2012 NFL Mock Draft

This year, I decided to only do one final mock draft. In previous years, I would have different mock drafts from the time of the combine to draft weekend. This time around, I had rough drafts, if you will, and here is my final version as the first round approaches on Thursday.

A photoshopped image of Andrew Luck in a Colts uniform.

Here’s how I broke down my mock draft. Everyone knows Andrew Luck will be the first pick, which is no surprise. Robert Griffin III going second is not shocking either. So really, the draft begins with the Vikings at number three. Adam Schefter tweeted that an NFL general manager said, “Picks 3-16 are all trying to trade back.”People believe because of this, the draft will be a crazy ones with several teams trading up. I, however, am predicting the opposite. Several teams trying to trade back means few are looking to trade up. Draft day trades are made mostly when teams are looking to trade up for a specific player, not when there’s a scramble to give them away. So until there is a blockbuster trade on draft day which causes a chain reaction of dealing, teams will have little success in trading back.

It’s hard to predict draft day trades, as there is so many emotions and unexpected picks which trigger a deal. So in the interest of making this mock draft a bit more interesting, I included a couple of trades I can see happening. Some picks will have an explanation in this mock draft. Each pick does take need into account, but the best player available philosophy outweighs team needs in this mock draft. Two Arizona Cardinals scouting personnel members recently told me in an interview for North Valley Magazine that taking the best player available is a better way to draft than drafting based on needs in April. Best player available here is determined by who I feel would be the the ideal player remaining on the board. Also used to create this mock draft are reports of certain players rising on draft boards and others falling.

Now that I’m done rambling, here is my 2012 NFL mock draft. Enjoy, and please comment whether you agree or disagree.

1. Indianapolis Colts– Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. Washington Redskins– Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings– Matt Kalil, OT, USC:
   

   Photo by Neon Tommy

   Although Minnesota is looking for a playmaker and are in need of a cornerback in the pass happy NFC North, the Vikings would be foolish to pass on Kalil. A huge reason for Matt Barkley’s success this past season was Kalil’s ability to keep him on his feet. Kalil would be able to protect quarterback Christian Ponder for years to come, if last year’s first round reach is indeed their quarterback of the future. Also, with Adrian Peterson recovering from injury, the Vikings will need all the help they can get in the running game. Just because Kalil is not a, “sexy pick,” does not mean he is the best pick.

4. Cleveland Browns– Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers– Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
6. St. Louis Rams– Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars– Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: Blackmon is the best receiver in this draft, but Floyd is a very close second. The Jaguars are in a position where drafting Floyd is neither a reach or a consolation prize, and he will definitely help in the much-needed maturation of Blaine Gabbert.
8. Miami Dolphins– Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: To me, Tannehill is not a top ten talent yet, but several teams love him. As Brian Billick said, it’s better to reach for a quarterback of the future than to pass one up, and the Dolphins have done just that too many times.
9. Carolina Panthers– Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
10. Buffalo Bills– Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs– Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College
12. Philadelphia Eagles (trade from Seattle Seahawks)– Mark Barron, S, Alabama: In a coup to beat their rivals Dallas Cowboys to the punch, the Eagles trade up to draft a player rising up draft boards. Barron is far and away the best safety in the draft, and the Eagles have not been the same on defense since Brian Dawkins left. Enter Barron to stop the likes of Griffin, Eli Manning and Tony Romo twice a year.
13. Arizona Cardinals– Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford: At this point, this pick could either be Martin or David DeCastro, the offensive guard also from Stanford. Both have equal grades, but with offensive tackle Levi Brown not working out as expected, quarterback Kevin Kolb concussed most of 2011, John Skelton always finding himself under duress and the addition of guard Adam Snyder via free agency, Martin seems to make more sense here.
14. Dallas Cowboys– David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
15. Seattle Seahawks (trade from Philadelphia Eagles)– Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
16. New York Jets– Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland’s Carson Palmer trade)– Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers– Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse: Not sold on Jones, but he is another player shooting up draft boards. No offense to Chargers fans, but their recent picks have not turned out too well. Only six of their past 34 picks have been starters, while ten are now on other teams. For every Eric Weddle lies a Craig Davis or Larry English. We’ll see where Jones lands on this scale.
19. Chicago Bears– Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois: Mercilus ends the run on defensive ends/potential outside linebackers.
20. Tennessee Titans– Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
21. Cincinnati Bengals– Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor: Although the Bengals have a superstar in A.J. Green, he’ll need help at the other receiver spot. With Wright, the Bengals can have an explosive passing attack to expose the potentially flawed secondaries of Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Plus, the Bengals would prevent their in-state rivals in Cleveland from drafting the speedy wide receiver.
22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta’s Julio Jones trade)– Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama: For some reason, Upshaw is falling down draft boards, and Cleveland will count their blessings for this. Upshaw will be a Pro Bowl caliber player wherever he winds up.
23. Detroit Lions– Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers-Dont’a Hightower, MLB, Alabama
25. Denver Broncos– Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
26. Houston Texans– Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans’ Mark Ingram trade)– Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State: The most draft-trade-happy team in the NFL shocks the world and keeps their draft pick; well, one of them. McClellin is drawing a lot of late attention, and rightfully so. He is an often overlooked player who has tremendous talent and hustle. While comparison’s to Clay Matthews are a bit overboard, McClellin can definitely provide the pass rush New England has needed in the past couple of years.
28. Green Bay Packers– Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson
29. Baltimore Ravens– Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
30. San Francisco 49ers– Michael Brockers, DT, LSU:
    

    LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, left, vs. Auburn last year (AP file photo)

    It is tempting to predict the 49ers taking Coby Fleener, as he played under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. San Francisco could also take guards Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin or Cordy Glenn of Georgia to replace the recently departed Snyder, but it’s unfathomable that Brockers is still available at this point. The 49ers are in a prime best available position, and Brockers is definitely the most talented still on the board. Brockers would provide immediate depth on a great defense and could eventually replace Justin Smith when he hangs up his cleats.

31. Indianapolis Colts (trade from New England Patriots)– Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: There’s no way the Patriots could go without making a trade in the first round. When the Colts come calling to jump over the Giants at 32 and Rams at 33, the Patriots happily accept to stockpile picks as always. The Colts currently have three tight ends on their roster in Brody Eldridge, Ryan Mahaffey and Kyle Miller. If you asked yourself who, no one will blame you. The tight end position is becoming extremely important in the NFL (just look at the success of New England, New Orleans and San Francisco) and the top pick in the draft currently has no safety valve to get the ball to. Who better to select than Luck’s Stanford teammate? Fleener has great potential and both he and Luck can be the next Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark.
32. New York Giants– Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

Top 10 sports stories of 2011

As the year 2012 kicks in, here are my top ten sports stories of 2011. Disagree with the list or the order? Let it be known in the comments.

10. Rematch for the BCS title game– This game is quickly approaching, but the build up during the season took up most of the talk in college football. It brought up the question of a playoff format for the game, as well as the fairness of a rematch. Due to voters letting Alabama in, we’ll never know what would’ve happened in an LSU vs Oklahoma State match-up.

Rioters run amok after game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Canucks and the Boston Bruins in Vancouver, June 15, 2011 (Jason Payne/Postmedia News Service).

9. Boston Bruins win Stanley Cup, Vancouver riots–  The Bruins ended their Stanley Cup dry spell, but a beautiful city looked horrible due to one championship win. The Bruins made a remarkable run to win it all but it was overshadowed by what happened in Vancouver.

8. U.S. Women’s soccer falls short– At a time when there was very little going on during sports (the MLB All-Star break) Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach made a play which will live in United States sports history. The women’s soccer team made an emotional run to support their country and win the World Cup but fell short. The manner in which they lost to Japan allowed this to still be in the top ten, but had they won in penalty kicks this would’ve easily been in the top five of this list.

7. Tim Tebow– One former Heisman trophy winner polarized the country more than the nation’s politics do, so much so I had to write a post about how both sides needed to calm down and just let Tebow play. That still is the case, but Tebow’s play, both good and bad, made for compelling drama on a football field and had the NFL audience captivated. It’s because of this player that we have phrases like, “Tebowing” and “Tebow Time”. Ugh.

6. The Green Bay Packers– The Packers took the football world by storm in January 2011 by making an incredible run through the playoffs and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. How do you follow that up? With an MVP-type season by Aaron Rodgers and threatening to go undefeated. The Packers took control of the NFL so much so that a survey during the year gave the Packers the nickname of “America’s Team” rather than the Cowboys. As we head into 2012, the Packers look to be the favorite to win the championship again.

5. Jeter and Rivera break records– Even if you weren’t a Yankee fan, you had to respect what these two accomplished during their careers and this season. Jeter’s accomplishment was especially remarkable. No previous Yankee, in the franchise’s storied history, had never had a 3,000 hits player before. Jeter reached this mark with a homerun and going 5-5 that day. While saves are sometimes considered a trivial statistic, it will be decades before someone passes Rivera’s mark.

4. Lebron James collapses– LeBron James developed a love-hate relationship with sports fans with his decision in 2010, and entered 2011 with fans hoping he would finally win his title and others wishing he’d fail. The latter got their wish, as James’ self-destruction versus the Dallas Mavericks became the punch line of many sports jokes. The whole world watched as the Finals favorites lost, and the blame was placed heavily on James.

3. Albert Pujols (finals and off-season)– The 2011 World Series was one to remember, and while David Freese won the MVP, much of the Cardinals win was due to what Pujols provided. Pujols had began the season with a huge debate on whether or not he deserved the huge contract he was asking for from St. Louis. Then, in a shocking move, Pujols surprised the sports world by signing with the Angels in the off-season, getting the big contract he was looking for from the beginning.

2. Scandals– There were far too many scandals to count in 2011: Ohio State’s NCAA violations and subsequent leaving of Jim Tressel and Terelle Pryor, Ryan Braun testing positive for steroids, David Stern denying the Lakers of Chris Paul, Syracuse’s Bernie Fine just to name a few. But nothing was more shocking and disgusting as the Penn State Scandal. If there was a list of all-time sports scandals, this would make a strong case for number one. The ignorance the university showed of the scandal, by both those involved and the students causing riots after Paterno’s firing was enough to make this a top story, but Jerry Sandusky’s alleged crimes are far worse than anything anyone could have imagined.

1. The lockouts– While the Sandusky story disgusted the country because of the alleged crimes, the biggest sports-only related story dealt with both the NFL and NBA lockouts. The NFL has become a huge part of American culture, and the threat of there being no football had fans on edge and taking sides for the players or owners. Almost every NFL off-season activity was changed in some way due to the lockout. Players, coaches, even team staffers were effected by the lockout. Finally, the NFL came to a deal and football resumed as scheduled. The NBA, however, was so dysfunctional it had to delay its season until Christmas day. It has yet to be determined just how players are going to be effected by this in-season, but it already made an impact by delaying the game, changing the schedule and giving Chris Paul to the Clippers rather than the Lakers. All in all, these two lockouts took up most of the year and had fans on the verge of an outrage if they lost their beloved sports.

Honorable mention: Peyton Manning injury, Auburn national title, Dan Wheldon death, NBA trades, Concussions, UConn men win national title/UConn women do not, Rory McElroy, Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record broken.

2011-2012 NCAA football bowl predictions

Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by Eric Reid #1 of the LSU Tigers during their game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 5, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (November 4, 2011 - Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America)

Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 17th, 2 p.m. EST, ESPN
Temple vs. Wyoming

Winner: Temple. A team (Wyoming) which struggled for a half against Texas State does not get my vote of confidence.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 17th, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Ohio vs. Utah State

Winner: Utah State. In what is quite possibly the worst named bowl game ever, this one should go down to the wire. I give the edge to the Aggies.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 17th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Winner: San Diego State. Expect SDSU running back Ronnie Hillman to run all over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl, Dec. 20th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Florida International vs. Marshall

Winner: Florida International. Three C-USA teams will win a bowl game. Marshall is not one of them. Florida International has a very underrated team.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 21st, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
(18) TCU vs. Louisiana Tech

Winner: TCU. Is this a joke? TCU will dominate.

Photo: Gregory Bull/AP

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22nd, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Arizona State vs. (7) Boise State

Winner: Boise State. This would have been a great game at the beginning of the season. Now, it’ll be a disappointing end for both teams, as this is not the game Kellen Moore deserves in his last collegiate game and ASU will have finished far below expectations.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Nevada vs. (21) Southern Miss

Winner: Southern Miss. If the Golden Eagles can shut down Case Keenum, they can shut down Nevada.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, Dec. 26th, 5 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Missouri vs. North Carolina

Winner: Missouri. It’s had to pick against Mizzou when they finished on a three game winning streak and almost beat Baylor, while the Tarheels stumbled into a bowl bid.

Little Caesars Bowl, Dec. 27th, 4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Western Michigan vs. Purdue

WInner: Western Michigan. The first upset of the bowl season goes to the Broncos, the Michigan team playing in Detroit.

Belk Bowl, Dec. 27th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Louisville vs. NC State

Winner: NC State. Quarterback Mike Glennon seemed to catch fire in the last two games for the Wolfpack, and should handle a young Louisville team.

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman, Dec. 28th, 4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Toledo vs. Air Force

Winner: Air Force. With head coach Tim Beckman leaving Toledo for Illinois, look for the Falcons to pull off the upset.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, Dec. 28th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
California vs. (24) Texas

Winner: Texas. Don’t expect Texas to go with ridiculous play calling or revolving quarterbacks in this one. Texas wins their bowl games under Mack Brown as long as a McCoy isn’t hurt.

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29th, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Florida State vs. Notre Dame

Winner: Notre Dame. Two overrated teams… I’m inclined to go with the one which chokes less on a big stage.

Valero Alamo Bowl, Dec. 29th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
Washington vs. (12) Baylor

Winner: Baylor. Big time.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 30th, Noon EST, ESPN
BYU vs. Tulsa

Winner:  Tulsa. This game should see plenty of offense. I give the slight edge to Tulsa.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 30th, 3:20 p.m. EST, ESPN
Rutgers vs. Iowa State

Winner: Iowa State. Look for the Cyclones to prove there was a reason they’re the team responsible for the national championship rematch.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30th, 6:40 p.m. EST, ESPN
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest

Winner: Mississippi State. Although neither team was impressive this year, a month is a dangerous amount of time to have Dan Mullen gameplan.

Insight Bowl, Dec. 30th, 10 p.m. EST, ESPN
Iowa vs. (14) Oklahoma

Winner: Oklahoma: The Sooners win their bowl games… as long as it’s not for a national championship.

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl, Dec. 31st, Noon EST, ESPN
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern

Winner: Northwestern. Prediction- one more blown game by the Aggies to leave the Big-12 in style!

CB Conroy Black and Utah will try and put the clamps on Tevin Washington and Georgia Tech's triple-option attack. (AP Photos)

Hyundai Sun Bowl, Dec. 31st, 2 p.m. EST, CBS
Georgia Tech vs. Utah

Winner: Georgia Tech. Even though the Utes seemed to find their stride without Jordan Wynn, it’ll be tough to win without him. This will be a run heavy game, and I expect Georgia Tech to come out on top.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31st, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt

Winner: Cincinnati. As long as Cincinnati doesn’t start fighting like their basketball team and quarterback Zach Collaros returns from his injury, I’m taking Cincinnati. I’m thinking Collaros sucks it up for his final collegiate game and gives a gritty performance for the win.

Kraft Fight Hunger, Dec. 31st, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Illinois vs. UCLA

Winner: Illinois. Don’t let the little win streak in the Pac 12 fool you; the Bruins are not a good team. This snooze-fest will go down to whoever is on DEFENSE last.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31st, 7:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Virginia vs. (25) Auburn

Winner: Auburn. I put faith in Auburn running back Michael Dyer’s ability to take over a bowl game like he did against Oregon last year as a freshman.

TicketCity Bowl, Jan. 2nd, Noon EST, ESPNU
(19) Houston vs. (22) Penn State

Winner: Houston. All year, I said Penn State was overrated. Keenum should help prove my point.

Outback Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ABC
(17) Michigan State vs. (16) Georgia

Winner: Michigan State. This is one of the most intriguing games on the bowl season. I’m picking the experienced quarterback in Kirk Cousins to redeem his loss to an SEC team in last years bowl game.

Capital One Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN
(20) Nebraska vs. (9) South Carolina

Winner: South Carolina: Expect the Gamecocks to rattle Taylor Martinez early and often, forcing him to make his usual throwing mistakes.

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Ohio State vs. Florida

Winner: Florida. Look for the Gators to get some semblance of revenge in what is now the Urban Meyer Bowl.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio, Jan. 2nd, 5 p.m. EST, ESPN
(10) Wisconsin vs. (5) Oregon

Winner: Oregon. In one of the best games of the bowl season, look for recently declared NFL Draft entree LaMichael James to outperform Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, giving Wisconsin two straight Rose Bowl losses and ending Oregon’s skid.

Stanford's Andrew Luck finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy a second straight year, while Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon won the Biletnikoff Award for the second straight season. (AP Photos)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(4) Stanford vs. (3) Oklahoma State

Winner: Oklahoma State. This is by far my favorite matchup of all 35 games. In order for Stanford to win, coach Shaw will have to abandon his conservative playcalling, which I feel cost Andrew Luck the Heisman, and unleash the power of Luck.

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 3rd, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(13) Michigan vs. (11) Virginia Tech

Winner: Michigan. Although I anticipate Denard  Robinson having a big game, it’s Michigan’s defense that should stifle the Hokies enough to give them the win.

Discover Orange Bowl, Jan. 4th, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(23) West Virginia vs. (15) Clemson

Winner: Clemson. When teams like Boise State are left out of a BCS game and a Big LEast team makes it instead, you know there’s something wrong. Clemson will expose this flaw in the system.

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 6th, 8 p.m. EST, FOX
(8) Kansas State vs. (6) Arkansas

Winner: Arkansas. This should come down to who has the ball last. It should make for one exciting finish.

BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 7th, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN
SMU vs. Pittsburgh

Winner: SMU. June Jones almost became the head coach at ASU. Now, he faces the team whose coach actually did leave for ASU. Here’s to Jones staying at SMU another year.

GoDaddy.com Bowl, Jan. 8th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Winner: Northern Illinois. Arkansas State, caught up in the excitement over the Gus Malzahn hire, will fall to a more focused Northern Illinois team.

Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 9th, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(1) LSU vs. (2) Alabama

Winner: Alabama. Les Miles is known for being unpredictable in a game, and sometimes that could backfire. Especially with a revenge-minded Nick Saban on the other sideline ready to throw everything in his arsenal back at Miles and the Tigers. The Crimson Tide win by a touchdown. Yes, a TOUCHDOWN will win the game. These two teams know those as when someone runs past the last white line with the ball in their hand. Final 17-10, Alabama.

2011 NCAA football week 14 top 25

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley celebrates USC's 50-0 win against UCLA after an NCAA college football game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

We are approaching the end of the college football regular season. Soon, it will be time for bowl games and wondering who is playing whom. There will be more here on Torres Sports about bowl game predictions later, but as for now…

How about Matt Barkley’s late push for Heisman? I realize the coveted trophy may be out of his reach, but no one has been playing better than Barkley the past two months. Since his less than stellar performance against Arizona State on September 24, Barkley has bounced back by outperforming Andrew Luck in a loss, upsetting Oregon and throwing a school record six touchdowns in a game twice. Barkley’s numbers since October 1 are 207 completions on 297 attempts for 2,409 yards, 29 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 2 rushing touchdowns. Even Southern California athletic director Pat Haden regrets not campaigning for Barkley as a Heisman candidate earlier. It’s a shame Barkley was never considered for the award and likely won’t be invited to New York for the ceremony because of the sanctions imposed on USC. At this point, Barkley may be one of the best college quarterbacks to never win the Heisman trophy, as it is highly unlikely he will return for his senior year. The question is, if he did, where would USC be ranked entering the season?

Unless Georgia is blessed with an early Christmas miracle, the national championship game will be a rematch of Alabama and LSU. Alabama’s season is over as they will not play in the conference championship game. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit believe that even if LSU were to lose to Georgia, they would still have done enough to play in the title game. I personally don’t believe if such a scenario played out, an LSU-Alabama rematch would be the most logical game. A championship game in which neither team won their conference? Please. The country is on an SEC high though, and there’s hardly any way we’ll see anything else. Once again, a plus-one system should be installed in college football to determine a true champion.

The game of the week goes to Michigan and Ohio State. Ohio State is not the team it once was, yet it still gave a highly ranked Michigan team a run for its money. Michigan responded by finally beating the Buckeyes for the first time since 2003. I guess that’s what happens when Jim Tressel isn’t with Ohio State anymore. The lead changed back and forth as each team gave the other its best shot like it were a prized heavyweight fight. In a prestigious rivalry game like Ohio State-Michigan, there’s not much else one could ask for. It may not have been as good as the epic 2006 “Game of the Century” but it sure beat any contest played between the two while Rich Rodriguez was at Michigan.

1- LSU Tigers

2- Alabama Crimson Tide

3- Houston Cougars

4- Stanford Cardinal

5- Virginia Tech Hokies

6- Boise State Broncos

7- Oklahoma State Cowboys

8- Oregon Ducks

9- USC Trojans

10- Arkansas Razorbacks

11- Georgia Bulldogs

12- Michigan State Spartans

13- Wisconsin Badgers

14- Oklahoma Sooners

15- Kansas State Wildcats

16- South Carolina Gamecocks

17- Michigan Wolverines

18- TCU Horned Frogs

19- Baylor Bears

20- Nebraska Cornhuskers

21- Clemson Tigers

22- Southern Miss Golden Eagles

23- West Virginia Mountaineers

24- Missouri Tigers

25- Texas Longhorns

2011 NCAA football week 13 top 25

Oklahoma State kicker Quinn Sharp reacts after missing a field goal during the final minutes of an NCAA college football game against Iowa State, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 37-31 in double overtime.

My apologies for not posting my top 25 last week, everyone. It was a busy week and once I had the time to post, Oklahoma State was already in the middle of falling to Iowa State.

Speaking of which, the Cowboys were one of many to lose on upset weekend. Oregon lost to USC in a nailbiter. Clemson dropped a game they should have won against N.C. State. Oklahoma fell to Baylor in dramatic fashion. Michigan beat Nebraska in the battle of poor-passing running quarterbacks.

All of the chaos has resulted in much speculation as to what will happen. This is how I see it: a couple of weeks ago, I said Alabama did not deserve to have a rematch against LSU. This, however, came at a time in which there were other undefeated teams ahead of Alabama in my opinion. Now, those undefeated teams have one loss as well, and to inferior opponents. November in college football is all about surviving, and if no one else can survive ahead of the Crimson Tide, then they might as well get their rematch. The only valid argument for the number two spot I see would be if Houston wins out, because they are the only undefeated team not named LSU. While Alabama will not even play in their own conference title game, Houston will have broken records on their way to going undefeated. The only reason why the BCS and voters ignore Houston is because of previous teams like Hawaii who were unable to hold their own weight in a BCS game. Yet there are those who could; see the 2008 Utah Utes who beat an SEC team in Alabama. Anything can happen in the game of college football, so why not give Houston that chance to beat what I believe is an overrated LSU team? Every year the SEC churns out a near perfect football team, but LSU this season does not compare to previous SEC champions. Nevertheless, everything could change within the next couple of weeks. We’ll have to see exactly how things turn out.

As for the game of the week, I have a tie. The two prime time games on ABC were well worth watching, no matter which you ended up with. On one end, you had USC make it’s claim for college football relevance by upsetting Oregon. In the other, there was Baylor beating Oklahoma and Robert Griffen III putting himself back at the top of the Heisman discussion. Both were worthy of being instant classics, as USC dominated Oregon only to see the Ducks make a valiant comeback from a deficit of 24 points. The game came down to one final kick to send it into overtime, which was wide left. As for the other contest, we got to see a wannabe right-handed Tim Tebow in OU’s Blake Bell. Bell rushed for four short-yardage touchdowns as Baylor and Oklahoma went back and forth. Each touchdown run looked like a play stolen right out of Urban Meyer’s Florida playbook. The show belonged to Griffen, though. RGIII gave us a game winning touchdown pass that will be a highlight shown in college football videos for years to come. The ensuing celebration with Baylor students and fans rushing the field and chanting Heisman with Griffen in the middle of everything was special.

1- LSU Tigers

2- Arkansas Razorbacks

3- Alabama Crimson Tide

4- Houston Cougars

5- Stanford Cardinal

6- Virginia Tech Hokies

7- Boise State Broncos

8- Oklahoma State Cowboys

9- Oregon Ducks

10- USC Trojans

11- Georgia Bulldogs

12- Michigan State Spartans

13- Oklahoma Sooners

14- Wisconsin Badgers

15- Kansas State Wildcats

16- Clemson Tigers

17- South Carolina Gamecocks

18- TCU Horned Frogs

19- Michigan Wolverines

20- Baylor Bears

21- Nebraska Cornhuskers

22- Penn State Nittany Lions

23- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

24- Virginia Cavaliers

25- Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Sandusky, LSU-Alabama and the week 11 NCAA football top 25

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 09: Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno watches his team during practice on November 9, 2011 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

There are several games coming this weekend that look to be very entertaining or will have a big outcome on the BCS race. Not much will be said about these games though until Saturday, as there is bigger news in college football.

As if conference realignment issues and NCAA sanctions across the nation didn’t put a black eye on the sport already, Penn State had to give it a kick in the crotch. I won’t go into the details of the story here (ESPN has a good timeline of Jerry Sandusky and the scandal), but it sickens me that the university would cover up such a hideous act. Everyone knows what Sandusky allegedly did was wrong, but what surprises me also is the reaction coming out of Happy Valley. Students and fans showing up at head coach Joe Paterno’s home and chanting, “We want Joe,” and, “Beat Nebraska,” after it was reported he knew about the scandal and never reported it to the police? People on campus marching in support of Paterno? No one linked to the scandal should be supported during this time. I understand Paterno is a living legend, but his continued presence at Penn State made the school’s fans look ridiculous in front of everyone else in the country. This is why he and president Graham Spanier are now out at Penn State. There is no excuse for Sandusky’s actions, nor the athletic department’s inaction. This is a crime against several kids. These children had their lives changed in a sadistic manner and each of them went unprotected for years. Anyone who thinks even one person involved was in the right is definitely in the wrong.

On a lighter note, but still full of defensive arguments, LSU edged out Alabama 9-6. Yes, the supposed game of the decade ended in a final score of 9-6. The game’s highlights were ineffective quarterback play by both teams and Alabama missing four field goals. This is why Alabama does not deserve to be ranked third in the BCS nor do they deserve a rematch in the national title game. The only way Alabama might deserve to play in the national title game now would be if LSU, Boise State, Stanford and Oklahoma State all lost in the upcoming weeks, and that’s still a maybe. If teams like Oregon and West Virginia, far less touted than the Crimson Tide, can put up over twenty points on LSU then Alabama should have performed better. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Alabama is a great team and perhaps even better than LSU still. But if all you can do is put up six points after being within striking distance four other times, you do not deserve a rematch. Michigan was more worthy of a rematch versus Ohio State in 2006, and everyone in the SEC was crying foul. Now that they’re the ones involved in a possible rematch, everyone is on board. The SEC bias in this country needs to die down. The SEC is not the end all be all in college football. They produce one seemingly flawless team every year, but the rest are teams with holes somewhere that can be beat by other schools.

Lastly, the game of the week certainly did not go to LSU and Alabama. That honor goes to Kansas State and Oklahoma State. In what was the exact opposite of the SEC dogfight, these two teams put on a show in a back and forth shootout. The only ones not entertained by the game would be each of the defensive coordinators. Either way, the game gave fans everything they look for in a college football game: excitement, scoring, clutch performances and a dramatic finish.

1- LSU Tigers: The Tigers proved they are the best… sort of. What happened to the monster offense we saw all season? Oh, that was only against average defenses. I see.

2- Boise State Broncos: This is me making the case that Boise State deserves the shot to play against all those who fear to schedule them in the middle of the regular season. To back up this theory, they have to take down TCU this weekend.

3- Stanford Cardinal: The Cardinal have a huge test against Oregon. Stanford kept up with Oregon last year for only the first half; this year they’ll have to put together four quarters of great football to beat the Ducks.

4- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Look for the Cowboys to be in yet another shootout against Texas Tech this weekend, although this one should fizzle out in Oklahoma State’s favor by the end of the third quarter.

5- Alabama Crimson Tide: The best team not playing for the national championship will have to do what Bob Stoops does at Oklahoma to win BCS points: run up the scoring on every remaining opponent. This shouldn’t be too hard to do  against Mississippi State.

6- Oregon Ducks: The Ducks could vault the Crimson Tide in my opinion with a convincing win over Stanford. If they keep the ball away from Andrew Luck, they can do it.

7- Arkansas Razorbacks: The only team standing in LSU’s way of reaching the BCS title game will need to use their next two games to prepare for the Tigers.

8- Houston Cougars: Has Case Keenum broken another record? I’ve lost count. I’m sure he’s bound to against Tulane this weekend.

9- Oklahoma Sooners: I almost feel as if the BCS ranked Baylor in the top 25 this week just to give Oklahoma a more credible win.

10- Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have silently fought their way back into the top ten, but can easily be taken out of it by Georgia Tech on Thursday.

11- Clemson Tigers: I feel for Wake Forest, Clemson’s next opponent. Two weeks is far too long for a team to be storing up rage after falling out of the top ten.

12- Penn State Nittany Lions: It feels so wrong to put Penn State so high up in the rankings not just because of the Sandusky situation, but because this team is not that good. Nebraska will most likely continue to put a hurting on Penn State.

13- Michigan State Spartans: Whether Michigan State gets the Iowa team that beat Michigan or lost to Minnesota is irrelevant. The Spartans should win either way.

14- Georgia Bulldogs: The Bulldogs could have an impressive win against Auburn to continue their seven game winning streak. Just don’t ask Mark Richt about suspended players in a disrespectful manner. The reporter could have received a far worse tongue lashing.

15- Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin will beat Minnesota. Moving on…

16- South Carolina Gamecocks: I’ll admit it myself, I have had South Carolina overrated far too many times this season. In reality they’re no better than this position right here.

17- Kansas State Wildcats: As long as the Wildcats don’t allow over 50 points like they did to the two Oklahoma teams, they should be in good shape against Texas A&M.

18- Nebraska Cornhuskers: The game at Penn State could get ugly in so many ways.

19- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Yellow Jackets will have to open up their playbook a bit more if they wish to beat Virginia Tech.

20- Cincinnati Bearcats: The Bearcats are finally getting some credit after defeating Pittsburgh. They can make an even bigger statement by beating West Virginia.

21- Texas Longhorns: Missouri will be a nice tune-up for what looks to be a challenging three game final stretch.

22- Southern Miss Golden Eagles:  Six points in week two are the reason why Southern Miss isn’t undefeated. They should go on to face an undefeated Houston team for the C-USA championship.

23- USC Trojans: The win over Colorado was expected, but that doesn’t mean the Trojans didn’t look good. Look for them to avenge last year’s loss to Washington on Saturday.

24- Michigan Wolverines: Michigan clearly does not play well outside of the Big House. They may not make it out of Illinois with a win.

25- TCU Horned Frogs: TCU can clear up the BCS picture a bit by upsetting Boise State in what has become somewhat of a rivalry between two underdogs adored by the country.

2011 NCAA football week 10 top 25

The top two teams will battle to find out who is the best on Saturday

The biggest game of the year is finally here. No. 1 LSU is set to take on no. 2 Alabama in a battle that could not only determine the future SEC champion, but possible the national champion. Personally, I believe Alabama is still the better team despite LSU having a few better performances. The game should be the true test and give the country an answer as to who the best team is. Look for sensational performances from all of the big names involved, but the game may come down to the final possession. My prediction is Alabama forcing one more turnover than LSU; enough to walk away with a victory. Alabama 27, LSU 24.

As I predicted last week, the game of the week goes to Stanford and USC. These two teams gave the country an instant classic. It had everything you can ask for: a newly heated rivalry, two star quarterbacks, a Heisman contender rising up to the challenge, replay controversy, and multiple overtimes. In the end, it wasn’t Stanford’s Luck that did the trick, but USC’s lack thereof which made the difference. Regardless of the outcome, the country learned from this game that USC is better than given credit for and Andrew Luck is every bit as good as advertised.

One last thing… I’m sick of conference realignment.

1- LSU Tigers: The Tigers can prove to everyone they’re the best team in the country on Saturday.

2- Alabama Crimson Tide: Ditto what was said about the Tigers above.

3- Boise State Broncos: Many have the Broncos lower than this, but I like to give where credit has been due for the past few years.

4- Stanford Cardinal: Some see the win over USC as Stanford not being as good as everyone thought. I see it as the Cardinal beating a team that deserves far more respect.

5- Oklahoma State Cowboys: This team seems to be on upset alert every week and yet they come through big. Next upset alert comes against formerly undefeated Kansas State.

6- Oregon Ducks: Can a banged up Oregon team hold off a Washington team attempting to prove their worth in the Pac-12? I say yes they can.

7- Arkansas Razorbacks: Big SEC game comes as Arkansas hosts South Carolina. I’m taking the Razorbacks.

8- Houston Cougars: Record setting quarterback Case Keenum should have no problem handling a 1-7 UAB team.

9- Oklahoma Sooners: It really shouldn’t matter which Texas A&M team shows up to play the Sooners.

10- Nebraska Cornhuskers: After losing to Wisconsin in their first Big Ten game, the Cornhuskers have won three straight conference games. Look for them to make it four games in a row. 

11- Virginia Tech Hokies: Quarterback Logan Thomas had been playing great for three weeks before Duke slowed him down. He’ll have a week to right the ship before facing Georgia Tech.

12- South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks have only scored 14 points in their past two games. They’ll need more than that to beat Arkansas.

13- Clemson Tigers: Just as they were quickly becoming America’s favorite dark horse, the Tigers fell from contention as they lost to Georgia Tech.

14- Kansas State Wildcats: I predict a beating from one Oklahoma team will be followed by another. Poor Wildcats.

15- Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines bounced back from their in-state loss to Michigan State by trouncing Purdue. Next is at Illinois.

16- Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils dominated Colorado on Homecoming night, and now face UCLA, the team in which Brock Osweiler faced when he first made a name for himself as the ASU quarterback.

17- Penn State Nittany Lions: The arguably worst 8-1 team ever should be brought back down to earth against Nebraska.

18- Michigan State Spartans: Speaking of being brought back down the earth by Nebraska, there was no miracle in store for the Spartans.

19- Georgia Bulldogs: After a five game winning streak against SEC teams, there’s no way the Bulldogs’ roll comes to a halt against New Mexico State.

20- Wisconsin Badgers: Injuries are no excuse for a team this talented to lose to Ohio State and their spiffy Nike pro-combat uniforms.

21- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Climbing back into the rankings are the Yellow Jackets, who knocked Clemson off the ranks of the unbeaten.

22- Cincinnati Bearcats: Cincinnati could be the best Big LEast team in the country. A win against Pittsburgh could further improve that statement.

23- Southern Miss Golden Eagles: More love to C-USA as the Golden Eagles climb to 23 after beating conference foe UTEP.

24- Texas Longhorns: Although Kansas is simply a horrible team this year, the Longhorns looked good in running over the Jayhawks.

25- USC Trojans: Despite the loss, this team showed the nation it is better than any other rankings give them credit for. Should Barkley and Luck both enter the NFL draft in April, they could continue their epic rivalry for years to come.

2011 NCAA football week 9 top 25

Well, they finally did it. The LSU Tigers have sold me on surpassing Alabama in the rankings for the upcoming week. LSU destroyed Auburn, which isn’t too hard too do these days, but the fact is this has been the case for each team they’ve faced all season. The big showdown between the two is coming in two weeks though, and both teams have a bye week to prepare for each other. It should be the game of the year.

Look for the Stanford versus USC game to be the best of the weekend. The Trojans will be looking for revenge after suffering two straight losses to the Cardinal. With former head coach Jim Harbaugh no longer at Stanford, it’ll be up to Andrew Luck to win the game for the Cardinal. Expect Luck to have a performance in which he solidifies the top spot in the Heisman race.

There was no game that compared to Wisconsin versus Michigan State over the weekend. If someone who knew nothing about college football asked me, “What makes college football so great?” I would direct them to this game to find out exactly what is to love about the sport. The back and forth battle between two high profile teams in the same conference was exhilarating, but nothing could have prepared fans for what took place at the end. Kirk Cousins’ Hail Mary pass will be a highlight we see in college football montage’s for years to come.

1- LSU Tigers

2- Alabama Crimson Tide

3- Boise State Broncos

4- Oklahoma State Cowboys

5- Stanford Cardinal

CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 22: Tajh Boyd #10 of the Clemson Tigers throws a pass in warmups prior to the start of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Memorial Stadium on October 22, 2011 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

6- Clemson Tigers

7- Kansas State Wildcats

8- Oregon Ducks

9- Arkansas Razorbacks

10- Houston Cougars

11- Michigan State Spartans

12- Oklahoma Sooners

13- Wisconsin Badgers

14- Nebraska Cornhuskers

15- South Carolina Gamecocks

16- Virginia Tech Hokies

17- Michigan Wolverines

18- Texas A&M Aggies

19- Arizona State Sun Devils

20- USC Trojans

21-Penn State Nittany Lions

22- Texas Tech Red Raiders

23- Cincinnati Bearcats

24- Georgia Bulldogs

25- Southern Miss Golden Eagles

2011 NCAA football week 7 top 25

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 8: Dominique Whaley #8 of the Oklahoma Sooners tries to avoid the tackle of Christian Scott #6 of the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl on October 8, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Sooners defeated the Longhorns 55 to 17. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Yet another exciting week in college football. Here are my top 25 rankings for the upcoming week seven.

The wins by Oklahoma and LSU bring the top three closer to a tie than it’s been all season. I give Alabama the slightest edge over OU and LSU, but differentiating between those two schools is very hard. Expect the two schools to swap positions in the rankings until Alabama and LSU have to meet or OU loses.

The game of the week goes to Nebraska and Ohio State for the comeback the Cornhuskers put together. Ohio State led 27-6 in the third quarter before Nebraska rallied. Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez actually looked like a leader and a decent passer, something he has rarely done in his young collegiate career. I realize Ohio State is not too good this season, but to come back from a deficit like that against a conference opponent is impressive. Nebraska was able to avoid having a back-to-back rude welcome to the Big Ten. This tale of two halves was what makes college football great, and is the definition of why teams never give up in a football game.

1- Alabama Crimson Tide: The Tide took care of Vanderbilt with ease, just as expected. They now rank first in the nation in points allowed. In this race to stay on top of the rankings, look for Alabama to have a strong performance against a struggling Ole Miss team.

2- Oklahoma Sooners: Many thought the Sooners would beat an inexperienced Texas team, but not everyone expected it to be the blowout it was. Oklahoma’s defense, offense thought to be second fiddle to the explosive offense, finally proved it’s worth against the Longhorns. This week, head coach Bob Stoops (whose brother Mike was fired from Arizona) will try to top Oklahoma State’s performance against Kansas. Always remember, Stoops likes to run up the score.

3- LSU Tigers: The AP poll’s number one team could be in for a potential trap game this week. After this week, LSU plays Auburn and Alabama. This week, however, they face a Tennessee team who will be out for revenge after last year’s catastrophe.

4- Wisconsin Badgers: The consensus fourth best team in the nation was off following their beat-down of Nebraska. Look for a similar outcome against Indiana.

5- Boise State Broncos: I would like to know who the one vote in the AP poll was that voted for Boise State. They looked good at Fresno State, should do the same at Colorado State, but are fittingly ranked at five for me.

6- Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys look to follow up their rout of Kansas by beating Texas in Austin. Winning in Austin is not something Oklahoma State does very much, but no year has looked better for the opportunity than this one.

7- Stanford Cardinal: The Cadinal take on Washington State this week, who could present a challenge. However, if Andrew Luck performs like he did against Colorado (370 passing yards), they’ll have no trouble with the Cougars.

8- Oregon Ducks: Oregon hosts Arizona State this week in what should be the best game of the weekend. ESPN seems to think so, as College Gameday is on Campus in Eugene. The Ducks, however, may be without Heisman candidate LaMichael James. It should make for great college football in a fight for Pac-12 supremacy. I believe the key to Oregon winning this game will be finding ways to get the ball in former USC recruit De’Anthony Thomas’ hands. He may be the answer to replacing James this week.

9- Arkansas Razorbacks: Arkansas has bounced back nicely after losing to Alabama. After two impressive wins over Texas A&M and Auburn, the Razorbacks have a bye this week.

10- Clemson Tigers: Clemson has definitely been the biggest overachieving team of the season. From the looks of things, the Tigers should go on to win the ACC. Maryland, however, will not be a pushover this week.

11- Michigan Wolverines: Michigan’s biggest game of the year thus far is this weekend against Michigan State. The Wolverines played well in their first game on the road last week, but Brady Hoke will have to keep his team in the right mindset to beat the Spartans.

12- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Yellow Jackets are now bowl-eligible after taking down Maryland. Look for them to stay undefeated against Virginia this week.

13- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Nebraska gets to enjoy a bye week after their stunning comeback win over Ohio State. They’ll need it before a tough stretch of conference games.

14- Illinois Fighting Illini: Are the Illini here to stay in the Big Ten? Ohio State may not be the best team these days, but a win over the Buckeyes would make a bold statement.

15- South Carolina Gamecocks: An SEC three game road stretch is never fun or easy, but that’s what South Carolina has ahead of them. In other news, it looks like Stephen Garcia is finally done as a Gamecock.

WR Aaron Pflugrad • Arizona State vs. Missouri • September 9, 2011 • Photo by Steve Rodriguez (Courtesy of ASU Media Relations)

16- Arizona State Sun Devils: Arizona State is looking to do more than just look as cool are Oregon with their new uniforms. They’re looking to be just as good, or better, than the Ducks. They’ll have to prove it this week in Autzen stadium, one of the toughest places to play in the nation.

17- Houston Cougars: How do you recover from a near upset at UTEP? Well, a 56-3 rout over ECU is a start. Quarterback Case Keenum is putting up Heisman-like numbers and should add to them against Marshall.

18- West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are looking quite impressive after their disappointing loss to LSU. Look for them to continue their hot streak at Syracuse.

19- Kansas State Wildcats: Kansas State vs. Texas Tech should make for a great high scoring game. Both teams are playing well, and both have big games following this one. Expect fireworks.

20- Virginia Tech Hokies: Surprise of the week: Logan Thomas’ performance against Miami. Thomas was nearly perfect, completing 23 of 25 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions. Thomas has been disappointing this season to say the least, but he silenced his critics for now.

21- Texas Longhorns: Texas will have to do their best to not be kicked while they’re down. After getting destroyed by rival Oklahoma, one of the best offenses in the country Oklahoma State, visits Austin.

22- Baylor Bears: If Baylor starts off to a good first half, Texas A&M stands no chance. Robert Griffin III in the second half is almost unstoppable, and A&M is nothing more than a first half team.

23- Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans can claim victory over the entire state by beating Michigan this week. The only problem? Stopping Denard Robinson.

24- Wake Forest Demon Deacons: It isn’t often that the Demon Deacons make the top 25. It seems odd even to me, but they can easily prove they are worthy of being here by beating Virginia Tech this week.

25- Florida Gators: The fact that these undermanned Gators were even able to put up any kind of points against Alabama and LSU the past two weeks is a testament to the heart they have. If any two-loss team deserves to be ranked, it’s Florida.

2011 NCAA football week 6 top 25

October certainly started off with a bang in college football. Several ranked teams fell while others made big statements. Here is my new top 25 which features a lot of changes in the rankings.

LSU quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson (9) and Jarrett Lee (12) signal the start of the fourth quarter against Kentucky in an NCAA College football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. LSU won 35-7. Coach Les Miles is in the middle (AP Photo / Yahoo! Sports).

In the SEC, Jordan Jefferson is back for LSU, and he returned in fashion as he scored on his first play. I said from the beginning of the season, LSU is nowhere near the team it could be while Jarrett Lee is quarterbacking instead of Jefferson. Now with his return, the question is not who should start at quarterback, but rather when will Jefferson replace Lee. Finally, this is a team I can believe in because Lee would have eventually stumbled, as he is not a top tier college quarterback. Jefferson’s return and a big win over Kentucky are enough to put the Tigers ahead of the Sooners in my top three.

After the first five weeks of NCAA football, the rankings have become so top heavy while the rest of the teams seem to be moving all over place. For me, the top seven teams all deserve to be in the top five, but unfortunately two must be left out for now. This week, South Florida, TCU and Texas A&M are all out. TCU barely missed the cut after an overtime loss to SMU, but South Florida and Texas A&M do not deserve it at all this week. The Bulls were destroyed by Pittsburgh on national TV on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Aggies would be a top ten team if football was only played for one half; but football is four quarters. Their catastrophic self-destruction two weeks in a row does not belong anywhere near a top 25. Auburn, Kansas State and Michigan State have replaced the missing slots of the rankings.

While on paper the game of the week should have been Alabama vs. Florida, Nebraska vs. Wisconsin or Texas A&M vs. Arkansas, it actually belongs Baylor vs. Kansas State. The game went back and forth and the lead changes kept the game entertaining throughout. Both quarterbacks, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and Kansas State’s Collin Klein, showed gritty performances. Griffin’s was definitely in line with his Heisman-worthy play so far this season. In the end, however, Kansas State was able to intercept the Heisman hopeful (his first interception thrown this season) and take down Baylor in a stunning upset. After that game, both teams deserve to be in this week’s top 25.

1- Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama solidified its spot at the top with a convincing win at Florida. The Crimson Tide is first in the nation in points allowed and thirteenth in rushing. Not even the heralded LSU can top that.

2- LSU Tigers: LSU is up next to face Florida. We’ll see if they can do just as good a job as Alabama did against the Gators. LSU, however, has the luxury of being at home.

3-Oklahoma Sooners: This is what happens when you play Ball State. 62-6, and your point is? I’ve never been impressed with Bob Stoops’ method of running up the score to gain BCS points, so he’ll have to prove to me that his Sooners are better than LSU by beating Texas.

4- Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers leap into the top five after dominating Nebraska. Russell Wilson also made himself a frontrunner in the Heisman race with his performance. Right now, it doesn’t look as if there is a team in the Big Ten capable of stopping the Badgers.

5- Boise State Broncos: It truly is tough to be Boise State. Teams leap over them in the rankings because of their conference and the general fear schools have of facing them in a non-conference game. The Broncos did take care of Nevada as expected, though, and enacted revenge for last year’s defeat. Fresno State will have to face Boise State next.

6- Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys had an off-week after exposing Texas A&M and their LeBron James-like efforts. They now face Kansas before heading to Austin to face Texas.

7- Stanford Cardinal: Remember last season when Cam Newton helped his Heisman candidacy with a great touchdown catch? Well, this one may not have gone for a touchdown, but Andrew Luck made an amazing sideline catch with one hand. Luck remains the frontrunner for the Heisman trophy, and he’ll look to improve upon that this week against Colorado.

8- Oregon Ducks: The second best Pac-12 team will be on national TV on Thursday against Cal. After a bye week, look for Oregon to come out swinging against the Bears to show they are still the reigning conference champions.

9- Texas Longhorns: Texas is now back in the top ten. The Longhorns can prove they are truly back to their dominant ways with a win in the Red River Rivalry. Knocking out the number three team in the nation would solidify Mack Brown’s efforts to turn around a team that was pitiful last season.

10- Arkansas Razorbacks: A week ago, Arkansas lost to the top team in the nation. This week, they beat Texas A&M just like Oklahoma State did. With so many teams losing this week, Arkansas jumps higher than they were when they were undefeated. To remain here, they’ll have to take out Auburn.

11- Clemson Tigers: Another pole vaulter is Clemson. The Tigers continue to beat ranked teams, but could be in for a trap game against Boston College this weekend.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson (16) tosses a shuttle pass under pressure in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo / Yahoo! Sports)

12- Michigan Wolverines: Head coach Brady Hoke doesn’t believe his team is worthy of this high of a ranking. I, however, believe Michigan fans have reason to be excited more than any time during the Rich Rodriguez era. Denard Robinson got back on track over the weekend, but this week the Wolverines play away from the Big House for the first time this season. Northwestern will not be a pushover.

13- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Why is Taylor Martinez still the starting quarterback for Nebraska? He is a true playmaker with the ball in his hands and has exceptional speed, but his throwing motion and awareness make previous dual-threat quarterbacks with similar problems look like John Elway. Nebraska has Ohio State next. Expect Martinez’s stat line to look something like this in a win: 8-21, 150 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 20 carries for 95 yards, 1 TD rushing.

14- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Georgia Tech’s running offense looked as good as ever as they racked up nearly 300 yards on the ground against N.C. State. They’ll need a similar performance against Maryland this week.

15- Illinois Fighting Illini: The Illini have won their previous three games by three points each. Nathan Scheelhaase and company cannot afford a letdown against Indiana if they wish to keep a ranking this high.

16- Florida Gators: Florida may not be around this high any longer if quarterback John Brantley is not able to play against LSU. After Brantley suffered an injury against Alabama, the Florida offense seemed to stall. Will Muschamp still has a talented team, though, and will do all he can to give LSU a fight.

17- South Carolina Gamecocks: In what could have been an epic battle of top tier running backs, Marcus Lattimore and South Carolina sputtered. Instead, they watched Michael Dyer carry Auburn all the way to a win. The Gamecocks will have to rebound against Kentucky this week.

18- Arizona State Sun Devils: White helmets and pants just don’t make the Sun Devils look fierce. They’re Devils, they should not be wearing white. Either way, ASU recovered from a lackluster first quarter to beat Oregon State in what was essentially a big hangover from the celebration after beating USC. Going to Utah won’t be as easy, though, and Brock Osweiler will have to cut down on the interceptions this week.

19- Houston Cougars: Houston disappointed a bit after failing to dominate UTEP. The game was almost identical to the upset in 2009 in which UTEP ran the ball down Houston’s throat with Donald Buckram. UTEP still ran all over Houston, but Case Keenum’s 471 yard performance was enough to give the Cougars a win. He’ll need to do it again against ECU next.

20- West Virginia Mountaineers: I questioned the Mountaineers ability to stay in the rankings this week, and they stepped up. By manhandling Bowling Green, West Virginia proved they are the only Big LEast team worthy of being ranked.

21- Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies average play finally got the best of them against Clemson. They absolutely fell flat against the Tigers. I feel as if running back David Wilson is the only thing keeping this team in the top 25.

22- Auburn Tigers: The defending national champion Auburn Tigers are back in the top 25 after Dyer’s strong performance against South Carolina. However, they can easily be sent right back out for good as their next three games are: at Arkansas, vs. Florida, at LSU. Ouch. If they survive and steal two of those three wins, they belong much higher than this ranking suggests.

23- Kansas State Wildcats: My game of the week winners make the rankings for the first time this season as they have started 4-0. Being the first team to intercept Griffin III also helps. The Wildcats can make a big statement in the Big-12 with a win over Missouri.

24- Baylor Bears: Baylor faced a tough team when it traveled to Kansas State. The loss is only a small tarnish on the Bears’ record, and they should be back to normal against Iowa State at home.

25- Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans sneak in with a win over Ohio State. With three teams falling out of the rankings, someone who was previously ranked was only fitting to replace them. They have a week off before facing in-state rival, Michigan.