Top 25 Recap: Ohio State, Others (Excluding USC, Virginia Tech) Survive Upset Bids

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Braxton Miller had the best game of his Buckeye career as the No. 12 Buckeyes (3-0) were fortunate enough to avoid the upset bug Saturday.

After leading 20-7 at the half, the OSU defense gave up a ton of yards and 21 second-half points, in what is one of their worst performances in years.

With the score tied at 28, Miller found a wide-open Devin Smith for a 72-yard-touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 35-28.

On their ensuing drive, Cal QB Zach Maynard overthrew his intended receiver and cornerback Christian Bryant intercepted the pass with under a minute and a half left to seal the win.

Miller finished the day 16 of 30 for 249 yards and four touchdown passes with one interception and had 12 carries for 75 yards and one rushing touchdown. The defense MUST improve, but as long as Miller is healthy, he is a Heisman front-runner and the Buckeyes will have a great chance to win every game.

The Top 10

No. 1 Alabama has no trouble steamrolling Arkansas 52-0. No. 2 USC did not fare so well—dropping their fourth straight to the Stanford Cardinal.

No. 3 LSU and No. 4 Oregon both cruised to 63-14 wins over Idaho and Tennessee Tech, respectively. No. 5 Florida State shutout Wake Forest, 52-0.

No. 7 Georgia blasted Florida Atlantic by a final of 56-20.

No. 8 South Carolina routed UAB (Ohio State's week four opponent), 49-6.

No. 9 West Virginia coasted to a 42-12 win over James Madison.

No. 20 Notre Dame suffocated No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing, 20-3.

11-25 Notable Games

No. 14 Virginia Tech did what they pretty much always do every year and laid an egg vs. an inferior opponent, losing 35-17 to previously winless Pittsburgh.

No. 23 Tennessee led No. 18 Florida at the half, but the Gator defense was too much for the Vols in the second half and Florida remained undefeated with a 37-20 victory.

No. 19 Louisville held a 39-14 lead over UNC early in the fourth quarter, but had to withstand a late charge by the Tarheels and held on for a 39-34 win.

What these Top 25 results mean for Ohio State

USC will likely drop down to the 13-15 range and Michigan State might stay in the top 25, or drop out altogether. The teams that beat each of them, Stanford and Notre Dame, could both jump up near the top 10.

It looks like the best case for Ohio State is they move up to No. 10 ahead of USC and MSU. The worst case is they move up to No. 11. I don't think ND jumps OSU, but the voters could definitely and deservedly reward Stanford with a top 10 slot.

It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. And while many of the experts and our own fans will be down on the Buckeyes after this, I, for one, believe winning a close game like this can be very beneficial as the season plays out.

— HD

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@BlockONation


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A New Day Dawning At ESPN? College Football Live Roundtable: Ohio State At No. 20 For 2012

ESPN is not shy when it comes to their lovefest with the SEC and hatred of Ohio State and the B1G. Nobody can convince me otherwise on either account — period, end of story.

So, as an Ohio State football fan and blogger, you won't be too surprised to know that I'm not a huge fan of ESPN — quite the opposite most of the time, in fact — however, I was surprised at their recent feature on, and ranking of, the Buckeyes for the upcoming 2012 season.

I think we can assume a lot of their "attitude change" toward tOSU has plenty to do with former ESPN college football analyst Urban Meyer, who is now in his first season in Columbus.

In just over six months, Meyer has revitalized the program and pulled in a top five recruiting class for 2012, and is already on his way to more of the same with regards to the class of 2013.

There are still lingering question marks about this team and about just how well Urban Meyer's spread/zone-read/option offense will work in the B1G — not all that surprising when you consider the bad taste left in the mouths of B1G fans (specifically those who support the team from Ann Arbor) after the failed Rich Rodriguez spread experiment.

The problem in Ann Arbor had nothing to with the spread not working. Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense had been pretty successful moving the ball and punching it in the end zone. The real problem was Michigan's defense.

I've often said that referring to the Michigan defense during RichRod's tenure as a wet paper towel was an insult to wet paper towels everywhere...

The Defense WILL NOT be a weakness at Ohio State in 2012, or in any other year for that matter — they aren't known as the Silver Bullets because of mediocrity.

But enough about the epic failure that is Michigan, at least for the next 206 days.

We'll save further discussion of the Ann Arbor-ites for when Ohio State and Urban Warfare Choke The Hokes come November!

Let's get to the meat and potatoes — i.e., ESPN's take on what to expect from the 2012 Buckeyes.

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College Football Live: ESPN's Roundtable Discussion on Ohio State Football

I've been getting lots of hateful, venomous comments recently directed at me personally in response to one of my latest CFN.Scout.com articles, regarding the 2011 OSU quarterback situation. It's not uncommon as a blogger to receive such feedback, but usually it's from SEC fans or fans from Michigan or Wisconsin.

Somewhat surprisingly however, these recent comments have been from other Buckeye fans on the Scout.com HineyGate message boards—all for saying exactly what Herbie and Urban Meyer said on Monday during the College Football Live "Roundtable" segment about Ohio State.

I just happened to say it first, which apparently makes me a pariah for not wearing my Scarlet and Gray homer glasses when it comes to Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor, and the rest of the Tat-5.

Clearly, the truth hurts, and it upset many a Buckeye fan on the aforementioned forums when I spoke it. I'm sure many of them will say ESPN hates Ohio State so it's no surprise that Herbie and Meyer agreed with me.

To that I reply that yes, ESPN does have a certain negative agenda more often than not when it comes to the Buckeyes—for which I have called them out on more than one occasion in the recent past—but anyone with any common sense and objectivity knows that the roundtable segment was done tastefully and truthfully. Three of the four roundtable members are from Ohio with direct ties to Ohio State. so I do not want to hear how it was unfair and biased!

In case you missed it, here is the video of the segment.


If the Buckeyes are 4-1 or [especially] 5-0 before the Nebraska game, do you believe it is a given that Braxton Miller, Jaamal Berry, Jordan Hall, or whomever it was that filled in for Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, and Mike Adams, should have had to work so hard and play so well the first half of the season, only to lose their starting jobs to players who knowingly and carelessly broke the rules and put themselves before the team over the past two to three years?

Contrary to what many believe, I'm not a Pryor hater—he is a great college player—but I sure as hell don't believe the players who go into fall camp and earn those starting jobs should lose them in week six solely because Pryor and the rest of the Pawn Stars come off of their suspensions.

Let me know what YOU think via email, below in the article comment section, on Twitter, or on Facebook.


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College Football Week 8 Rankings: Justifying What the Top 10 Should Look Like

Just like the AP voters and the coaches who vote in the USAToday Poll, I am also a human voter, but unlike the AP voters and coaches, I allow sound logic to define my rankings.

I am not sure what some of those voters base their rankings off of—The flip of a coin perhaps, or maybe they ask their wives which teams have the the prettiest colors?

Here's a real man's top 10, not based on heads, tails, excellent color coordinating, or just plain idiocy...


No. 10 - Alabama (7-1)

Alabama was No. 8 in last weeks BCS standings and will likely move up at least one or two slots after their win over Tennessee, combined with LSU's loss at Auburn.

What the national poll voters are ignoring is that after Alabama lost by 14 points to South Carolina (5-2), the Gamecocks then went on to lose at Kentucky (4-4), and they struggled until late in their 21-7 win against Vanderbilt (2-5) last evening.

Also last evening, Georgia (4-4) took the Wildcats out behind the woodshed to the tune of a 44-31 pounding in Lexington.

Only one of Alabama's wins have come against a team still currently ranked in the top 25 (Arkansas) and the loss to South Carolina continues to look worse and worse with each passing week.


No. 9 - Ohio State (7-1)

Like every other team, Ohio State is not perfect, but they are a solid top 10 team.

In the national polls, Ohio State is 10th, while Alabama is 6th, but those voters have it wrong. The Buckeyes deserve to be ahead of the Tide for several reasons.

Ohio State has one win over a team currently in the top 25 (Miami-Fl (5-2)), but their 13-point-loss in Camp Randall Stadium to now-No. 9 Wisconsin (7-1) looks much better than Alabama's loss at South Carolina.

It's true that no loss is a "good loss", but Ohio State losing at Wisconsin was much less of an upset than Alabama losing at South Carolina.

The Badgers only loss this year was in East Lansing to No. 5 Michigan State (8-0).

The Gamecocks have two losses—to Auburn (8-0) and Kentucky (4-4).

Ohio State is also the only team with a loss in the FBS that ranks in the top in both scoring offense (6th, scoring 40.8 ppg) and scoring defense (9th, allowing only 14.0 ppg).

The only other teams in the nation that have a top 10 scoring offense and scoring defense are Boise State, TCU, and Utah.


No. 8 - Wisconsin (7-1)

As mentioned above, the Badgers only defeat was to the No. 5 Spartans in East Lansing.

Last night, Wisconsin won their second huge game in as many weeks when they traveled to Iowa City and took down the No. 18 Hawkeyes, 31-30, one week after beating then-No. 1 Ohio State.

The case could be made by others and even myself that Wisconsin is too low sitting here at No. 8, but the top 10 will become much more clear in the next two to three weeks and they could find themselves in the top five when that dust settles.


No. 7 - Utah (7-0)

Utah might be a slot or two too high, but you have to respect an unbeaten team and not punish them just because the other teams in their conference mail it in every year.

Also, you may remember from above that Utah is one of only four FBS teams ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

They opened the season with a win over then No. 15 Pitt and have not really been tested since then, but that will all change starting next week.

It is possible, although unlikely, that the Utes could go from 7-0 to 7-5 to finish off the season with remaining games at home against AP No. 4 TCU and BYU and road games against Air Force, Notre Dame, and San Diego State.

Coming out of the mine field unscathed and still unbeaten would be an absolute miracle for Utah.


No. 6 - Michigan State (8-0)

The Spartans last started a season 8-0 in 1966 and ended up winning a share of the national title. In the corrupt system that is the BCS, they might not get the chance to play for a title this season even if they finish 12-0.

[rant]Everyone with a half-functioning brain can tell you that the BCS is all about selling tickets and making money, period. If you don't believe that, just ask Boise State, Utah, and TCU who all have done well in games against BCS-conference schools, yet have continually been shutout when it comes to having a chance to play one of the "big boys" for the BCS title.

Michigan State doesn't have that problem in that they are a member of the Big 10, but they do share the same problem that gets those teams repeatedly passed over—they are not a traditional football power that has a huge national following like a Texas, USC, Ohio State, Alabama, or Notre Dame.

The BCS would gladly invite a 1-loss Alabama to play in one of it's games over an unbeaten Spartans team. Hell, they'd probably take Texas, who may end up with 4 or 5 losses this year over Michigan State if they could get away with it...[/rant].

The bottom line is MSU is 8-0, they have two wins over teams that were ranked in the top 20 when they defeated each (then-No. 11 Wisconsin, and then-No. 18 Michigan), and they have a very good QB, two excellent running backs, a tough-as-nails coach, and a solid defense.

This week they travel to Iowa to face the No. 18 Hawkeyes. If they win that game, an unbeaten season is nearly a lock.

Now all they need should they finish the season 12-0 is a fair shake from the BCS, but don't hold your breath.


No. 5 - Missouri (7-0)

In a lot of ways, 2010 feels like 2007 all over again.

No. 1 ranked teams were dropping like flies that year, and so far this year.

It's also the last time the Tigers were this high in the rankings. They actually made it to No. 1, only to lose to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game and missed a huge opportunity to play in the BCS championship game.

This time around, Mizzou took it to the BCS's No.1 ranked Sooners, handing them a 36-27 defeat.

Oklahoma, however, was as usual over valued. They did blowout then-No. 17 Florida State earlier in the year and they also narrowly beat a then-overrated Texas team by eight points in the Red River Rivalry, but close wins over Utah State, Air Force, and Cincinnati revealed the real Sooners.

So, not to take away too much from what Missouri did to the Sooners, they do move up into the top five, but they could be even higher if Oklahoma were really as good as some blind voters believe they are/were.

Missouri faces the same problem as Michigan State. This week should be their final legit test as they face No. 14 Nebraska (6-1) and then their schedule, and lack of a huge national following will likely hurt their ranking.

They have one saving-grace which will be the Big 12 championship game should they win out.

Not in their favor if that scenario plays itself out is the fact that the Big 12 South representative will probably be Baylor, Oklahoma State, or Oklahoma and a win over any of those three probably won't do much to help the Tigers move ahead of anyone.


No. 4 - Boise State (6-0)

Last week I had Boise State at No. 1 and the only reason they are not No. 1 this week is because they were idle again, while Oregon, Auburn, and TCU all played and played well.

Oddly, everyone else has played seven or eight games to their six.

Anyway, Kellen Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and if ever a team was truly a "team" in every sense of the word, the Broncos are it.

There are no selfish egomaniacs on the Broncos. They play together and all they do it win, and win, and then win some more.

They have two wins this season over previously ranked BCS member schools Virginia Tech (6-2) and Oregon State (3-3). Their remaining schedule has only three games against Hawaii, Fresno State, and Nevada where they might face some competition, but they will be favored in each of those contests.

It's not fair to punish a non-AQ team like Boise State just because the majority of the teams in their conference mail it in early every year. That is not their fault, and neither is the fact that they have a standing offer to play any BCS team in that teams home stadium, or at a neutral site, but have very few takers.

If Boise State keeps winning, you can take it to the bank that no team with a loss will ever jump ahead of them in this guys' top 10.


No. 3 - TCU (8-0)

TCU may have the best chance of the non-AQ schools to play for the title this year and here's why.

They beat then-No. 24 Oregon State 30-21 to open the season.

In week three, they rolled over Baylor, who is now ranked at No. 25 in the BCS standings, by a score of 45-10.

After pitching back-to-back shutout wins over Colorado State and Wyoming, and a 31-3 blowout of BYU, the Horned Frogs crushed Air Force 38-7. Yes, the same Air Force team that leads the nation in rushing and the same Air Force team that former No. 1 Oklahoma only beat by three points.

On November 6th, TCU will travel to Provo to face No. 7 Utah. If both are still unbeaten going into that meeting as expected, the winner of that game should benefit greatly, despite the fact that the BCS is designed to keep them down.

TCU would obviously benefit the most since they are already currently in the top five, but Utah could do just as well with a win and a few losses by other key teams currently ahead of them.

Should TCU finish the year 12-0, I will have a hard time not giving them my No. 1 ranking based on their entire 2010 body-of-work.


No. 2 - Oregon (7-0)

As a Buckeye fan, I couldn't put Oregon at No. 1 this week. I heard all about Oregon's speed and talent and how unstoppable they were on offense last year before the Rose Bowl.

Everyone said Ohio State would do well to keep within 25-30 points. Oregon was going to score at least 50 and Ohio State would lose yet another BCS bowl.

Ohio State 26, Oregon 17.

Here it is 2010 and Oregon, minus thugs Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount, are otherwise pretty much the exact same team.

So what makes them legit now?

The same thing that had everyone fooled in 2009—style points.

Never mind the fact that they are averaging over 55 points per game solely because six of their seven games have been against horrible teams with terrible defenses.

AP voters love style points, even when all the competition are doormats.

And even in beating Stanford, the Ducks lone victory over a ranked opponent this year, they didn't exactly face a defensive juggernaut.

The Cardinal are 60th in scoring defense, giving up over 24 points per contest. Even hopeless Washington State scored 28 on the Stanford "D".

Oregon is 7-0 and they have talent, but if they lose this week to USC like I think they are going to, they can almost certainly kiss this top 10 ranking goodbye.


No. 1 - Auburn (8-0)

Let me start off by saying I hate the SEC and every SEC team as much as I hate that team up North, so you better believe that it pains me to rank any SEC team No. 1.

That being said, in a season where there appears to be no dominant great team, but many very good teams, no other team has proven to me that they belong in the top spot this week than the Auburn Tigers.

Their defense could end up being their Achilles heel, but they have faced, and defeated, five teams of the eight teams they have played that are, were, or could be ranked in the top 25, so the 23.5 points they are allowing per game isn't as bad as it seems when you consider the level of competition they have faced.

Having Cam Newton as their QB doesn't hurt either. He is leading the nation in rushing and much like Vince Young at Texas in 2005, could be on his way to leading his team to the BCS title. Unlike Young, he may also being home the Heisman too.

After beating then-No. 6 LSU this past Saturday, moving Auburn up to No. 1 was a no-brainer.

Mississippi and Chattanooga will provide little resistance as Auburn should easily move to 10-0, with surging Georgia and former No. 1 Alabama left on the schedule at the end of the year, plus a potential SEC title game appearance.

With their rankings in the human polls and the love the computers will show them, there is no way the Tigers don't play for the BCS title if they win out.

With their SOS, they might still get a shot at the BCS title even if they lose one of the next four games.

We'd all like to see what a non-AQ team could do vs. one of the best from a BCS conference, but if Auburn or even Alabama plays in and wins the SEC title game, it's almost a guarantee that the BCS will do what they always do and screw the unbeaten little guy, aka Boise State, TCU, etc.


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Hot off the Presses: The Top 25 and the Heisman Leaderboard for Week 4

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Week 4 Top 25
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1 - ALABAMA (4-0)

2 - OHIO STATE (4-0)

3 - OREGON (4-0)

4 - STANFORD (4-0)

5 - BOISE STATE (3-0)

6 - TCU (4-0)

7 - NEBRASKA (4-0)

8 - WISCONSIN (4-0)

9 - OKLAHOMA (4-0)

10 - FLORIDA (4-0)

11 - UTAH (4-0)

12 - ARIZONA (4-0)

13 - MICHIGAN (4-0)

14 - AUBURN (4-0)

15 - LSU (4-0)

16 - TEXAS A&M (3-0)

17 - ARKANSAS (3-1)

18 - IOWA (3-1)

19 - NEVADA (4-0)

20 - MISSOURI (4-0)

21 - MICHIGAN STATE (4-0)

22 - NORTH CAROLINA STATE (4-0)

23 - SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1)

24 - MIAMI-FL (2-1)

25 - KANSAS STATE (4-0)


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Top 5 Heisman Candidates
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1 - TERRELLE PRYOR: QB, OHIO STATE

2 - ANDREW LUCK: QB, STANFORD

3 - KELLEN MOORE: QB, BOISE STATE

4 - RUSSELL WILSON: QB, NC STATE

5 - DENARD ROBINSON: QB, MICHIGAN






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College Football Best of the Best: Week 3 Must See Matchups

These are the best week three games to watch, times and channel info included when available.


Friday 9/17
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Nevada (2-0) vs. California (2-0) - 10PM - ESPN2/ESPN3.com


Saturday 9/18
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No. 2 Ohio State (2-0) vs. Ohio U (1-1) - Noon - Big Ten Network


No. 4 TCU (2-0) vs. Baylor (2-0) - 4:30PM - Versus


No. 6 Texas (2-0) @ Texas Tech (2-0) - 8:00PM - ABC


No. 7 Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Air Force (2-0) - 3:30PM - N/A


No. 8 Nebraska (2-0) @ Washington (1-1) - 3:30PM - ABC/ESPN3.com


No. 9 Iowa (2-0) @ No. 24 Arizona (2-0) - 10:30Pm - ESPN/ESPN3.com


No. 10 Florida (2-0) @ Tennessee (1-1) - 3:30Pm - CBS


No. 11 Wisconsin (2-0) vs. Arizona State (2-0) - 3:30PM - ABC


No. 16 Auburn (2-0) vs. Clemson (2-0) - 7PM - ESPN/ESPN3.com


No. 19 Stanford (2-0) vs. Wake Forest (2-0) - 11:15PM - ESPN2/ESPN3.com


No. 21 West Virgina (2-0) vs. Maryland (2-0) - Noon - ESPNU


Michigan State (2-0) vs. Notre Dame (1-1) - 8PM - ABC


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Week 2 College Football Rankings: BlockONation's Latest Top 25 Forecast

Many of you that follow the site know that I am a weekly top 25 voter in The Best Damn Poll In The Land.

It wasn't easy this week, but I basically all but ignored my preseason and week one rankings, instead preferring to rank the teams on my ballot this week from scratch, based on what I've seen so far through week two.

Here is what I came up with for my top 25 ballot this week.


1. ALABAMA - Here until they lose, or barely win really ugly vs. an inferior team


2. OHIO STATE - Proved they have a great overall team in win over Miami-FL


3. TCU - Best "mid-major", touting star QB Andy Dalton and a great "D"


4. NEBRASKA - Great defense, good QB and very good running back in Helu Jr


5. BOISE STATE - Still top 5 but the Va Tech loss to James Madison hurt them


6. IOWA - QB Stanzi and RB Robinson are playing great, plus still great on "D"


7. OREGON - Two great backs and even with slow start vs. Tenn, still blew them out


8. OKLAHOMA - Proved they were a top 10 team even though FSU was picked to upset them


9. WISCONSIN - Played down to the competition in week 2 but still worthy of this slot


10. TEXAS - UT won easily over a veteran Wyoming team and rounds out the top 10


11. STANFORD - Andrew Luck is one of the nation's best QB's and Stanford killed UCLA


12. ARKANSAS - Ryan Mallet has been lights out and Hogs might challenge Bama in SEC West


13. UTAH - Looking good at 2-0 but we will know more later when they face TCU and
Notre Dame


14. TEXAS A&M - Super tough schedule coming but looking good so far, especially QB Jerrod Johnson


15. MICHIGAN - QB Denard Robinson has UM at 2-0 with his nearly 900 yards of offense


16. FLORIDA - John Brantley is no Tim Tebow and UF is extremely fortunate to be 2-0


17. HOUSTON - Case Keenum was injured this past week but if he doesn't miss any games, Houston should remain in the top 25


18. SOUTH CAROLINA - The Gamecocks entered my top 25 after RB Marcus Lattimore emerged and their solid "D" helped them beat previously ranked Georgia


19. MISSOURI - The Tigers could challenge Nebraska in the Big 12, and QB Blaine
Gabbert is underrated


20. AUBURN - QB Cam Newton has nearly 600 total yards and has already scored seven TDs for the 2-0 Tigers


21. MARYLAND - They aren't flashy but I really like RB Davin Meggett and the 2-0 Terps have a pretty stingy defense


22. LSU - Last week I dropped the Tigers after their narrow win over a depleted UNC team, but not this week, only because there was really no one worth moving ahead of them


23. NEVADA - I don't care what anyone say, Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick is amazing and he alone is worth this ranking


24. CALIFORNIA - The Bears, who face Nevada next Friday in what could be a real dandy, are 2-0 and have emerging stars in both QB Kevin Riley and RB Shane Vereen


25. AIR FORCE - The Falcons just beat BYU to go 2-0, and are leading the nation with (and this is not a typo) over 420 rushing yards per game


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The Revised Top 10: How the Coaches Should Have Voted

Most of you are aware that the USAToday top 25 coaches poll was released yesterday.

As far as the top 10 goes, some teams were ranked too high—some teams were ranked too low—and a couple of teams that belong in the top 10 actually found themselves on the outside looking in.

The controversy over preseason polls will never end, but I believe my revised rankings will right a few of the wrongs and please everyone—or cause an outright riot.

Either way, it should be a good time. After all, the 2010 college football season is almost here!


Coaches top 10

No. 1—Alabama

No. 2—Ohio State

No. 3—Florida

No. 4—Texas

No. 5—Boise State

No. 6—Virginia Tech

No. 7—TCU

No. 8—Oklahoma

No. 9—Nebraska

No. 10—Iowa



My top 10, and a few thoughts on each

No. 1—Alabama

The Tide lost 9 defensive starters and almost slipped from the top spot because of those losses, but the offense, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and his talented understudy Trent Richardson, should be very prolific. I still am not sure QB Greg McElroy is as great as Alabama fans believe he is, but it won't hurt him to have Julio Jones to throw to after the running game likely opens up some huge passing lanes. Because of their numerous weapons on offense, they maintain the top ranking for now, but we all know it's hard to go wire-to-wire unbeaten with that huge target resting squarely on your back.

No. 2—Boise State

I moved BSU up three spots from five to two. Did someone forget to tell the coaches that Boise State was a perfect 14-0 last year and that they return all 22 starters including QB Kellen Moore? Ultimately their conference schedule may hurt their overall SOS down the road when the BCS rankings are released, but it's not their fault no other top teams want to schedule them. Either way, Moore is a stud and he would be a star in any conference in the country in my opinion.

No. 3—Ohio State

To show my ability to be objective, I moved the Buckeyes down one spot from two to three behind Boise State because the Broncos have all their starters returning. If the Buckeyes and Broncos each go unbeaten, Ohio State's SOS would give them the clear edge and once again eliminate any BCS title hopes of yet another mid-major program. QB Terrelle Pryor will be improved in 2010 just as Troy Smith was in 2006 and he is surrounded by top-notch players at every offensive position. The Buckeyes and their fans are hoping this is the year they get back to, and win, the BCS championship. It's definitely possible, but it won't be easy. Miami, Wisconsin, Iowa, possibly Penn State, and yes, perhaps even lowly Michigan, all intend on ending those dreams when they each get their shots.

No. 4—Virginia Tech

There are several reasons why I moved the Hokies up from sixth and into my top five. QB Tyrod Taylor has consistently improved in each of his first two seasons and year three should reveal more of the same. They also have a problem every team and coach would love to have--two top-tier running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Add in the fact that they always have a pretty solid defense and an excellent coach in Frank Beamer and that all adds up to a top 5 team in my book.

No. 5—Florida

I dropped UF from third to fifth for multiple reasons. In short, Tim Tebow is gone and there is some uncertainty as to what new QB John Brantley will bring to the table. UF really has no No. 1 big name workhorse running back that could help take some of the pressure off of Brantley. Also, the questions that are still looming (at least for me) about Urban Meyer's health and ability to withstand the pressures of coaching for the entire season are a factor. Lastly, UF had a few key losses on defense. I feel compelled to be skeptical of the Gators being ranked in the top three and maybe even being in the top five, but until I see them play, I really can't justify dropping them any further at this point.

No. 6—TCU

Andy Dalton could prove to be one of the nation's top quarterbacks and I believe it is safe to say the Horned Frogs will field one of the best defenses in all of college football. I moved them up one spot from seven to six for those reasons. As is the case with Boise State, TCU's overall schedule may prevent them making a legit BCS title run, but at the very least, making a BCS bowl is a distinct possibility.

No. 7—Iowa

If coach Kirk Ferentz ever had an Iowa team that appears more ready than ever to contend for the Big 10 and possibly the BCS titles, this would be it. Offensively, senior signal-caller Ricky Stanzi returns along with running backs Jewell Hampton and Adam Robinson and wideouts Marvin McNutt and Derrell-Johnson Koulianos. The defense is led by Orange Bowl MVP Adrian Clayborn, who is one of the favorites for the conference and national defensive POY awards. The schedule is near perfect with only one difficult away game (at Arizona), while Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State all have to play the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. If Stanzi, who has had a propensity for turning the ball over at inopportune times, can protect the football, the Hawkeyes will have a solid chance of unseating the Buckeyes as the best of the Big 10.

No. 8—Pittsburgh

Even after losing proven starter QB Bill Stull, the fighting Wannstedt's are my favorite to win the Big East. The main reasons are, first and foremost, phenom running back Dion Lewis, and secondly, the schedule. When examining Pitt's schedule, you might be ask yourself in reference to me, "Is this guy insane?" No, I assure you I am not, and here is why. Pitt has stepped up in a big way with their scheduling and if they win all of their games or lose just one against any one of the ranked teams they will face, they should still be in the running for the conference title and a BCS berth. They will open the year at Utah, then they host Miami-FL a couple weeks later, followed by a trip to South Bend three weeks later to face the Irish. They then host WVU and travel to Cincinnati to finish the year. The BCS computers will love their SOS, and the rankings at season's end will show it, provided the Panthers win most or all of those matchups.

No. 9—Wisconsin

I have been unimpressed, and therefore critical of the Badgers over the past couple of seasons. That may all change this year. UW returns 10 offensive starters including reigning Big 10 offensive POY, running back John Clay and the conference's passing efficiency leader from a year ago, QB Scott Tolzien. The Badgers should be a literal offensive juggernaut in 2010. They host the Buckeyes, then travel to Iowa City the following week. I believe those two games will define their season, as the other 10 games are all practically locks for them to win. I wouldn't call it a huge worry, but as I see it, the one area of concern will be their defense. It could be the missing puzzle piece that ends up derailing the season, or the saving grace that preserves a magical season in Madison. The "O" should score plenty of points, but can their "D" preserve leads and hold on for real wins instead of moral victories?

No. 10—Texas

With QB Colt McCoy now in Cleveland playing for the Browns, and with heavy losses elsewhere including Jordan Shipley and Sergio Kindle among others, the Longhorns may be in for a long season. Garrett Gilbert, McCoy's replacement, did show that he's no slouch when he stepped in for the injured McCoy against Alabama in last season's title game, but he also had five turnovers. The Longhorns must also find the running game that they have lacked in recent years. Experience is priceless, so 2010 may be somewhat of a rebuilding year in Austin. That being said, 2011 may just find Texas right back in the hunt for another national championship.

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Just FYI, I'm not like the majority of SEC fans. I know my conference is not a team. In Big 10 country, we pick one team to root for, not all 12. I'm stressing this just so nobody gets the wise idea to accuse me of being a homer for ranking three Big 10 teams in the top 10. All three deserve to be there, end of story.


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My New, Improved Top 25 Running Backs For 2010: Well, According To SEC Logic Anyway...

Please SEC fans, I implore you—please forgive my transgressions against the elite, unmatched running backs from your sacred, mighty, and impeccable conference.

I have seen the light!

I have been baptized in SEC holy water, and I now repent my sins (my previous top 10 running backs for 2010 article linked above) as I present to you my new and improved, and SEC approved, top 25 running backs in the nation ranking—which by the way, also inadvertently doubles as the Top 25 Heisman Contenders for 2010, of course...


25—David Oku—Tennessee (94 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

24—Rodney Scott—Ole Miss (138 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

23—Stevan Ridley—LSU (180 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

22—Robert Elliott—Mississippi State (221 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

21—Mario Fannin—Auburn (285 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

20—Christian Ducre—Mississippi State (263 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

19—Dennis Johnson—Arkansas (342 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

18—Roy Upchurch—Alabama (299 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

17—Brian Maddox—South Carolina (307 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

16—Bryce Brown—Tennessee (460 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

15—Randall Cobb—Kentucky (447 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

14—Kenny Miles—South Carolina (626 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

13—Zac Stacy—Vanderbilt (478 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

12—Charles Scott—LSU (542 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

11—Ontario McCalebb—Auburn (565 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

10—Chris Rainey—Florida (575 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns in 2009)

9—Caleb King—Georgia (594 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

8—Broderick Green—Arkansas (442 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns in 2009)

7—Brandon Bolden—Ole Miss (614 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

6—Washaun Ealey—Georgia (717 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

5—Warren Norman—Vanderbilt (783 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

4—Jeffrey Demps—Florida (745 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

3—Derrick Locke—Kentucky (907 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

2—Trent Richardson—Alabama (751 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns in 2009)

1—Mark Ingram—Alabama (1658 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns in 2009)


That's it, that's the SEC friendly, and real (wink) top 25 tailbacks in the nation for 2010.

By the way, can I interest you in the tropical island in the middle of Lake Erie that I own?

Hopefully if you're a fan of an SEC team and someone read this to you since you dropped out of school in Kindergarten, you were able to detect and identify the satire and sarcasm located within the article above, as it was chock full of each!

Yours sincerely,
HD


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TBDPITL BlockONation Week Six Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




No. 1 Alabama's RB Mark Ingram




I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week six ballot.

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1. Alabama

2. Florida

3. Virginia Tech

4. Texas

5. Iowa

6. Ohio State

7. Southern California

8. Boise State

9. LSU

10. Miami (Fla.)

11. Penn State

12. Cincinnati

13. Oregon

14. TCU

15. Georgia Tech

16. South Florida

17. Kansas

18. BYU

19. Nebraska

20. Missouri

21. Houston

22. Oklahoma State

23. Notre Dame

24. Pittsburgh

25. South Carolina


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TBDPITL BlockONation Week Five Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation





I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week five ballot.

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1. Alabama

2. LSU

3. Texas

4. Florida

5. Boise State

6. USC

7. Ohio State

8. Virginia Tech

9. Cincinnati

10. TCU

11. Missouri

12. South Florida

13. Georgia Tech

14. Iowa

15. Penn State

16. Miami-Fl

17. Auburn

18. Oregon

19. BYU

20. Nebraska

21. Notre Dame

22. Houston

23. Oklahoma State

24. South Carolina

25. Mississippi


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TBDPITL BlockONation Week Three Top 25

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation





I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week three ballot.


No. 1--Texas

I finally dropped UF from No. 1 after their not-so-great performance vs. Tennessee. They finally played a BCS team, and not a very good one, and I was not impressed. Texas gets the slight nod over the Gators this week after mostly containing a highly explosive Texas Tech offense.


No. 2--Florida

See Texas above. Pounding cupcakes, then barely beating an average BCS team will bite you in the ass every time.


No. 3--California

Jahvid Best is absolutely my Heisman front-runner until further notice. The Gophers have a decent team, but Best carried the Bears to the road win with 100+ and five touchdowns, and carried his team to the top three of my ballot.


No. 4--Alabama

Running back Mark Ingram and quarterback Greg McElroy have Tide fans sold, that once again, this is their year. I know they beat Va Tech in week one, but these last two pushover games have shown me very little. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but I'm still not 100% sold on these elephants.


No. 5--Penn State

Ho hum, the Nits won their third game of the year vs. their third high school caliber opponent. I really feel when Penn State plays a real team, they are going to crash and burn, but I'll keep them here for now so I can laugh harder when it happens.


No. 6--LSU

The Tigers went out and beat the Washington Huskies in week one, something USC failed to do, so I moved them up three spots this week even though their last two wins were over Vandy and A directional Louisiana team. I still don't know who to truly believe in from the SEC West...


No. 7--Boise State

The Broncos are 3-0 and look to be the new flavor of the week for the mid-majors after BYU's blowout loss to unranked Florida State. Quarterback Kellen Moore and running backs Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper could all start for many BCS schools. Other than maybe at Tulsa on October 14, Boise State's remaining games are all pretty much guaranteed wins. I don't see them going anywhere from here, but up.


No. 8--Mississippi

The Rebels are 2-0 after drilling Southeastern Louisiana 52-6. Their other win was over Memphis, so this ranking is somewhat a leap of faith at this point, mainly because I'm on the Jevan Snead bandwagon. This Thursday, they play at South Carolina, then at Vanderbilt the following week, and on October 10, they will host No. 3 Alabama. The next two games are very winnable, likely setting up a potential top five showdown with the Tide in three weeks.


No. 9--Ohio State

What a difference a week, and more aggressive play-calling, makes. Albeit it, Tressel wasn't as afraid of making costly mistakes vs. the Rockets as he was against the Trojans. Terrelle Pryor wasn't perfect, but he was very good overall, accounting for over 300 totals yards and four touchdowns in just over three quarters. Unless I'm on crack, look for more of the same next week as the Buckeyes open Big Ten play when they will host what seems to be a previously over-valued Illinois team.


No. 10--Cincinnati

After starting outside of the top 25 this preseason, the Bearcats have steadily clawed their way into my top 10. They traveled to Corvalis and came away with a 28-18 victory. That is no easy task to win there. Just ask USC. Brian Kelly can coach, and Tony Pike can play quarterback. In fact, Pike is absolutely a (darkhorse) Heisman candidate as of right now. If Cincy keeps winning, and if Pike keeps playing this way, the Bearcats and Pike may once again find themselves in a BCS bowl, and Pike could be in New York at the Downtown Athletic Club come December.


No. 11--Miami (Fl.)

Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris just might be better than Robert Griffin and Terrelle Pryor. He hasn't gotten the hype and the headlines until now, but that hasn't stopped him from leading the Canes to two huge wins over then No. 25 FSU, and of then No. 8 Georgia Tech. The Canes might be back, or at least close to being back. Their games the next two weeks will be tell-tell as they travel to No. 13 Va Tech before hosting No. 12 Oklahoma. Before the season, the experts thought "The "U would be 0-4 to start the season. As it looks right now, 4-0 is a definite possibility.


No. 12--Oklahoma

Freshman QB Landry Jones has made leaps and bounds in his first two career starts. Jones set a Sooners record by tossing six touchdowns in the 45-0 rout of Tulsa on Saturday. OU now has a bye week and an extra week to prepare for their now bigtime showdown in Miami vs. the No. 11 Canes in two weeks. This game sure isn't going to be the easy win many thought it would be just a few short weeks ago. It could end up being one of the best games of the year.


No.13--Virginia Tech

The Hokies have bounced back from their week one loss to Alabama and have found another star running back in Ryan Williams. Nebraska, then No. 15, came to Blacksburg with plans to upset the Hokies, but Va Tech came from behind and held on for a 16-15 win. Next week, surprising No. 11 Miami and rising-star Jacory Harris come to town in what could be the game of the week. Don't miss it.


No. 14--Houston

The Cougars had a week three bye, but will get back at it this week as they host Taylor Potts, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech hung in for a while vs. Texas Saturday night in Austin, but in the end, Colt McCoy and the Texas "D" were too much. Houston has already pulled the upset of the year over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in week two and quarterback Case Keenum is a big reason why Houston is ranked where they are. If they win over the Red Raiders this week, they are almost a lock to go undefeated and sould have a great shot at a BCS bowl.


No. 15--Southern California

A lot of people want to make excuses for USC when they lose a game they aren't supposed to, to an inferior Pac-10 opponent. I'm not one of those people. Who cares that Barkley didn't play? Corp was already the starter for USC until he was injured just before the start of the season. Others say you can't drop USC below a team they already beat (i.e. Ohio State) to which that I say, tOSU looks to have learned from their mistakes vs. USC and improved over the past week, while USC regressed and looked like they didn't belong on the field vs. Washington. BYU beat Oklahoma head to head, but you'll notice they aren't in the top 25 this week, while OU is. USC may have been questionably better than the Buckeyes last week in the Shoe, but this week, most definitely not.


No. 16--Oklahoma State

Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant showed this week that the Cowboys do belong, and that their loss to Houston may have been the result of a letdown and a fluke after their big week one win over Georgia. Their next two games are against Grambling State and Texas A&M. The Cowboys should win each of those games before a somewhat brutal stretch to close out October when they host Missouri, travel to Waco to face the Baylor Bears, then host the Longhorns on October 31. If their defense plays like it did against Houston, October won't be kind to the Cowpokes, and my rankings will ultimately reflect that.


No. 17--TCU

The Frogs jumped a few spots this week after a few upsets but they still need a signature win to solidify their ranking. That could come this week as they will travel to South Carolina to take on the (2-1) Clemson Tigers. Clemson running back CJ Spiller has been great out of the backfield and as a return man, so for TCU to have a chance to win and hold onto their top 15 ranking, they must contain Spiller and move the ball offensively against a Tiger defense which last week, held Boston College to just seven points.


No. 18--Kansas

The good news for the Jayhawks (3-0) is they are averaging 42 points per game on offense, led by QB Todd Reesing and running backs Jake Sharp and Toben Opurum. The bad news is, we still don't know if they're really any good or not. Nor will be know before October 24 when they host Oklahoma. Their next three games are all extremely winnable, meaning Kansas will likely start (6-0). In their final six, at least five are possible losses. I guess all I can say to Kansas fans is enjoy it while you can.


No. 19--Nebraska

Nebraska led at halftime, and practically the entire second half of the game at Va Tech, until when it mattered most. Tyrod Taylor threw the game winning TD with just 21 seconds left on the clock to shock the Huskers. Nebraska had not one, but two touchdowns taken off the board, one by penalty, and one because the receiver fumbled the ball when he hit the ground. It was a valiant effort and Nebraska still hangs in the top 20 on my ballot this week.


No. 20--Michigan

I guess I really can't justify putting UM lower than 20 for now, so by default, the Wolverines crack the top 20, even though they still have not beaten anyone good. The lucky win over Notre Dame looks much less impressive when you consider that MSU, who lost to Central Michigan of the MAC last week, gave the game away to Notre Dame in the final minutes over the weekend in South Bend. Michigan fans are getting way carried away and even touting Tater as a Heisman candidate, in 2012 in small print, but still. Right now, he's their hero and savior, and at least 1000 times better than Pryor, McCoy, or Tebow among others—but he will choke when UM finally plays a good team, and when he does, then we'll see just how much UM fans really love him.


No. 21--Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech has really disappointed the last two weeks. A close win, barely holding on at home vs. Clemson a week ago, and now a blowout loss to Miami has the Yellow Jackets out of the top 20 on my ballot. Jonathan Dwyer has underperformed in the last two games and if he and Josh Nesbitt can't get back on track, GT won't be in my top 25 much longer.


No. 22--Missouri

Take away QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman, and WR Jeremy Maclin and what do you have? A Missouri Tigers team that looks almost as good as when those three were still suiting up. This years Tigers (3-0) are led by QB Blaine Gabbert. Sure, they've beaten up on two weak teams the last two weeks, but they did open the year with a 37-9 beatdown of Illinois on a neutral site. The next four games (at Nevada, vs. Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, vs. Texas) will truly measure how good these 2009 Tigers are.


No. 23--Pittsburgh

Pitt was my pick to win the Big East, followed by West Virginia, then Cincy. RB Dion Lewis has been outstanding taking over at RB for Shady McCoy. I still believe Pitt could challenge the Bearcats for the conference crown, and fittingly, they play each other in the final game of the season. The Panthers handled the Navy Triple option much better than the Buckeyes did, but that was week one when OSU opened with the Midshipmen, and to be fair, Pitt plays NC State next week, not USC, so really no reason for them to look ahead.


No. 24--Florida State

I suppose they could prove me wrong, but I still do not like this Seminoles team, and I don't think FSU will win more than seven or eight games this year. That being said, they just whipped BYU in Provo, and everyone remembers that BYU beat Oklahoma on a "neutral" site, so I have no choice but to move them back onto my ballot, but I trust it won't be for long. (Sorry FSUTampaGuy).


No. 25--Iowa 25

Iowa dropped out of my top 25 after the miracle win when they blocked two FG's vs. Northern Iowa in week one. The Hawkeyes (3-0), are now back after two wins over BCS teams. Now, Iowa State is a Big 12 doormat so that win did not sway me and Iowa did not move up last week, but Arizona is a pretty decent team from the Pac-10 so I do now believe Iowa is worthy of of the No. 25 slot. This coming Saturday, the Hawkeyes travel to Happy Valley for a game I am greatly anticipating. Penn State has yet to be tested and I'd love nothing more than to see an instant classic, and an Iowa victory. The game is the 8PM Saturday night ABC game—Don't miss it!

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Dropped out:

BYU, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Utah

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Newcomers:

Missouri, Pitt, Florida State, Iowa

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Almost in:

Washington, UCLA, Auburn, North Carolina, BYU, South Florida, Georgia


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