Top 25 rankings - Oct 3rd

Well it was a weekend of big time matchups, but the home teams ran up the score in almost all of the big ones. My top two teams look stronger than ever, and the gap from there down is growing rapidly.

1. Alabama 5-0 (1) - This Florida team was overrated sure, but let's not underestimate the whooping of a 31-6 win against a team that has not lost a regular season game in over two years, not since Tim Tebow gave his epic speech. Roll Tide roll.

2. Oregon 5-0 (2) - And as dominant of a Bama win as that was, I'm so impressed with Oregon thus far that they pull even closer to #1 and away from the pack. Still averaging 56+ points a game, this team is video game fast.

3. Boise St 4-0 (3) - The Broncos won't even be sort of challenged again for another seven weeks. Will we forget about them by then?

4. Ohio St 5-0 (5) - That win against Miami is looking better and better by the week.

5. Nebraska 4-0 (4)
6. Auburn 5-0 (9)
7. Arizona 4-0 (8)
8. Utah 4-0 (10)
9. TCU 6-0 (11)

10. LSU 5-0 (7) - Last week I said there was no shame just surviving against West Va, implying that a win is a win. Well I'm not so sure. Struggling against a very mediocre Tennessee team is one thing, but giving the game away about five different ways in one of the most bizarre finishes I've seen is something else all together. Second and goal on the three, no timeouts left, but like 30-35 seconds, and LSU runs into the line and amidst many substitutions DOESNT SNAP THE BALL TIL 3 SECONDS LEFT and then it's a fumble to the QB. Time runs out, LSU loses at home, pandemonium... only Tennessee screwed up worse with 13 (yes 13) men on the field, LSU gets one more chance, and gets the win with 0:00 left. This offense is absolutely pitiful and the upcoming schedule gets brutal quickly.

11. Michigan 5-0 (16) - Ok so the defense sucks. Can you imagine putting Denard in an LSU uniform? Holy smokes. But yeah, I watched Denard play today and I'm a believer. Heisman rankings are all for 2nd place right now if he stays healthy.

12. Oklahoma 5-0 (19) - I don't really believe that the Sooners are one of the twelve best teams in the country, and they struggled to put away an overrated Texas team today. Landry Jones may have saved the season with his heady play to bat the ominous fumble out of bounds. But overrated or not, there's a pretty solid chance we are looking at OU and/or Nebraska facing one another in the final Big XII title game knowing that one or even either of them winning will knock Boise or Utah or TCU out of a title game. I'm not ok with that right now.

13. Stanford 4-1 (6) - I think the Cardinal are possibly one of the top five teams in the country, and what they did on the road in Oregon tonight was very impressive, but the whole thing unravelled on one fluke play where the receiver got knocked out and fumbled away a TD in a tie game, a punch to the gut and close to a 14 point swing. I can't discredit them too much for that. Andrew Luck is the real deal, and I hope they thrash USC next week. These #13-16 teams are all very close right now.

14. Iowa 4-1 (14) - The Hawkeyes allowed 27 points in one half on the road in Arizona when everything went wrong. This sick defense has allowed just 24 combined in their other nine halves, now including a Penn St beatdown just as dominant as the one Bama put on them.

15. Miami 3-1 (15) - Very impressive road wins in Pittsburgh and Clemson in back to back weeks. Neither of those places is easy to win at all, and the Canes won both with relative ease.

16. Arkansas 3-1 (13) - No game for a week and they drop three spots. Bummer.

17. Oklahoma St 4-0 (12) - I didn't see a lot but I was unimpressed with the overtime win against Texas A&M. I don't see any real reason they should be ranked higher than...

18. Missouri 4-0 (23) - ... Mizzou, who moved up five spots by doing nothing. That's what happens when numbers 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25 all go down. It's not always bad to have an off week.

19. Nevada 5-0 (21) - Top 20, really? For lack of other options... yes.

20. Florida 4-1 (20) - Unlike the real polls, I had the Gators about appropriately ranked going into this week. And a young top 20 team playing on the road at the #1 squad is going to lose. Florida's defense is still far too talented to drop out of the rankings, and next week when LSU visits, the first team to cross the goal line may well win.

21. Michigan State 5-0 (NR) - Hey look, it's the Spartans' annual foray into the lower part of the top 25 for a week or two before struggling to make a bowl game!

22. Baylor 4-1 (NR) - Yeah you better believe I'm ranking a one-loss Baylor team. So they lost by 35 at TCU, you would too. They also just destroyed Kansas 55-7 in an eye opener, and the defense looks as real as the offense with only 29 combined allowed in the four non-TCU games. The Bears could go as high as 7-1 before reality sets in.

23. Air Force 4-1 (NR) - Not a beauty pageant here in my rankings. The Falcons are looking good and average close to 400 rushing yards a game. The MWC is starting to look pretty strong to me, with Air Force and San Diego St looking like worth #3 and #4 teams. Both of them get the Utes at home after a road trip to TCU, and these are teams to pay attention to since those games will have a significant bearing on the title in 2010. The only loss was by 3 on the road to Oklahoma. Maybe not a fluke after all.

24. Florida St 4-1 (NR) - I guess #24 is where I put teams that I can't stand but can't keep out of the rankings any longer. Like USC this week, hopefully the Noles go down in Wide Right XVIII against the Canes next week.

25. Northwestern 5-0 (NR) - And they'll be 6-0 after Purdue next week! They don't have to play Ohio St either, and they get Iowa at home. Is there a story here??! .... Nahhhhh.

Dropped from rankings - Penn St (17), Wisconsin (20), NC State (22), USC (24), Texas (25)

Next week's biggest matchups...
#5 Nebraska @ Kansas State (Thursday)
#10 LSU @ #20 Florida
#24 Florida St @ #15 Miami
#21 Michigan St @ #11 Michigan (College GameDay destination?)
USC @ #13 Stanford
#1 Alabama @ South Carolina