| Matt | Brian | Master Coaches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| 2 | Florida | USC | Florida |
| 3 | USC | Florida | Michigan |
| 4 | Texas | West Virginia | USC |
| 5 | Michigan | Texas | West Virginia |
| 6 | West Virginia | Michigan | Texas |
| 7 | Louisville | Louisville | Louisvile |
| 8 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| 9 | California | Iowa | California |
| 10 | Clemson | Auburn | Notre Dame |
| 11 | Notre Dame | California | Auburn |
| 12 | Auburn | LSU | Georgia Tech |
| 13 | Boise State | Notre Dame | Iowa |
| 14 | Nebraska | Georgia | Clemson |
| 15 | LSU | Nebraska | LSU |
| 16 | Missouri | Boise St. | Georgia |
| 17 | Georgia Tech | Missouri | Oregon |
| 18 | Georgia | Georgia Tech | Missouri |
| 19 | Arkansas | Oklahoma | Nebraska |
| 20 | Oklahoma | Arkansas | Va Tech |
| 21 | Oregon | Clemson | Boise State |
| 22 | Rutgers | Oregon | Rutgers |
| 23 | Iowa | Rutgers | Wisconsin |
| 24 | Va Tech | Va Tech | Arkansas |
| 25 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Oklahoma |
Our Thoughts
Brian – I had just dropped Auburn out of my number one spot last week and it’s a good thing I did, I’d feel really dumb if my top team got trounced the way they did last Saturday. USC stays ahead of Florida for at least one more week, if the Gators can knock off Auburn I think they’ll likely be right on Ohio State’s heels. Texas moves into the top five and seems to be in a pretty good spot to make a run by the end of the season. Arkansas debuts at 20 after their win over Auburn. The Razorbacks would be higher with only one loss, but that one loss was a complete beat down by USC.
Matt – Lots of shifting around in my poll this week as many teams in the Top 25 lost. I also re-evaluated some teams and moved them up or down accordingly. Oregon fell the furthest after getting annihilated by Cal, and I also moved Auburn down 10 spots after getting beat handily by Arkansas. Texas dominated OU, which is always hard to do, and I think Colt McCoy is improving with each game. I now have them at the #4 spot. Tennessee was the biggest mover forward after killing Georgia in the second half. Ainge is turning into a solid quarterback and could lead them to big things in the SEC.
Related Links
| Brian | Matt | ESPN Experts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Garrett Wolfe | 1. Troy Smith |
| 2. Troy Smith | 2. Adrian Peterson | 2. Adrian Peterson |
| 3. Mike Hart | 3. Troy Smith | 3. Garrett Wolfe |
| 4. Garrett Wolfe | 4. Chris Leak | 4. Brady Quinn |
| 5. Chris Leak | 5. Calvin Johnson | 5. Steve Slaton |
Our Thoughts
Brian – My top two stay for the same for one more week as Troy Smith’s performance in Ohio State’s win against Iowa wasn’t strong enough to pass the idle Adrian Peterson. The Oklahoma running back has his chance to win or lose the award this weekend in his matchup with the Longhorns. If the Texas defense can bottle him up and win Saturday’s game, he’ll likely leave college football as one of the best players to never win the award.
Matt – Garrett Wolfe is putting up just too ridiculous of numbers for me not to move him into the top spot. Last week he ran 353 yards and 3 scores! Seriously, that is just crazy. And if you say he isn’t playing anyone, look at what he did against Ohio State, 171 yards rushing and 114 yards receiving. Below him it is pretty standard, although I have added Calvin Johnson as my #5 pick. He is just one of those players you look at and know he is going to be a good NFL player.
Related Links
| Matt | Brian | Master Coaches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| 2 | Auburn | Auburn | USC |
| 3 | USC | USC | Auburn |
| 4 | West Virginia | West Virginia | Michigan |
| 5 | Florida | Florida | Florida |
| 6 | Texas | Texas | West Virginia |
| 7 | Michigan | Michigan | Texas |
| 8 | Louisville | Louisville | LSU |
| 9 | LSU | LSU | Louisville |
| 10 | Georgia | Oregon | Oregon |
| 11 | Oregon | Georgia | Notre Dame |
| 12 | Oklahoma | Iowa | Georgia |
| 13 | Cal | Florida State | Cal |
| 14 | Notre Dame | Oklahoma | Tennessee |
| 15 | Florida State | Tennessee | Georgia Tech |
| 16 | Tennessee | Cal | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Clemson | Notre Dame | Clemson |
| 18 | Boise State | Nebraska | Iowa |
| 19 | Nebraska | Boise State | Florida State |
| 20 | Texas Tech | Clemson | Va Tech |
| 21 | Missouri | Missouri | Nebraska |
| 22 | Rutgers | Georgia Tech | Boise State |
| 23 | Iowa | Texas Tech | Missouri |
| 24 | Georgia Tech | Rutgers | Rutgers |
| 25 | Va Tech | Va Tech | Wisconsin |
Our Thoughts
Brian – TCU pulled their annual massive choke job right after a big win on Thursday night by losing to BYU and went from a top 10 team to a team out of my top 25 for good. I don’t care how many games they win this year or next or any year, they play a bad schedule and still manage to drop a couple of games per year. The Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the number one team in the country pretty soundly and fall five spots because of it. I think they may be one of the country’s best one-loss teams and with their schedule have a pretty good chance to finish the year with only the one blemish.
Matt – Again, I have no change in my top 6. I did adjust my 7-10 spots, moving Michigan up and dropping Georgia down a couple spots with their second straight week of boring football. I dropped Iowa and Va Tech way down, mainly because I think I had them overrated to begin with and they each got beat handily this past weekend. Boise State could be this year’s BCS buster. If they win the rest of their games I think they will have the opportunity to jump up to the #12 spot by the end of the year.
Related Links
| Brian | Matt | ESPN Experts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Troy Smith |
| 2. Troy Smith | 2. Troy Smith | 2. Adrian Peterson |
| 3. Chris Leak | 3. Chris Leak | 3. Steve Slaton |
| 4. Mike Hart | 4. Garrett Wolfe | 4. Brady Quinn |
| 5. Steve Slaton | 5. Steve Slaton | 5. Garrett Wolfe |
Our Thoughts
Brian – None of my five guys move because none of them had a strong week. Adrian Peterson has yet to put up a huge game, and against the mighty Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State he was again only solid. Troy Smith had a chance to pass Peterson but against Penn State Smith had his worst game of the year. It was a week of boring matchups and the top guys put up average performances to match.
Matt – Garrett Wolfe is quickly becoming one of the more impressive players in college football. Wolfe had another spectacular weekend, running for 198 yards and catching for 42 yards. I ended up bumping Steve Slaton down a couple spots mainly because he didn’t do anything to wow me against East Carolina.
Related Links
| Matt | Brian | Master Coaches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Auburn | Ohio State |
| 2 | Auburn | Ohio State | USC |
| 3 | USC | USC | Auburn |
| 4 | West Virginia | West Virginia | West Virginia |
| 5 | Florida | Florida | Michigan |
| 6 | Texas | Texas | Florida |
| 7 | Louisville | Iowa | Texas |
| 8 | Georgia | Michigan | Louisville |
| 9 | Michigan | TCU | LSU |
| 10 | Iowa | Louisville | Georgia |
| 11 | Virginia Tech | LSU | Virginia Tech |
| 12 | LSU | Georgia | Oregon |
| 13 | TCU | Virginia Tech | Iowa |
| 14 | Oregon | Florida State | Notre Dame |
| 15 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Oklahoma |
| 16 | Cal | Oregon | TCU |
| 17 | Notre Dame | Tennessee | California |
| 18 | Florida State | Notre Dame | Tennessee |
| 19 | Nebraska | Nebraska | Clemson |
| 20 | Tennessee | Cal | Florida State |
| 21 | Clemson | Boise State | Nebraska |
| 22 | Boise State | Clemson | Georgia Tech |
| 23 | Texas Tech | Missouri | Boise State |
| 24 | Missouri | Houston | Michigan State |
| 25 | Arkansas | Arizona State | Rutgers |
Our Thoughts
Brian – If you look at just wins and losses it was a pretty boring week for the top 25, though two top 15 teams played poorly against subpar teams and in my poll took a hit for it. Georgia switches quarterbacks and mounts a big comeback to beat winless and anemic Colorado in the final minute. I bumped them down one spot. As for the Notre Dame, they won but they suck. They may have won against Michigan State but they continued to prove they’re just not a quality football team. They fall one spot as well.
Matt – For the first time that I can remember the Top 15 of my poll stays exactly the same. This is mainly due to the poor matchups we had this weekend, but still something that I wouldn’t expect.
I ended up dropping Notre Dame one spot mainly because they didn’t win but were handed a victory by MSU. Ohio State wasn’t as impressive as I thought they would be, only scoring 14 points on offense. They have a big matchup coming up against Iowa that might give a better impression of just how good they are. TCU is getting dangerously close to being in my Top 10, but knowing them they will probably lose to Army in a couple of weeks.
Related Links
| Brian | Matt | ESPN Experts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Troy Smith |
| 2. Troy Smith | 2. Troy Smith | 2. Adrian Peterson |
| 3. Chris Leak | 3. Steve Slaton | 3. Steve Slaton |
| 4. Mike Hart | 4. Chris Leak | 4. Ted Ginn Jr. |
| 5. Steve Slaton | 5. Garrett Wolfe | 5. Chris Leak |
Our Thoughts
Brian – Brady Quinn just drops like a rock, and he’ll have a tough time working his way back up the list. He looked rattled on Saturday and was almost completely shut down by the Michigan defense. In Eugene Bob Stoops nearly rode Adrian Peterson into the ground but still ended up losing the game to Oregon. The 34 carry and 211 yard performance by Peterson boosts him this week but could be a sign of trouble for Peterson long-term. He’s averaging thirty carries per game behind an inexperienced line and is even returning kicks. There’s no way he makes it through the season 100%.
Matt – Adrian Peterson proved this weekend that he is the best player in college football. When everyone else was tired in the 4th quarter, Peterson went ahead and rattled off over 140 yards. Brady Quinn just keeps falling and falling, and now he is out of the Top 5. Troy Smith is looking more and more like the best QB prospect for the NFL next year. Steve Slaton continues to rack up some big numbers, and most of it is only in the first half of games. Imagine when he starts to play the whole game.
Related Links
| Matt | Brian | Master Coaches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Auburn | Ohio State |
| 2 | Auburn | Ohio State | USC |
| 3 | USC | USC | Auburn |
| 4 | West Virginia | West Virginia | West Virginia |
| 5 | Florida | Florida | Florida |
| 6 | Texas | Texas | Michigan |
| 7 | Louisville | Iowa | Georgia |
| 8 | Georgia | Michigan | Texas |
| 9 | Michigan | TCU | Louisville |
| 10 | Iowa | Louisville | LSU |
| 11 | Virginia Tech | Georgia | Virginia Tech |
| 12 | LSU | LSU | Oregon |
| 13 | TCU | Virginia Tech | Iowa |
| 14 | Oregon | Florida State | Notre Dame |
| 15 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | TCU |
| 16 | Notre Dame | Oregon | Tennessee |
| 17 | Cal | Notre Dame | Oklahoma |
| 18 | Florida State | Arizona State | Boston College |
| 19 | Arizona State | Tennessee | Florida State |
| 20 | Nebraska | Nebraska | Cal |
| 21 | Tennessee | Cal | Arizona State |
| 22 | Boston College | Boise State | Clemson |
| 23 | Clemson | Penn State | Nebraska |
| 24 | Boise State | Alabama | UCLA |
| 25 | Alabama | Boston College | Georgia Tech |
Our Thoughts
Brian – “Separation Saturday” ended up only separating a couple of teams. I finally admit Notre Dame might be decent and move them to #4 and pick them to win, and then they confirm my suspicions that they blow. Michigan didn’t look like anything special in their first two games and then comes out and whips the Irish in South Bend. I think the game likely tells us more about Notre Dame than it did about Michigan.
The Big 12 took a beating during the weekend with a controversial loss by Oklahoma, Texas Tech getting embarassed, as well as losses by Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State, and Baylor. And Texas A&M ended up winning over Army but did so in laughably bad fashion. Ouch.
Matt – Lots of movement for me this week after 7 Top 25 matched up this past weekend. Notre Dame was annihilated by Michigan, although it is probably more of a sign how overrated Notre Dame is than how good Michigan is.
Auburn had an impressive win over LSU and I have now moved them into my #2 spot. And after Louisville’s crushing of Miami, I sadly have them out of my Top 25 for the first time in probably two years.
Related Links
| Brian | Matt | ESPN Experts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. Adrian Peterson | 1. N/A |
| 2. Troy Smith | 2. Troy Smith | 2. N/A |
| 3. Brady Quinn | 3. Chris Leak | 3. N/A |
| 4. Chris Leak | 4. Brady Quinn | 4. N/A |
| 5. Mike Hart | 5. Garrett Wolfe | 5. N/A |
Our Thoughts
Brian – So much for Jamaal Charles or any other Longhorns making a run at the Heisman trophy this season. He was a long shot anyways and now with Texas losing to Ohio State and Selvin Young is still looking pretty darn good he has essentially no chance. Troy Smith’s second straight very strong performance in a big game against a (supposedly) good defense moves him up over Brady Quinn and has him as my number one quarterback. He’s gaining quickly on Adrian Peterson. The Sooners are working Peterson to death and he’s putting up solid, but not ridiculous numbers. It’s becoming a very interesting race.
Matt – If Troy Smith has another big game like he did against Texas, I just might have to move him up above Adrian Peterson. I hadn’t really watched much of Smith, but I must say that I was very impressed. Chris Leak has already throw for 7 touchdowns in his first two games. I am definitely going to watch him this weak as he faces his first major test against Tennessee. Brady Quinn still isn’t performing where I think he should, so I am leaving him in the #4 spot. And Garrett Wolfe is having a major start to his senior season, averaging over 180 yards rushing per game.
Related Links
| Matt | Brian | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | Auburn |
| 2 | USC | Ohio State |
| 3 | West Virginia | USC |
| 4 | Auburn | West Virginia |
| 5 | LSU | Florida |
| 6 | Florida | Notre Dame |
| 7 | Texas | Texas |
| 8 | Louisville | LSU |
| 9 | Notre Dame | Iowa |
| 10 | Georgia | TCU |
| 11 | Florida State | Oklahoma |
| 12 | Iowa | Florida State |
| 13 | Virginia Tech | Miami |
| 14 | Miami | Louisville |
| 15 | Oregon | Michigan |
| 16 | Nebraska | Georgia |
| 17 | Michigan | Oregon |
| 18 | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| 19 | Oklahoma | Nebraska |
| 20 | TCU | Texas Tech |
| 21 | Cal | Virginia Tech |
| 22 | Texas Tech | Arizona State |
| 23 | Texas A&M | Cal |
| 24 | Boston College | Boise State |
| 25 | Boise State | Penn State |
Our Thoughts
Brian – Despite the measley seven points the Longhorns were able to score against the Ohio State defense Saturday night, I’m still not convinced the Buckeyes’ D will win them a national title. For now at least they stay behind Auburn as both teams move up one to take over the top two spots.
A lot of shuffling throughout my poll as I think the second week of games revealed some things about several teams. Iowa and Florida State both barely survived scares and despite cominig out on top fall a little in my ranking. As stubborn as I am about them, LSU looked impressive this weekend against Pac 10 opponent Arizona and got a five spot bump this week up to number 8.
Matt – Texas’ loss was tough to take this weekend, but Ohio State clearly showed they are the #1 team in the nation right now. Texas didn’t play their best, but they are still better than most teams out there so I only dropped them down to #7.
As for the rest of my poll, I really didn’t move it around too much this week, mainly just dropping a couple teams down because of performance. After everyone thought Tennessee were world beaters (including myself) when they dominated Cal, they proved they are just a decent team who deserves to be in the top 20.
For the Big 12, I am adding newcomer Texas A&M at #23. They don’t have a real test until Week 5 against Texas Tech, so I will have these guys on notice. Rounding out the Big 12, I have Nebraska at #16, Oklahoma at #19, and Texas Tech at #22.
Related Links
At the Ohio State press luncheon yesterday, head coach Jim Tressel revealed that he voted Texas #1 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. This week Ohio State received 41 first place votes while Texas received 14.
This is probably just one of those typical coaches’ tactics where they try to make you think they actually think the other team is better. Plus, he knows it will all be settled this week.
Here is some audio as well as his quote about ranking Texas #1.
“They are very good and everyone knows it,� Tressel said of Texas. “They are the defending national champions and I’ve got them ranked No. 1 on our ballot because I think they deserve that. I think they deserve that from top to bottom. I think they deserve that from a program standpoint, they deserve that from a special teams standpoint, from an offensive and defensive standpoint. They have excellent speed which is what we all seek. They demonstrate great toughness, which is what we try and teach and try and recruit. And you can tell that they understand the game.�
Update: It looks like Tressel didn’t vote Texas #1. And what, he has the Director of Player Development making his selections? What kind of integrity can a coaches poll have if the coach isn’t even selecting the teams?
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