Top 25 (Oct 14th)

Another crazy week, and another week to almost start from scratch in the polls. Maybe it'll finally settle down. But I'm enjoying this...

1 Ohio State / win vs Kent State || +1
2 South Florida 6-0/ win vs UCF || +1
3 Boston College 6-0 / win @ ND || +2
4 LSU 6-1 / loss @ Kentucky || -3
5 Oklahoma 6-1 / win vs Missouri || +3
6 South Carolina 6-1 / win @ North Carolina || 0
7 Oregon 5-1 / win vs Washington St || +2
8 West Virginia 5-1 /off || +2
9 Arizona State 7-0 / win vs Washington || +2
10 Kansas 6-0 / win vs Baylor || +7
11 Kentucky 6-1 / win vs LSU || +8
12 Virginia Tech 6-1 / win @ Duke || 0 (No change)
13 California 5-1 / loss vs Oregon State || -9
14 Hawaii 7-0 / win @ San Jose State || +2
15 Florida 4-2 / off || +6
16 Missouri 5-1 / loss @ OU || -9
17 Texas 5-2 / win @ Iowa St || NR (Unranked last week)
18 Kansas State 4-2 / win vs Colorado || NR
19 USC 5-1 / win vs Arizona || +3
20 Virginia 6-1 / win vs UConn || NR
21 Auburn 5-2 / win @ Arkansas || +3
22 Penn State 5-2 / win vs Wisconsin || NR
23 Tennessee 4-2 / win @ Miss St || 0
24 Texas Tech 6-1 / win vs TAMU || NR
25 Wake Forest 4-2 / win vs FSU || NR

Other teams I considered (generally ranked highest to lowest): Michigan, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan State, Rutgers, Illinois, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Alabama, East Carolina, BYU, Florida State, Troy

Dropped out entirely: Wisconsin, Wyoming

6 teams come into the poll... that's some pretty big turnover... but I'm happy that I don't think I was as bad as the other polls might be. I'm not even willing to consider Wisconsin at the moment after getting dissected, and I doubt Indiana will show back up near the polls.

Let's go to the team-by-team/breakdown:
Ohio State showed they could do what other's couldn't, and that was win. I'm still not overly optimistic on them, unlike others... but the losing has to stop somewhere on the carousel, right!?! I wouldn't put it past next weekend to be another huge upset weekend, starting right here, with Michigan State going into the Horseshoe and coming back with a win. They do look a little healthy, with only 2 road games left, at Penn State and at Michigan. But all 5 remaining are easily losable games.

By this weekend, I knew one of two things would happen... UCF would give a great game (and probably pull out the victory)... or UCF would be trounced. South Florida look legit yet? Still, can you imagine if the top 2 teams lose in back to back weeks after not doing so even once for 11 years!?! USF is at Rutgers, and I agree with Clark... VERY difficult. I believe Rutgers should be favored... and would pick accordingly. The Big East teams that fell apart (Rutgers, Louisville) look regrouped, while the pretenders have been weeded out (UConn, Cincy), and I think we're ready to go full throttle. BUT, if USF gets through this weekend... I think they look pretty good. Their home games are my biggest alarms, as Cincy and Louisville could still be trouble... but Thursday is their biggest game left.

Boston College wins, and handily, but didn't dazzle me. The top three teams could be out next week, as BC goes to Virginia Tech..... and I just don't see a way BC wins this one. Wouldn't it be shocking to have both #2 and #3 in the country be underdogs? It SHOULD happen (whether or not it does). VTech is rolling. Yes, I'm not 100% sure VTech wins... but still, FSU, @Clemson, @Maryland, or H Miami will end their run. I actually fear the Miami game most for them at this point, but they could go 2-3 or 1-4 the next few weeks easily. Are they for real? About to find out!!!

Well, time to eat crow on LSU. But, we all knew the Kentucky game was the biggest one. More of note, though, is how LSU looked very average. Kentucky didn't come win this game with a perfect performance. Their defense was MIA when it mattered, and their offense looked inconsistent too. They may get Doucet back, but what of it? They deserved this week after the way they pulled miracles out last week... and they just strike me as being a little ground down by the SEC schedule. Still, this loss has to catch your kind eye so long as Kentucky stays high, and if LSU can rebound the rest of the year versus tough but inferior opponents, they are sitting pretty for the title game (at least they should be). I discussed for a while today whether LSU or OU was ranked higher. I just don't see how to put OU higher. Maybe the teams will start looking a bit different, but LSU lost to the better team in a closer game and beat Florida and South Carolina to OU's Texas and Missouri (advantage LSU). Not even close in my book, and I'll be very appalled if LSU falls below OU in the human polls. Then again, USC #10. That's all I need to say. :-(

I put OU at 5, but honestly, they probably should be 6 behind South Carolina.
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South Carolina did EVERYTHING right to stay above/pass OU, winning on the road at an underrated/mercurial NC team, and having Kentucky (an SC victory) and LSU (the SC loss) both come off like champions. I really am quietly believing in them... and if I had to pick a most-likely NC game at this point, THIS would be one of my two teams... as I see them winning their road test at Tennessee next week, then winning what'll probably be the battle for the SEC East at home versus Florida Nov 10th. Clemson is the biggest scare, as anything can happen with a rival. Oklahoma also looks pretty sweet, with tests (including at Texas Tech) remaining, but nothing they SHOULDN'T win. Honestly, I just give OU the nod this week because I feel they are the better of two very equal teams. But, everyone is looking for some controversy to result that hurts the BCS solvency, and this really looks like it could be the one... which of these teams gets the berth? The Conference Title Game weekend could choose the victor of this matchup... but if SC does beat LSU in Atlanta... maybe it's SC-OU for the title!!!

Oregon keeps coasting... and they sure would want a part of the 1 loss controversy, too. But they need to take care of business at home with USC and Arizona State before they should be thinking about that at all. Not the worst schedule in the world, they could make noise. They seem to be a really strong team... but when you look deeper at their schedule... they do look like there might just be a mirage hidden in there. Their only win of any weight is at Michigan... which I agree was a very admirable win... but if Cal falls apart, where does that leave Oregon, who lost to them at home? They need the Pac 10 to stop looking stupid!

West Virginia sat around this week, and I bet they enjoyed the weekend a great deal. Their loss was on the road to a USF team that continues to look better and better... and they beat East Carolina, which is looking like a solid win... and have generally romped. I'm not ready to put them too high yet, as other teams have earned their spots... but if they beat Mississippi State, I may consider moving them past Oregon. I say WV is still my favorite to wind up with the Big East crown... though I could see them losing 2 or 3 to the other powers, as well.

Arizona State is steadily moving up, but could be yet another undefeated team to throw on the pile of failure next week. No real test yet for this team (sorry Colorado), they've gotta prove a lot. They could beat Cal in two weeks (I'm doubting it), and maybe even find a way past Oregon on the road the week after... but their luck will run out... and it could even be vs. UCLA! UCLA could be the ugliest looking two loss team to win a conference in a long time if they could somehow emerge from the debris of the Pac-10... but right now they control their own destiny as much as ASU.

I don't know about you, but I am ready to now declare Kansas for real. Yes, it was Baylor at home. But they showed me they don't allow letdown/overlook games... and all those points they scored the first four weeks against minor conference teams... can translate to the Big 12. They still average over 50 points per game! Yes, they could be shown up big-time next week at Colorado... but if they can win their second big road test of the year... the sky could really end up being the limit. They look for real.

We talk LSU/OU/South Carolina/West Virginia/Oregon in the 1 loss battle... but really, how can Kentucky be left out? Man, they may just sneak through the schedule perfectly to take home some big prizes this year somehow. Florida and Tennessee come to town and Georgia is a road game left too... but if they beat UF, they are really starting to look scary. Their South Carolina loss on the road looks nice too. What happens if Kentucky, South Carolina, and LSU somehow all end up with 1 loss (with LSU or SC then losing the SEC title game.) Who gets the best prize!?! Interesting!

VT beat Duke, and I think I am impressed, because Duke is another team you have to watch out for. They know what they have to do this week, with BC coming to town. They SHOULD win. But they've messed up a lot of these type games the past few years. Is it time they take control of the ACC, or time they fold again?

Cal falls to 13.... pretty much at the tail of the 1 loss teams. Oregon State is not good... and suddenly Cal looks pretty beatable. Yes, they beat Tennessee in Berkley, and then Oregon on the road... but don't overlook that Colorado State and Arizona gave them pretty good games. Mark my words: they lose again. USC or Arizona State are the best candidates... but it could be anyone at all, even though the others don't appear that good.

Usually I'm into giving the undefeated teams spots near, if not at, the top. But Hawaii... does anyone really think they are any good!?! They proved my point this week when should have lost to San Jose State. Summary of what I said last week: Hawaii's opponents are 11-35 so far (and that includes 2 D1-AAers, and I believe at least 4 of those 11 wins are 1-AA wins). They should have lost this week. Period. But they escaped again. And now they get a bye week. They have much better opponents to come (16-15 combined records after today)... and can only move up in the computers/human eyes with wins. Mark it down: if they win out (somehow), they play in a BCS game. It's a lock.

Florida also enjoyed the week off, especially given the past two heartbreaks. Still, they have a good shot at the SEC East... as they still control their own destiny in terms of UK/USC..... they just need someone to beat Tennessee! It's a wide-open division! Kentucky is make-or-break on their season... win, and I say they win out (or at most slip up to SC). Lose, and they lose 5ish... including FSU. :-( Maybe 15 is a little generous? I think not... but they need to come out and remind the pollsters why they like them next week.

Missouri was in it the whole way... so how do I drop them below UF!?! Well, the problem was, they were conceivably in the game... but they never looked threatening. And that hurts. There is still plenty of time to turn things around... but Kansas and KState have officially shown its a three team race up north, and they have to travel to both to end the season. We shall see with Mizzou.

I'm feeling okay about Texas again. I'm still believing they lose at least 1 or 2 more this year... but they did what I expected them to do vs Iowa State... and that is wipe the floor with them. Yeah, putting them above USC seems insane... but Kansas State + Oklahoma are still not as bad as Stanford... and today's games seems to show which way these teams are going. Could Baylor pull the upset next week!?! Nah.

The Big 12 train continues. KState has only lost to Kansas and Auburn, don't forget that... and now they've beaten Texas and Colorado. They might be the team to beat in the north. A lot of road games to play still (Ok State, IA State, Nebraska, Fresno State)... but they are the most proven by far, and look like they've got some grit.

Golly, I HATE moving USC up in the standings. Sure, they may be filled with talent. Sure, Booty was hurt. Wah, wah. 7 point win versus Arizona. Down to start the 4th... to Arizona... and almost losing for the second week straight... to two of the worst teams in the Pac 10. Don't forget, they didn't impress against Idaho or Washington either, and are stumbling along right now. I'd think Notre Dame is the perfect thing to right the ship... but, hey, they actually are starting to look presentable.

Virginia bounds into my rankings this week on the heals of a gritty win versus UConn. They still don't have much to dance about in the undeniably solid win category... but I must admit, they've deserved better notice from me. @Maryland next week is a battle of two teams I've been giving no love to... so one will get some in 7 days.

Sorry, I really haven't thought much of Arkansas all year... and so Auburn doesn't get much benefit for beating them on the road. Their meat still holds, and their resume is near perfect for a 2 loss team as far as I'm concerned (beat Florida, lost to underrated Miss State and South Florida.) @LSU. Oh hi!

Penn State gets back in the rankings... and who wouldn't after spanking up on Wisconsin. Yes, Wisconsin is reeling... but so was PSU not so long ago. At Michigan and at Illinois still look pretty fair. What I want to see is another epic Ohio State battle....... don't forget the very memorable white-out game two years ago in State College as OSU came to town... it really showed Penn State was back on the scene.

Meet Tennessee, the team that can win or lose any given weak. They played gritty in today's 4th quarter... but they need to show me more. Bring on Bama, South Carolina back-to-back.

Texas Tech moves in at 24... but I don't really think they are that good. Beating a scandal-distracted TAMU team at home gains them zero support, and while UTEP and Ok State look decent... Texas and Oklahoma will hurt.

And Wake Forest barely slides in at 25 after handling FSU. Nothing especially ground moving with them so far... but they turned their season around after everyone (yes, definitely myself included) wrote them off! 4 road games, at Navy, Virginia, Clemson, and Vandy, who are a combined 17-8, remain! Whoopsy.


That's all, have a good weekend!