College Football Haven Top 25, Final, 2010

The Auburn Tigers are the College Football Haven 2010 National Champions! What about TCU? It is tempting to have a split national championship, especially since I think it is far from a foregone conclusion that Auburn would beat TCU. However, I have made a decision to never have a split national champion. Unlike other polls, College Football Haven will not hesitate to strip Auburn of the title, and award it to TCU, if sometime in the future it is concluded that either Auburn or Cam Newton did violate NCAA rules.

I am not going to belabor the point on the final rankings. They speak for themselves, except that I have included each team’s preseason ranking in parenthesis (OTW = Others to watch). At the end is a list of teams ranked in the preseason, but are not ranked in the final rankings.

1. Auburn, 14-0 (OTW)
LAST: Beat Oregon 22-19.
How will Gene Chizik follow this one up?

2. TCU, 13-0 (4)
LAST: Beat Wisconsin 21-19.
Would love to see TCU square off with Auburn.

3. Oregon, 12-1 (21)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 22-19.
Despite sour end, it was a great, great year for the Ducks.

4. Stanford, 12-1 (OTW)
LAST: Beat Virginia Tech 40-12.
Best season in 70 years. Soak it in this off season, Cardinal fans.

5. Ohio State, 12-1 (6)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 31-26.
Finally got that SEC monkey off their back.

6. Nevada, 13-1 (NR)
LAST: Beat Boston College 20-13.
What would Nevada give to redo that trip to Hawaii?

7. Boise State, 12-1 (1)
LAST: Beat Utah 26-3.
Could have been Boise’s best team ever. Fate played a cruel trick.

8. Wisconsin, 11-2 (11)
LAST: Lost to TCU 21-19.
Lots of great moments for the Badgers this year.

9. LSU, 11-2 (18)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 41-24.
Very good rebound year for the Tigers. Is a national championship next?

10. Oklahoma, 12-2 (2)
LAST: Beat UConn 48-20.
The BCS monkey is off the Sooners’ back.

11. Oklahoma State, 11-2 (NR)
LAST: Beat Arizona 36-10.
Special season for the Cowboys. Good to see it end on a positive note.

12. Alabama, 10-3 (5)
LAST: Beat Michigan State 49-7.
We knew it would be very, very difficult to repeat, but it would be easier to accept the results if the Tide didn’t blow that 24-0 lead against bitter rival Auburn.

13. Arkansas, 10-3 (10)
LAST: Lost to Ohio State 31-26.
Can Bobby Petrino replace Ryan Mallet?

14. Michigan State, 11-2 (NR)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 49-7.
Two ugly losses marred an otherwise terrific season.

15. Missouri, 10-3 (NR)
LAST: Lost to Iowa 27-24.
Surprise team from the Big 12.

16. Virginia Tech, 11-3 (13)
LAST: Lost to Stanford 40-12.
The Hokies need to carry the ACC banner better.

17. UCF, 11-3 (NR)
LAST: Beat Georgia 10-6.
Best season in school history.

18. Texas A&M, 9-4 (NR)
LAST: Lost to LSU 41-24.
This season has some weird twists, but still had several marquee moments.

19. Nebraska, 10-4 (12)
LAST: Lost to Washington 19-7.
A season with a lot of promise ends with identical record as 2009.

20. Florida State, 10-4 (17)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 26-17.
Good start to the Jimbo Fisher era.

21. Utah, 10-3 (NR)
LAST: Lost to Boise State 26-3.
Very hard to figure out the Utes this year. Might be in for a rude awakening next year in the Pac-12.

22. Northern Illinois, 11-3 (NR)
LAST: Beat Fresno State 40-17.
Impressive year for the Huskies.

23. Mississippi State, 9-4 (NR)
LAST: Beat Michigan 52-14.
Break out year for the bulldogs.

24. Maryland, 9-4 (NR)
LAST: Beat East Carolina 51-20.
Terp fans need to focus on the good from this year. Worry about the weird coaching events later.

25. Tulsa, 10-3 (NR)
LAST: Beat Hawaii 62-35.
Would have liked to see Tulsa face UCF in CUSA championship game.

Preseason Drop Outs:
3-Iowa
7-USC
8-Miami
9-Texas
14-Pitt
15-Oregon State
16-Florida
19-Penn State
20-Georgia Tech
22-North Carolina
23-BYU
24-Washington
25-Houston

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Week 14

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 14, 2010

The College Football Haven Top 25 saw some shake up after the slow weekend. The top 10 stayed the same. The Big XII championship game caused some shake up in the top 15. Oklahoma was number 16 while Nebraska was number 11. I am still not that high on Oklahoma, but they are the Big XII champ with an 11-2 record, so I can’t justify keeping them ranked below another Big XII team. I am 95% ready to forgive Virginia Tech for losing to James Madison. I would have the Hokies number 10 (the top two loss team) if it wasn’t for that loss. Beat Stanford in the Orange Bowl and I will treat VT the same as every other two loss team.

UCF is back in the rankings after winning the Conference USA championship. Very, very reluctantly, I have ranked Connecticut number 25. They are the Big East representative in the BCS, and while it isn’t worth much, it is enough to get them in over other four loss teams and some three loss teams (Northern Illinois, Tulsa, Navy).

1. Oregon (12-0)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 37-20.

2. Auburn (13-0)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 56-14.

3. TCU (12-0)
LAST: Bye.

4. Stanford (11-1)
LAST: Bye.

5. Michigan State (11-1)
LAST: Bye.

6. Wisconsin (11-1)
LAST: Bye.

7. Ohio State (11-1)
LAST: Bye.

8. Nevada (12-1)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 34-17.

9. Boise State (11-1)
LAST: Beat Utah State 50-14.

10. Arkansas (10-2)
LAST: Bye.

11. Virginia Tech (11-2)
LAST: Beat Florida State 44-33.

12. LSU (10-2)
LAST: Bye.

13. Oklahoma (11-2)
LAST: Beat Nebraska 23-20.

14. Missouri (10-2)
LAST: Bye.

15. Texas A&M (9-3)
LAST: Bye.

16. Nebraska (10-3)
LAST: Lost Oklahoma 23-20.

17. Oklahoma State (10-2)
LAST: Bye.

18. Alabama (9-3)
LAST: Bye.

19. Utah (10-2)
LAST: Bye.

20. Hawaii (10-3)
LAST: Beat UNLV 59-21.

21. West Virginia (9-3)
LAST: Beat Rutgers 35-14.

22. UCF (10-3)
LAST: Beat SMU 17-7.

23. South Carolina (9-4)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 56-14.

24. Florida State (9-4)
LAST: Lost to Virginia Tech 44-33.

25. Connecticut (8-4)
LAST: Beat South Florida 19-16.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Navy, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Mississippi State.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 13, 2010

For the first time in 2010, College Football Haven has a new number 1. The Nevada upset of Boise State was reminiscent of USC-Texas in the Rose Bowl following the 2005 season. Boise State appeared invincible. With just one final hurdle to clear, Boise State faltered. The one-tenth of one percent exception happened. Congratulations to Nevada for dethroning Boise State. The Wolf Pack has soared all the way up to number 8.

Oregon jumps from number 3 to number one. The Ducks beat a solid Arizona team by 19 points. Auburn trailed 24-0! That is basically what it boiled down to. It also isn’t the first scare that the Tigers have had, either.

The Big XII presented a quagmire for the rankings with Oklahoma beating Oklahoma State. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and Missouri all have a 10-2 record, while red hot Texas A&M is 9-3 but with recent big wins over Oklahoma and Nebraska—the two teams in the Big XII title game. When I looked at the overall head-to-head play of these five teams, it fell into place. For teams tied with the same head-to-head among the five, I went to head-to-head between those two. The results were as follows:

11. Nebraska was 2-1 (Beat Missouri and Oklahoma State, lost to Texas A&M)
13. Missouri was 2-1 (Beat Texas A&M and Oklahoma, lost to Nebraska)
15. Texas A&M was 2-2 (Beat Oklahoma and Nebraska, lost to Missouri and Oklahoma State)
16. Oklahoma was 1-2 (Beat Oklahoma State, lost to Texas A&M and Missouri)
17. Oklahoma State was 1-2 (Beat Texas A&M, lost to Oklahoma and Nebraska)

There has been a Big East sighting. West Virginia has cracked the list at 24. However, the Mountaineers need UConn (7-4) to lose to South Florida for them to get the Big East’s BCS AQ bid.

1. Oregon (11-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona 48-29.

2. Auburn (12-0)
LAST: Beat Alabama 28-27.

3. TCU (12-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico 66-17.

4. Stanford (11-1)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 38-0.

5. Michigan State (11-1)
LAST: Beat Penn State 28-22.

6. Wisconsin (11-1)
LAST: Beat Northwestern 70-23.

7. Ohio State (11-1)
LAST: Beat Michigan 37-7.

8. Nevada (11-1)
LAST: Beat Boise State 34-31 OT.

9. Boise State (10-1)
LAST: Lost to Nevada 34-31 OT.

10. Arkansas (10-2)
LAST: Beat LSU 31-23.

11. Nebraska (10-2)
LAST: Beat Colorado 45-17.

12. LSU (10-2)
LAST: Lost to Arkansas 31-23.

13. Missouri (10-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas 35-7.

14. Virginia Tech (10-2)
LAST: Beat Virginia 37-7.

15. Texas A&M (9-3)
LAST: Beat Texas 24-17.

16. Oklahoma (10-2)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma State 47-41.

17. Oklahoma State (10-2)
LAST: Lost to Oklahoma 47-41.

18. Northern Illinois (10-2)
LAST: Beat Eastern Michigan 71-3.

19. Alabama (9-3)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 28-27.

20. Utah (10-2)
LAST: Beat BYU 17-16.

21. South Carolina (9-3)
LAST: Beat Clemson 29-7.

22. Florida State (9-3)
LAST: Beat Florida 31-7.

23. Hawaii (9-3)
LAST: Beat New Mexico State 59-24.

24. West Virginia (8-3)
LAST: Beat Pittsburgh 35-10.

25. Tulsa (9-3)
LAST: Beat Southern Mississippi 56-50.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Navy, UCF.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 12, 2010

Once again, there was a lot of movement at the bottom of the rankings, but that is normal at the end of the year. The rest of the rankings were held intact. Nebraska was the only team in the top 20 to lose. That Nebraska loss to Texas A&M did cause some teams to drop one spot, since A&M moved up seven spots, but the order of those teams did not change.

I am invoking an exception to my rule of giving preference to the better overall win-loss record for ranking teams. The Aggies have lost three games, but I have them ranked above some two loss teams, and one loss Nevada because Texas A&M has beaten Nebraska and Oklahoma. Both are two loss teams. Also, when you look at A&M’s losses, they are to Oklahoma State (10-1), Missouri (9-2) and Arkansas (9-2).

No Big East team is in the rankings, again. The MAC, Conference USA, and WAC all have teams ranked. The WAC actually has three (Boise State-1, Nevada-18, and Hawaii-24).

1. Boise State (10-0)
LAST: Beat Fresno State 51-0.

2. Auburn (11-0)
LAST: Bye.

3. Oregon (10-0)
LAST: Bye.

4. TCU (11-0)
LAST: Bye.

5. LSU (10-1)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 43-36.

6. Stanford (10-1)
LAST: Beat Cal 48-14.

7. Michigan State (10-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 35-31.

8. Wisconsin (10-1)
LAST: Beat Michigan 48-28.

9. Oklahoma State (10-1)
LAST: Beat Kansas 48-14.

10. Ohio State (10-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa 20-17.

11. Alabama (9-2)
LAST: Beat Georgia State 63-7.

12. Arkansas (9-2)
LAST: Beat Mississippi State 38-31.

13. Missouri (9-2)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 14-0.

14. Texas A&M (8-3)
LAST: Beat Nebraska 9-6.

15. Oklahoma (9-2)
LAST: Beat Baylor 53-24.

16. Nebraska (9-2)
LAST: Lost to Texas A&M 9-6.

17. Virginia Tech (9-2)
LAST: Beat Miami 31-17.

18. Nevada (10-1)
LAST: Beat New Mexico State 52-6.

19. Utah (9-2)
LAST: Beat San Diego State 38-34.

20. Northern Illinois (9-2)
LAST: Beat Ball State 59-21.

21. South Carolina (8-3)
LAST: Beat Troy 69-24.

22. North Carolina State (8-3)
LAST: Beat North Carolina 29-25.

23. Florida State (8-3)
LAST: Beat Maryland 30-16.

24. Hawaii (8-3)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 41-7.

25. Southern Mississippi (8-3)
LAST: Beat Houston 59-41.

OTHERS TO WATCH: West Virginia, Arizona, Navy, Ohio, Southern Mississippi, UCF.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 11, 2010

I made a slight change in the top 5 this week. Oregon slipped to number 3 for barely beating Cal. Many others might be willing to look the other way, but I am not. Sure it was on the road, but if you are a national champion caliber team, you can go into 5-4 team’s house and score more than 15 and win by more than 2.

I also bumped Michigan State up to number 7. That was a result of Iowa losing. I had dropped the Spartans below the Hawkeyes since Iowa thoroughly dominated Michigan State a few weeks back, but now that Iowa has three losses I can’t keep Michigan State behind them. I also can’t keep Michigan State behind Wisconsin since Sparty won head-to-head 34-24. Therefore, even though Wisconsin left me speechless with their 83-20 win, they dropped one spot.

For the second straight week, the MAC has two teams, Northern Illinois and Temple. I noticed that Northern Illinois beat Temple earlier this year, so NIU has moved ahead of them in the rankings. If Temple wins its next two, then they will meet again in the MAC Championship game.

The bottom five teams are the first three loss teams to be ranked this year. Texas A&M is the top among them for having both quality wins (Oklahoma and Baylor) and quality losses (Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Missouri). USC comes next because without two last second field goals (one by Stanford) the Trojans would be 9-1. I have been reluctant to rank Northwestern this year even when their record was much glossier, but I can’t deny them a spot now. South Carolina gets the nod over Mississippi State for 24 as the SEC East division champions and for beating Alabama earlier this year, while Mississippi State lost to the Crimson Tide on Saturday. San Diego State lands the final spot despite losing this week, because they had quality losses and no other three loss team impresses me.

1. Boise State (9-0)
LAST: Beat Idaho 52-14.

2. Auburn (11-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 49-31.
Last minute ejections could prove costly against Alabama.

3. Oregon (10-0)
LAST: Beat Cal 15-13.
The Ducks don’t look invincible anymore.

4. TCU (11-0)
LAST: Beat San Diego State 40-35.
Did TCU have a letdown or were they exposed?

5. LSU (9-1)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 51-0.

6. Stanford (9-1)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 17-13.
What happened to both teams’ offenses?

7. Michigan State (9-1)
LAST: Bye.

8. Wisconsin (9-1)
LAST: Beat Indiana 83-20.

9. Nebraska (9-1)
LAST: Beat Kansas 20-3.

10. Oklahoma State (9-1)
LAST: Beat Texas 33-16.
The Cowboys better not look past the Kansas Jayhawks.

11. Ohio State (9-1)
LAST: Beat Penn State 38-14.

12. Alabama (8-2)
LAST: Beat Mississippi State 30-10.

13. Arkansas (8-2)
LAST: Beat UTEP 58-21.

14. Missouri (8-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 38-28.

15. Oklahoma (8-2)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 45-7.

16. Virginia Tech (8-2)
LAST: Beat North Carolina 26-10.

17. Nevada (9-1)
LAST: Beat Fresno State 35-34.

18. Utah (8-2)
LAST: Lost to Notre Dame 28-3.

19. Northern Illinois (8-2)
LAST: Beat Toledo 65-30.
Can clinch the MAC West with a win this week.

20. Temple (8-2)
LAST: Bye.
Huge game against Ohio on Tuesday.

21. Texas A&M (7-3)
LAST: Beat Baylor 42-30.

22. USC (7-3)
LAST: Beat Arizona 24-21.
No last second field goal to spoil this one for USC.

23. Northwestern (7-3)
LAST: Beat Iowa 21-17.

24. South Carolina (7-3)
LAST: Beat Florida 36-14.

25. San Diego State (7-3)
LAST: Lost to TCU 40-35.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Florida State, North Carolina State, Mississippi State, Miami, Iowa, Southern Mississippi, Maryland, UCF.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 10, 2010

Boise State may be falling in the other rankings, but they are staying put in the College Football Haven Top 25. They rolled up 747 yards of total offense against a good Hawaii team, and they held the potent Warriors offense to just 196 yards. I know rankings are based on just one season, but without a better way to judge, I give the Broncos the top spot because of their wins over TCU and Oregon last year.

LSU moved up to number 5, taking Utah's place and jumping number 6 Stanford, with the win over Alabama. Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Iowa are in the top 10 now with Alabama, Missouri, and Oklahoma losing. Temple, San Diego State, and Northern Illinois all entered the rankings as several other two loss teams near the bottom lost.

Utah fell all the way to 13, and Alabama to 14. Missouri landed at 16 and Oklahoma right behind them at 17. Arizona comes in at number 20.

1. Boise State (8-0)
LAST: Beat Hawaii 42-7.
Boise State sent Hawaii back to the islands on a 747 (yards of total offense).

2. Oregon (9-0)
LAST: Beat Washington 53-16.

3. Auburn (10-0)
LAST: Beat Chattanooga 62-24.

4. TCU (10-0)
LAST: Beat Utah 47-7.
The Horned Frogs made the biggest statement on Saturday.

5. LSU (8-1)
LAST: Beat Alabama 24-21.
Hard to deny this year that LSU is legit.

6. Stanford (8-1)
LAST: Beat Arizona 42-17.
Finally, a quality win for the Cardinals.

7. Wisconsin (8-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 34-13.

8. Nebraska (8-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 31-30, OT.
On a week when other top teams were losing, Nebraska will be happy with a win any way it comes.

9. Oklahoma State (8-1)
LAST: Beat Baylor 55-28.
Oklahoma State used their three headed monster (Weedon, Hunter, Blackmon) to take down RGIII.

10. Iowa (7-2)
LAST: Beat Indiana 18-13.

11. Michigan State (9-1)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 31-8.

12. Ohio State (8-1)
LAST: Bye.

13. Utah (8-1)
LAST: Lost to TCU 47-7.

14. Alabama (7-2)
LAST: Lost to LSU 24-21.

15. Arkansas (7-2)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 41-20.
If they only could have held on against Alabama.

16. Missouri (7-2)
LAST: Lost to Texas Tech 24-17.

17. Oklahoma (7-2)
LAST: Lost to Texas A&M 33-19.

18. Virginia Tech (7-2)
LAST: Beat Georgia Tech 28-21.

19. Nevada (7-1)
LAST: Beat Idaho 63-17.

20. Arizona (7-2)
LAST: Lost to Stanford 42-17.

21. Mississippi State (7-2)
LAST: Bye.

22. Central Florida (UCF) (7-2)
LAST: Beat Houston 40-33.

23. Temple (8-2)
LAST: Beat Kent State 28-10.

24. San Diego State (7-2)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 24-19.

25. Northern Illinois (7-2)
LAST: Bye.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Kansas State, Pitt, Baylor, Florida State, Florida, Penn State, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Miami.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 9, 2010

I shook up the rankings among the one loss teams this week. Taking a closer look at who they lost to, I adjusted the rankings accordingly. Stanford has lost to Oregon, LSU to Auburn. No reason for them to be ranked down in the teens when their only losses are to teams in the top 3. It got tricky with number 8. Ohio State lost to Wisconsin, who lost to Michigan State, who lost to Iowa, who lost to Wisconsin (and Arizona). It gets more complex. Oklahoma State lost to Nebraska, who lost to Texas (4-4), but also beat Missouri, who beat Oklahoma, who beat Texas.

When teams have identical records, I use head-to-head results to break the tie. I usually don’t rank a two loss team above a one loss team, but Iowa beat Michigan State so soundly, I can’t justify keeping Iowa below the Spartans. That means, however, I have to rank Wisconsin above Iowa, since the Badgers just beat Iowa the week before, but Michigan State beat Wisconsin earlier this year.

For fans of teams numbers 6-17, if you think your team is ranked too low, especially after their ranking last week, just wait a few more weeks. By the end of the season, everything will sort out. It happens every year.

As for the top, I have not moved Auburn or Oregon above Boise State for one reason: defense. Neither team has a very good defense. Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and I will reevaluate them all next week.

1. Boise State (7-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 49-20.

2. Oregon (8-0)
LAST: Beat USC, 52-35.

3. Auburn (9-0)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 51-31.

4. TCU (9-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 48-6.

5. Utah (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 28-23.

6. Stanford (7-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 41-0.

7. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

8. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

9. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

10. Nebraska (7-1)
LAST: Beat Missouri 31-17.

11. Oklahoma State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 24-14.

12. Missouri (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 31-17.

13. Oklahoma (7-1)
LAST: Beat Colorado 52-10.

14. Arizona (7-1)
LAST: Beat UCLA 29-21.

15. Iowa (6-2)
LAST: Beat Michigan State 37-6.

16. Michigan State (8-1)
LAST: Lost to Iowa 37-6.

17. Ohio State (8-1)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 52-10.

18. Arkansas (6-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 49-14.

19. South Carolina (6-2)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 38-24.

20. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Bye.

21. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Beat Utah State 56-42.

22. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 24-17.

23. Baylor (7-2)
LAST: Beat Texas 30-22.

24. North Carolina State (6-2)
LAST: Beat Florida State 28-24.

25. Central Florida (UCF) (6-2)
LAST: Beat East Carolina 49-35.


OTHERS TO WATCH: Kansas State, Northwestern, Florida State, Syracuse, San Diego State, West Virginia, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010

The Michigan State Spartans moved into the top five this week following Oklahoma’s loss. Alabama, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are back in the top 10. Missouri made the biggest jump up six to number 6 with their upset of the Sooners, which provides some satisfaction to me since I didn’t buy into the BCS number one ranking for Oklahoma. Iowa dropped the furthest, down 10, from nine to 19. Baylor and East Carolina are the two newcomers to the top 25 taking West Virginia and Texas’ places. I am tempted to ban Texas from the top 25 for the rest of the year. I understand a let down after the big win against Nebraska, but to lose to Iowa State, that is unacceptable at this point.

1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Bye.

2. Oregon (7-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA, 60-13.

3. Auburn (8-0)
LAST: Beat LSU 24-17.

4. TCU (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 38-7.

5. Michigan State (8-0)
LAST: Beat Northwestern 35-27.
The Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl are theirs for the taking.

6. Missouri (7-0)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma 36-27.
The Show Me state showed all of us something Saturday.

7. Utah (7-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 59-6.
Time for the real games to begin for the Utes.

8. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 41-10.
Not quite the drama as last year when these two met.

9. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa 31-30.

10. Nebraska (6-1)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma State 51-41.
Who knew Taylor Martinez could pass?

11. Ohio State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 49-0.

12. Oklahoma (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Missouri 36-27.

13. Oklahoma State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 51-41.

14. Stanford (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 38-28.

15. Arizona (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 44-14.

16. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 24-17.

17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Bye.

18. Arkansas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 38-24.

19. Iowa (5-2)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-30.

20. South Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 21-7.

21. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Beat Duke 44-7.

22. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Bye.

23. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) 29-24.

24. Baylor (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 47-42.
Robert Griffen, III, has Baylor bowling for the first time in 15 years.

25. East Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Marshall 37-10.


OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, North Carolina State, Syracuse, San Diego State, Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Navy, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.

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College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010

Rather than wait until the end of the year, I will take the time now to say, “I told you so.” I made a big deal about Florida being ranked too high and Texas as well in the USA Today and AP preseason polls. Texas is going to win most of the games they have left and climb to a decent ranking by the end of the year. Florida will benefit by a down year in the SEC, but 3 losses is the minimum for this team.

This week there was some movement up top. Alabama and Ohio State switched spots at 2 and 3 and Oregon and TCU switched spots at 4 and 5. While the coaches and the AP felt Boise State should drop a spot, I disagree. Don’t worry, I am not so drunk with Boise State Kool-Aid that I won’t drop them from the top. If you read last week’s post about Boise State, you should have a pretty good idea what it will take for me to move them down. Of course, other teams need to keep putting pressure on as well. Michigan State is this week’s big mover—up 10 after beating Wisconsin.

1. Boise State (4-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico State 59-0.

2. Alabama (5-0)
LAST: Beat Florida 31-6.
‘Bama moves up more because of Ohio State’s poor play, than Florida’s poor play.

3. Ohio State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 24-13.

4. Oregon (5-0)
LAST: Beat Stanford 52-31.
Outscored Stanford 49-10 after Stanford went up 21-3.

5. TCU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 27-0.
Not the same team they were last year.

6. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Bye.

7. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Bye.

8. Oklahoma (5-0)
LAST: Beat Texas 28-20.

9. Auburn (5-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 52-3.

10. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Bye.

11. Michigan (5-0)
LAST: Beat Indiana 42-35.
As impressive as it has been, Michigan has only done as much as they did last year.

12. Michigan State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Wisconsin 34-24.
What is bigger—the Notre Dame win or the Wisconsin win?

13. Iowa (4-1)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.

14. Miami (4-1)
LAST: Beat Clemson 30-21.

15. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Bye.

16. LSU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 16-14.
When you win that ugly, you go down.

17. Stanford (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Oregon 52-31.

18. Nevada (5-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 44-26.

19. Oklahoma State (3-1)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 38-35.

20. Wisconsin (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Michigan State 34-24.

21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Bye.

22. USC (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Washington 32-31.
USC should have treated Steve Sarkisian like a transfer and not allow him to take a job at another Pac-10 school.

23. North Carolina State (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Virginia Tech 41-30.
Can the Wolfpack regroup and make the ACC championship game?

24. Florida (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 31-6.
The worst thing for the SEC will be to have the Gators make it to Atlanta.

25. Northwestern (5-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 29-28.

OTHERS TO WATCH: South Carolina, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Southern Miss, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 4, 2010

I shook up the rankings some this week adding five teams that are still unbeaten, but were previously unranked. Texas, South Carolina, Oregon State, and West Virginia were dropped from the rankings after losses. Penn State fell out after an ugly win. The top 10 had some movement, but nothing extreme, with the exception of previously unranked Auburn coming in at 10. Some wild variations are seen from 11-20. That is due mostly to the season still being just four weeks old and we are still figuring out how good teams really are.

1. Boise State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 37-24.

2. Ohio State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Eastern Michigan 73-20.
Terrell Pryor took advantage of this one to pad his stats.

3. Alabama (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 24-20.
Arkansas lost that game more than Alabama won it.

4. TCU (4-0)
LAST: Beat SMU 41-24.
TCU looked beatable Friday night.

5. Oregon (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 42-31.
Arizona State might not win the Pac-10, but they could upset some teams looking for that title.

6. Wisconsin (4-0)
LAST: Beat Austin Peay 70-3.
Style points moves Wisconsin ahead of Arizona and Nebraska.

7. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Dakota State 17-3.
I was expecting a let down, but not this much of one.

8. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cal 10-9.
A defensive slug fest in the Pac-10?

9. Oklahoma (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 31-29.

10. Auburn (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 35-27.
Cam Newton has Auburn on the verge of a special season.

11. Stanford (4-0)
LAST: Beat Notre Dame 37-14.
Jim Harbaugh has transformed Stanford.

12. Florida (4-0)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 48-14.

13. USC (4-0)
LAST: Beat Washington State 50-16.

14. North Carolina State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia Tech 45-28.
The Wolfpack is my new favorite in the ACC.

15. LSU (4-0)
LAST: Beat West Virginia 20-14.

16. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 56-3.
That's better than Alabama did against the Spartans.

17. Michigan (4-0)
LAST: Beat Bowling Green 65-21.
I still have reservations about Michigan. I want to see them win some Big Ten games before jumping on the bandwagon.

18. Iowa (3-1)
LAST: Beat Ball State 45-0.

19. Miami (2-1)
LAST: Beat Pitt 31-3.

20. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-20.
That was a heart breaker.

21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Beat UCF 17-13.

22. Michigan State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Northern Colorado 45-7.

23. Nevada (4-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 27-13.
The Wolf Pack is 4-0 for the first time since 1991.

24. Oklahoma State (3-0)
LAST: Bye.

25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Bye.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Penn State, Texas, South Carolina, Oregon State, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple, and Northwestern.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 3, 2010

The rankings were pretty stable this week. Houston fell out with their ugly loss to UCLA. The Cougars are not a top 25 team without Case Keenum. Arizona made the biggest jump after upsetting Iowa. The Wildcats are now number 7. With Iowa's loss, Ohio State is now number 2. Any one of the top six is worthy of the number one spot, right now, so I ranked them based on the likelihood that they would finish the year undefeated. Oregon has played well enough that I considered moving them above Alabama, but the Pac-10 will not be easy. Arizona and Stanford will be very hard, and Arizona State and USC won't be pushovers either. Don't forget the Civil War to end the year. Temple is on the cusp of the top 25. If they beat Penn State in Happy Valley this week, the Owls will find themselves ranked. North Carolina State is the only team to move into the rankings this week.

1. Boise State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 51-6.
That was a bigger beat down by Boise, on the road, than Texas gave the Cowboys, in Austin (34-7).

2. Ohio State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Ohio 43-7.
The Big Ten title looks a lot more achievable now.

3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Baylor 45-10.

4. Nebraska (3-0)
LAST: Beat Washington 56-21.
I hope Jake Locker was taking notes from Taylor Martinez, because that is the way a Heisman Trophy candidate plays.

5. Alabama (3-0)
LAST: Beat Duke 62-13.
Good to have Mark Ingram back, but it would have still been an easy win without him.

6. Oregon (3-0)
LAST: Beat Portland State 69-0.
If the quality of opponents was better, Oregon could be ranked higher.

7. Arizona (3-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa 34-27.
Huge upset. Biggest win of the year by anyone, so far.

8. Arkansas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 31-24.
The defense needs to be better next week if the Razorbacks want to win.

9. Wisconsin (3-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 20-19.
Should Wisconsin be worried, or is this Sun Devils team for real?

10. Oklahoma (3-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 27-24.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.

11. Texas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 24-14.

12. LSU (3-0)
LAST: Beat Mississippi State 29-7.
Still not convinced that LSU is back. I am expecting some big losses later.

13. South Carolina (3-0)
LAST: Beat Furman 38-19.

14. Florida (3-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 31-17.
There are still plenty of reasons to be concerned in Gainesville.

15. USC (3-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 32-21.

16. Iowa (2-1)
LAST: Lost to Arizona 34-27.
Tough road loss.

17. Oregon State (1-1)
LAST: Beat Louisville 35-28.

18. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Bye.

19. Penn State (2-1)
LAST: Beat Kent State 24-0.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.

20. West Virginia (3-0)
LAST: Beat Maryland 31-17.

21. Utah (3-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico 56-10.
New Mexico might be the worst team in the nation.

22. Stanford (3-0)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 68-24.

23. North Carolina State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 30-19
The Wolfpack just might be the team to beat in the ACC.

24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tulsa 65-28.

25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Beat FIU 27-20.
If there was another 3-0 team that impressed me, they would be here. The Aggies should not be proud of this victory.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, Kansas State, and Northwestern.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 2, 2010

This week saw a lot of movement in the rankings. Nebraska jumped from 9 to 6, but that was more based on the unimpressive play of Arkansas and Wisconsin. Oregon is surging up the rankings. The Ducks have gone from my preseason 21 to number 7. South Carolina makes its debut at number 15 after an impressive win over Georgia. Five teams fell out of the rankings (Georgia Tech, BYU, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Georgia). They were replaced by South Carolina, Utah, Texas A&M, Stanford, and Oklahoma State. Michigan almost made it, but I remember 2009 starting very similar to 2010, so I want to see if the Wolverines have what it takes to win all season, not just get off to a fast start.

1. Boise State (1-0)
LAST: Bye.
The win last week now looks a lot less impressive.

2. Iowa (2-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 35-7.
So much for all that hype coming out of Ames.

3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee Tech 62-7.

4. Alabama (2-0)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.

5. Ohio State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Miami 36-24.
Impressive win by Ohio State. Not sure yet which I was worse: my overestimation of Miami, or my underestimation of Ohio State.

6. Nebraska (2-0)
LAST: Beat Idaho 38-17.

7. Oregon (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 48-13.

8. Arkansas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 31-7.
Seventeen fourth quarter points made this look better than it was.

9. Wisconsin (2-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 27-14.

10. Oklahoma (2-0)
LAST: Beat Florida State 47-17.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.

11. Houston (2-0)
LAST: Beat UTEP 54-24.
Revenge is costly. Houston lost star quarterback Caseto Keenum to injury in the third quarter.

12. Texas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 34-7.

13. LSU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 27-3.
Not sure if LSU should move up after leading only 10-3 after 3 quarters.

14. Arizona (2-0)
LAST: Beat Citadel 52-6.
Moving up based on style points. Next week is the real test (Iowa).

15. South Carolina (2-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 17-6.
The new team to beat in the SEC East. Hopefully the Gamecocks don't fizzle out at the end this year.

16. Florida (2-0)
LAST: Beat South Florida 38-14.
Maybe South Florida is that good, but this score is deceptive. The Gators still have a lot to work on.

17. USC (2-0)
LAST: Beat Virginia 17-14.
The defense came to play this week, but where was the offense?

18. Oregon State (0-1)
LAST: Bye.

19. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Ohio State 36-24.
The Hurricanes still not all the way back yet.

20. Penn State (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-3.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.

21. West Virginia (2-0)
LAST: Beat Marshall 24-21 OT.

22. Utah (2-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 38-10.
Scored 38 points without their starting quarterback.

23. Stanford (2-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA 35-0.

24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Troy 41-38.

25. Texas A&M (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 48-16.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, and Northwestern.

Previous Top 25: Preseason
Week 1

College Football Haven Top 25: Week 1, 2010

A quick explanation before unveiling the rankings. As we all know, most of the games in week one are mismatches, so we can't really tell if a 50 point win was impressive or expected. Therefore, my basic philosphy was if a team took care of business, then they maintained their position in the rankings. If they did not take care of business (i.e. Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, USC), then they dropped. I didn't drop them from the rankings (unless they lost) but I didn't give them the benefit of the doubt and keep them ranked above teams that didn't struggle. I don't like to have 0-1 teams ranked after the first week, but considering who Oregon State and Virginia Tech played, it doesn't make sense to drop them out of the rankings. Now to the rankings.

1. Boise State (1-0)
LAST: Beat Virginia Tech 33-30.
The Broncos started extremely fast, cooled off, and finished hot to score the go ahead touchdown with 1:09 left.

2. Iowa (1-0)
LAST: Beat E. Illinois 37-7.

3. TCU (1-0)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 30-21.

4. Alabama (1-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 48-3.

5. Ohio State (1-0)
LAST: Beat Marshall 45-7.

6. Miami (1-0)
LAST: Beat Florida A&M 45-0.

7. Arkansas (1-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee Tech 44-3.

8. Wisconsin (1-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 41-21.

9. Nebraska (1-0)
LAST: Beat Western Kentucky 49-10.

10. Florida State (1-0)
LAST: Beat Samford 59-6.

11. Penn State (1-0)
LAST: Beat Youngstown State 44-14.

12. Georgia Tech (1-0)
LAST: Beat South Carolina State 41-10.

13. Oregon (1-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico 72-0.

14. Houston (1-0)
LAST: Beat Texas State 68-28.

15. LSU (1-0)
LAST: Beat North Carolina 30-24.
LSU barely beat a North Carolina team that was missing several key players.

16. USC (1-0)
LAST: Beat Hawaii 49-36.
The defense has me concerned. If they don't fix things, then 2010 will look a lot like 2009.

17. BYU (1-0)
LAST: Beat Washington 23-17.

18. Texas (1-0)
LAST: Beat Rice 34-17.
When I said there would be growing pains, this is what I meant. Things won't come as easy as they have the last few years.

19. Oklahoma (1-0)
LAST: Beat Utah State 31-27.
This was totally unexpected. I thought Oklahoma finished its growing pains last year.

20. Florida (1-0)
LAST: Beat Miami (OH) 34-12.
If I tell you this will be a 3 loss season for Florida, will you believe me?

21. Virginia Tech (0-1)
LAST: Lost to Boise State 33-30.

22. Oregon State (0-1)
LAST: Lost to TCU 30-21.

23. Georgia (1-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Lafeyette 55-7.

24. West Virginia (1-0)
LAST: Beat Costal Carolina 31-0.

25. Arizona (1-0)
LAST: Beat Toledo 41-2.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Georgia, Stanford, Temple, Rutgers, South Carolina, Utah, and Northwestern.

Previous Top 25: Preseason

College Football Haven Top 25: Preseason, 2010

Today marks the beginning of the 2010 college football season here on College Football Haven. Before revealing the College Football Haven Preseason Top 25, let me quickly review what you can expect each week.

MONDAY: New opinion poll. Each week there will be a new poll to vote on regarding a pertinent issue in the game.
TUESDAY: Heisman Hopefuls. Track the top Heisman Trophy candidates with updates on their season stats and who is leading the race.
WEDNESDAY: College Football Trivia. Test your knowledge of college football with the weekly trivia question. Each question will be answered the following Wednesday when a new question is posed.
THURSDAY: Game predictions. I will give my predictions on some of the week's top games.
FRIDAY: Game of the Week. College Football Haven will preview the marquee match up of the week.
SATURDAY: Game Day Talk. Visit throughout the day and talk about the games. Share what you like and dislike, what surprises and disappointments you have as the action unfolds.
SUNDAY: Updated Top 25. As soon as the games end on Saturday, a new Top 25 will be released. It may be up earlier than Sunday. It will all depend on who plays when.

In addition to this regular schedule, commentary on the biggest issues and hottest events will be posted as frequently as possible. In any event, there will be a reason to visit each day.

If you missed any of the "5 Step Drops" for any of the FBS conferences last week, links to them are provided below.

TOP 25
Just a quick note before listing the teams. These rankings are intended to reflect how each team will fare this year. Of course, there will be some movement each week, but this is how I think it will be in the end. That being the case, it was impossible for me to rank Alabama number one. The Crimson Tide will be good, and they are my pick to win the SEC, but they are marked men, and I don't see them having another perfect season. I expect all of my top 4 will be undefeated. As for the number one team, I have learned not to doubt them and until someone can beat them to prove otherwise, they have earned the top spot.

1. Boise State (3 AP/5 USA Today)-The Bronco's return 21 of 22 starters from last year's 14-0 team that shocked everyone in week one and in the Fiesta Bowl. Like them or not, it is time the college football world gets to see what they are really made of.

2. Oklahoma (7/8)-Barring the rash of injuries that happened last year, Bob Stoops will have his players ready for an undefeated run.

3. Iowa (9/10)-The Ricky Stanzi injury was the only thing that kept Iowa from a 12-0 record and a spot in the Rose Bowl last year. Favorable schedule has Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin all at home.

4. TCU (6/7)-Lots of players return. Very high chances for a second consecutive undefeated regular season and BCS bowl appearance.

5. Alabama (1/1)-Lost a lot on defense combined with a brutal schedule, and the SEC championship is a far as this team goes.

6. Ohio State (2/2)-Terrell Pryor will have a good year, but he is one year away from taking the Buckeye's to the national championship game.

7. USC (14/--)-Lane Kiffen will have there guys playing with a chip on their shoulders after the disappointing 2009 season and the recently levied NCAA sanctions.

8. Miami (13/13)-The Hurricanes are hungry to return the program to the top. That hunger will get them the ACC Championship.

9. Texas (5/4)-Garrett Gilbert still has some growing pains to go through.

10. Arkansas (17/19)-The Razorbacks will be the team this year that exceeds everyone's expectations. Ryan Mallett will have Bobby Petrino's offense humming like a well oiled machine.

11. Wisconsin (12/12)-John Clay will carry the Badgers this year.

12. Nebraska (8/9)-Fueled by the Big XII title game loss, the Cornhuskers are going to play all year like they have something to prove.

13. Virginia Tech (10/6)-Until Tyrod Taylor lives up to his potential, I am going to temper my expectations for the Hokies.

14. Pitt (15/15)-The Panthers and Dion Lewis won't take anyone by surprise this year.

15. Oregon State (24/22)-After another slow start, the Beavers will finish extra strong and play their way into the Rose Bowl.

16. Florida (4/3)-How do you not expect a drop off after losing guys like Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes? Not to mention, Urban Meyer has to make some changes to the way he handles his job if he is going to be around for 2011.

17. Florida State (20/20)-A new coach will bring new life into this storied program.

18. LSU (21/16)-No longer getting the benefit of the doubt, Les Miles needs to deliver more Ws to Baton Rouge this year.

19. Penn State (19/14)-New quarterback, and a tough top 3 in the Big Ten this year will keep Penn State from finishing higher in the rankings.

20. Georgia Tech (16/17)-The Yellow Jackets will feel the sting of losing Jonathan Dwyer. The good news is that Josh Nesbitt is still around.

21. Oregon (11/11)-All the distractions this offseason will take their toll on the Ducks.

22. North Carolina (18/18)-We'll see if/how the Tar Heels will be affected by the recent news about Butch Davis and an academic scandal.

23. BYU (--/--)-Led by strong coaching and talented players to fill the holes left by veteran starters, the Cougars will have another good year.

24. Washington (--/--)-The darkhorse in the Pac-10. Steve Sarkisian will continue to turn around this once proud program.

25. Houston (--/--)-Another team with a senior quarterback and an up and coming coach.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Georgia, UConn, Stanford, Temple, Rutgers, Northwestern, West Virginia, SMU.

5 Step Drop
ACC
Big 10
Big XII
Big East
Conference USA
MAC
MWC
Pac-10
SEC
Sun Belt
WAC
Independents

New Year, Same Old Story: The SEC is Overrated

The USA Today (Coaches) Top 25 is out. I am not going to discuss the poll in depth. When the College Football Haven Top 25 comes out August 30, you will be able to see where I agree and disagree with the coaches. However, there is one thing from the coaches poll that does stick out. The SEC is still overrated. In the poll, the SEC is represented as follows:

1. Alabama
3. Florida
16. LSU
19. Arkansas
21. Georgia
23. Auburn

Six teams is one half of the SEC. Do you really expect anyone to believe that six of the top 25 teams in the country are from one conference? This poll is saying that the top half of the SEC is better than 81% of the teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.

Auburn might have surprised many people with 8 wins last year after the fallout over the Gene Chizik hiring, but I think Auburn still needs to show it is ready to take the next step before being ranked.

Georgia had a down year (8-5) in 2009. However, with a redshirt freshman starting at quarterback, I am skeptical that this year will be better than the last. Guys like Sam Bradford don't grow on trees.

Arkansas is one I agree with. In fact, I think the Hogs will be a surprise team in 2010, and should be ranked higher. Ryan Mallett and Bobby Petrino will have the team racing up and down the field. If they catch a few breaks, they may find themselves in the SEC Championship game.

LSU has been disappointing, to say the least, the last two years (8-5 and 9-4). Les Miles has already lost my faith, and if he doesn’t put up 10 wins or more this year he might lose his job. Sixteen is a little bit of a stretch, I would have them closer to 20.

Florida lost Tim Tebow, the three time Heisman Trophy finalist, Aaron Hernandez, the 2009 Mackey Award winner, at tight end, and Brandon Spikes, a two-time All-American, at linebacker. Yet, Florida is starting 2010 at number 3. Talk about deja-vu. After the 2006 National Championship year, Florida had to replace the starting quarterback and some key personnel on defense. In 2007, the team finished 9-4. Why should we expect much different this year? There was a noticeable drop off from 2008 to 2009 just by Percy Harvin leaving for the NFL. Throw in Urban Meyer’s health, and the number 3 ranking for Florida is the most egregious ranking of all the SEC teams.

Last is Alabama. The 2009 National Champions are starting right where they left off. Except they will have to do so without Rolando McClain, Terrance Cody, and five other NFL draft picks. Throw in the controversial schedule that has six conference opponents given two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide, and I don’t think this team even makes the national championship game. Don’t get me wrong. I am starting to become a believer in Nick Saban the coach, and I think ‘Bama will be a top 10 team this year. I just don’t think this number one ranking is merited.

Well, maybe overrating the SEC will stop next year. Until then, there's a lot of great football to play! (Come back Thursday, August 19, 2010, as I make an overview of the 2010 season before getting into previewing each conference.)

TOP 25, WEEK 12

After rewarding Rutgers and Stanford with significant jumps in the rankings last week, they showed me they did not care for my respect as they lost their respective games. Rutgers was pummelled by Syracuse, and Stanford lost to its rival. Both fell from the rankings. They may make it back into the final rankings, but at this point they are on the outside looking in. Everyone in the top 12 either won or was idle, so no changes there. I was poised to move Temple up significantly to number 14, but after I saw the results of Rutgers and Stanford following their big leaps, I kept them at a more modest 17 (the lowest ranked 2 loss team). I have joined the Temple bandwagon and want to see them keep winning, so I did not want to jinx them with an 8-3 Ohio team on the schedule this week for a chance to play Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship game. Therefore, Central Michigan and Temple swapped spots. I have to say my favorite part of doing the rankings this week was dropping LSU out following its loss to Ole Miss. I think I am getting too much gratification over LSU's misfortunes, but I don't think unranked status is too harsh of a punishment. There are many other quality three-loss teams. With rivalries getting into full swing next week, we may see more major shake ups in the rankings. Stay tuned.

1. TCU (11-0)

2. Cincinnati (10-0)

3. Alabama (11-0)

3. Texas (11-0)

5. Florida (11-0)

6. Boise State (11-0)

7. Georgia Tech (10-1)

8. Pittsburgh (9-1)

9. Oregon (9-2)

10. Ohio State (10-2)

11. Houston (9-2)

12. Iowa (10-2)

13. Penn State (10-2)

14. Central Michigan (9-2)

15. Oklahoma State (9-2)

16. Utah (9-2)

17. Temple (9-2)

18. Clemson (8-3)

19. North Carolina (8-3)

20. Wisconsin (8-3)

21. Navy (8-3)

22. Nevada (8-3)

23. Nebraska (8-3)

24. Oregon State (8-3)

25. Ole Miss (8-3)

OTHERS TO WATCH: Troy, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), USC, Boston College, LSU, Rutgers, Stanford

TOP 25, WEEK 11

And the upsets keep rolling in. For the second straight week, seven teams on my list lost. To their credit, however, Iowa, USC, South Florida, and Utah all played other ranked teams, but Utah was the only one to lose to a higher ranked team. Let's stop to reflect on the top 6. Number 1, TCU, has won every game by more than 15 points except for two. Those were both road games. One was against a very talented Clemson squad that is one win away from playing in the ACC title game. The other was a conference game in a snow storm against a traditionally strong Air Force club that has 7 wins and has not lost by more than 7 points (two losses were in overtime). Furthermore, TCU has played the 16th ranked team (by the major polls) twice this year and has won both games by a score of 93-35. No team in the country, let alone the other 5 undefeated teams has dominated its top ranked opponents like TCU has. The Horned Frogs have a potent offense to match their traditionally elite defense. Cincinnati is number 2 because they continue to exceed expectations. They opened the season with a 47-15 win at Rutgers who is now 7-2 (the only other loss was a 7 point decision against #8 Pittsburgh) and coming of a 31-0 beat down of South Florida (who was ranked at the time). Starting quarterback Tony Pike was injured a month ago, but the offense has not skipped a beat. Cincinnati might not have the name recognition that some of the other schools in the rankings, but with their performance on the field they have proven they are legit. Brian Kelly has to be one of the top 5 coaches in college football, and I like his team's chances against anyone. Alabama, like TCU and everyone else, had a conference foe give them a scare (Tennessee, 12-10), but three other games were solid, not dominant, wins. Although the Crimson Tide has a stout defense, I think they lack the offensive firepower necessary to beat the two teams ahead of it. I have moved Texas into a tie with Alabama at number 3. (Yes, I know they shut down the Arkansas offense, but the Razorbacks are really at least a year away from being the high octane Bobby Petrino offensive attacks that we saw at Louisville.) After struggling at times, the Longhorns offense appears to be hitting on all cylinders, while the defense has not allowed more than 14 points since week 3. I cannot justify ranking Texas higher because the rankings intend to represent the season long performance of a team, and the top two have played more consistently all year. Florida has lost a lot of offensive fireworks from last year, but their defense and the it factor that Tim Tebow has is getting it done. However, after Louisiana Tech played LSU so close, I like Boise State's chances against the Gators. Boise State is inching closer to that number 5 spot, and I think a Boise State vs. Florida match up in a bowl game would be intriguing. Would the Bronco defense shut down Florida's offense like it did Oregon, and would the high execution of Boise State on offense be enough to put points up against Florida's suffocating defense? I like Boise State, but the close games against Louisiana Tech and Tulsa, as well as the unimpressive win against UC Davis make me unable to rank the Broncos higher than any of the others. As for the rest of the field, LSU continued to be unimpressive. They are the most overrated two loss team in the country. Oregon edged out Ohio State as the top two loss team by virtue of its win over USC, whereas Ohio State lost to USC. Rutgers made a big jump from 23 to 15, for the reasons cited above. Stanford made the biggest jump--nine spots from 25 to 16. Stanford is an exception to the rule. If you go back and read my initial Top 25 rankings, I explained that my philosophy was that teams with a better overall win-loss record would be ranked higher than teams with a worse record, and only on very rare occasions would this philosophy not be followed. Stanford has been so impressive the last two weeks beating Oregon and USC that the Cardinals merit being ranked above some two loss teams. Anyone care to argue? Although Iowa lost its second straight, the Hawkeyes only fell two spots, since they have head-to-head wins over Wisconsin and Penn State.

1. TCU (10-0)

2. Cincinnati (10-0)

3. Alabama (10-0)

3. Texas (10-0)

5. Florida (10-0)

6. Boise State (10-0)

7. Georgia Tech (10-1)

8. Pittsburgh (9-1)

9. Oregon (8-2)

10. Ohio State (9-2)

11. Houston (8-2)

12. Iowa (9-2)

13. Wisconsin (8-2)

14. Penn State (9-2)

15. Rutgers (7-2)

16. Stanford (7-3)

17. Oklahoma State (8-2)

18. Utah (8-2)

19. LSU (8-2)

20. Temple (8-2)

21. Central Michigan (8-2)

22. Clemson (7-3)

23. North Carolina (7-3)

24. Navy (8-3)

25. Nevada (7-3)

OTHERS TO WATCH: Troy, West Virginia, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), USC, Boston College, Nebraska, Mississippi

TOP 25, WEEK 10

All those upsets in the Top 25 is a sure sign that it is November. Seven teams on my list lost. TCU solidified its position at number 1 by putting up 55 points in 3 quarters, while Cincinnati squeaked out a win against UConn. Cincinnati will prove its self in the couple of games with West Virginia and Pitt coming up. I feel more and more confident in the order of numbers 3 through 6, too. I did not penalize Iowa too much for its close loss to Northwestern. The injury bug bit the team's top offensive player, plus Iowa started the game by jumping out to a 10-0 lead. The loss has to be attributed to this injury, not to Iowa digging itself an insurmountable hole. The two-loss teams took some time to sort out. Oregon just crushed USC, so the Ducks had to stay above the Trojans, and USC beat Ohio State back in September, who just beat Penn State last weekend. LSU also joined the two-loss club, and, despite those losses being to the number three and five ranked teams, I took this opportunity to significantly drop the Tigers. The have failed to impress me all year long, so I am not going to give them an inflated ranking; however, I did keep them above some other two-loss teams. Stanford is the only three-loss team, by virtue of their upset of Oregon. For those keeping track, I have stuck to my resolve to boycott BYU from the rankings, even though they played the textbook definition of a complete game in its 52-0 win against Wyoming.

1. TCU (9-0)

2. Cincinnati (9-0)

3. Alabama (9-0)

4. Texas (9-0)

5. Florida (9-0)

6. Boise State (8-0)

7. Georgia Tech (9-1)

8. Pittsburgh (8-1)

9. Houston (8-1)

10. Iowa (9-1)

11. Utah (8-1)

12. Oregon (7-2)

13. Wisconsin (7-2)

14. USC (7-2)

15. Ohio State (8-2)

16. Penn State (8-2)

17. Oklahoma State (7-2)

18. LSU (7-2)

19. South Florida (6-2)

20. Miami (FL) (7-2)

21. Temple (7-2)

22. Arizona (6-2)

23. Rutgers (6-2)

24. Central Michigan (7-2)

25. Stanford (6-3)

OTHERS TO WATCH: Troy, West Virginia, Navy, Notre Dame, Nevada, Auburn, Texas Tech, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Clemson

TOP 25, WEEK 9

Notwithstanding my gut feeling about Georgia upseting Florida being wrong, I will not put Florida back on top for beating a team that I did not even rank in my preseason top 25. What I will do is take comfort in knowing that I accurately assessed how Georgia would perform this year while most other people had Georgia somewhere in the top 15, or close to it. I would lkie to move Boise State up after Oregon threw USC back down to earth. However, no one in the top 5 did anything to hurt their positions (Iowa was already behind Boise State). Only one spot in the bottom 11 stayed the same (Miami at 21). I hesitated last week to show some love to teams like Temple and Idaho, but they showed me that they could win on a weekend when other two-loss teams and one-loss teams could not win against foes with worse records. As I said last week, I love this time of year: November is crunch time. Most of these teams will prove they are top material or they will fall as every team is playing its best ball.

1. TCU (8-0)

2. Cincinnati (8-0)

3. Alabama (8-0)

4. Texas (8-0)

5. Florida (8-0)

6. Boise State (7-0)

7. Iowa (9-0)

8. Oregon (7-1)

9. Penn State (8-1)

10. Georgia Tech (8-1)

11. LSU (7-1)

12. Houston (7-1)

13. Pittsburg (7-1)

14. Utah (7-1)

15. USC (6-2)

16. Ohio State (7-2)

17. Notre Dame (6-2)

18. Wisconsin (6-2)

19. South Florida (5-2)

20. Oklahoma State (6-2)

21. Miami (FL) (6-2)

22. Cal (6-2)

23. Idaho (7-2)

24. Temple (6-2)

25. Central Michigan (7-2)

OTHERS TO WATCH: Troy, West Virginia, Rutgers

TOP 25, WEEK 8

DISCLAIMER: I am going to start with a rant about BYU’s ranking before making a synopsis of the rankings and revealing them, so if you have no interest in BYU you can skip to the next paragraph. Is anyone else as frustrated as I am about BYU right now? Will BYU ever turn the corner and earn a BCS bowl spot? Athletic Director Tom Holmoe needs to make a dominate defense the top priority in Provo. For 30 years we have had an elite offense and done quite well with it, but we never consistently have had good, solid defenses (to say nothing about great or dominate). It is time for the university that wants to help students on their “quest for perfection” to set the example in every endeavor it undertakes. A perfect football team must have both an elite offense and a dominate defense. BYU is on the verge of getting the Ohio State treatment. In 2008: blowout loss to TCU, blowout loss to Utah—the two best teams on the schedule. Now, in 2009, blowout loss to Florida State, blowout loss to TCU, and all the good that was accomplished in 2006 and 2007 has pretty much been eliminated. The Oklahoma win, although very impressive and memorable, is very much overshadowed by the two losses this year. My prediction for 2010 and beyond is that BYU will not be taken seriously by the poll voters and the national media until season’s end and only if they won the big games. A 10-2 or 11-1 record will mean little if BYU lost big or lost, even by a little, to TCU, Utah, or a marquee non-conference opponent. As for my rankings, I am boycotting ranking BYU until my final poll after bowl season. Yes, I think BYU is one of the top 20 teams in the nation, but my ire is so great right now that I am expressing it every civil way that I can.

I was going to wait for the first weekend in November to seriously rethink my rankings and revamp them to correct any pre-season bias and to account for real on the field results from a large sample size. However, with my long injury time out, now is as good a time as any. This week’s results are exactly what make this my favorite time of year in college football. We see one of two things because teams are gelling and hitting full stride: 1) unexpected blowouts as teams separate from the rest of the pack, and 2) unexpected upsets/squeakers as stakes are raised and bulls-eyes get bigger on the teams on top. Alabama has to block two field goals to beat Tennessee, Iowa State beat Nebraska, Penn State blasted Michigan, and Texas A&M went on the road and pasted Texas Tech. This is when we must be ready for the unexpected 100% of the time.

I honestly feel I have not included any bias by moving TCU to the top of the rankings. Based on the performance of every other team in the country, I feel that TCU can and would win in a match up against anyone. This is not based on fancy formulas or sophisticated statistical manipulation. I base it on performance on the field. Alabama struggled against South Carolina and Tennessee the last two weeks. Texas looked bad against Louisiana-Monroe, Wyoming, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Florida was vulnerable against Mississippi State, LSU, and Tennessee. Boise State barely escaped with a win against Tulsa and was not impressive against UC Davis. Iowa plays with fire almost every week. Cincinnati is the only team you cannot complain about, and their cause is boosted since they have continued to play well the last two games without their starting quarterback. In the end it was a judgment call between TCU and Cincinnati and my verdict was in favor of TCU.

1. TCU (7-0)

2. Cincinnati (7-0)

3. Alabama (8-0)

4. Texas (7-0)

5. Florida (7-0)

6. Boise State (6-0)

7. Iowa (8-0)

8. USC (6-1)

9. Oregon (6-1)

10. Penn State (7-1)

11. Georgia Tech (7-1)

12. LSU (6-1)

13. Houston (6-1)

14. Pittsburg (7-1)

15. Utah (6-1)

16. Oklahoma State (6-1)

17. West Virginia (6-1)

18. Central Michigan (7-1)

19. Virginia Tech (5-2)

20. Ohio State (6-2)

21. Miami (FL) (5-2)

22. South Carolina (6-2)

23. Navy (6-2)

24. Notre Dame (5-2)

25. Cal (5-2)

OTHERS TO WATCH: Arizona, Kansas, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Ole Miss