September 25, 2005
You can take a look
You can take a look here for last week's rankings. Not a lot has changed but the gophers manage to sneak in this week.1. USC
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. LSU
5. Virginia Tech
6. Florida State
7. Georgia
8. Michigan State
9. Wisconsin
10. Minnesota
1. USC Well many will argue that they showed a chink in the armor against Oregon this week and in reality they did. They should have easily handled the Ducks from the opening snap as they did Arkansas. Their depth proved too much for the Ducks in the end. USC will have some tough games coming up against Cal and Notre Dame and if they play early the way they played against the Ducks, they may not be able to capitalize on depth in the end. Next week's game against Arizona State won't be a walk in the park either but they should handle them.
2. Texas Texas did not play Saturday. Their next game will be against Missouri next week. It should be an easy victory for the Longhorns.
3. Florida They played a poor team in Kentucky and handled them easily. They'll have a big challenge ahead of them next week as they go to Tuscaloosa to play the Tide. Both teams are undefeated and have a lot to prove. This will be Leak's first test against a top caliber defense.
4. LSU They were supposed to play Saturday against Tennessee but the game was postponed until Monday. I'm going to incorporate their performance against Tennessee into next week's rankings since I do my top 10 on Sundays. They'll have a tough game ahead of them. The Vols lost to Florida, a team they probably feel they should have beaten. Now they'll have to play a tough LSU squad. It should be the type of marquee matchup we've come to expect from the SEC.
5. Virginia Tech I think its safe to say that they've proven the critics wrong after their manhandling of Georgia Tech Saturday. Of course many argue that Ball, the Jackets QB, was sick but when you look at the score,51-7, its easy to see that that's not the fault of any QB. A QB can't play defense for you. The Hokies are real and any team that has to face them should come prepared to realize that. They have a tough one ahead of them next week when they play West Virginia, a team that is 4-0 and has a lot to prove.
6. Florida State Like Texas and LSU, the Noles had the liberty of not having their rankings affected this week because they did not play. Next game is against Syracuse. Should be another easy W for FSU.
7. Georgia This team just finds ways to win. They'll have a week off next week but then come back to take on Tennessee. That will be their first real true test of the season.
8. Michigan State They absolutely manhandled Zook and the Fighting Illini. They're quickly proving to be a powerhouse team this year. They'll probably break into the top 10 in the AP and Coach's Poll this week. If they don't that would be a travesty. This team is for real. They'll have their hands full next week against a Wolverines team that doesn't want 3 losses this early in the year.
9. Wisconsin The Badgers passed the test and have legitimized their reason for being a top 10 team. They proved they could play and win a tough game when they beat Michigan. Sometimes that means more than blowing the opposition out. I look for the Badgers to make waves in the Big Ten this season.
10. Minnesota Another team that proved they are for real this week. They managed to beat a tough Purdue team and they're 4-0. Things just keep getting better for the Gophers.
Dropped out: Louisville
Notables: Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Virginia, Miami, Penn State, California,
Posted by everyman at September 25, 2005 11:58 AM | TrackBack