Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Alabama, 4-0, 1
2.     Florida State, 4-0, 3
3.     Oregon, 4-0, 4
4.     LSU, 4-0, 2
5.     Georgia, 4-0, 5
6.     South Carolina, 4-0, 8
7.     Kansas State, 4-0, 10
8.     West Virginia, 4-0, 7
9.     Stanford, 3-0, 9
10.   Notre Dame, 4-0, 15
11.   Florida, 4-0, 16
12.   Texas, 3-0, 12
13.   USC, 3-1, 13
14.   Clemson, 3-1, 11
15.   Ohio State, 4-0, 16
16.   Oklahoma, 2-1, 6
17.   Oregon State, 2-0, NR
18.   Louisville, 4-0, 21
19.   Michigan State, 3-1, 19
20.   Nebraska, 3-1, 20
21.   Texas Christian, 3-0, 22
22.   Mississippi State, 4-0, 24
23.   Rutgers, 4-0, NR
24.   Baylor, 3-0, NR
25.   Northwestern, 4-0, NR

OUT: UCLA (14), Michigan (18), Oklahoma State (25), and Arizona (23).

VOTES: UCLA, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Arizona, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cincinnati.

ESPN Gameday at Tallahassee Saturday. Don't Hate!

The Sunshine Scooter, Lee Corso

It was a pleasure to take in ESPN College Gameday Saturday in Tallahassee with Chris Fowler, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and The Sunshine Scooter, Lee Corso. ESPN does this right, and this family friendly event captures the color and pageantry of NCAA College Football in fun and fine fashion. Do attend one if given the chance.

Chris Thompson in prayer after scoring

Florida State tailback Chris Thompson gets the gameball as Florida State, after a slow start, demolished Clemson at Tallahassee Saturday. Clemson has a quartet of skill people, in quarterback Taj Boyd, back Andre Ellington and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins, that rival anyone in the country, and I do mean everyone. The Tigers threw everything and the kitchen sink at the Seminoles, inclusive of halfback passes, reverses and fake field goals. With FSU off balance, Clemson held the lead until early in the third quarter, when FSU unleashed 20 minutes of warpath, outscoring the Tigers 35-3 in an approximate 20 minute period. It was something to behold. Chris Thompson was spectacular, James Wilder Jr. ran strong and EJ Manuel stepped up his game big time, something all Seminoles had been hoping to see. FSU has a stellar defensive unit, and if the offense is what we saw Saturday night, the Seminoles should run the table provided they maintain a high level of maturity and focus, something recent teams have failed to accomplish.

 

Nebraska had a breather, welcoming in Idaho State, who left town with rug burns after getting blasted 73-7. Rex Burkhead was back for the Big Red, and the game provided an opportunity to get some younger defensive players work as the 'Huskers welcome in Wisconsin Saturday night for the ABC Game. The game will feature new uniforms for both teams, which I am not pleased about by any stretch of the imagination.

 

In a very odd early contest, after we blasted the 'Canes last week, they bolted out to a 19-0 lead at Georgia Tech, only to give up the next 36 before charging back to win in overtime. With all the issues at UM, this win may have got them into a bowl game......Ohio State and Michigan State both struggled with much inferior opponents, but somebody will need to step up as they play each other this week...LSU struggled at Auburn, and lost spots because of it,...while Oregon blasted upstart Arizona....South Carolina destroyed Missouri, who travels to UCF this weekend, who might just beat them...Arkansas is in real trouble, and although many expected issues in the aftermath of losing Coach Petrino, the season is about to be lost....Florida controlled Kentucky, a very bad team with a horrible quarterback, who could not hit the side of a barn Saturday, or any open receivers the Cats had either.....Michigan could not generate any offense at an improved Notre Dame, but they did assembly line plenty of turnovers and a four or five loss season is now a possibility for this preseason top ten team....TCU crushed Virginia, who was thought to be solid if not spectacular.....Oregon State shut down UCLA at the Rose Bowl in surprising fashion, and no doubt the Beavers are well coached....Terry Bowden and his Akron Zips took Tennessee late at Rocky Top, and Bowden ball is gaining momentum in Ohio ....Ohio, meanwhile, could run the table under former 'Husker boss Frank Solich, which would be yet another black eye for Pitt AD Steve Pederson.....Oklahoma falters again, losing to a very good K-State team at Norman, and while OU has issues, K-State does not and could be on the way to the BCS...Kirk Ferentz at Iowa has always been very highly thought of, and I have never been sure why. After the Hawkeyes stumbled badly and lost at home to Central Michigan, others are wondering the same thing....Big weekend for many, including Mich. State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Texas, Virginia Tech, West Virgina and Miami.