I am never really a fan of the rankings this early in the
game, but since everyone else does it, why not? The big game of the week was
Clemson-Georgia. The Tigers came out on top at home. Washington blew out Boise
State. A bunch of top teams struggled on offense. Seven FBS teams lost to FCS
teams, including reigning Big 12 champ Kansas State going down at home to
2-time defending FCS champ North Dakota State. The talent disparity is becoming
less and less visible each season. Check out my new top 25 below, as well as my
Heisman tracker, BCS predictions, and one new category:
Top 25 Poll
Others receiving votes: Baylor, Georgia Tech, Miami, Oklahoma,
TCU
Dropped from the rankings: Oregon State (13), Boise State
(16), Oklahoma (23)
25 (11). Nebraska
(1-0) – The defense appeared to not be improved much at all, but that
offense is about to explode. They can outscore most teams in the country, but
teams riding that line never really win the important games.
24 (NR). Northern
Illinois (1-0) – They got their revenge against the Hawkeyes in week one.
The Huskies will probably charge toward another potential BCS berth.
23 (24). Northwestern
(1-0) – They had a decent non-conference win against an improved Pac 12 team
in California, but they are going to need Colter to get healthy to really
justify the hype.
22 (14). Texas (1-0)
– The Longhorns have no offense to speak of, but their defense should keep them
in basically every game they play in conference.
21 (19). Texas
A&M (1-0) – Against Rice, we saw two different teams. We saw the one
where they showed their true colors that were shown last year against Louisiana
Tech, and then we saw a motivated one. When Manziel gets hurt, this team is
screwed.
20 (21). Florida
(1-0) – Their offense is not going to be good, but no one is going to
really score on them.
19 (18). Wisconsin
(1-0) – They did just about everything that could have been asked of them
with a new coach. They are going to struggle on defense, but that running
attack should keep them in most games.
19 (NR). Mississippi
(1-0) – They had the big opening night back and forth win over Vandy. This
team is only going to get better too.
17 (16). Texas
Tech (1-0) – This team is going to be tough to contend with for any defense.
Keep an eye out for some big upsets and maybe a mini Big 12 title run for the
Red Raiders.
16 (10). UCLA
(1-0) – The defense is still a work in progress, but the offense was
clicking like it was when it had Franklin at running back. Hundley is the real
deal.
15 (5). Georgia
(0-1) – They looked impressive against Clemson at times, but they are not
quite as good as last year. Losing Mitchell for the season celebrating hurts
big time for the previously most balanced team in the nation.
14 (8). Oklahoma
State (1-0) – They struggled against the average Mississippi State team.
They should quit with the QB experiment. JW Walsh is their guy.
13 (12). Michigan
(1-0) – After a slaughtering of an in-state rival, everyone is about to
jump on the bandwagon. That offense is not as good as it appears. That will be
shown against the Irish.
12 (25). Cincinnati
(1-0) – Tommy Tuberville had a great debut with a big time win over Purdue.
Look for a battle of undefeated teams on December 5th against
Louisville.
11 (9). South
Carolina (1-0) – They had an impressive win against North Carolina to kick
off the new season. We will see how good they really are playing Georgia next.
10 (NR). Washington
(1-0) – I am not sure if anyone had a more impressive win last weekend than
the Huskies. They obliterated Boise State, who prepares for week one better
than any school. This could be a Rose Bowl team.
9 (15). LSU (1-0)
– Les Miles gets another huge non-conference win. The offense looks good under
new coordinator Cam Cameron. They could be a sleeper BCS contender.
8 (22). Florida
State (1-0) – They started off a lot fast than I expected them to with the
electrifying newcomer Jameis Winston at QB taking over for 4-time bowl winner
EJ Manuel.
7 (20). Louisville
(1-0) – They demolished the competition, which I was not too sure they
would do right off the bat. They could breeze to an undefeated season and maybe
sneak into the title game with some luck.
6 (7). Notre Dame
(1-0) – They looked the part of a title contender again against Temple. We
will see how that goes at Michigan this week.
5 (2). Ohio State
(1-0) – They had a very uneventful and ugly win over Buffalo. This is not
the team we thought it was going to be. I will now be surprised if they go
unbeaten.
4 (6). Clemson
(1-0) – They got the signature win right off the bat. Can they stay focused
during their much weaker conference schedule?
3 (4). Oregon
(1-0) – They won in a blowout against a scrub like they always do. They go
on the road this week. We will see how well that offense travels without Chip
Kelly to call the plays.
2 (3). Stanford
(0-0) – They did not play, but they are going to be a force all year long.
Their first game will be a tricky game vs a tough San Jose State team that gave
them problems last year.
1 (1). Alabama
(1-0) – No real surprise here. Even though they could not block anybody and
the offense was very stale, they still won in a blowout because their special
teams and defense are head and shoulders above every other team in the nation.
Top 5 Games for Next Weekend
5. Syracuse at
Northwestern (#23), 3:00PM BTN – This is an intriguing non-conference game.
Syracuse is coming off a loss to Penn State. This will be less of a clash of
styles and probably a high scoring thriller.
4. Florida (#20)
at Miami, 9:00AM ESPN – One of the classic in-state rivalries. The
difference this year is that both teams are pretty good.
3. Texas (#22) at
BYU, 4:00PM ESPN2 – The last time the teams met in 2011, it was a great
game. This time they meet in Provo, which should ensure that this is a tough,
probably low-scoring, but highly competitive game.
2. South Carolina
(#11) at Georgia (#15), 3:30PM ESPN – We will see exactly what both teams
are made of in this game. Georgia has a gut check and revenge game. South
Carolina has an early test to see if they are the new favorite in the division.
Should be quite a game.
1. Notre Dame (#6)
at Michigan (#13), 5PM ESPN – This is going to go down as one of the most
interesting matchups between the rivals. With the future of the rivalry in
question, these games are going to mean even more to the teams.
Heisman Trophy Watch
5. Jameis Winston,
QB, Florida State – He has everyone’s attention right off the bat. If he continues
with his production and keeps winning, then I would not at all be surprised if
he gets an invite.
4. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson – He had his first monster outing in an
important game since his freshman year. If he can put up numbers like that all
year long, then he will be a slam dunk Biletnikoff winner and Heisman threat.
3. Braxton Miller,
QB, Ohio State – He had an underwhelming game stats-wise, but his passing
is improved. They need to go undefeated for him to win this.
2. Johnny Manziel,
QB, Texas A&M – He is a punk and a diva, but he is scary good. He is
going to be gunned for all year long, but if he can stay healthy and
productive, then he will be in the conversation for the duration.
1. Marcus Mariota,
QB, Oregon – He was able to do whatever he wanted against Nicholls State.
He is going to be the frontrunner until he loses a game.
BCS Projections
Rose Bowl – Oregon
over Michigan
Orange Bowl – Ohio
State over Florida State
Sugar Bowl – Alabama
over Clemson
Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma
State over LSU
BCS Championship Game – Stanford over Louisville
What did you think of this weekend? Thoughts? Give me
your rankings in the comments!
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