Top 25

College Football

Top 25

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

OUT:  Baylor (19) and Michigan State (25)

VOTES:  Louisiana Tech, Nebraska, Northwestern, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, UCLA, Penn State, Washington, Iowa State and Baylor.

Florida State hosted a struggling Boston College team in Tallahassee for Parents Weekend and opened up an aerial assault, trouncing the Eagles 51-7.  On the surface, it look quite good as a rebound for the devastating last second defeat at North Carolina State last week.  Although several Seminoles played well, there were glitches that formidable teams would have taken advantage of.  EJ Manuel looked wonderful much of the night, but also had some very poor throws over the middle, an area he continues to show weakness in.  The running game performed well, but left you seeking more.  On a good note, more players got time, and many made the most of their opportunities.  James Wilder, Jr. has top level potential, and Mario Edwards, Jr. got in the mix.  When the younger players got in, I kept seeing Reggie Northrup making plays, and I was glad to see Clint Trickett get some series.  This was a sound win over a weak team, and now comes the test of a hated rivalry as FSU travels to south Florida for a Saturday night tilt with the Miami Hurricanes.  FSU has been handling Miami over the last few years, and should do so again.  But in rivalry games, particularly this one, should have is often a phrase for the following Sunday.  If FSU has any hope of being relevant nationally in the BCS title discussions, they must throttle Miami.  Notre Dame and Kansas State, both ranked above FSU, did so, 52-13 and 41-3 respectively.  Whatever Miami has to offer will be seen Saturday night. For FSU, it is time to step up.  It is our time.

Thankfully, after the ass kicking Nebraska took a week ago at Ohio State, they had the weekend off.  Hopefully, the coaches made effective use of the time, for a loss at Northwestern next Saturday could cost many, if not all of them, their jobs.  GBR!

There were winds swirling at some 40MPH down in Lubbock Saturday afternoon, and the high flying aerial attack of West Virginia had no answers as they got hammered 49-14 by Texas Tech, who had guns up!.....In the Red River Rivalry at the Texas State Fair OU slobber knockered Texas in the Cotton Bowl.  Whoa nellie was this decisive.  Defensively, Texas was pushed around and had every offensive weakness exposed.  In front of a national television audience on ABC, this was an embarrassment for those in burnt orange......Florida made the plays it had to, disposing of Vanderbilt on the road.  With South Carolina coming to The Swamp, a huge opportunity exists for the Gators.  Carolina will be angry, having been disposed of in Death Valley down in Baton Rouge by a rough LSU team who surprisingly controlled the line of scrimmage....With lightning bolts firing, God tried to call of the mugging of Mizzou by Alabama in Columbia.  No such luck; 42-10 BAMA.....UNC won at Miami and has a top notch player in RB Giovanni Bernard, who is from south Florida.... USC is still not USC, but they won at Washington....Stanford almost tied in overtime, with a controversial call negating a tying overtime touchdown.  What can you say; it was the luck of the Irish...Duke got out 20-0 over Va. Tech, but lost 41-20....Iowa upended Michigan State, and hopes for a strong season in East Landing have collapsed.... Wisconsin seems to have settled on a quarterback, and behind Monte Ball, whipped Purdue.....Michigan and Denard Robinson showed that on occasions, the Wolverines can be stout.....Ohio State, off their big win versus Nebraska, survived against pedestrian Indiana.....TCU played well in defeating a sound Baylor squad....Oregon State keeps on rolling....A&M, behind brilliant young signal caller Johnny Manziel, held off an offensive La. Tech squad 59-57.  If only Manziel could play on defense for the Aggies...Auburn is 1-5, just two years removed from a national title, while it is amazing to see how far Colorado has fallen just 20 years from a national title.....Arkansas pummeled a very poor Kentucky team in game shortened by weather....Virginia, with new God awful looking orange helmets, is performing very poorly....K-State survived in Ames against an Iowa State team much better than you may think...Does Illinois wish they had Ron Zook back?...

Beano Cook (photo LJS)

Legendary ESPN College Football analyst Beano Cook passed away this week.   Beano, who brought his blue collar style to analyzing the games of the day, often reflected to a blustery afternoon in 1953 where Notre Dame and his beloved Pitt  Panthers tangled.  Cook helped bring younger viewers in touch with the lore of the past, keeping the history of the color and pageantry of college football relevant in a new age on the gridiron. Half of the time you would just chuckle when the obligatory reference of  Minnesota winning at Michigan 1956 was presented by Cook.  Beano was the guy who would tell you that the school with the most NFL passing yards was Purdue, about those great Pitt teams in the 1930's and who played for the old oaken bucket.  Perhaps the most famous quip of the witty Cook was noting that being the head football coach at Notre Dame was "the third toughest job in America after mayor of New York and President of the United States," ESPN analyst Lee Corso, as reported by CBS Sports, said "Beano was a unique human being and he was college football at ESPN. I am indebted to him. Beano was a tremendous help at the start of my television career and I would not be where I am today without him," Beano Cook was a fantastic ambassador of the sport of college football, and his unique analysis, particularly from a historical perspective, was invaluable.  God Bless you Beano, RIP