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.
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