The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State,  9-0, 1
2.     Mississippi State, 9-0, 2
3.     Alabama, 8-1, 3
4.     Oregon, 9-1, 4
5.     Texas Christian, 8-1, 8
6.     Baylor, 8-1, 10
7.     Arizona State, 8-1, 12
8.     Ohio State, 8-1, 14
9.     Ole Miss, 8-2, 11
10.   Auburn, 7-2, 5
11.   Nebraska, 8-1, 15
12.   Kansas State, 7-2 7
13.   Georgia, 7-2, 16
14.   Michigan State, 7-2, 6
15.   UCLA, 8-2, 18
16.   Notre Dame, 7-2, 9
17.   Louisiana State, 7-3, 13
18.   Arizona, 7-2, 19
19.   Clemson, 7-2, 20
20.   Wisconsin, 7-2, 23
21.   Miami, 6-3, 24
22.   Oklahoma, 6-3, 17
23.   Louisville, 7-3, 25
24.   Duke, 8-1, NR
25.   Georgia Tech, 8-2, NR

OUT:  West Virginia (21) and Utah (22)

VOTES:  Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia, Southern Cal, Missouri, Florida, Stanford, Texas A&M, Marshall, Washington, Stanford and Colorado State.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS:

For now, Florida State remains top ranked as they are the defending National Champions, remain undefeated and a riding a rare 25 game winning streak.  See winning streak table post 1950:

1.   Oklahoma, 47, 1953-57 (Notre Dame)
2.   Miami, 34, 2000-03, (Ohio State)
3.   Texas, 30, 1968-70, (Notre Dame)
4.   Miami, 29, 1990-93, (Alabama)
5.   Michigan State, 28, 1950-53, (Purdue)
6.   Alabama, 28, 1978-80, (Mississippi State)
7.   Oklahoma, 28, 1973-75, (Kansas)
8.   Nebraska, 26, 1994-96, (Arizona State)
9.   Florida State, 25, 2012-
9.   Brigham Young, 25, 1983-85, (UCLA)
9.   San Diego State, 25, 1965-67, Utah State)

However, if FSU does not step up their game significantly, a loss is looming quickly.....Clemson awoke at Wake with two 4th quarter scores to dump the Deacons......Oklahoma, wearing awful looking uniforms, got bombed by Baylor, who had not beaten a ranked opponent on the road in their last 37 attempts.  Looks like we all got fooled by the Sooners Sugar Bowl performance, as they now sit 6-3 with two home losses...Iowa opened some eyes last week by bombing Northwestern, but the Hawkeyes went on the road to face Minnesota on Saturday and got crushed 51-14, and it was not that close.  The Hawkeyes continue to annually disappoint....Speaking of Northwestern, they went for two at home late against Michigan and failed, losing 10-9.....Melvin Gordon helped Wiscy dump an improved Purdue...Georgia bombed Kentucky, and the Dawgs are special; on occasion....Notre Dame had a series of turnovers which helped Arizona State open an eye pooping 34-3 lead, and after Notre Dame stormed back to get it 34-31, the Sun Devils opened up another can and won going away 55-31....Texas played their best game of the year, beating a battered West Virginia....Kansas got a rare win, beating Iowa State at home, and while Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads is a fan favorite, the win total is not ascending....Miss. State rolled UT-Martin, and now take to the road to face BAMA....Texas A&M got some offense going and held off Auburn thanks to two late fumbles to win on the plain, knocking the Tigers from playoff contention.....UCLA flexed some muscle and won at Seattle against a decent Washington team.....Boise State rebounded from a deep first quarter deficit to win against New Mexico....Louisville got a tough road victory at Boston College....Texas Christian ran wild, gaining 553 yards against a tough K-State defense, and it looks like Phil Steele will have a huge leg up on the rest of us pre-season prognosticators as he had the Horned Frogs at 14...Florida won easily at Vanderbilt...Arizona was able to hold off a much improved Colorado team....Alabama was almost beat, but used an out of bounds kickoff to get the game to overtime, then took it over physically and mentally and won at Death Valley against an ever improving LSU team, that if had an elite quarterback, would be top five...Ohio State has some early turnover issues, but stayed with it and walloped a highly thought of Michigan State team, putting up 49 points on the Spartans top ranked defensive unit.  Perhaps some arrogance got to the Spartans....Utah receiver Kaelin Clay broke lose on an apparent 79 touchdown pass which would have put the Utes up 14-0 on Oregon, but he dropped the ball in celebration before paydirt, and Oregon returned it 99 yards for a score.  The 14 point swing, along with Oregon, was much more than the Utes could overcome, but the video has gone viral.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

It was the same old story for the Seminoles on Homecoming weekend in Tallahassee.  For much of the game, Florida State looked pedestrian, with inefficient plays and turnovers.  At other times, the Seminoles looked brilliant, representative of an undefeated team riding a 25 game winning streak.  Jameis Winston was not sharp, and tossed two interceptions.  The FSU running game was fair, but Dalvin Cook was injured and fumbled the ball away deep in FSU territory, Virginia only had 257 yards, but did have three touchdown passes.  On each occasion, an FSU defender, or two, was right there in position to make the play but failed to do so.  Few FSU defenders payed well, but Terrance Shannon got a big interception and Mario Edwards Jr perhaps had his best game with about ten tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble which Derrick Mitchell gathered.  Eddie Goldman also had a good game.  Rashaad Greene has 13 catches, and is playing at an All American level.  Time is up for FSU to not be playing at top level.  The Seminoles are playing with fire and could well get burned, and with a trip to a Miami team that has laid waste to their last two quality opponents, it could be Saturday night.  On the other hand, the Seminoles can make opponents look real bad in a flurry of devastation.  The top players on this team must step up.  Perhaps Mario Edwards Jr, is leading the way with his performance against Virginia.  FSU may not be able to negotiate through a 20 point deficit at Miami, so it must be a complete game free from failed execution, penalties and turnovers. FSU will not make the playoff with a loss, so there is no tomorrow.  It is time.  Is it our time?  We are fixin to find out, in Sun Life Stadium, which will be packed for once, as FSU visits Miami Saturday night at 8PM on ABC.  Go 'Noles!

PS:  Happy Birthday to Coach Bobby Bowden who turned 85 on Saturday!

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

The Cornhuskers were idle on Saturday, which has hopefully given tailback Ameer Abdullah time to heel.  The Big Red will need Abdullah, and top performances from quarterback to Tommy Armstrong and the offensive line to get the win at Wisconsin.  The winner is in the drivers seat for the B1G West division. Nebraska can, and should win, but too often than not, they do not play their best game on these occasions. Will this time be different? We will find out on ABC at 3:30PM. Go Big Red!!