Thursday, November 1, 2012
2nd Down: Week 9-Top 25
2 (3) Kansas State 8-0
3 (5) Notre Dame 8-0
4 (4) Oregon 8-0
5 (6) LSU 7-1
7 (2) Florida 7-1
8 (13) South Carolina 7-2
9 (12) Florida State 8-1
10 (16) Louisville 8-0
11 (7) Oregon State 6-1
12 (8) Oklahoma 5-2
15 (11) Mississippi State 7-1
16 (20) Texas A&M 6-2
17 (9) USC 6-2
18 (14) Texas Tech 6-2
19 (21) Boise State 7-1
20 (NR) Nebraska 6-2
21 (19) West Virginia 5-2
22 (NR) Arizona 5-3
23 (23) Texas 6-2
Jeremy's Top 25
What a week! A new team re-enters my top ten. Four teams in the top ten drop, two of those team completely out of the top ten. I've got three new teams in the top 25 and one making its first apperance of the year.
My top five shakes out with Alabama drilling Miss. State. This was really the first true test of the season for the 'Tide and they passed with flying colors. With last week's number two team, Florida, losing, K-State, Notre Dame and Oregon all move up one spot. K-State and Notre Dame, both continue to silence their critics and have earned their spots in the rankings. Oregon comes in at number four, one spot better than last week and LSU rounds out the top five.
Call me a homer, but I've got Florida State at number six. This team is one point away from being undefeated and has the talent to compete with anyone in the country and I think they're more complete than the teams directly behind them- Georgia and Florida. The Bulldogs get the biggest jump of any team after their win over the Gators. They've been incredibly inconsistent but they showed up when they needed to and took control of the SEC East. Clemson cracks the top ten and sit at number nine. The only blemish on their record is a loss at Florida State early in the season. Louisville rounds out the top ten and can thank Cincinnati coach Butch Jones for the help.
South Carolina improves from 14 to 11 this week after their win over Tennessee. Oklahoma and Oregon State both dropped out of the top ten and sit at 12 and 14, respectively. I only dropped Miss. St. two spots from 11 to 13, mostly because they lost to the best team in the nation. I like this team and they'll be competitive in every game they play the rest of the season. Texas A&M jumps six spots from 21 to 15 after drilling Auburn.
The biggest drop in my top 25 was USC. They've looked vulnerable all season and lost a very winnable game against Arizona. The Trojan's fall from number nine to 18 this week. Nebraska makes their every-other-week poll apperance, but I'm not expecting them to stick around for back to back weeks. The only other teams of note sitting at 20-25 is Louisiana State, who's back in at number 22 and Kent State after knocking off #15 Rutgers last week.
1-(1) Alabama 8-0
2-(3) Kansas State 8-0
3-(4) Notre Dame 8-0
4-(5) Oregon 8-0
5-(6) LSU 8-1
6-(10) Florida State 8-1
7-(13) Georgia 7-1
8-(2) Florida 7-1
9-(12) Clemson 7-1
10-(15) Louisville 8-0
11-(14) South Carolina 7-2
12-(7) Oklahoma 5-2
13-(11) Mississippi State 7-1
14-(8) Oregon State 6-2
15-(21) Texas A&M 6-2
16-(18) Stanford 6-2
17-(19) Boise State 7-1
18-(9) USC 6-2
19-(20) West Virginia 5-2
20-(NR) Nebraska 6-2
21-(16) Texas Tech 6-2
22-(NR) Louisiana Tech 7-1
23-(17) Rutgers 7-1
24-(25) Texas 6-2
25-(NR) Kent State 7-1
Nick's Top 25
There were some pretty big moves this week in the top25. The two most impressive teams were Kansas State and Notre Dame. Hats off to them as they stepped up big time in their wins. My top five this week doesn't change at the top with 'Bama staying No. 1 after showing Mississippi State who the best team in the SEC is. Kansas State moves to No. 2 after dismanteling Texas Tech putting up 55 points for the second-consecutive week. I don't think there is anyone else playing better football right now than Kansas State. The Irish move up one spot after going to Norman and coming up with a huge victory. This Notre Dame team is unreal on defense and like Jeremy said on first down, if Bear Bryant was right and defense wins championships, lets schedule the title meeting between the Tide and the Irish. Oregon moves up but only because they are undefeated, it still has yet to play a tough game in the weak Pac-12. LSU moves to No. 5 this week because its only loss is on the road to a top-10 team in Florida and a close loss at that. Get ready for Saturday! Big time once again with Bama and LSU!
Georiga makes it to No. 6 this week after a big win over Florida. The Dawgs forced six Gator turnovers and now control thier destiny in the SEC East. Florida State climbs to seventh this week after drubbing Duke. I still think this team can contend for a national title but needs some serious help to get there. Florida drops from No. 2 last week to No. 8 this week because the loss to Georiga. The Gators lost control of the SEC East and a national title berth, but are still in the hunt and just need to win out. I moved Clemson up this week, not because they steamrolled Wake, but because no one else is wanting to stay in that top 10. Let's not forget the Tigers only loss is to Florida State early in the season. Oklahoma rounds out the top 10, I just have a hard time droping them out of the top 10 because they lost two close games to the No. 2-and-3 teams in the country.
Coming in at No. 11 is South Carolina. I am not really sure what to think about the Gamecocks, they are a different team without Marcus Lattimore, so Connor Shaw is really going to have to step up and lead this team. Louisville is the only unbeaten team out of the top 10 at No. 12, and it is because they have won so many ugly games so far this season. Also if you look at the Cardinals schedule there are no real quality wins, but if they keep winning they could find themselves in the top 10. Oregon State drops to No. 13 this week after falling to Washington. Oregon State has a great defense, but the offense has been very shakey all season and if it cannot punch the ball into the endzone it is in trouble (as shown on Saturday). Stanford makes the move to No. 14 this week because it has played physical football all season and won ugly last week against Washington State, but it keeps winning so they keep moving up. The Cardinal's only losses this season have come to No. 3 Notre Dame and aparent giant-killer Washington. Texas A&M takes the final spot of the top 15 because I like the way it is playing this season. The Aggies had Florida and LSU on the ropes before being out played down the stretch, but this team has won every game it is supposed. Another big matchup comes this week for the Aggies with a trip to Miss. State.
Boise State moves up in my top 25 this week to No. 16 (and no it is not because it wrecked Wyoming last week) because the Broncos have improved every game this season. D.J. Harper is proving himself as one of the better backs in the country and is helping this team look like a possible BCS bowl contender. Texas Tech drops four spots this week to No. 17. I know they were taked to the woodshed by Kansas State, but this is still a good football team and can play defense with about anyone in the country. USC drops to 18 after its upset loss to Arizona in Tucson on Saturday. Big chance for the Trojans this weekend to prove that they are still one of the nations elite with the Ducks making the trip to L.A. I am still not a believer in Nebraska or Taylor Martinez, but if its defense can play like it did against Michigan last weekend the rest of the season look out. All it has to do is get Abdullah and Burkehead going and they can carry this team. At No. 20 is Miss. State and I will be the first to say this team is not as good as everyone believes. Its first real game of the season came last weekend against Bama and the Tide showed they what happens when you play a quality team. The Bulldogs have another tough test this week when the Aggies of Texas A&M come calling. Don't be suprised if they fall for the second-consecutive game.
Louisiana Tech reenters the rankings this week at No. 21 because all they do is keep winning. Tech's only loss of the season is to Texas A&M and I know they haven't beat anyone but that is why they are in the 20s. Texas stays at 22 this week after a near disastrous upset at Kansas last weekend. One thing is for sure about the Longhorns is they have no quarterback play and until they do they will be stuck at the low end of the rankings. Oklahoma State also enters the rankings this week this team has won three in a row after falling to Texas at the end of Sept. Big one for the Cowboys this weekend with a trip to the Little Apple and a meeting with No. 2 Kansas State and Collin Kline. I had to put West Virginia back in the rankings this week not out of affection for the Mountaineers but because I cannot put a three loss team in the rankings yet. I already said how much I do not like this team, being the most overhyped of the season so far (except for maybe Oregon). The 'Eers have a touch matchup this weekend with another physical defense in TCU coming to Morgantown. Rutgers takes the biggest fall this week 10 spots to No. 25 after falling to Kent State. The only reason I did not drop the Scarlet Knights out of the rankings is because Kent State is a pretty solid team and I refuse to put a three-loss average Arizona team in my top 25.
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