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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 5

December 9, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Florida, 12-1
Alabama was number one in my poll, and Florida beat them in the SEC Championship Game and looked good doing it.  Florida has been on a tear after the loss to Ole Miss.  Tim Tebow has become a great leader, and he has lead this team to where it is now.

2.  Oklahoma, 12-1
There is no easy way to do this.  Oklahoma beat the number two team in my poll, Texas Tech, therefore, I will put them at number 2.  That being said, arguments can be made for both Texas and Oklahoma.  Texas, we know, beat Oklahoma on a neutral field the first weekend of October and only loss to Tech on the road on a TD pass with one second left on the clock.  Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech, and, I might add, is not the same team it was in October.   They are running the ball better, and they have fixed some of their defensive holes.

3.  Texas, 11-1
See Above

4.  Alabama, 12-1
The Tide is a bruising team.  They will absolutely knock you silly on both sides of the ball.  They only had one slip this year.  Unfortunately, it was in their last game against Florida.  I really would love to see them play one of those great Big 12 South games.  Oh well, they play Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

5.  USC, 11-1
No one will know for sure how good USC is.  It was a bad Thursday night in Corvallis earlier this year, and if Oregon State had not have been so beat up by the end of the season, USC would have had somewhere other than the Rose Bowl to go play.

6.  Utah, 12-0

BYU v Utah

The Utes are not a flashy team.  They play good defense, and they are led on offense by a senior QB.  They make just enough plays on offense to win their games.  They run a spread offense, but it is a grind-it-out kind of blue collar offense.  They took care everyone, and then they rallied to knock off TCU before pulling away from BYU to get to that undefeated season.  They deserve what they get.

7.  Texas Tech, 11-1
This is, undoubtedly, the best season in Red Raider history.  Mike Leach showed me something as he worked to improve his running game and his defense to get his team to this special place.  In most years, 11-1 would be good enough for a BCS Bowl.  A blowout loss to Oklahoma did not help their case.

8.  Penn State, 11-1
Joe Pa may have turned his best performance this year.  He just keeps winning games.  His offense was off- the-chart good this year, and his defense was its usual good self.  One loss to an improving Iowa team in Iowa City took them out of the national title hunt.

9.  TCU, 10-2
I just wasn’t sure if the Frogs were a top ten team.  However, after the season was over, I realized they were just a better offense away from being BCS buster material.  The Frog offense was good against most teams, but when they played teams with good defenses (Oklahoma, Utah), they just couldn’t generate enough points.  TCU finished number 2 in the country in total defense, and if you don’t think they were good, give Bob Stoops a call.  The Sooners scored over 700 points this year, but they only scored 35 on the Frogs with 21 of those coming in the first quarter.  That is 19 points below the Sooners’ average.  TCU is good.

10.  Boise State, 12-0
Unfortunately, the Broncos only played one team who was ranked this year making it hard to know how good they really are.  It’s not their fault, but it hurts their credibility.  They get a chance to prove it in the Poinsettia Bowl against TCU.  Many are calling it one of the best match-ups in the bowl season.  Nevetheless, it is really hard to go undefeated in 12 games in spit of who is on your schedule.

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 4

November 17, 2008 By toddler 2 Comments

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 11-0
The Crimson Tide keep winning, but they are starting to look a little less intimidating.  They have some business to take care of in the “Iron Bowl.”  Then, they have to beat Florida, the hottest team in the country, in the SEC Championship Game.  Defeat Arkansas State 35-0, at LSU 27-21 OT, Mississippi State 32-7.

2.  Texas Tech, 10-0
The Red Raiders have played some of the most exciting football in the past three weeks beating routing Kansas and Oklahoma State slipping past Texas 39-33.  The Raiders go to Norman to play the Sooners and then get Baylor at home to finish the season.

3.  Florida, 9-1
Fans can argue that Texas looks better on paper when considering the results, but no one is hotter than Florida is now.  The Gators survived the early part of their schedule, and then they were promptly upset by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels.  Then, the Gators regrouped and have not looked back since.  The Gators won at Georgia (49-10) and Vandy (42-14) and annihilated South Carolina 56-6.

4.  Texas, 10-1
The Longhorns may be the victim of circumstances when it is all over.  The Horns beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and their only loss is on the road in a very close game to Texas Tech.  But, when the dust settles, will Oklahoma get the nod to play in the Big 12 Championship Game?  It could happen.  What do you do with three teams with one loss, to each other, tied for first?  The Horns lost at Texas Tech 39-33, won over Baylor 45-21 and at Kansas 35-7.

5.  Oklahoma, 9-1
The Sooners have rebounded from the October loss to the Longhorns, and they are looking to exact a little revenge on Texas Tech who beat them last year and further completecate the Big 12 South.  However, even if they beat the Raiders, they have to beat a very salty Oklahoma State team in Stillwater.  The Sooners won at Kansas State (58-35), beat Nebraska 62-28, and at Texas A & M 66-28.

6.  USC, 9-1
The Trojans got their revenge on Stanford last week in Palo Alto pulling away for the 45-23 win.  The Trojans beat Washington 56-0, Cal 17-3 and at Stanford (45-23).  Up next is Notre Dame and UCLA.  Unfortunately, USC may go 11-1 and not make the Rose Bowl.  Oregon State controls its own destiny there.

7.  Utah, 11-0
I don’t know what to say about the Running Utes.  They just keep winning.  They aren’t flashy, their defense leads the way and they are able to win the game when trailing.  The Utes beat New Mexico and TCU 13-10 and ripped San Diego State 63-14.  The next game is what locals call the “Holy War.”  It’s the yearly rival with BYU, and it is a home game for Utah.  These kind of games transcend records, so Utah will be in for a tough, close game.  If they win this game, they will go to a BCS Bowl.

8.  Penn State, 10-1
The Nittany Lions is a feel good story, but they saved everyone a lot of Big Ten heartache when they lost at Iowa a couple of weeks ago.  They are still a go for the Rose Bowl.  How do you like that match up, Penn State versus Oregon State, a rematch?  The Lions won at Ohio State  (13-6), lost at Iowa (24-23) and beat Indiana (34-7).  Up next, Michigan State.

9.  Oklahoma State, 9-2
What can you say about the Cowboys?  They have been impressive all year.  Yes they loss two games, but those games were on the road against teams that were ranked number 1 and number 2 when they played them.  OSU had its own gauntlet to run, and they managed beat Missouri on the road.  What’s more, every top 5 team they have played has been on the road.  The next on will be in Stillwater.  After a week off, they get cross state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys beat Iowa State (59-17), loss to Texas Tech (56-20) and beat Colorado (30-17).

10.  Missouri
The Tigers had dropped out in my last poll because they had dropped two straight games.  But give them credit, they are pretty good.  One of those losses was at Texas in Austin.  The Tigers take care of business, and their offense is just so explosive.  They get the unfortunate task of facing whoever survives the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship Game.  Good luck.  The Tiges won at Baylor (31-28), beat Kansas State (41-24) and won at Iowas State (52-20).  Next up, the “Border War” against Kansas on November 29th.

Falling

Penn State (but not out)
Georgia

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 3

October 29, 2008 By toddler 2 Comments

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 8-0
Rarely do I move someone down if they don’t lose.  Alabama has had a few close calls, but those happen during the middle of the season when teams are playing conference games and injuries are piling up.  Last three weeks: Won against Ole Miss 24-20 and at Tennessee W 29-9.  This week, Arkansas State Red Wolves.

2.  Texas, 8-0
The Longhorns have earned their rankings.  They have beaten some good  teams including Oklahoma when they were number 1.  That gives them the number 1 ranking in the BCS Poll.  Last three weeks: (1) Oklahoma (in Dallas) W 45-35, (11) Missouri W 56-31 and (6) Oklahoma State W 28-24.  As you can see, the Horns have run a gauntlet, and this week they travel to Lubbock to take on number 7 ranked Texas Tech.  This time, they are on the road.

3.  Penn State, 9-0
The Nittany Lions are the class of the Big Ten.  They even handled Ohio State last week in the “Horseshoe.”  Last three weeks: at Wisconsin W 48-7, Michigan W 46-17 and at (9) Ohio State W 13-6.  Next up Penn State is at Iowa (11/8).

4.  Texas Tech, 8-0
The Red Raiders is a different animal this year.  They really have a great opportunity with Texas coming in to Lubbock and ESPN’s Gameday in town.  They actually have a running game, and their defense is holding up.  Last three weeks: Nebraska W 37-31 OT, at Texas A&M W 43-25 and at (23) Kansas W 63-21.  Next up, the Longhorns come calling.

5.  Florida, 6-1
The Gators have begun to put things together after getting blindsided by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels in Gainesville.  The offense is beginning to find itself.  The defense has been pretty good outside of the Ole Miss game.  Last three weeks: (4) LSU W 51-21, Kentucky W 63-5.  Next up is Georgia in Jacksonville and the “World’s Largest Cocktail Party.”

6.  USC, 6-1
Unfortunately for the Trojans, they don’t have anyone left on their schedule that’s ranked to improve their strength.  However, their defense seems to be it’s great self again.  No more trips to Corvallis, and maybe a trip to the BCS.  Problem is, Oregon State is leading the conference.  Last three weeks: Arizona State W 28-0, at Washington State W 69-0, and at Arizona W 17-10.  Next up, Washington.

7.  Georgia, 7-1
The Bulldogs are still trying to claw their way back into contention for the BCS title and a special season.  To do that, they will have to beat a very hot Florida team this week.  Georgia does seem to be getting some of their weapons back.  Last three weeks: Tennessee W 26-14, (22) Vanderbilt W 24-14, and at LSU W 52-38.  Up next, Florida.

8.  Oklahoma, 7-1
The Sooners rebounded after their loss to Texas, but their defense seems to be giving up a lot of points.  Of course, they are in the Big 12.  They have a couple of big games later.  For now, they just keep winning to give themselves a shot at the Big 12 Championship game.  Last three weeks: lost to (5) Texas 45-35, Kansas W 45-31, and at Kansas State W 58-35.

9.  Oklahoma State, 7-1
I have a mind to put the Cowboys higher.  They fought Texas “tooth and nail” in Austin before losing close.  The Cowboys have an upset at Missouri.  They have a balanced offense and a pretty good defense.  They might be a big surprise when the year is over.  Last three weeks: at (3) Missouri W 28-23, Baylor W 34-6, and lost to (1) Texas 28-24.

10.  Utah, 8-0

My pick for a BCS buster from the beginning was Utah.  They struggled to look impressive early, but the past few weeks they have begun to look like a worthy team.  They get TCU at home next Thursday night for what will probably decide the Mountain West Conference title.  Last three weeks:  at Wyoming W 40-7 and Colorado State W 49-16.

Falling

Missouri
LSU
BYU

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 2

October 8, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Note: I just want to reiterate my reasoning for updating every 3 weeks.  I read on a message board this week about my doing so as being kind of strange.  That’s fine, maybe I am strange.  Look back at the original post which I will link to on every CFTT Top Ten hereafter.  I think parity, for the most part, has arrived in college football, therefore, I want to see teams play out a few weeks before updating.  Again, at the least, I’ll be kown as “the guy who updates his poll every three weeks.”

1.  Oklahoma, 5-0
The Sooners continue to prove their worth unlike anyone else in the country.  They have not had a close game including road blow outs against Washington (before Locker was injured) and now Baylor.  The even handled TCU at home by 25 points.  Sam Bradford rises in the Heisman Trophy race each week.  This week, they get their toughest test by far, Texas in the Red River Shootout (I mean Rivalry).

2.  Alabama, 6-0
Thus far, the most impressive team because they have knocked off two teams ranked in the top ten, and they won fairly handily.  If you throw out the Georgia game where they gave up 30 points to Matthew Stafford and Co., the defense has only given up 9 points per game.  Their offensive and defensive lines may be the best in the country.  Sure, they struggled with Kentucky, but good teams will struggle in at least one game (usually more), especially after an emotional win against Georgia.  Oh yeah, Kentucky is pretty good.

3.  Missouri, 5-0
The Tigers dominated Nebraska, on the road.  Now, I know the Cornhuskers aren’t quite a top 25 team, but it was still impressive.  Missouri’s schedule hasn’t been the toughest just yet, but their offense is humming.  They have only played one game outside of Missouri, and Texas awaits them in Austin on October 18th.  Take out the Illinois game, and the Mizzou defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game.

4.  LSU, 4-0
The Bengal Tigers should be 5-0, but Hurricane Ike forced the Troy game to be moved to November.  So far, the Tigers have had to revamp their offense with their defense leading the charge.  The last couple of games, it seems that the LSU offense has found an identity.  It seems as if Jarrett Lee is the QB of choice.  After a disasterous start against Auburn, Lee found his poise and threw some nice passes down field giving LSU a deep threat to complement their run attack.  Their defense, however, has uncharacteristically given up 20 plus points the last two games against Auburn and Mississippi State, two teams not known to be great offenses.

5.  Texas, 5-0
The Horns are giving up just 11.4 points per game, and they have played some offenses who have exploded for big scores this year (Rice, UTEP).  Many wondered how they would do on the road against Colorado, but their was appraently nothing to worry about.  They buried Buff in their own stadium setting up a huge game against number one ranked Oklahoma.  Their offense is really playing well, and their defense has been surprising excellent under first year coordinator Will Muschamp.

6.  Penn State, 6-0
The Nitany Lions have been almost as impressive as Alabama.  They beaten everyone handily with their only struggle on the road against Purdue.  The Lions have already played tow road games which gives them early season tests that should be good for the stretch run against Wisconsin (this week) and Ohio State (10/25).  They are the team to beat in the Big Ten.

7.  USC, 3-1
The Trojans have dominated everyone except Oregon State who should prove to be pretty good when the years done.  They don’t have a single ranked team left on their schedule as it is now.  How good are the Trojans, we probably won’t know until the bowl season.  They need a game against a Big 12 or SEC team.

8.  Texas Tech, 5-0
For the first time this year I have the Red Raiders in my top ten.  There are some stats that are standing out that lets me believe this a legitimate top ten team.  First, defense.  They are giving up just 18.4 points per game which is tough considering the type of offense they run.  Second, they are averaging 144.4 yards rushing per game.  That is something that was missing last year, and it looks like Mike Leach has found himself some backs.  Unfortunately for Tech, they are in the same conference with Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.

9.  Georgia, 4-1
I would make too much out of Georgia getting beat by Alabama at home.  The Tide is very good, and so is Georgia.  Georgia was not ready in the first half against Alabama, but once they woke up, they made a very good rally and looked like they would keep their national championship aspirations alive.  Unfortuantely, Knowshon Moreno was hurt, and the score took him out of the game as they were coming from behind.  They still have a tough schedule.

10.  BYU, 5-0
BYU has only had one close game and that was at Washington before Jake Locker was injured.  Their offense is averaging 41.2 points per game and their defense is giving up just 11.6 points per game.  At Utah State Saturday, BYU put it in cruise control during the second half winning 34-14.  After hosting New Mexico Saturday, they have to come to Fort Worth on Thursday to play the Horned Frogs.  TCU made it close in Provo last year, and their defense has been dominant.

Rising

BYU
Alabama
Texas Tech
Penn State

Falling

South Florida
Oregon
Auburn

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CFTT Top Ten

October 1, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Note:  Remember, poll is updated every 3 weeks.  The poll will be updated next week.

1. USC
The Trojans were ambushed by the Beavers in Corvallis.  They play Oregon in LA.

2. Oklahoma
The new number 1 team in the polls defeated a good TCU team in Norman on Saturday.  The Sooners play a Baylor team coming in with a bit of a swagger in Waco.

3. Florida
The Gators were caught off guard Saturday against Ole Miss in Gainesville.  The will most likely be very “upset” when they play at Arkansas on Saturday.

4.  Georgia
The ‘Dawgs got knocked around against Alabama in Athens, but the rallied only to fall short. They get Tennessee at home and will be looking to take out their frustrations on one of the most disappointing teams so far this season.

5.  LSU
The Tigers beat Mississippi State on Saturday and get the week off before traveling to Gainesville to take on Floriday on October 11.  The Tigers running game continues to roll, and they may have found the perfect complement in the passing game with Jarret Lee who passed for 261 yards against Mississippi State.

6.  Missouri
Mizzou sat at home last week watching Tyrod Taylor and the Virginia Tech offense tear up their next opponent, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Chase Daniel will be ready.  The game is in Lincoln.

7.  South Florida
The Bulls haven’t been particularly impressive, but all they have done is win.  The may have put it all together last week when they routed NC State.  This week they host Pitt on national TV.

8.  Oregon
I thought that the Ducks would struggle with Boise State, and they did losing close.  This week the Duck travel to USC.  Oregon is playing with a back up QB, and we all know how that worked out last year.

9.  Auburn
The Tigers have a highly anticipated game against a ranked and undefeated SEC East team who is also in first of the SEC East standings.  No, it’s not Florida, or Georgia.  Auburn travels to Nashville to play the SEC East leading Vanderbilt Commodores.  Vandy is ranked at 19th too.  What’s next, Ball State will be undefeated too?

10.  Texas
The Razorbacks were no match for the Longhorns Saturday, and the Buffaloes better bring some defense if they want to beat the Horns.  Will Muschamp has the Texas defense playing better, and Colt McCoy looks like a career passing leader for Texas.

AP Top Ten

AP Top 25
1. Oklahoma (43) 4-0 1,599
2. Alabama (21) 5-0 1,565
3. LSU 4-0 1,466
4. Missouri (1) 4-0 1,453
5. Texas 4-0 1,362
6. Penn State 5-0 1,252
7. Texas Tech 4-0 1,105
8. Brigham Young 4-0 1,098
9. USC 2-1 1,087
10. South Florida 5-0 1,035

USA Today Poll

USA Today Poll
1. Oklahoma (57) 4-0 1,520
2. LSU (1) 4-0 1,399
3. Missouri 4-0 1,398
4. Alabama (2) 5-0 1,350
5. Texas (1) 4-0 1,310
6. Penn State 5-0 1,146
7. Brigham Young 4-0 1,054
8. Texas Tech 4-0 1,047
9. USC 2-1 990
10. Georgia 4-1 888

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CFTT Top Ten Week 5

September 23, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

Note: Remember, I only update my poll every three weeks.

1. USC
The Trojans have only played two games, but everyone agrees that they have looked far more impressive than anyone else in the country with maybe the exception of Alabama.  Next up, at Oregon State on Thursday night.

2.  Oklahoma
The Sooners got a week off to avenge an upset loss at home to TCU in 2005.  The Frogs make the trip to Norman this week where they have won the past two times they have played (1996, 2005).  However, this Sooner team is far and away better than any other team.  Also, it seem that the off season decision by the coaches to switch to a no huddle offense is paying big dividends, especially in light of the clock rule changes.

3.  Florida
The Gators absolutely creamed Tennessee.  Having not seen Florida play, it does seem that the offensive numbers are more balanced this year.  That could only lead to a healthier Tebow at the end of the year.

4.  Georiga
The ‘Dawgs passed their road test at Arizona State with flying colors last week.  Next up they get a much improved Alabama team.

5.  LSU
The Bayou Tigers raced by Auburn on the “Plains” this past Saturday giving them a leg up on the SEC West race.  Next up is Mississippi State who seems to have taken a step backwards this year.

6.  Missouri
Mizzou beat a pretty good Buffalo team and get a week off to get ready for an improved Nebraska team.  The Huskers have taken care of business, but they haven’t faced this kind of offensive fire power yet.

7.  South Florida
The Bulls followed up an impressive win against Kansas with a sloppy win against Florida International.  Defense still reigns for USF, and it still is the driving force toward a possible Big East Championship.

8.  Oregon
The Ducks injury problems continue, and Boise State took advantage of it to upset Oregon in Eugene.  Oregon has a chance to rebound at Washington State before a date with the Trojans.

9.  Auburn
The Tigers offense did much better last week against LSU, but it wasn’t enough to out do Jarrett Lee’s performance in the second half for LSU.  They get a game with the “falling fast” Tennessee Vols to help them ease the pain of that loss.

10.  Texas
The Longhorns continue to impress beating a decent Rice team easily Saturday.  The Horns get to hook the Razorbacks Saturday on national TV.

Falling

Oregon

Rising

Alabama
Wisconsin

AP Top Ten

  1. USC (62)
  2. Oklahoma
  3. Georgia (2)
  4. Florida (1)
  5. LSU
  6. Missouri
  7. Texas
  8. Alabama
  9. Wisconsin
  10. Texas Tech

USA Today Top Ten

  1. USC (56)
  2. Oklahoma (2)
  3. Georgia (2)
  4. Florida (1)
  5. Missouri
  6. LSU
  7. Texas
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Texas Tech
  10. Alabama

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CFTT Top Ten: Poll Number 2

September 15, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

The three week mark is up, and it is now time to update the Collegefootballtopten.com Top Ten.

1.  USC, 2-0
The Trojans have only played two games, but they were both blow outs against legitimate BCS opponents (we think).  They absolutely demolished Virginia in their place two weeks ago, and took apart an overwhelmed Ohio State team in The Coliseum Saturday night.  If Pete Carroll doesn’t win every game in the Pac 10 this year, he should be fired.

2.  Oklahoma, 3-0
Oklahoma has already accomplished something this year they didn’t last year.  Sam Bradford has learned how to win on the road, outside of Oklahoma.  O.k., the Sooners beat the Longhorns in Dallas, but you know what I mean.  The Sooners completely annihilated the Washington Huskies on Saturday night.  The Sooners should have a few epic battles this year, starting with the one in Dallas.  They get a week off to get ready for a TCU team that has beaten them two straight in Norman.

3.  Florida, 2-0
The Gators took the week off after knocking off a gutsy Miami team.  They are back to take on the Tennessee Vols in Knoxville.  They get LSU on October 11.

4.  Georgia, 3-0
The ‘Dawgs struggled at South Carolina last week.  I think the sign of a great team is when the defense can carry the load when the offense struggles and vice versa.  That is what happened on Saturday.

5.  LSU, 2-0
The Tigers squeaked by North Texas at home 41-3.  LSU showed a vulnerability at QB in the passing game.  They may not need it against Auburn, but they will certainly need it at Florida on October 11.

6.  Missouri, 3-0
I jumped the Tigers over Oregon because I think they are a better team right now.  They gave up a lot of points to Illinois, but their defense has settled down since then.  Their game at home this week against Buffalo and at Nebraska (Oct. 4) will challenge them even more.

7.  South Florida, 3-0
The Bulls survived Kansas at home, and they only have one more ranked team on the schedule the rest of the year as it is right now.  That team is West Virginia, and it remains to be seen if they will stay ranked.  USF should have plenty of time to get all of the kinks worked out.  They really are the hope of the Big East this year.

8.  Oregon, 3-0
The Ducks have done everything you could ask, but they have an injured starting QB.  We remember what happened when they had an injured starting QB last year.  I think the Ducks have a better plan in place this year.  They have a couple of tests before their showdown at USC on October 4.

9.  Auburn, 3-0
The Tigers have looked pretty good until they played at Starkville beating Mississippi State 3-2.  Yeah, you read that right, 3-2.  I am not really sure what happened.  Auburn’s new spread attack was supposed to make the Tigers have a more potent attack.  I guess you have off days.  They need to not have an off day this week as they host LSU.

10.  Texas, 2-0
The Longhorns have been impressive thus far this year.  They get a “tune up” game for the postponed Arkansas game against an improved Rice Owl team.  More importantly, it seems as if Will Muschamp may have worked his magic on the Texas defense.  The Longhorns shut down two teams with QB’s from my Top Ten Returning QB’s list, Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic) and Trevor Vitatoe (UTEP).

Falling

Ohio State
Clemson

Rising

Texas
Auburn
Wisconsin
Alabama
BYU

USA Today Coaches Top Ten

1. USC (57) (2-0) 1518 1
2. Oklahoma (1) (3-0) 1423 3
3. Georgia (2) (3-0) 1393 2
4. Florida (1) (2-0) 1335 4
5. Missouri (3-0) 1294 6
6. LSU (2-0) 1233 7
7. Texas (2-0) 1128 8
8. Wisconsin (3-0) 1027 10
9. Auburn (3-0) 955 9
10. Texas Tech (3-0) 887 12

AP Top Ten

1. USC (61) (2-0) 1596 1
2. Oklahoma (3-0) 1485 3
3. Georgia (2) (3-0) 1437 2
4. Florida (1) (2-0) 1414 4
5. Missouri (3-0) 1389 6
6. LSU (2-0) 1274 7
7. Texas (2-0) 1140 8
8. Wisconsin (3-0) 1076 10
9. Alabama (3-0) 982 11
10. Auburn

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CFTT Top Ten: Week 2

September 7, 2008 By toddler Leave a Comment

As I said in a previous post, my top ten will be updated once every three weeks.  Nevertheless, I will post results of the teams in my top ten so that we can follow their body of work.  Therefore, let’s take a look.

1.  Ohio State, 2-0
Ohio State defeated Ohio University 26-14 this week after a 43-0 pounding of Youngstown State. The absence of “Beanie” Wells seemed to hurt the Buckeyes.  They play USC next week in LA.

2.   USC, 1-0
The Trojans throttled Virginia at their place the first weekend, and as a reward, they sat home and got ready for the Buckeyes.  Before the season I would have given the nod to Ohio State in the coming game, but after what I have seen in two weeks, I believe that USC should win.  Never play Pete Carroll when he has time to prepare.  Check out his opening games the last several years.  It’s unbelievable.

3.  Oklahoma, 2-0
The Sooners finally put away Cincinnati winning 52-26.  Next week the Sooners travel to play at Washington who lost a heart-breaker to BYU.  The Sooner offense seems to be explosive again this year.

4.  Florida, 2-0
The Gators struggled against a tenacious Miami team at the Swamp Saturday night.  They took over in the fourth quarter to win 26-3.  The Gators get a week off before traveling to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Vols.

5.  Georgia, 2-0
The Dawgs have opened the season doing exactly what it should, beating two out-manned football teams (Georgia Southern and Central Michigan).  They are at South Carolina next week who was bounced in Nashville to Vanderbilt.

6.  Clemson, 1-1
The Tigers bounced back from their opening season loss to Alabama in Atlanta by beating The Citadel.  Games coming up against North Carolina State and South Carolina State will continue to be soothing to the soul.  They have a showdown at Wake Forest on October 9th.

7.  LSU, 1-0
The Tigers would just like to play a game.  Damage from Hurricane Gustav at Tiger Stadium postponed their game with Troy until November 15th, and Hurricane Ike is threatening to postpone or relocate their game against North Texas this weekend.

8.  Oregon, 2-0
The Ducks are coming along nicely beating Washington (44-10) and Utah State (66-24).  They go to Purdue next week before returning home for Boise State.

9.  Missouri, 2-0
The Tigers are averaging 52 points a game.  They scored 52 when they outscored Illinois in St. Louis, and they scored, yep you guessed it, 52 while pounding Southeast Missouri State (we called them SEMO when I was a kid).  Mizzou doesn’t leave the state of Missouri until October 4th when they go to Lincoln to play Nebraska.  They only leave the state 3 more times all year (Texas, Baylor and Iowa State).  Up next is Nevada (September 13) and Buffalo (September 20).

10.  South Florida, 2-0
The Bulls put a beat-down Tennessee-Martin (56-7) the first week and survived at UCF (31-24) in OT on Saturday.  Matt Grothe passed for 346 yards as the Bulls won an emotional game in front of the UCF home crowd.  USF gets Kansas at home Friday night.  It should be a good game between two top 20 teams.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, 2008 CFTT Top Ten Tagged With: ,

My Poll

August 31, 2008 By toddler 3 Comments

I want to explain the philosophy of my poll in 2008.  I decide on this in the offseason after I saw so many upsets last year.  The top ten was like a yo yo, teams descending and ascending at rapid paces.  To start with, my preseason poll is where I think teams are now.  Some polls are merely a prediction of how the season will unfold.  And, I will admit that in the past, my preseason poll looked better at the end of the season than it did at the first of the season with regard to some of the teams.  Nevertheless, when it comes to my preseason poll, my intention is to rank who I think are the ten best teams as the season starts.  That being said, I am kind of the opinion of some who think there should not even be a preseason poll, but not completely.

So, with my poll, I am going to do something that I think is unique (it may not be, but I think it is).  I am going to update my poll every three weeks.  That’s right, I am not going to labor every single week on my poll.  This week’s upset might look like a good loss (if there is such a thing) in a couple of weeks.  For example, take Alabama.  They “upset” Clemson Saturday night in the Chick-fil-a Classic complete with commercial cows.  Alabama isn’t supposed to be a top ten teams the experts say.  Maybe they aren’t.  I surmise this, either Clemson isn’t as good as everyone thought they would be, or Alabama is going to make a significant improvement this year.  As I watched that game, my gut reaction was that they would win 10 games.  That was not me breaking down their schedule or anything, just a gut reaction, a hunch.  Take it for what it’s worth.  They had plenty of Freshmen on the field, but it was Clemson who was making all the rookie mistakes.  Alabama looked mature and seasoned.  Clemson may thump everyone else on their schedule making Alabama’s win look great.  Therefore, for my poll, I want a body of work to look at.  Each team in my poll gets three weeks.

This is my site and my poll, so I can do that.  Other sites, other polls, etc., they can do it every week.  This is my experiement.  At the least, I can be known as the guy who updates his poll every three weeks.  So, Clemson is safe in my poll. . . . . . for now.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, 2008 CFTT Top Ten Tagged With: , , ,