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


Click For The Block Nation Front Page

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.

---

---

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.


Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Crap-shoot Time—My Week 10 Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




========
TOP 10
========

1. Texas - I'm not sure any of the top teams want to be #1 but I guess the Longhorns have looked the best on both sides of the ball to me as an entire team so that's how they got here, for now...

2. TCU - I know the SEC homers are going to die when they see this (TCU ahead of UF and Bama) but TCU has offense and defense and to me have looked better than most every other team. I swear, I almost put them at No. 1, seriously...

3. Alabama - They keep winning and McElroy finally came back to life after a few weeks on hiatus. The LSU win gets them back into my top 3.

4. Florida - They didn't blow out Vandy like I thought they should and their offense continues to look average, but they are 9-0 so I can't justify moving them out of the top 5, but if Cincy would not have won so close, they'd be here instead.

5. Cincinnati - Like 'Bama, the Bearcats keep winning, and with a backup (Zach Collaros) I might add, who might just be their new starter in place of Drew Bledsoe (see Tom Brady), er, I mean Tony Pike.

6. Georgia Tech - They might be overrated here, but when it's 4th and 1 and you are down by 3 in OT and you go for the glory instead of kicking the tying FG, you are a man, 40 years old or not, and on sheer ballsiness alone, and the 9-1 record, you earned this slot this week! (Play of the week nominee)

7. Pittsburgh - The Panthers are a 7-point early season road loss away @ NCST from being 9-0 and even higher in the rankings. True freshman running back Dion Lewis is the truth and has Pitt fans forget all about LeSean McCoy. A showdown with the Bearcats is coming in a couple of weeks, and I really hope both teams win all of their games leading up to that one!

8. Boise State - The Broncos are 9-0, but the one team that was keeping them near the top 5 was Oregon. The Ducks comeback bid fell short vs. The Cardinal and Toby Gerhart had a career and record-setting day running the ball-shades of "Touchdown" Tommy Vardell. The weak conference schedule is their biggest enemy, but as long as they win out, they are nearly a lock for a BCS Bowl, just not THE BCS NC Game.

9. Ohio State - I almost put Houston, or Utah here but I just couldn't convince myself that either of them could beat the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes to me had the best win of the weekend and their defense looked UNBELIEVABLE. So did Terrelle Pryor, finally! I am not a homer in my poll, but I'm sure I will hear that from some of you. If so, I won't lose any sleep over it, just so you know.

10. Houston - What a year Case Keenum is having. They say the eventual Heisman winner needs to have that "signature highlight moment" during the year that propels them on to winning the award. Keenum has had more than one in my opinion, and for me, he is the Heisman winner if the trophy were handed out today. People talk about Tebow willing UF to victories...If you missed the end of the Houston-Tulsa game, then you missed Keenum refusing to quit -- refusing to let his team lose. His stats are unreal (3,815 pass yards, 28 TD's, only 5 INT's, 158.9 QB Rating) and if Houston wins out, Keenum should deservedly win the hardware.

==============
The Rest (11-25)
==============
I put them in a hat and drew them one at a time (kidding, or am I?)

11. Utah - Might be too high, but maybe not

12. Miami-Fla - Not sure if i trust them or not

13. LSU - Only 2 losses are to Florida and Bama but I think the SEC is overrated so...

14. USC - Won and looked bad doing it and I considered dropping them out of the top 15

15. Oklahoma State - Keep on keepin' on without Dez Bryant which surprises and impresses me

16. Iowa - The other shoe finally dropped and Stanzi is out for OSU next week--oy vey

17. Arizona - Wildcats are half a win behind Oregon in the Pac-10 and even though it won't be easy, they control their own destiny in the conference

18. Wisconsin - I never thought the Badgers would be 7-2 at this point, let alone ranked in the top 20 but they are decent and Clay is the best RB in the Big 10

19. Stanford - Toby Gerhart has been awesome this year as has freshman QB Andrew Luck and rest assured, the Cardinal will have a say in who wins the Pac-10

20. Penn State - The Buckeyes finally exposed what we all may have suspected -- PSU was overrated and their soft schedule was why

21. Oregon - Despite a late comeback bid that fell short, the Ducks laid an egg most of the game vs. Stanford and maybe they are who I thought they were after the Boise loss

22. BYU - Max Hall and Dennis Pita are pretty good, I guess...

23. Clemson - CJ Spiller is the only reason Clemson made my poll

24. Navy - Middies should be 8-2 but lost last week without stud QB Ricky Dobbs -- Notre Dame's BCS hopes are dead and their coach may join me in the unemployment line soon. That "close call" for Ohio State in week one is looking better and better.

25. Troy - Why not? They've won seven games in a row after a surprising week one loss to BGSU and an expected week 2 loss to Florida. I guess I could have put WVU or Rutgers here but WV didn't impress, and Rutgers had a bye so like I said, why not?


Click For Block Nation Frontpage

The BCS System Proves Yet Again To Be Fundamentally Flawed

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


If you paid any attention to college football last weekend then you’re aware that Iowa won at Penn State and Oregon humiliated Cal, 42-3.

These weren’t obscure events.

The voters who participate in the Harris Interactive and USA Today Coaches polls apparently did not pay any attention. Hey, why would they? These are only the people whom the empty suits of the Bowl Championship Series have empowered to determine how the sport’s champion is crowned.

So it made perfect sense that in the polls that make up two-thirds of the BCS formula Penn State is still ahead of Iowa and Cal is still ahead of Oregon. These are among a half-dozen rankings based more on reputation and preseason hype than results. There will be more as the year goes on.

This is the BCS. It’s not a one-time mistake. It’s the all-the-time plan. Ridiculous votes happen when you conduct ridiculous elections.

The suits want something that provides convenient cover for them (hey, don’t blame us, it’s the voters!) while being so flawed it draws attention away from what’s really going on – the operation of a system designed to protect their power and allow their cronies who run bowl games to fleece the sport for tens of millions a year.

Forget what they say. Forget the supposed excuses. That’s all there is here. Protect their power and the bowl games’ money.

If the people who ran the BCS wanted to implement a good way to determine the best teams at the end of the year – even if they stuck with the archaic bowl system – they would have done so years ago.

Instead they continue to prop up a formula where two-thirds is determined by a popularity vote from people who, in many cases, are either incapable or unmotivated to take the job seriously.

There’s decades of evidence and testimony from the 59 head coaches that they 1) don’t have the time to research their ballots and 2) often hand over the duties to administrative staffers, who also have no time.

There’s half a decade of evidence that the commitment of the 114 Harris Poll voters fluctuates wildly. Most of these guys are retired administrators, coaches or players. Some are media.

They’ve proven good for two things, voting based on marketing and reputation, and subscribing to a groupthink mentality that assures their ballot doesn’t stand out and they get criticized for thinking for themselves.

Some voters take their responsibility seriously and in their defense, the two polls purposefully offer no criteria for them to consider. Should they slot teams based on overall record, strength of schedule, who they beat, who they lost to, how they won, how they lost, where the games took place, conference strength or so on?

Last year a number of Harris Poll voters admitted to Yahoo! Sports that they have never bothered to watch Utah play before deciding the postseason fate of 12-0 Utes. This isn’t to say Utah should’ve been ranked No. 1 or No. 25, only that any reputable system would, at the very least, require the voters to at least watch an unbeaten team before dismissing them.

It’s moronic enough to use a beauty contest system to determine athletic competition. It’s even worse when the voters don’t have to watch all the contestants. No one disqualifies Miss Mississippi because she isn’t from California.

They do in the BCS.

What happened to the voters who admitted they didn’t think it was necessary to watch Utah play? Naturally, most of them are back again this year.

The folks who run Harris Interactive were concerned enough about this abomination they recommended that a protective mechanism be established to root out “instability, error or bias associated with unusual ranking patterns.”

Naturally the BCS suits rejected it. They love instability, error and bias.

Of course the suits also employ the final one-third of the system as a safety check – the computers. Six mathematical formulas crank out rankings to supposedly make up for human prejudice.

The problem with the computer formulas is twofold. One, the lack of comparative data makes this exercise impossible, which is why actual mathematicians operate a movement that denounces the BCS and any of their peers who participate.

Second, as baseball numbers whiz Bill James points out, the three times the computers have disagreed with the final human vote, the BCS suits immediately re-rigged the formulas in an effort to prevent it from happening again.

The computers aren’t there to counter the polls. They exist to offer credibility through pre-calculated agreement.

“Computers, like automobiles and airplanes, do only what people tell them to do,” James wrote for Slate.

Absent blowing this atrocity up and going with a 16-team playoff, if the BCS wanted a better system to choose the teams for their antiquated bowl games, they would go with a NCAA men’s basketball tournament-style committee.

That’s a group of about 10 people who spend the season scouting teams, meeting to discuss various scenarios and then eventually getting together to go through a vast checklist of predetermined criteria to select the field.

While not devoid of controversy, it’s orderly and transparent.

That would require courage and accountability though, actual faces to answer for the decision to select team X over team Y. The current system allows the blame to be spread out, even to faceless machines.

While a couple dozen conference commissioners and bowl executives sure do love to count the money, they don’t want to claim ownership of the BCS. In fact, Mountain West Conference attorneys claim that there’s no proof the BCS exists as a legal entity. Six conference commissioners take turns serving as “BCS coordinator” for a two-year term. Then they eagerly pass it off, like it’s a disease.

In the meantime, a nonsense system rolls on. Don’t be shocked by the controversy, the foolishness or the corruption.

That isn’t a flaw in the system.

It is the system.


CLICK HERE for more from
BlockONation ::: Buckeye Football Lives Here


Written by Dan Wetzel—Yahoo Sports
Photo Copyright owned by the AP

TBDPITL: My Week Two Top 25 Ballot

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation





I am a voter in TBDPITL weekly poll.

Here is my official week two ballot.
My week one rank for each team in parentheses.

1--FLORIDA (1)

Everyone including me agrees the Gators are legit, and even though they still haven't played anyone, they've thrashed both cupcakes they've played, so they remain at the top.

2--USC (3)

After pulling off the comeback in Columbus, USC moves up one spot from No. 3 last week. If Tressel had some bucknuts, Ohio State and USC would be flip-flopped this week.

3--TEXAS (2)

Texas was No. 2 last week, but after struggling to pull away from mighty and unranked Wyoming until late, they drop to make room for USC. This week, the Longhorns host No. 19 Texas Tech, while USC plays unranked Washington. A solid win over the Red Raiders could easily vault Texas back up to the No. 2 slot, or depending on how the Florida/Tennesse game goes, the No. 1 position may be up or grabs.

4--CALIFORNIA (6)

Another week, another win, another step towards stealing the 2009 Heisman away from Tebow and McCoy for Jahvid Best. I'm on the Bear bandwagon.

5--PENN STATE (10)

Steady she goes. Much like Florida, Penn State has played nobody yet, but they won both games rather easily. I have them here just ahead of BYU, but barely.

6--BRIGHAM YOUNG (16)

BYU is not like most other mid-majors, aka BCS Busters. They were a powerhouse program years ago and they have won a national title. If they can run the table, this could be the year the BCS comes tumbling down and we may inch ever-so-closer to a playoff.

7--ALABAMA (7)

The Tide have a very talented running back crew in Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Roy Upchurch, but I'm still not sold on new QB Greg McElroy. Bama was only leading FIU 20-14 at home in Tuscaloosa late in the third. Even though they did pull away in the fourth for the 40-14, color me under-impressed with their overall performance in that game.

8--GEORGIA TECH (5)

I was really high on QB Josh Nesbitt and running back Jonathan Dwyer before this game, as evidenced by my No. 5 ranking of GT. After watching the game, I still think they are both pretty solid but the GT defense let them down, allowing 27 unanswered points. The Yellow Jackets kicked two late field goals and escaped at home with a 30-27 win over Clemson, but still drop three spots this week.

9--LOUISIANA STATE (9)

LSU could have moved up with a better home performance against Vandy, but the game was much closer than I expected, so the Tigers hold steady at No. 9 this week with the, albeit somewhat unimpressive, win.

10--OHIO STATE (8)

Tressel-ball does it again. If Tressel wasn't scared and conservative, the Buckeyes could have ran away with this game. Instead, they turned true freshman Matt Barkley into a SoCal folk-hero, and drop two spots in the poll. Had they won, as I believe they should have, Ohio State and USC would be flip-flopped this week.

11--BOISE STATE (14)

The Broncos pounded the Redhawks from Miami (OH) 48-0 and move up three spots this week. They go on the road to play Fresno State this week. The Bulldogs gave away the "W" last week, almost beating Wisconsin in Madison. This could be a great game that propels BSU into the top 10, or sends their BCS hopes down the drain.

12--OLE MISS (11)

Mississippi was jumped by Boise State and BYU after having a bye in week two. They only lose one poll position however because of the loss suffered by then-No. 5 Oklahoma State. Their next three games are all near locks, so by the time the October 10th game vs. No. 7 Alabama gets here, they could both be top 10 or maybe even top five.

13--OKLAHOMA (12)

The Sooners won big over Idaho State, 64-0, but it was Idaho State. They too lose one spot this week after Boise and BYU jump up and OK State slides after their loss to Houston. If Bradford can't come back soon, and be 100%, OU might not be here for long.

14--VIRGINIA TECH (13)

Tyrod Taylor played better, but it was the VT running game that led the Hokies to victory this past Saturday. Va Tech rolled over Marshall 52-10. David Wilson and Ryan Williams combined for 329 yards rushing and four touchdowns. But, it was lowly Marshall, and I'm not on the Taylor bandwagon like I was before the Alabama loss so they slip one spot this week. Next week they host No. 15 Nebraska so somebody's moving up and somebody's moving down.

15--NEBRASKA (18)

Could it be that Nebraska football is on it's way back? I'd say, so far so good under second-year coach Bo Pelini. I am pulling for them, but then I may be biased slightly, seeing as how Pelini was a defensive captain for the 1992 Ohio State Buckeyes. He has a young team, but he has some talent there. We'll know a lot more this week as the Huskers travel to Blacksburg to take on No. 14 Virginia Tech.

16--TCU (20)

After a week one bye, TCU jumps four spots from 20 to 16 after defensively manhandling the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville. The game was not close at all, so don't be fooled by the 30-14 final score. Virginia scored two garbage time touchdowns in the last 4:15 of the fourth quarter. Their next five games all are winnable, so they could easily be 6-0 and in the top ten possibly when they meet No. 6, BYU on October 24th, in Provo. That should be one heck of a matchup, regardless of the records.

17--CINCINNATI (24)

The Bearcats made a huge statement for the second week in a row, unleashing a 70-3 beatdown on SE Missouri State. In my preseason poll, Cincy wasn't even ranked, then after disposing of Rutgers on the road last week debuted at No. 24. Now, I know this week they played at home vs. a cupcake, but I am sold that Brian Kelly's team is going to score a lot of points no matter who they are playing and they are now my new favorites to win the Big East.

18--OREGON STATE (15)

It took a late FG for Oregon State to survive a scare from UNLV and pull out the 23-21 win. That was very disappointing and even though a win is a win, an ugly win, or a win when you really could have, and maybe should have lost, does count against you in my book. For that reason, the Beavers drop from 15 to 18 on my ballot this week.

19--TEXAS TECH (NR)

I did not have Texas Tech in my preseason, nor my week one poll. After last weeks 55-10 blowout over Rice, in which Taylor Potts passed for 456 yards and seven touchdowns, I may have, now admittedly, sold the Red Raiders a bit short. That being said, they may not stay here very long, or they may end up in the top 10 very soon. This week, they play at No. 3 Texas and the following week, they travel to Houston to take on a Cougar team that just upset then-No. 5, Oklahoma State. I have Houston as my No. 26 team, but they are ranked No. 21 in this weeks AP poll. The dust will settle in the next two weeks. Who'll be left standing?

20--KANSAS (22)

Kansas has played two cupcakes thus far, but so has UF and PSU, so I'm certainly not going to penalize the Jayhawks for it. Todd Reesing has over 460 yards and three touchdowns and tailback Jake Sharp has been solid, rushing for 227 yards and three scores. Their schedule remains soft until their October 24th game at Oklahoma. They could certainly arrive in Norman undefeated. Look for the stats and wins to continue to pile up until then.

21--OKLAHOMA STATE (4)

There is no team that has been a bigger disappointment so far this season than the Cowboys. Even with their three-pronged attack of QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, and RB Kendall Hunter, OK State was anything but "OK" as they were upset 45-35 in Stillwater, by Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars of Conference-USA. I had them at No. 4 this past week and considered dropping them completely out of the top 25. Regardless of what they do next week, they still might exit the poll either way after the upcoming Houston-Texas Tech game, and a few other games involving almost top 25 teams on my radar.

22--MICHIGAN (NR)

OK, so this is not easy to say as a Buckeye fan, but I do try to be objective, sometimes. Tate Forcier has looked very very good in his first two games. I didn't take much away from the WMU game, but I fully expected Notre Dame to blast the Wolverines last week, and I was wrong. Michigan's defense still needs a lot of improvement, but DickRod has the offense looking good and Forcier looks legit as of right now. I previously had UM unranked, but they make the top 25 this week after a solid win over the then-No. 17 Fighting Irish.

23--UTAH (23)

The Utes moved into my top 25 last week after a handful of ugly performances and a few upsets. They are now 2-0, but they have not looked great in either win over teams that most top 25 teams would roll over. Last week, they onlt beat SJSU by 10, a team that USC buried 56-3 the week before. They stay here for now, but if they don't show more in the next couple of weeks, win or lose, they will probably drop from the rankings. I almost dropped them this week and maybe I should have in favor of Houston. Hindsight is 20/20.

24--Northwestern HOUSTON (NR)

I noted above that hindsight is 20/20. I'm noting it again here. The last I saw, Northwestern was winning their game over EMU in the fourth quarter by 14 points. I assumed the rout was on and the game was over, and I ranked NW at No. 24 when I submitted my ballot. I didn't see the final score until afterwards. Northwestern nearly lost to Eastern Michigan and had I known that, they would not have made the poll. So even though I ranked them on my TBDPITL ballot which can't be changed until week three, I'm hereby changing my No. 24 ranking from NW, to Houston. The Cougars dazzled the nation last week, pulling off the biggest upset to date over Oklahoma State. This week they host Texas Tech. Talk about a potential shootout. If Houston wins that game, they're easily heading for the my top 15, or higher.

25--MIAMI-FLA (25)

The Canes had a bye week after their huge win over the Seminoles last Monday night. Jacory Harris is a star in-the-making and the Hurricanes are loaded with tons of young talent and a good coach in Randy Shannon. I thought about dropping them since they had a bye, but with their brutal schedule (next three games: Georgia, Va Tech, Oklahoma), this will very likely be the last week for them as a ranked team in 2009.

---

Dropped out:

Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame

---

Newcomers:

Texas Tech, Michigan, Houston

---

Almost in:

West Virginia, Missouri, Pittsburgh, UCLA, Baylor, Arkansas


CLICK HERE for more from
BlockONation ::: Buckeye Football Lives Here

TBDPITL: My Week One Top 25 Ballot

Written by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




Here is my official week one ballot.
My preseason rank for each team in parentheses.

1--FLORIDA (1)

2--TEXAS (2)

3--USC (3)

4--OKLAHOMA STATE (5)

5--GEORGIA TECH (8)

6--CALIFORNIA (13)

7--ALABAMA (14)

8--OHIO STATE (6)

9--LOUISIANA STATE (9)

10--PENN STATE (10)

11--OLE MISS (12)

12--OKLAHOMA (4)

13--VIRGINIA TECH (7)

14--BOISE STATE (15)

15--OREGON STATE (16)

16--BRIGHAM YOUNG (NR)

17--NOTRE DAME (19)

18--NEBRASKA (20)

19--MICHIGAN STATE (23)

20--TEXAS CHRISTIAN (17)

21--NORTH CAROLINA (NR)

22--KANSAS (22)

23--UTAH (NR)

24--CINCINNATI (NR)

25--MIAMI-FLA (NR)


Dropped out:

Oregon, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, West Virginia


On the cusp:

West Virginia, Texas Tech, Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas


CLICK HERE for more from
BlockONation ::: Buckeye Football Lives Here