It's sad I do not have a vote in the AP Poll because I would love to have an influence (albeit a small one) on the national landscape of college football. However, I do have a vote in the D Sports Guide Bi-Weekly College Football Poll, which you will see below.
Instead of just slapping a boring list together, I wanted to give you a little bit of insight about each team and a reason for their ranking. Instead of laboring through a poll every week, I feel a bi-weekly progress report is more appropriate, especially this early in the season.
Below are my Top 25 teams in college football after week two. Also, at the bottom you will see the next five teams out (26-30) and off the radar teams who I think could build a resume worthy of being ranked in the near future.
After Week 2
1. Oklahoma (1-0): The Sooners defense held a potent Tulsa offense to 14 points in week one, which is a great sign for a unit that entered the season with a lot of questions. Next week, they will have the opportunity to justify their #1 ranking when they travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State.
2. Alabama (2-0): There are games where the Crimson Tide could leave their offense in the locker room and still have a chance to win the game- their defense is that good. Trent Richardson is rolling and AJ McCarron looked effective on the road in front of 100,000. I must be stuck in 2009 because this team looks all too familiar. Somebody please help me.
3. LSU (2-0): Their defensive line was impressive against Oregon and for an encore they decided to hold Northwestern State to -4 yards rushing. As long as they continue to get effective play from the QB position, this should be a team we are watching well into 2012. Their next game on Thursday night at Mississippi State will be the next stiff test for the Tigers against a great rushing attack.
4. Boise State (1-0): Watching Georgia battle a top 15 caliber South Carolina team to the wire gave me a whole new respect for Boise. They treated their trip to Atlanta like a business trip and just wanted to get in, dominate, win, and get out. They are every bit as good in the trenches as any team in the nation and with Kellen Moore leading the way, I’m begging for a reason to put them in the national championship game.
5. Wisconsin (2-0): I want to move to Madison, Wisconsin because Christmas comes early there, and I love Christmas. Russell Wilson was a gift to the Badgers this offseason. His experience and ability to manage a game make it nearly impossible for opposing defenses to hone in on the Badgers rushing attack. Oh, the defense isn’t too shabby either.
6. Texas A&M (1-0): Ryan Tannehill looked every bit as good against SMU as he did last season after taking over for Jerrod Johnson. Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael look like one of the best RB tandems in the country and the same could be said for Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope at WR. Tim DeRuyter’s defense will be thoroughly tested in the near future against some very potent offenses in Oklahoma State, Arkansas, @Texas Tech, and Baylor. If they continue to improve from last season, we could be talking about the Aggies in the national championship game. Crazy.
7. Oklahoma State (2-0): We could talk about Weeden2Blackmon all day long after the Heisman trophy duo put on a clinic against Arizona last Thursday. However, the unsung hero so far in this offense has to be Joseph Randle. Behind an experienced offensive line, Randle has racked up 250yds and 4 TDs, both top 15 in the nation. That’s pretty impressive when you consider Oklahoma State’s offense is 3rd in the nation in passing attempts.
8. Stanford (2-0): So far, so good for Andrew Luck and the Cardinals as seem to be picking up where they left off last season. They have their first test at Arizona this Saturday, which should tell us how dominant this team really is. Otherwise, it will be over a month before another formidable opponent appears on the schedule.
9. Florida State (2-0): What is there to say about this team? EJ Manuel looks good against weaker competition, although a couple of turnovers are concerning. Their game against Oklahoma this weekend will tell us all we need to know about Florida State’s ceiling this season.
10. Arkansas (2-0): Bobby Petrino’s offense under Tyler Wilson looks every bit as good, if not better, than it did last season under Ryan Mallet. They have the ultimate test coming up in two weeks when they travel to Alabama. They will need to prove they can run the ball effectively without their star RB from last season, Knile Davis, to have a chance to win and take the next step into serious BCS discussions. If not, then you could see Alabama’s defense teeing up on Tyler Wilson all night long.
11. Oregon (1-1): Oregon chose wisely this week when they went with yellow uniforms against Nevada because they looked like they were running at the speed of light past the Wolfpack's defense all day. They put up a ridiculous 69 points while Darron Thomas had 6 of his 19 passing attempts go in for touchdowns. It’s going to be hard for them to get back into the BCS title picture after their offense was dismantled against one of the best defensive lines in the SEC. However, they will not face a defense even remotely close to the level of LSU’s the rest of the season and would be a good bet to be in a BCS bowl in January.
12. South Carolina (2-0): Two games, two wins, and too many questions would be an adequate way to depict the Gamecocks season at this point. If I was the offensive coordinator, my play calling would be as follows: 1st down: Give the rock to Marcus Lattimore. 2nd down: Give the rock to Marcus Lattimore. 3rd down: Give the rock to Marcus Lattimore. Stephen Garcia looks like he intends to continue his mono-drama of “Which Stephen will I be” with his uncanny ability to be completely unpredictable. As long as the defense tightens up and reveals their potential they should be fine. This is a talented team that should get back to the SEC championship game this season.
13. Nebraska (2-0): As expected, Taylor Martinez’s legs are working great this season and his ability as a passer remains questionable at best. The more surprising (and concerning) aspect of this Nebraska team was their inability to get pressure or stop the run against a weak Fresno State team. They still have a long way to go if they plan on dominating the B1G this season. Next up, a redemption match from an embarrassing bowl loss against Washington last season.
14. Michigan State (2-0): They haven’t been tested yet this season, but taking care of business is what good teams do. Next week will when t hey travel to South Bend will be their first opportunity to justify their ranking (as if their 11 win season in 2010 wasn’t enough). Vegas opened Sparty as five point underdogs against 0-2 Notre Dame. If you listen closely this week, you can actually hear the sound of axes grinding.
15. Virginia Tech (2-0): The good news is the Hokies defense is back this season after holding a potent East Carolina team to 10pts and 112yds of total offense. The bad news, Logan Thomas looks too much like a tight end playing quarterback. As long as they keep handing the ball off to David Wilson, the Hokies should continue to survive their easy schedule. However, they need Thomas to get better and fast.
16. West Virginia (2-0): Future opponents should hope that whatever Dana Holgorson said to his team at halftime last week he never says again. After trailing at half, Geno Smith and the Mountaineers finished the game by a 2nd half margin of 45-0. They have a tough game next week at Maryland where they can’t afford to come out sluggish or peeking ahead to LSU. I expect them to be fully focused regardless of what Halloween costumer Maryland is wearing that game.
17. Auburn (2-0): There is something about this team under Gene Chizik where they find a way to win. Despite giving up 333yds rushing, they were able to finish off Mississippi State with a game ending goal line stand. Things do not get any easier for the Tigers, in fact with @Clemson, @South Carolina, @Arkansas, Florida, @LSU, @ Georgia, and Alabama still on the schedule, they get a lot worse. But for now, they still boast the nation’s longest winning streak and an impressive win last weekend.
18. Ohio State (2-0): Toledo, who is not a bad team by any means, gave Buckeye nation quite a scare last Saturday. Either, Ohio State had an off day or they are about to get exposed when B1G play begins. Joe Bauserman did not have a very good game and I’m sure Buckeye fans are wondering why Braxton Miller spent the whole day on the sidelines. A road game against the Hurricanes next week should give us a better idea about the quality of Ohio State this season. Unless, some one whispers the name Charles Robinson and both teams scurry off the field, run home whimpering, and hide under their bed covers with the door locked (I couldn't resist).
19. Florida (2-0): There isn’t a whole lot to say about Florida as they’ve creamed two meager opponents by a combined score of 80-3. Brantley looks better this season and Chris Rainey has been electrifying. They will get their first test next Satruday when they face Tennessee led by Tyler Bray. Watch out secondary.
20. South Florida (2-0): This year BJ Daniels has 69 passing attempts through two games where as last year it took almost four games for him to have that many. Its obvious head coach Skip Holtz trust Daniels can now pass the ball and limit interceptions, something Daniels struggled with last season. Opening the season with a win in South Bend shows what this team is capable of when quarterback play is no longer an issue.
21. Michigan (2-0): Something about Notre Dame brings out the “ball till you fall” persona within Denard Robinson. Even though he had three bad interceptions only Garrett Gilbert would feel good about, he was still there to make plays when his team needed him the most. After all, he did scoop up a Michigan fumble near the goal line and run it in for a touchdown. Add in the fact the defense is quickly improving and making their own luck, Brady Hoke has a little something cooking in Ann Arbor.
22. Mississippi State (1-1): This has to be a frustrating loss for Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs. They had a great opportunity to go get a solid SEC road win over the rebuilding national champs, but fell short in the end. They can turn their fortunes around sooner rather than later with a marquee win over LSU on prime time this Thursday night. The question is “How many cowbells will it take to open up a running lane for Vick Ballard?” Hopefully not too many otherwise no one will know if the cows escape during the game.
23. Baylor (1-0): I’ve never been so eager to see Baylor play their next football game in my life, much less cared if they played one at all. That’s how AWESOME RG3 and Kendall Wright were against TCU. Also, you could see the influence of Phil Bennett on the defense, but they have a long way to go before they are the reason the Bears win any games. It will be interesting to see how far their offense can take them in spite of their defense.
24. Arizona State (2-0): The Sun Devils were able to pull off a nice win Friday night over a hobbled Mizzou team, even though, at times, it seemed they thought it would be awkward if they did. Brock Osweiler looked outstanding, as expected, and Aaron Pflugrad looked like he had pine tar on his gloves. However, the history of excess inopportune penalties for Dennis Erickson coached teams is going to catch up to them and cost them some games eventually. That makes it hard to put a lot of stock in this team in the long run and by long run, i mean next week at Illinois.
25. USC (2-0): The Trojans are far removed from the non-sanctioned glory that was the Pete Carroll era. Their defense looks good and the Barkley to Woods connection is off to a hot start. They have a lot of young talent which should result in more wins in unspectacular fashion.
Next five out
UCF (2-0): They ended up running away from an undermanned Boston College squad last weekend. I love what this team brings to the table but let’s see how they fair in their next two road games at FIU and BYU.
TCU (1-1): Casey Pachall looks like he is going to be a worthy replacement for 2nd round pick Andy Dalton. TCU got back on track with a great road win against a good triple option team in Air Force, who was unable to exploit the obvious holes in the secondary like Baylor. TCU’s next test won’t be until they face a high octane passing team like SMU.
Texas (2-0): Five stars next to your name sure gives you a longer leash than most people. I have no idea what to expect from the Longhorns offense, which is too bad because their defense looks like it is going to be good. Either way, both wins have been unimpressive and if the jerseys had a different name on the front I doubt they would receive any votes.
Tennessee (2-0): It’s been like night and Bray (get it) for the Volunteers to begin 2011 compared to last season. Tyler Bray looks outstanding and it doesn’t hurt he has two dangerous weapons at his disposal in Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter. Their next game at Florida will tell us if this is a mirage or if the Volunteers are on their way back.
Mizzou (1-1): James Franklin did everything he could to carry his make shift supporting cast to victory Friday night. If healthy, I believe the Tigers would’ve won Friday by double digits and are the caliber of a top 20 team.
Don’t Say I didn’t warn you about: Texas Tech, North Carolina, Clemson, Illinois, and Georgia Tech
Follow me on twitter: @DSportsGuide
No comments:
Post a Comment