ZN's College Football Top 25 :: Pre-Preseason 2008

Now that spring practice is long gone and signing day a distant memory, we’re finally getting our first good look at the teams going into 2008. Stocks have risen and fallen, some up like a rocket and some down with a thud. It pains me to say this, but on paper, the SEC should retain its top conference reputation. I’d follow that closely by the Big XII, and then the Big Ten. It’s not the usual landscape we’ve been used to, with teams like Kansas, Missouri up top, and Illinois and Pitt bringing back old memories. 2008 should be a very fun year for college football. At least, I think it will be.

Rank. Team (Last Week), [Record will go here during season] – Comment on each team.

1. Georgia (1) – I’m sticking to my guns. Georgia returns a great core of elite players like Stafford, Moreno and that top-notch defense.
2. Oklahoma (7) – I know the Sooners bombed in the bowl, but I think this year will be special in Norman. The Big XII Championship Game will be must-see TV.
3. Kansas (3) – Kansas’ defense was the real star in 2007, but even with some losses, the offense will be even better in 2008.
4. Florida (11) – The only reason I didn’t put Florida at No. 1 is because I think Georgia will win the conference and play in the title game. But if the Gators beat UGA, Florida fans can book tickets to Miami.
5. Missouri (4) – The Tigers were royally screwed out of a BCS bid (ala Wisconsin 2006), and could take home the North title again this year. But I’m giving the early edge to KU in 2008.
6. Ohio State (5) – Too low? Ok, Buckeyes prove me wrong. The only way the Big Ten champ plays in the title game is by going undefeated. I don’t see that happening in 2008.
7. USC (6) – Similar to the Big Ten, if the Pac-10 champ loses even one game, they’re out of the title hunt. But you can switch OSU/USC based on the winner of their September match up.
8. Auburn (16) – I’m riding the Tiger wave right now. Seeing Auburn’s new spread look, combined with Tommy Tuberville’s very underrated coaching, gives me reason to peg this team as the SEC West champ.
9. West Virginia (3) – The Mountaineers could win 11 games, and still end up this low. But I’m not going to count them out yet. This ranking will depend heavily on how tough the Big East is in 2008.
10. Penn State (10) – I told you I wasn’t moving the Lions from this spot. The No. 10 ranking in college football is sort of tricky, as that team will be assumed to be in the BCS picture. PSU will be the second-best Big Ten team, and land a second BCS bid for the conference.
11. BYU (15) – This team came within a hair of the BCS in 2007, and with so much returning, there’s no reason to think the Cougars can’t do much more in 2008.
12. LSU (12) – Talk about a big step back. I know, SEC fans will freak, but come on. Someone has to win the West, and it won’t be LSU.
13. Arizona State (18) – Arizona State only goes this high because Dennis Erickson is the coach. Pull off one huge upset, like USC, and this will be the darling team for 2008.
14. Texas Tech (19) – Some people actually have the Red Raiders going to the BCS. It’s not that they can’t, but the Oklahoma win last year was against a depleted Sooner team. Tech won’t do that again.
15. Wisconsin (17) – This team has the potential to win 10 regular-season games, but will most likely wind up losing one it’s not supposed to. This will look more like the Ron Dayne Badgers of old.
16. Virginia Tech (8) – I dropped the Hokies because they’ll need some consistency before moving back up in the rankings. I really like Sean Glennon, but the losses on defense will hurt.
17. Texas (9) – Everyone’s jumping off the Longhorns bandwagon, and I’m one of them. Colt McCoy will have a fantastic season, but the team as a whole doesn’t have what it needs to return to the elite in 2008.
18. Clemson (NR) – With the best running back tandem in football, and a killer (well, for the ACC) defense, the Tigers will turn some heads by November. This might not be the Tommy Bowden teams we’re used to.
19. Oregon State (21) – After listening to Oregon State fans bash me for the last month, I’m beginning to come around to the Beavers. They’ll still have to deal with a rough schedule from start to finish, but should win their bowl and reach eight victories.
20. Pittsburgh (23) – One big upset will get you far in college football, and the Panthers’ win over West Virginia did just that. If Pitt plays like it did in that game, look for a really big jump in the 2008 win column.
21. Illinois (25) – I’m not so sure I’m comfortable with this pick. The Illini lose a lot on both sides of the ball, and the recruiting classes haven’t yet added enough depth to sustain eight- or nine-win seasons.
22. Tennessee (14) – Playing in the SEC never hurts the media’s perception of a team, and the Vols will benefit from playing in the East. Don’t expect a huge year in 2008, but it won’t be like the meltdown of 2005.
23. Mississippi St. (24) – Sly Croom finally turned it around for the Bulldogs. There are some really good players coming back, and this program wants to prove 2007 wasn’t a fluke.
24. Boston College (13) – Some leave, some return for the Eagles. Although I don’t envision any No. 2 rankings for 2008, I do see this program sustaining its long run of winning seasons.
25. Michigan State (NR) – This is sort of my wildcard pick. Mark D’Antonio is a great motivator, and all his teams play like Rocky Balboa losing to Apollo Creed. I’m calling for one big upset in 2008 to launch the Spartans into a new era in East Lansing.

Dropped Out:

Michigan (20) – Poor, poor Michigan. This program has enjoyed continued success for 40 years. They knew it would come to an end sometime, and 2008 is it. They won’t implode like PSU in ’03 or Notre Dame in ’07, but a losing season is more than possible.

On the Cusp:

South Carolina (NR) – This is Steve Spurrier’s program finally, and he knows how to run a winner. If things fall right for the ‘Cocks, this could be the surprise team in the SEC East.
California (NR) – When Cal is ranked too low, they perform well. The Bears are better than a non-ranked team, but they’re also a team that can’t win when it has to. This is one of those “prove it” teams for 2008.
Rutgers (NR) – Even with Ray Rice gone, the offense will run on all cylinders in 2008. And with the elite recruits pouring into New Brunswick, the Knights are here to stay.
Utah (NR) – I don’t see the Utes beating BYU this year, and could very well drop one or two more. Unfortunately for a non-BCS team, three losses won’t get you ranked.
Oregon (NR) – The Ducks won’t be the killers they were last season, but there’s talent waiting in the wings to fill in for departed stars.

Previous Rankings:
Jan. 10, 2008

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If you want respect, schedule good teams, Part 3 of 4

3/4.

Part 2/4.
Part 1/4.

Everyone argues that strength of schedule should mean everything in college football, until someone calls their team out on scheduling Directional Community College...

As promised, here's the top five weakest schedules BCS bowl teams have played from 2003 through 2007. Here’s my criteria for selection:

-I-AA schools! Like in Schedules, Part 2 the addition of I-AA schools has a huge impact on the relative ease of a team’s schedule. Most of the teams on this list have at least one I-AA opponent on there. While some of those I-AAs are very good teams, and others are a close step up from high school ball, they are all a detriment to any pro-strength of schedule argument. Face it, if you want to get respect for your team’s schedule, then play teams in your own classification.

-Opponent records, looking back. Was a team hyped in the beginning of the year, only to fall flat on its face? Sure, beating Michigan State in September looks good, but how good is it when they’re in one of those patented late-season meltdowns. Even in the bowl games, beating a team that was thought to be unstoppable all year, then was blown out in its last regular-season game, seriously diminishes the significance of playing them in the bowl.

-Opponent conference affiliations. Think of this as a two-parter. If a team plays in the MAC or the Sun Belt, do you think its schedule is nearly as difficult as one from the Big Ten or SEC? I don’t care if a team plays five strong OOC games; if it doesn’t play more than half its schedule against strong competition, it’s not a strong schedule.

So here's what I came up with. THIS IS ALL IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!

Just missed the cut. Close, but not easy enough...


Boise State started out 2006 with a real bang, playing a I-AA with a losing record. Oregon State was a nice win, but nothing real special. The Beavers are middle-of-the-pack Pac-10, so any decent team has a shot at beating them. Outside of the Fiesta bowl win over Oklahoma, the only other team with double digit wins was Hawai’i. Also playing seven teams with non-winning records won’t win any points with me.


If it wasn’t for the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma, this schedule would have been a complete joke. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a thousand times better than the Mid-Majors’ schedules, but to only play three ranked teams the entire season isn’t very good. To top that off, only one of them finished with more than nine wins, and Oklahoma was blown out in the BCS national championship game. The second best regular season game was against Texas Tech, which won eight games.


So now that the SEC fans are laughing at the rest of the BCS teams, here it goes. In 2003, LSU won the BCS national championship, but didn’t have to work that hard to get there. It was a down year in the SEC, and LSU jumped at the opportunity. The first three wins were near automatic, and outside of the Georgia game, any good team should beat all of the remaining opponents. I know there are three games against top-10 opponents, but the two wins against Georgia is a glaring smudge on LSU’s credibility. This schedule is much less spectacular than the SEC fans want to think.

Now, for the top five easiest schedules among BCS bowl teams from 2003-2007...


I do love Kansas State. They usually follow right along with the other Big XII folks by telling I-AA “Come on down! We’ll give you lots of money to lose to us!” I know KSU played mostly teams with winning records, but when you have those two glaring I-AAs on there, you can’t expect to be taken seriously. The only reason this isn’t the clear-cut most horrible schedule is due to the two top-ten teams played late in 2003.


It must be a Kansas thing. Right on the heels of its state rival, the Jayhawks could sum up the 2007 schedule as nothing less than The Mediocre Express. I’ve never seen so many teams hovering around .500 in my life. Throw in Florida International—the Panthers won their last game of the year over North Texas to avoid going winless—and this schedule has a hard time using Missouri and Virginia Tech to compensate for the top 11 teams.


If I were to actually rank these schedules, I think this one would go right to the top. When the best team played is only ranked No. 25 at the end of the year, you’re in trouble. Utah’s 2004 schedule featured no teams with 10 wins or more. That’s rough, especially since the Ute’s BCS opponent lost four games. There’s not much more to say about this one. It’s pretty clear cut.


On the flip side, however, look at Pittsburgh’s 2004 schedule. Playing in a Virginia Tech and Miami-less Big East really killed all possible chances for this schedule to be considered tough. But then again, if those two were still in the league, Pitt wouldn’t have won the conference. Boston College was the best team on the schedule until the bowl, and the only other team to win more than nine games was I-AA Furman. The I-AAs strike again!


Hawaii was a good team in 2007, but its schedule cloaked the fact that the Warriors were still a far way off from competing at the BCS level. I’m still not really sure how people (I’ll admit it, I thought they had a change against Georgia) just looked past Hawaii’s schedule. I mean, for God’s sake people, more teams lost 10 games than won ten games. A MAC team could have gone undefeated playing Hawaii’s 2007 schedule.

Check out Schedules, Part 4, which should be out by next week. In that, I’ll go over which premier games I’m looking forward to in the next five seasons. Hope you enjoyed the “bests and worsts” of BCS bowl team schedules. Well, actually I don't really care if you enjoyed it. But thanks for reading anyway.

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ZN's Waaayyy too early 2008 Preseason Top 25

Is the Big XII North back? Will the SEC use one good team again as the basis for their “we’re the best” argument? Can the Big Ten rebound from its bad luck? And what will USC do in 2008?

Let’s assume the players who have a good chance at leaving for the NFL do just that. McFadden, Rice, Arrington, Smith and other are near locks. Also, with Ryan Mallet transferring, and Michigan not sure if it’ll get Pryor, that ranking isn’t very solid across the board. So take into account those different possibilities and things like them, when going down the top 25.

Rank. Team (ZN Final Top 25 Rank, ‘07), Record ’07 – Short comment on each team.

1. Georgia (4), 11-2 – There’s not a more talented team in 2008, with this many returning starters.
2. Kansas (3), 12-1 – Smart football should result in another run for the BCS, or at least the Big XII.
3. West Virgina, 11-2 (2) – This could be a bit high, considering a new coach and all, but I have a feeling there’ll be no drop off in ’08.
4. Missouri (5), 12-2 – With a strong returning core, the Tigers will be the team to beat in the Big XII North.
5. Ohio State (6), 11-2 – Remember, ’07 was supposed to be the reloading year; now, the Bucks are even more experienced.
6. USC, 11-2 (7) – The loss of Booty will hurt, but ’07 was supposed to be USC’s year until injuries struck.
7. Oklahoma (13), 11-3 – The Sooners were healthy for the bowl, so there was no excuse for losing, except experience, which they’ll have in ’08.
8. Virginia Tech (10), 11-3 – I don’t have a good feeling about this one; but you never know what Frank Beamer will pull from his hat.
9. Texas, 10-3 (8) – This year’s Red River Shootout will be the best since Vince Young and Adrian Peterson.
10. Penn State, 9-4 (17) – NO, I’m not being biased. If you do your research, this Lions team loses only three starters.
11. Florida, 9-4 (20) – It could be a huge rebound year for the Gators, if Tebow stays healthy.
12. LSU (1), 12-2 – This was the best team, when healthy, in ’07; but it loses so many key starters.
13. Boston College, 11-3 (9) – Losing Matt Ryan is never a sign of improvement.
14. Tennessee, 10-4 (11) – Imagine if Ryan Mallet goes to the Vols? Another, “pretty good” season in ’08.
15. BYU, 11-2 (12) – This team was very close to a BCS bid in ’07; look for another run in ’08.
16. Auburn, 9-4 (19) – The Tigers have a lot a great young stars waiting in the wings, and showed some of their stuff in the bowl win.
17. Wisconsin, 9-4 (23) – I don’t know if losing Tyler Donovan is a good or bad thing.
18. Arizona State, 10-3 (25) – Dennis Erickson is an absolute genius; Rudy Carpenter will be a senior in ’08, scary stuff.
19. Texas Tech, 9-4 (NR) – The Raiders are one of those teams that always comes up with a big win or two, but never enough; Graham Harrell boosts the ranking.
20. Michigan, 9-4 (14) – This may even be to high, considering Manningham, Arrington and Mallet are as good as gone.
21. Oregon State, 9-4 (22) – The loss of Bernard will hurt, but there are very good players to fill in on what will be an underrated Beavers team.
22. UConn, 9-4 (NR) – Big East, Shmig East; this Huskies team will have some bite in ’08 with so many returning stars.
23. Pittsburgh, 5-7 (NR) – This will be the only team that had a losing record in ’07, that has a legitimate chance of entering ’08 ranked.
24. Mississippi State, 8-5 (NR) – Croom’s boys finally turned the corner, and should contend for the top 25 right way in ’08.
25. Illinois (16), 9-4 – While the BCS will be out of the question in ’08, the talent is there for another nice bowl game.

Dropped out from the final 2007 rankings:

Clemson, 9-4 (24) – Losses in the running game, and a penchant for being good but not great will hurt the Tigers again in ’08.
Virginia, 9-4 (21) – The Cavs will flirt with the top 25 all season in ’08.
Cincinnati, 10-3 (18) – Great story in ’07, but won’t have the same type of dream season in ’08.
Hawai’i (15), 12-1 – Watch for the Warriors to fall of the planet after the loss of Brennan and Jones.

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ZN Top 25: Final

*God, I really hate the BCS.

1. LSU (9), 12-2 – This was the only team allowed to prove itself.
2. West Virgina, 11-2 (12) – Seniors Pat White and Steve Slaton could finally do it in 2008.
3. Kansas (3), 12-1 – Although the Jayhawks should have gotten a shot at the title, I don’t think they could have won it.
4. Georgia (4), 11-2 – Beating up on the weakling won’t prove anything.
5. Missouri (7), 12-2 – This is a much better team than its record indicates.
6. Ohio State (1), 11-2 – Boekman looked like the rookie starter he is.
7. USC, 11-2 (16) – We get it, you’re not that bad.
8. Texas, 10-3 (20) – “Sideline interference” ‘nuff said.
9. Boston College, 11-3 (11) – Longest bowl win streak remains intact, as ugly as this one was.
10. Virginia Tech (5), 11-3 – The initial shell shock effect put the Hokies in a hole that they couldn’t climb out of.
11. Tennessee, 10-4 (14) – The Vols thrive with veteran QBs; they lose a good one in Ainge.
12. BYU, 11-2 (15) – How many times does this team have to win 10 games for it to get BCS consideration?
13. Oklahoma (2), 11-3 – It doesn’t matter how much the offense can do, if the defense never gets off the bus.
14. Michigan, 9-4 (NR) – Personal feelings aside, it was a great showing by the Wolves.
15. Hawai’i (6), 12-1 – Maybe the mid-majors need to rethink their argument for entrance into the BCS.
16. Illinois (8), 9-4 – Talent can’t always make up for experience and composure under pressure.
17. Penn State, 9-4 (21) – Probably the best coaching job by Paterno in recent memory, adjusting to A&M.
18. Cincinnati, 10-3 (19) – Taking a chance on Brian Kelly is paying huge dividends for the program.
19. Auburn, 9-4 (NR) – The Tigers showed a bit of their future in the OT win.
20. Florida, 9-4 (10) – This was the most overrated “team” in the nation; you can’t win with one player.
21. Virginia, 9-4 (13) – A young team, the Cavs should be even better in 2008, even after the choke job in the bowl.
22. Oregon State, 9-4 (24) – The Beavers have emerged as consistent winners
23. Wisconsin, 9-4 (22) – The Badgers looked unprepared for the fierce Vol pass rush.
24. Clemson, 9-4 (17) – “Mediocre (mē'dē-ō'kər) - adj. Moderate to inferior in quality; ordinary; Clemson Tigers.”
25. Arizona State, 10-3 (18) – Way to show up on the big stage, Sun Devils; so much for proving you belonged in the BCS.

Dropped Out:
Boise State, 10-3 (23) – While still a great program, it may have peaked in 2006.
Connecticut, 9-4 (25) – 2007 will still go down as an impressive campaign for the Huskies.

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SI.com's Running Backs, more like 'Shmunning Backs'

I’ve taken serious issue with many things on ESPN.com, SI.com, CBSSportsLine.com and many others. But this one has got me going. Not that he’s the utmost authority on college football, but SI.com’s Cory McCartney felt he’d take another shot at ranking the top-10 running duos in 2007 college football. When you read his list, keep this in mind:

“Before we begin, let's remember the cardinal rules: this is about running backs only -- no running quarterbacks, fullbacks or all-purpose wide receivers that take the occasional handoff -- and it has to be a legit tandem, not just one guy with monster numbers.” – McCartney.

You’ll see he frequently breaks his own rules by selecting the players he did. Here’s his list, along with my own comments on each entry. I compiled the stats. I took only the names he provided, and they are his exact selections, nothing else. Enjoy.

Arkansas – Darren McFadden (305/1727/15), Felix Jones (122/1114/11) - I really can’t argue with the Razorbacks as No. 1. And if you want to take it a step further, Arkansas fullback Peyton Hillis (57/327/2) was one of the best blockers in college football, and had that highlight run against No. 1 LSU.
Georgia – Knowshon Moreno (239/1273/12), Thomas Brown (129/706/9) – I don’t really know about this one. Once Brown went down, this was only a one-horse show. But for a while, it was a lethal combo.
Kansas – Brandon McAnderson (175/1050/16), Jake Sharp (138/788/7) – This was more true to the traditional running back double-punch. Both had great YPC (6.0 and 5.7 respectively) and rarely lost yards. Neither was a true starter, or a true backup.
Michigan St. – Jehuu Caulcrick (207/813/21), Javon Ringer (224/1346/6) – Trust me, I know how dangerous these guys can be. Possibly one of the most productive touchdown machines in the nation, the Spartans’ backs plowed over and through the opposition all season.
Oklahoma – DeMarco Murray (127/764/13), Allen Patrick (159/927/8), Chris Brown (142/561/8) – Imagine if Murray didn’t get knocked out for the year? He would’ve been on pace for a Heisman invite the way Adrian Peterson was his freshman year. But all Patrick did was step in and nearly bread a grand. They could be No. 1 running back stable with little argument.
LSU – Jacob Hester (204/1019/11), Keiland Williams (68/459/6) – This is purely political. LSU is hardly an offensive juggernaut and this running back corps is not even close to the top-10. They’re only up here due to the media’s love affair with the Tigers.
USC – Chauncey Washington (183/894/9), Stafon Johnson (89/569/5), Joe McKnight (84/415/2) – I don’t know if this is just a bunch of good running backs, or an offense without a go-to guy. I think it’s the latter, actually. Out of three blue-chippers, USC can’t find one that can carry the load.
West Virginia – Pat White (177/1185/14), Steve Slaton (210/1053/17), Noel Devine (60/519/4) – This is probably the most comprehensive backfield in football, in terms of running the ball. The Mountaineers have a quarterback that can scoot, a feature back and a slasher. When healthy, no team in 2007 disrupted the production.
Clemson – James Davis (191/992/9), CJ Spiller (137/656/2) – Talk about a major underachievement for 2007; coming into the season these two were supposed to race each other to the Heisman ceremony, but neither could get it going. This should have been the ACC version of Arkansas, but wasn’t by a long shot.
UConn – Donald Brown (157/749/8), Andre Dixon (160/809/3) – If you like equality, look no further than the Huskies’ backfield. I think this is more of a “Hey! Here we are!” kind of thing this season, rather than how truly good they were.

Auburn – Brad Lester (111/473/3), Ben Tate (188/856/7) – What, because they’re in the SEC, they’re automatically moved up a few notches? I don’t think so.
Fresno St. – Ryan Mathews (145/866/14), Lonyae Miller (125/571/7) – I really don’t what the hubbub is about here. The only good part is that they combined for 21 touchdowns.
Maryland – Lance Ball (172/763/12), Keon Lattimore (206/789/13) – This was a nice running tandem out of College Park, but nothing to lose sleep over. Yeah, deserves to be in the top-20.
Navy – Reggie Campbell (64/464/5), Eric Kettani (140/755/9) – Doesn’t make sense when there are SEVEN rushers with more than 400 yards for 2007.
Southern Miss – Damion Fletcher (266/1431/15), Tory Harrison (93/386/5) – Fletcher could play with any team, even in the SEC. However, when the next rusher has less than 400, there’s no “duo” aspect.
Texas A&M – Mike Goodson (139/646/2), Jorvorskie Lane (159/746/16) – Throw in quarterback Stephen McGee and you’ve got yourself a power-version of West Virginia’s tri-fecta.
Western Michigan – Mark Bonds (157/690/8), Brandon West (183/848/4) – All things considered—they play in the MAC—this is a pretty good set of backs to work with in any mid-major league.

Now, it’s my turn to vent. So, he’s telling me that certain players from a team in central Pennsylvania wouldn’t qualify above any on this list? Or, should I ask, why isn’t Penn State’s duo of Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster on this list?

Here would be my entry:
Penn State – Rodney Kinlaw (222/1186/10), Evan Rosyter (73/448/4) – Not only were both backups to start 2007, Royster’s best games came against some of the better teams. Experienced veteran met raw talent and got along quite nicely for the Lions.

Now compare those numbers to the rest of McCartney’s list. See anything wrong? So do I.

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ZN Top 25: Week 11

*What a great weekend for PSU fans. Sure, while it would have been nice for OSU to go and win a National Championship, I couldn’t help but revel in the fact that both OSU and Michigan lost on the same day. Too bad they can’t do that again when they face off in Ann Arbor this weekend.

1. Oklahoma (3) - There’s no way anyone can say which team is definitely No. 1. So, I’m just going with OU this week.
2. Oregon (2) - Didn’t play, but can make one last statement against OSU. For UO’s sake, it better be a blowout.
3. LSU (4) - Like OU, there’s not much more to prove until the conference championship games.
4. Kansas (6) - Even though this is probably the best run team in the nation, I’m not yet ready to put them up there. KU vs. Mizzou will mean more than ever.
5. Ohio State (1) - OK, so one loss by 7 points; not bad, except for the fact that it was at the ‘Shoe, on senior day. Pathetic.
6. Missouri (8) - Watch this match up with KU, with two of the best QBs in the nation in Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing.
7. West Virgina (5) - A big sluggish, which will hurt the ‘Neers when it comes to the bowl picture. UConn could be tricky, but WVU will pull another win.
8. Arizona State (9) - This is a fun team to watch, and if it can win out should lock up a BCS berth.
9. Virginia Tech (11) - Wow, where did that VT offense come from? I mean, really, 40 points against FSU? Nice job.
10. Georgia (12) - I don’t know, but don’t you think UGA would love to have that Tennessee loss back right about now?
11. Virginia (18) - Talk about taking UM to the woodshed, the VT/UVA rivalry just got A LOT more interesting.
12. Florida (16) - I just don’t understand why UF is still so high in the polls. Beating SC four weeks ago would have been impressive, but you don’t get credit for beating “used to be” teams.
13. Hawai'i (14) - Again, undefeated.
14. Illinois (NR) - I don’t feel so bad now knowing PSU lost to Illinois, but it just thrust Ron Zook back into the national spotlight, this time, in a positive way.
15. Penn State (20) - OK, yeah and? PSU should have beaten Temple that way, nothing super here.
16. Texas (17) - That was a lot of points to give up, even against TT.
17. USC (19) - Like UF’s win over SC, the Trojans’ win over a shell of a Cal team doesn’t carry as much weight now.
18. Boston College (7) - It must be “East Coast Choke” year in college football.
19. Clemson (24) - Creepin’ and crawlin’ towards the ACC championship game.
20. Cincinnati (25) - I know I’m to blame also, but why isn’t this team getting more respect nationally?
21. Kentucky (21) - That win wasn’t too impressive; after all, this is the only team to beat LSU.
22. Tennessee (NR) - Shutting down Darren McFadden warrants praise, regardless of how up and down this team is.
23. Wisconsin (NR) - Without its best players, UW still gave it to UM.
24. Connecticut (10) - It can redeem itself against WVU, but I just don’t see that happening.
25. Michigan (13) - I don’t care how many players are out; the defense was intact and still sucked. Don’t count on UM pulling an upset this week, because this defense isn’t nearly as good as Illinois’ was against OSU.


Dropped Out:
Alabama (22) - I realize the game was away, and no one expected a miracle ASAP from Nick Saban, but come on. Playing that flat will always lose games.
Auburn (23) - I really thought this team could bounce back and make some New Years noise. Guess not.

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