lead in the Legends division.  But a loss would further muddy the Big 10 waters.


20.  Oregon State Beavers (3-0) LW NR
I'm not ready to jump on the Oregon State bandwagon.  Yeah they're 3-0, but they really haven't beaten anybody to worthwhile.  UCLA is a little overrated, Wisconsin is down, and Arizona recently got blown (shut) out by Oregon.  They definitely aren't worth the #14 ranking they got in the AP vote.  Here is more like it for the Beavers whose 3 wins this season equals their win total from last year.  The Beavers won a hard fought game against Arizona with a TD with 1:09 left on the clock to take the final lead.  The Beavers were lead by QB Sean Mannion who threw for a career high 433 yards and 3 TDs.  Look for Oregon State's run to continue as they face off against Washington State next weekend.


21.  Michigan State Spartans (3-2) LW 16
Everybody always talks about the Spartans missing QB Kurt Cousins, but what Michigan State really misses is BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin more than anything.  Maxwell didn't play bad, but his receivers have struggled with drops throughout the year.  Those struggles have made it impossible for Le'Veon Bell to get any room to run.  This was evident against Ohio State whose defense suffocated the Spartans and only allowed Bell 45 rushing yards and the Spartans to only 16 points.  Michigan State needs to get things figured out on offense or their hopes of winning the Legends Division for the second straight year will fall short.


22.  Northwestern Wildcats (5-0) LW 24
Northwestern set a school record with 704 yards in their win over Indiana.  The star of the game was QB/WR/RB Kain Colter who ran for 161 yards and 4 TDs, he had another 131 yards receiving to top it off.  Colter also threw three passes but for only two yards.  Come on Kain, just kidding.  But Colter has proved to be one of the biggest weapons in the Big 10 and has a lot of coaches stressed out on how to defend him.  With the win the Wildcats improve to 5-0.  But they have to travel to Penn State this weekend and face off against the hottest team in the Big 10.  A win for the Wildcats would be huge for a team that is trying to sneak their way into winning the Legends Division.  It's a long shot, but the way Northwestern is playing you never know.


23.  Washington Huskies (3-1) LW NR
The Washington Huskies make their debut in the rankings after an impressive upset of Stanford on this previous Thursday Night.  Other than a loss at LSU (it's extremely hard to win there) the Huskies have actually been playing very well.  They are lead by QB Keith Price who you may know for that epic shoot out last year with Baylor in the Alamo Bowl.  It was Price who threw the game winning TD that helped put the Huskies on top for good against Stanford.  But things don't get any easier as Washington now travels to Oregon to face off against the #2 ranked Ducks.


24.  Baylor Bears (3-1) LW 22
It would have been very easy to drop the Bears from the rankings after their loss to West Virginia.  They did give up 70 points.  However they also scored 63 themselves and could have just as easily won that game.  But also add in that there really isn't another team knocking on the door to get into the rankings that is much better than the Bears.  Baylor gets a week off to try and patch up some holes on defense, but then get a nasty two game stretch against TCU and Texas.  After those two games we'll get to see how good this team really is.

25.  Tennessee Volunteers (3-2) LW 23
To be honest I'm not down on the Volunteers as much as most people are.  Sure they lost two games straight and probably shouldn't be ranked.  But they lost to #3 Georgia and #11 Florida.  Both of those games the Vols were able to score on their vaunted defenses.  Both of those games the Vols probably could have won and were in a position to do so.  So it's not like they lost to two Sun Belt or MAC schools.  This weekend we get to see the Vols face off against an undefeated Mississippi State team that hasn't played the same schedule as Tennessee.  The winner likely will be ranked, where the loser will not.


Dropped From the Rankings: Virginia Tech

NCAA Top 25 (Week 4)

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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Dropped From the Rankings:  UCLA