After only five weeks of football it's a little tedious picking through the top 25.  The top five, forget about it.  I'm sick of the flip-flopping in the top four, especially given that they're all still winning. Some winning ugly (FSU and LSU), some just beating crappy teams (eh-hem, Oregon).  LSU looked pretty flat and board against Towson while Oregon, after a slow start, turned on the jets and blew away Washington State, but may I remind you that, that's the same Washington State team that just gift wrapped a win for Colorado the previous week?  And when has a Les Miles coached team ever looked consitantly dominant from week to week?  His teams always play to the level of their competition. 

As for the rest of the top 25, how can you really sort out whether a 5-0 Louisville is better than a 4-0 Mississippi State or Rutgers? Who really cares, you're in the top 25.

The fact is, at this point in the college football season, we've only seen a few top 25 teams play meaningful games.  That's going to change this weekend, with five match ups between top 25 teams.  We'll get to that later on this week as Nick and I make our weekly predictions. 

Today, we're taking a crack at the sorting out the top 25 in our own way, completely unbiased.  Just kidding, but we try our best. 


Jeremy's Top 25
1- Alabama (5-0)
So far the Tide look the part as the best team in the country.  Well coached and they take care of business the way a number one team should.
2- LSU (5-0)
Underachieving or not, can we stop flip-flopping teams that win?  Yeah, LSU has looked ugly but is there really another team other than Alabama I'd bet on to beat LSU?  Don't think so.
3- Oregon (5-0)
I don't mean this as a slight to Oregon, but can you name two teams they've played this season?  I think they played Mike Leach, I mean Washington State last week.  We're going to find out a lot about the Ducks in coming weeks... Finally!
4- FSU (5-0)
I really like FSU, even with an ugly win on the road last week.  If they string a few more good wins together I'd consider moving them up.  Deep and super athletic.
5- Georgia (5-0)
I really liked Georgia.  Not sure if the Tennessee game was glimpse into who they really are.   We'll find out Saturday when they go to South Carolina.
6- S. Carolina (5-0)
Is this team the team that started the game against Kentucky or that game that finished it?  Steve Spurrier better home the latter with the Georgia Bulldogs are coming to town.
7- West Virginia (5-0)
Give Geno Smith credit, he had an incredible game... against Baylor.  Not exactly a defensive juggernaut.  In fact, I'm pretty sure they thought it was two hand touch.  Big test against Texas this week.
8- Kansas State (4-0)
Things will get interesting after a laugher this weekend against Kansas.
9- Notre Dame (4-0)
I really want to like Notre Dame this season but unless their offense can get it together they won't be in the top 10 for long. 
10- Florida (4-0)
Florida has gotten a lot of hype after a big win at Tennessee and a shutout over Kentucky.  On the surface they look like they could be legit, but with LSU coming to town, Florida will get its first real test of the season.
11- Texas (4-0)
The Longhorns survived a nail-biter against Oklahoma State, but their defense better make some serious adjustments with West Virginia and their 441.5 passing yards and 53 points per game coming to town this weekend. 
12- USC (3-1)
I think this is about as high as the Trojans get this year.  They'll win Thursday against Utah, but I just can't get exited about these guys.  Depth will be a major concern as they get deeper into their PAC-12 schedule.
13- TCU (4-0)
TCU has struggled to find consistency this season, but they're well coached and Gary Patterson's defense makes them competitive against any team.
14- Clemson (4-1)
The Tigers rebounded after a tough loss last week.  The defense is a disaster and probably the only reason this team won't contend for the ACC.
15- Stanford (3-1)
After Oregon, this is the best team in the PAC-12.  They lost a tough game to an underrated Washington team that played their tails off.  Expect Stanford to finish in the top 10.
16- Oklahoma (2-1)
What a mess.  Landry Jones is in an absolute tail spin going back to last season and I'm not sure he'll get back on track against a Texas Tech team that's really playing well.
17- Oregon State (3-0)
How do you sort out Oregon State?  I don't know.  They beat a Wisconsin team that's a disaster right now and a UCLA team that will likely finish in the middle of the PAC.  Guess you just gotta take 'em a week at a time.
18- Nebraska (4-1)
It's really hard to gauge the Huskers this year.  Over the first five weeks of the season, they're racking up 305.8 rushing yards per game.  That sounds good until you look at who they've played.  We'll find out a lot about the Huskers in the weeks to come. 
19- Louisville (5-0)
I think Louisville is a pretty decent team and head coach Charlie Strong has this team going in the right directions. However, while they are 5-0, I think 19 is about as high as I can go until I see more from them.
20- Washington (3-1)
Coach Steve Sarkisian and his Washington Huskies got a marquee win on Thursday against a very tough Stanford Cardinal.  What a difference a defense makes and they'll need it with Oregon, USC and Oregon State coming up in the next four weeks.
21- Rutgers (4-0)
Rutgers has played pretty well this year under new head coach Kyle Flood with the defense giving up only 12.8 points per game.  The road looks pretty clear with only one ranked team on the schedule.
22- Northwestern (5-0)
Say hello to your default B1G champ!  Pat Fitzgerald's team is playing good football averaging over 33 points and 255.8 rushing yards per game.  Some one's got to win this conference.  Why not Northwestern?
23- Cincinnati (3-0)
I can't believe I have three Big East teams in the the top 25, but the Bearcats are playing well early with a very balanced offensive attack and a quarterback, Munchie Legaux, who continues to make plays. 
24- Mississippi St. (4-0)
It's hard to put these guys any higher at this point.  So far the Bulldogs have beaten two FCS schools, Troy and Auburn...
25- Boise State (3-1)
This has been a sobering season for the Broncos so far.  It's natural for a team to slip some, especially with the loss of a four year starter and 50 game winner in Kellen Moore. 

Texas A&M, Michigan State, Texas Tech, UCLA, Louisiana Tech, Ohio, Miami, Baylor.

*I like Ohio State as a top 15 team but they're not eligible to win their conference or for a bowl game this year so I'm not going to waste time ranking them. 

Nick's Top-25

Go ahead and call me a SEC homer and in love with that conference, but what conference has better teams? The Pac-12? Laugh. My top 25 follows the major polls for now, but my top five is very different. This is a huge weekend for a lot of the top ranked teams.

There will be some major shakeups in next week's top 25 I am sure. I know there are five SEC teams in the top 10, but how can you argue with the wins these teams have. The two Big 12 teams in the top 10 are both solid programs, but I am not sure if they can keep it up all season. Notre Dame closes the top 10, but they have some tough games comming up and we will really see if they are for real or not.

The two Texas teams at 11 and 12 are both looking like Big 12 contenders if they can play defense. Oregon State and USC look like good teams, but I think that is about as high as you will see both of them all season. Clemson is a good team with one loss to my No. 2 team (FSU). They can come back around and challenge for a BCS spot if FSU keeps rolling and makes the title game. OU has a big test this weekend with a tough Tech defense and could continue to fall.

From that point I think most of the teams could be any where in those seven places. Teams of note are Tech with a big game against the Sooners and Washington after a big upset of Stanford.

1-Alabama (5-0)
This team is proving itself as the class of college football. I look through the other top ranked teams and it is going to be tough to take down the 'Tide. Nick Saban is one of the best coaches in the country and continues to prove that.

2-Florida State (5-0)
I moved Florida State to No. 2 because I could not find another team that diserves this ranking. Looking at the other top five teams Florida State is the only with a legit win. I am sure people will aruge with me about this move, but I think this team is for real and national title contender.

3-Georgia (5-0)
Even with an ugly win over Tennessee last weekend I still think this Georgia team is for real and can win the SEC east. If the Bulldogs can beat South Carolina this weekend and down a pesky Florida team they will be on their way to meet 'Bama in the SEC Championship.

4-LSU (5-0)
LSU has been very unimpressive over the last two weeks and I about moved them out of the top five. However I will never count them out with the mad hatter as its coach. Look out this weekend though the Tigers have a tough match up with Florida.

5-Oregon (5-0)
Let me just say this is not the No. 2 team in the country like everyone wants to believe. Who have they beat? The only way to really see how good this team is, is when they get into the heart of the Pac-12 and play Oregon State, USC and Stanford. Eventually this team is going to run into a defense that does not allow them to hang 50 in a half.

6-Kansas State (4-0)
It is suprising, but I think this team make a run at the Big 12. Sure they have some tough games still ahead, but Colin Kline is a stud at quarterback and Bill Snyder has returned this team to a national power.

7-West Virginia (4-0)
I am not sure what to think about West Virginia. Geno Smith is a great quarterback and this offense looks unspotable, but look out this weekend with a tough trip to Austin against the Longhorns. I will be intrested to see how this offense runs against a top-ranked defense.

8-South Carolina (5-0)
I just do not know what to think about South Carolina. Last week against Kentucky the Gamecocks looked like two different teams. After the first half I thought USC was on its way down, but they roared back and ran away with the game.

9-Florida (4-0)
This is a really good Florida team. I excited to see the Gators against LSU this weekend. This game will be a tell all for both teams. If Florida can comeout on top they should be able to battle Georgia for the SEC East title. Big one in Gainesville this weekend.

10-Notre Dame (4-0)
Notre Dame has a big one this weekend against a Miami team that is playing a lot better latley. Its defense is solid, but I am not sure what to think about its offense. The Irish are not settled at quarterback and they are going to have to lean on their offense at some point.

11-Texas (4-0)
Big one for the 'Horns this weekend in Austin. This is a solid team with a great running game and very solid defense. I was very suprised to see Texas give up so much offense to Oklahoma State and that better change quick with a great West Virgina offense coming in. 

12-TCU (4-0)
TCU struggled with SMU last weekend which was a little suprising. This weekend they host Iowa State who is pretty talanted and could mean trouble for the Frogs. I think this TCU offense is for real though Pachall is a solid quarterback and never count out a Gary Patterson defense. Are they the No. 12 team in the country? Maybe not, but look out for this team if they get on a roll.

13-Oregon State (3-0)
Oregon State gutted out a win last weekend against Arizona. With two wins against top-25 opponents this team looks like it can win some games this season and challange at the top of the Pac-12. This offense struggles to score points and if they get down early they cannot get score enough to come back.

14-USC (3-1)
I am still unimpressed with this USC team. For a team that was hyped to take down Alabama from the top of college football and a Heisman trophy all but handed to Barkley this team looks very vaunrable. Call me a USC hater, but this team does not have the depth to compete with Oregon for a Pac-12 title.

15-Ohio State (5-0)
I disagree with Jeremy a little on this one. I know he does not want to rank the Buckeyes because they can't do anything in the post season. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be ranked. Braxton Miller is a solid quarterback and they got a great win in East Lansing last weekend, showing Michigan State is not that great of a team.

16-Clemson (4-1)
Clemson is an explosive team and can score points with anyone. This defense is concerning, because they could not stop Boston College.

17-Oklahoma (2-1)
Oklahoma's loss to Kansas State was a little head scratcing, especially in Norman. Another tough game this weekend comming up too against the No. 1 ranked defense in the country in Texas Tech. If this offense cannot get back on track look out.

18-Louisville (5-0)
The Cardinals win against Southern Miss last week was pretty shaky, but at 5-0 they diserve top be in the top 20. Don't expect that perfect record to last with some tough road games in the Big East.

19-Stanford (3-1)
After a huge win against USC the Cardinal could not win a big road game in Seattle. This is still a solid team with a great defense and it will contend in the Pac-12.

20-Nebraska (4-1)
I am not sold on the Huskers and Taylor Martinez. I there is no way he is going take this team to a championship. I do think that if Rex Burkhead can run like he has this season they can make a run in at a B1G Championship.

21-Rutgers (4-0)
I am not a huge fan of this team, but this offense can really get rolling and challenge some teams. They will contend with Louisville for the Big East title.

22-Washington (3-1)
Big win for the Huskies last weekend puts them in my top 25 this week. They need to keep winning to remain in this spot. Sarkisian has this team playing well.

23-Northwestern (5-0)
I know I shouldn't say this, but I find myself rooting for this team. With a down B1G Conference this season I dont see anyway they cannot contend for the conference championship. Big one this weekend though against an emerging Penn State team in Happy Valley.

24-Texas Tech (4-0)
Tommy Tubberville has done a great job with this program turning it into a solid defensive team from a highflyin' run and shoot offense. I like this defense, how can you not when they are No. 1 in the country in total defense. This team is much improved. Great game measuring stick this weekend against a solid Oklahoma offense.

25-Boise State (3-1)
This team is not the Boise State of old and is very beatable. Do not expect this top-25 ranking to last when it gets into the Mountain West. This team cannot score points like it did over the last few seasons. Never count out Chirs Peterson, but with such a young team they are bound to lose a couple more this season.

Not Quite There: Mississippi State, UCLA, Texas A&M, Cincy, Michigan State

AP Top 25
1- Alabama
2- Oregon
3- Florida State
4- LSU
5- Georgia
6- S. Carolina
7- Kansas State
8- West Virginia
9- Notre Dame
10- Florida
11- Texas
12- Ohio State
13- USC
14- Oregon State
15- Clemson
16- TCU
17- Oklahoma
18- Stanford
19- Louisville
20- Mississippi St.
21- Nebraska
22- Rutgers
23- Washington
24- Northwestern
25- UCLA