Zach's College Football Rankings after Week 5


1(1) Florida: The Gators had a bye week to prepare for a highly ranked LSU team. What's more important is the health of the second coming of God, err... Tim Tebow. If he's unable to go, look for Florida to run a more conventional offense with Brantley at QB. They still have Chris Rainey, Emmanuel Moody, and Jeff Demps on offense, which is more than their opponents can say. This could be a loss for mighty Florida, but we'll see.

2(2) Texas: The Longhorns also had a bye week to get ready for a Colorado club that has been reeling as of late. Heisman frontrunner Colt McCoy needs an effective running game and it looks better than last year, but still not good enough to pose as a threat. The sun is shining in Austin, as they watched the rival Sooners play bad on primetime television.

3(3) Alabama: The Crimson Tide made mincemeat of another lowly SEC team, this time against Kentucky. Mark Ingram had a big day for Alabama and the defense remained steady. They have a big game coming up at Mississippi, which could be a loss for Alabama. Jevan Snead can't have another poor game, can he? Well if there's a defense that can stop him, it's Alabama.

4(5) LSU: The Bayou Bengals needed a late touchdown from RB Charles Scott to win between the hedges in Athens. His 2 TDs made up for the lackluster play of QB Jordan Jefferson and WR Brandon LaFell. The defense looks better than last year, despite the losses of Tyson Jackson and Ricky Jean-Francoius.

5(4) Boise State: The Broncos basically had a scrimmage against UC Davis, but the game was interesting for 3 1/2 quarters. The Aggies pulled within 11 points, but couldn't get any closer. The running game was bad today, but Kellen Moore stepped up in a big way, tossing 3 touchdowns. Austin Pettis and Titus Young is the best WR duo in the WAC, catching those three touchdowns.

6(6) Virginia Tech: This matchup against Duke is a true definition of a trap game. Overlook your opponent and the game could be close. The eight point victory by the Hokies was a narrow escape from a Duke team that isn't going in the right direction. Tyrod Taylor is trying his best to become a pass first QB and he's doing better than excepted. The defense gave up a high point total (for VA Tech) of 26. They are now 2-0 in ACC play.

7(7) USC: The win in Berkley knocked out Cal's chances of being Pac-10 champs, as Matt Barkley showed how important he is to the club. The men of Troy also had someone to play for: RB Stafon Johnson, who had a weight lifting accident earlier in the week. C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford are more than capable of filling his role. The Trojans are on upset alert, as the Golden Domers come calling soon.

8(9) TCU: Look out Broncos! The Horned Frogs are climbing up the rankings and have decent teams left to play. The Horned Frogs shut down the Run N' Shoot offense of Coach June Jones in an easy win at home. Andy Dalton doesn't put up eye-popping stats, but does enough to win. Think of Eli Manning in the NFL because AD is a winner. Air Force is a trap game next week.

9(10) Ohio State: Chris Martin on the Big Ten Network chalked this game as an upset loss to Indiana. Not so fast my friend, as the Buckeyes easily shut down the Hooisers on the road. Terrelle Pryor has done a good job spreading the ball around, as three different receivers caught touchdowns. Buckeye nation should also rejoice because the Wolverines are no longer undefeated. Unbeaten Wisconsin comes into Columbus next week.

10(11) BYU: Folks, look who's back in the Top 10 in the poll. When everyone left the Cougars for dead after the disaster in Provo against the Florida State Seminoles, Brigham Young University is back. RB Harvey Unga looks healthy again after starting the season being slowed by an injury. He ran for over 100 yards and a score. Imagine if Max Hall didn't throw so many INTs? (two more today). Then, they could beat the Utah States by 20+.

11(12) Iowa: Talk about a major letdown for the Hawkeyes. They beat the lowly Arkansas State Red Wolves by a field goal on Saturday and nearly took away the big win from a week ago and then some with a poor performance overall. Ricky Stanzi had a good game, but they gave Arkansas State too many opportunities to score. The defensive line has been solid this year after losing two starters last year.

12(15) Cincinnati: So much for the Big East being wide open this year. It looks like Tony Pike and company are only one of two contenders for the title (South Florida). Their 5-0 start is better than in state rival Ohio State. That would be a game I would pay to see. A bye week for the Bearcats, then a big showdown to decide the Big East crown in Tampa.

13(13) Kansas: The Jayhawks also had a bye week, which seemed to be the theme in the Big XII this week (Kansas, Texas, Nebraska). KU SHOULD be 6-0 before a home game against Oklahoma, but they have to go through Iowa State and at Colorado, two very winnable games for Mark Mangino and the rest of the crew.

14(19) Ole Miss: Jevan Snead and the Rebels offense looked a lot better against a weak Vanderbilt team than they did against South Carolina last week. He threw three touchdowns and also ran the ball well. I like the way Coach Nutt is using star Dexter McCluster as both a running back and a receiver. The defense played well, allowing only seven points.

15(8) Oklahoma: Raise your hand if you thought Oklahoma would have two losses before the Red River Shootout? I didn't think so either, but they played poorly against Miami FL. The Sooners offense looked like they didn't trust Landry Jones throwing the ball, as the playcalling was very run heavy and conservative. Even the passes were 4 yard curl dumpoffs with no yards after the catch. A very disappointing start for Boomer Sooner.

16(16) Georgia Tech: Stop the presses! The SEC actually played somebody decent out of conference. Too bad for Mississippi State that it was the Yellow Jackets. The triple option produced more than 200 yards on the ground and four scores. Demaryius Thomas had a huge game and is one of the best receivers you haven't heard of. Josh Nesbitt looked a lot more comfortable throwing the football. This team is on the right track with a good road win.

17(20) Oklahoma State: The Cowboys also had a bye week in Week 5. This gives another week for hurting RB Kendall Hunter to get back. If the running game can get it together and the defense plays just a bit better, OSU can be a dark horse in the Big 12 South. They can outscore almost everyone on any given day with Bryant and Robinson.

18(21) South Florida: The entire fanbase for South Florida were shocked when Matt Grothe went down and out for the year. Enter B.J. Daniels, who has led the Bulls to two consecutive impressive wins against Florida State and at Syracuse. The Bulls are now 5-0 and have a big game against Cincinnati in two weeks. They have 12 days to prepare and Cincy should be wary of the Thursday night upset trend in recent history.

19(22) Oregon: The Ducks look like an entirely different team since the Boise State game, scoring 42 points in the first half against Washington State. Sure, it's the Cougars, but 42 points in one half is impressive nonetheless. The Ducks seem to be in good shape in the Pac-10, with USC with a loss and Cal with 2 losses. LeGarrette Blount might also come back for the November 7th game against Stanford, who is 3-0 in the Pac-10.

20(_) Miami: The Hurricanes overcame a brutal stretch of facing four ranked teams to start the season and came out of it 3-1 with wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech, and the latest victim, Oklahoma. Sure, it was a win against a Sam Bradford and Jermane Gresham less Sooners squad, but Oklahoma was ranked #8 in the country in both polls and my poll. What a start for Coach Shannon and company.

21(23) Penn State: The Nittany Lions rushing attack did its best to shake off the pitiful effort at home last week against Iowa and did so with great success. Penn State ran for nearly 350 yards on the ground and Darryl Clark had a fairly easy day against the Illini, who were supposed to be a Big Ten sleeper. The only part of that sentence is that Illinois must have been sleeping on defense, allowing more than 500 yards of offense. Penn State has a big game against Michigan on the road in two weeks.

22(14) Georgia: What a heartbreak for the Bulldogs. Not only do they lose in the final minute to LSU, they drop eight spots in my poll because of the home loss to the Tigers. Joe Cox had a horrendous final drive for Georgia and didn't really have a good game at all. The defense played well, but will the real UGA offense please stand up? Will we see the 35+ point Georgia, or the 13 point Georgia? Only time will tell.

23(_) Wisconsin: Well, it looks like Bret Bilema finally has a solid quarterback option in Madison. Scott Tolzien has propelled the Badgers to a 5-0 start and John Clay, despite his fumbling problems, has run the ball very well with a great offensive line. Their first real test comes against the Buckeyes on the 10th. We'll see how the young QB handles the noise level of the Horseshoe and if the defense can stop anybody.

24(18) Michigan: The Wolverines needed a big comeback late just to get the game into overtime, but by that time, Tate Forcier was gassed and the running game never got started. The leaders in the Big Ten in rushing, Michigan didn't even surpass 50 yards of rushing. We all knew Michigan wasn't going undefeated, but this game was winnable. This is the first time UM has lost to Michigan State two times in a row since LBJ was president.

25(_) Notre Dame: The only reason at this point in time Notre Dame is ranked below Michigan is because Michigan beat them. However, the Golden Domers can get a big boost by beating USC, which looks realistic after Jimmy Clausen's late heroics again led the Irish to a win. Golden Tate is a star in the making and the young players like Shaq Evans are stepping up. They might not make it to the BCS, but they'll be close.



Dropped: #16 Houston, #24 Utah, #25 Cal

Added: #20 Miami, #23 Wisconsin, #25 Notre Dame

Zach's Top 25 after Week 4

1(1) Florida: Gator nation gasped as they saw Tim Tebow being taken off the field via ambulance against Kentucky. Early word is that it's a concussion and Florida has a bye week to recover. However, it didn't seem like he had an illness, as Superman played well and got help from his friends. The Gators need to hope Tebow is ready to go in two weeks.

2(2) Texas: The Longhorns missed an extra point early and that could be trouble. Not when facing UTEP, as the Longhorns put a 64-7 beatdown on the Miners. Colt McCoy looks like a Heisman favorite after injuries to Tebow and Bradford, along with the egg laid by Javhid Best today. Jordan Shipley is a ball hawk, as he continues to put up big numbers in that offense.

3(4) Alabama: You can really tell how great the defense is when they allow only seven points to Arkansas' offense. Either that, or Georgia's defense is really, REALLY bad. McElroy, Ingram, and Julio Jones make up one of the best offensive trios in the country and the Tide is rolling right now.

4(7) Boise State: Sure, maybe I'll get killed for putting the Broncos up here, but every other high ranked team is losing. Boise State didn't lose a beat, despite losing starting RB D.J. Harper for the season. Jeremy Avery and Doug Martin have filled in nicely and Kellen Moore continues to be an underrated QB. Their D has been steady and their schedule is definitely in their favor. Look out! The Broncos are crashing the BCS again.

5(5) LSU: Normally, I would move a team down because they lost, but everyone else lost as well. They needed a goal line stand to beat a horrible Mississippi State team and today proved that their defense still isn't very good. Jordan Jefferson needs to play better on a consistent basis and they also need a spark from the running game. Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

6(11) VA Tech: Beamer Ball was in full swing today, as VA Tech had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. Add in a good running game and a rock solid defense and that equals a win in Blacksburg. The Hokies were fueled by being underdogs at Lane Stadium, where they had won 10 games in a row. The Hokies are still the class of the ACC, no matter what anyone else says.

7(10) USC: After a terrible loss to the UW Huskies, the Trojans got two things they needed: Matt Barkley and Washington State on their schedule. It's still amazing how much depth this USC team has. Plug in several talented backs and they are even three deep at QB. Their defense isn't too bad either.

8(9) Oklahoma: Oh, what a gift! Not play a game and move up, thanks to Cal, Penn State, and Ole Miss. Sam Bradford might be back for next week's game against Miami FL at Landshark Stadium, which is a boost, but Landry Jones has played superb in his absence. The loss of Jermane Gresham still hurts, but Ryan Broyles has stepped up as a true #1 receiver.

9(12) TCU: Who says that mid-majors don't travel? Coach Gary Patterson would take offense to that and so would Clemson. A classic TCU game against the Tigers, 14-10. Andy Dalton is a good QB and their running game is solid. Their defense has been great yet again this year and could also bust the BCS. We'll see when conference play begins.

10(13) Ohio State: The Buckeyes have avenged their loss at home against Illinois from two years ago with a 30-0 no contest blowout. The Illinois option was never a factor and Arilleous Benn was completely shut down. Terrelle Pryor made some good throws today and the defense pitched a shutout. Good win for Coach Tressell and the Bucks face Indiana next week.

11(14) BYU: Max Hall hasn't been the accurate, smart QB we've seen in the past, but he played well enough today to win the game against Colorado State. The triple threat of Hall, Unga, and Pitta have been effective, but needs to play well every game to have a shot. The key though, in my opinion is Harvey Unga. If he's shut down, the Cougars usually don't win games.

12(25) Iowa: I was bashed on the CBS boards for ranking Iowa, saying that they "weren't a great team," but after the win at Penn State for the white out game, I proved them wrong. The freshmen duo of Andrew Robinson and Danny Whegner were outstanding in the running game and the defense absolutely shut down Darryl Clark. A great win for Coach Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. They must not suffer a letdown, as they play lowly Arkansas State next week.

13(16) Kansas: The Jayhawks kept Southern Miss in the game for much longer than they wanted to, but they won nonetheless. Kerry Meier had a huge game, as the former QB scored two touchdowns. Todd Reesing is the best QB you don't know about.

14(17) Georgia: The Bulldogs needed a last second field goal to beat Arizona State between the hedges. The offense wasn't as good, but Joe Cox and A.J. Green were clutch in the final 2 minutes of the game. The defense was better this week, but there are still a lot of corrections Georgia needs to make, like running the football better.

15(22) Cincinnati: Mardy Gilyard might have a say when it comes to the best receiver in the country. A huge game for #1 and Tony Pike today against a good Fresno State team. The defense was solid again against a decent rushing offense and the passing game was non-existent for the Bulldogs. If the Bearcats can run the ball effectively, they'll be a tough team to beat in conference play.

16(21) Houston: Case Keenum is one of the best QBs in the country and he proved it with that final drive against Texas Tech. The Cougars racked up nearly 600 yards of offense and Coach Sumlin has a good team. Their defense needs work in the high powered C-USA, but if they can score at will, they don't need to play defense.

17(18) Georgia Tech: The triple option finally worked efficiently, as the Yellow Jackets scored three rushing touchdowns against the NC Tar Heels. The defense finally stepped up as well, allowing only seven points to TJ Yates and company. The ACC is wide open this year, so why not GA Tech? There are zero undefeated teams in the conference after Week 4.

18(20) Michigan: Sure, the Wolverines weren't that impressive today against Indiana, but hey, they won a conference game. Tate Forcier was clutch again and has tremendous poise for a freshman quarterback. As a fan, I'm really concerned with the defense, but hats off to Indiana for a tough game. However, this is all overshadowed by a terrible call at the end of the game.

19(6) Ole Miss: Personally, I thought Ole Miss was ranked too high to begin with, but they did the hard work for me. Jevan Snead had a horrible game against S. Carolina and the offense in general just never clicked. Greg Hardy and the defense was solid all game, however. Dexter McCluster was effective running the football on Thursday, but did not have a reception the entire game. Get the ball to McCluster and good things will happen.

20(23) Oklahoma State: When I saw this game on the schedule, I was a little confused. However, Oklahoma State corrected some mistakes win a blowout win against Grambling and gave the backups valuable playing time. Not only that, RB Kendall Hunter has another week to recover from his ankle injury. Zac Robinson was thought to be a sleeper Heisman candidate and needs to play like it as the Cowboys start their conference play next week.

21(_) South Florida: When Matt Grothe went down for the Bulls last week, their season was pretty much over on paper. Good thing football is played on the field. B.J. Daniels had a couple of big plays and George Selvie put the nail in the coffin against the Seminoles today. This is the third consecutive year South Florida has started out 4-0. They've also won 15 consecutive non-conference games.

22(_) Oregon: After the debacle in Boise, Chip Kelly and the crew have rebounded nicely, including a schlacking of Cal today. 42-3! I did pick a Ducks win, but did not think it would be that bad. They shut down Javhid Best and Jeremiah Masoli looked like the JM of old. The offense is finally starting to gel and the defense did not allow a touchdown. Great win for the Ducks.

23(3) Penn State: Where are all the doubters now about Iowa? Coach Paterno sure doesn't have any, as his Nittany Lions squad has fallen to the mighty Hawkeyes for the 7th time in their last 8 meetings. Darryl Clark looked lost and Evan Royster never seemed to get it going. The defense was alright, but needs to be better as the tougher games on the Big Ten schedule come around.

24(24) Utah: In years past, beating Louisville would be a big deal. But since the Bobby Petrino disaster and Steve Krabthorpe experiment not working, this is just a normal win for the Utes. An impressive 30-14 win over a BCS program, as a mid-major actually played a BCS team. Good for Coach Whittingham and their program in Salt Lake.

25(8) Cal: They really shouldn't be ranked because of the absolute embarrassment in Eugene, but I'll give them a narrow, narrow, NARROW benefit of the doubt. Javhid Best learned that eight men in the box can stop him and the Golden Bears need to become two-dimensional. Coach Tedford has a lot to work on in the coming weeks.


New Arrivals: #21 S. Florida, #22 Oregon


Dropped Out: #15 Miami FL, #19 N. Carolina

Here is my FINAL poll of the season

1(7) Utah
2(1) Florida
3(3) Texas
4(4) USC
5(2) Oklahoma
6(11) TCU
7(5) Alabama
8(6) Texas Tech
9(15) Georgia
10(10) Boise State
11(22) Virginia Tech
12(8) Penn State
13(9) Ohio State
14(20) Oregon
15(_) Ole Miss
16(21) Oregon State
17(12) Cincinnati
18(_) LSU
19(_) Iowa
20(25) Missouri
21(16) BYU
22(14) Oklahoma State
23(_) Tulsa
24(_) Florida State
25(_) California


New Arrivals: Ole Miss, LSU, Iowa, Tulsa, Florida State, California

Dropped Out: #13 Georgia Tech, #17 Northwestern, #18 Michigan State, #19 Pittsburgh, #23 Ball State, #24 Boston College

By Conference:

SEC: 5
Big 12: 5
Pac-10: 4
Big Ten: 3
MWC: 3
ACC: 2
WAC: 1
C-USA: 1
Big East: 1

Honorary Ranking:

#120 Michigan

Here is my 11th poll of the season:

1(2) Florida
2(4) Oklahoma
3(3) Texas
4(6) USC
5(1) Alabama
6(5) Texas Tech
7(7) Utah
8(8) Penn State
9(9) Ohio State
10(10) Boise State
11(12) TCU
12(13) Cincinnati
13(14) Georgia Tech
14(15) Oklahoma State
15(19) Georgia
16(20) BYU
17(17) Northwestern
18(21) Michigan State
19(23) Pittsburgh
20(22) Oregon
21(24) Oregon State
22(_) Virginia Tech
23(11) Ball State
24(16) Boston College
25(18) Missouri


New Arrivals: Virginia Tech

Dropped Out: #25 Mississippi

By Conference:

Big 12: 5
Big Ten: 4
SEC: 4
MWC: 3
ACC: 3
Pac-10: 3
Big East: 2
MAC: 1

Honorary Ranking:

#120 Michigan

Here is my 10th poll of the season:

1(1) Alabama
2(2) Florida
3(3) Texas
4(4) Oklahoma
5(5) Texas Tech
6(6) USC
7(7) Utah
8(8) Penn State
9(9) Ohio State
10(10) Boise State
11(14) Ball State
12(15) TCU
13(16) Cincinnati
14(20) Georgia Tech
15(11) Oklahoma State
16(19) Boston College
17(18) Northwestern
18(12) Missouri
19(13) Georgia
20(21) BYU
21(22) Michigan State
22(23) Oregon
23(25) Pittsburgh
24(17) Oregon State
25(_) Mississippi


New Arrivals: Mississippi

Dropped Out: #25 Western Michigan

By Conference:

Big 12: 5
SEC: 5
Big Ten: 4
MWC: 3
Pac-10: 3
ACC: 2
Big East: 2
MAC: 1

Honorary Ranking:

#120 Michigan

Here is my 9th poll of the season:

1(2) Alabama
2(3) Florida
3(4) Texas
4(5) Oklahoma
5(1) Texas Tech
6(6) USC
7(7) Utah
8(8) Penn State
9(10) Ohio State
10(9) Boise State
11(11) Oklahoma State
12(12) Missouri
13(13) Georgia
14(14) Ball State
15(15) TCU
16(19) Cincinnati
17(21) Oregon State
18(22) Northwestern
19(23) Boston College
20(_) Georgia Tech
21(16) BYU
22(17) Michigan State
23(_) Oregon
24(25) Western Michigan
25(18) Pittsburgh

New Arrivals: Georgia Tech, Oregon

Dropped Out: #20 Maryland, #24 North Carolina

By Conference:

Big 12: 5
Big Ten: 4
SEC: 4
MWC: 3
Pac-10: 3
ACC: 2
MAC: 2
Big East: 2

Honorary Ranking:

#120 Michigan