Posts belonging to Category NCAA Top 25

1. Auburn (Last week: 1) – It’s a tough call between Auburn and Oregon, but I give the edge to Auburn based on their more difficult schedule.
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2. Oregon (2) – If Auburn is No. 1, there really is no debating who should be No. 2.
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3. Stanford (4) – Stanford keeps getting better as their season progresses. And I think if they played Oregon right now, it would be a very close game.
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4. Michigan State (7) – Michigan State and Wisconsin both have 11-1 records. So how can anyone justify ranking the Spartans behind the Badgers. Voters need to stop penalizing teams just because they were the last to lose. Look at the big picture.
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5. Wisconsin (8) – See above.
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6. TCU (3) – Dropping TCU was a tough decision, but Boise State’s loss helped convinced me to make the move. I just can’t justify ranking teams like Boise and TCU in the top five anymore. TCU might be that good. But they have done absolutely nothing to prove it. When your best win is against an Oregon State team that might not make a bowl game. Or a Utah team that got trounced by Notre Dame, you just don’t have a strong case to ranked among the elite teams.
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7. Ohio State (9) – I left Ohio State behind TCU because the Buckeyes’ résumé isn’t much better. None of their wins came against teams currently ranked in the top 25.
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8. Arkansas (11) – With wins over LSU and South Carolina, and a near win over Alabama, Arkansas is clearly the best of the two-loss teams.
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9. LSU (6) – The Tigers have a similar résumé as Arkansas, but the Razorbacks won the head-to-head matchup.
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10. South Carolina (12) – The next two best teams are 3-loss South Carolina and Alabama. The Gamecocks won that matchup, so they slide into the top 10.
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1 1. Alabama (10) – See above.
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12. Nebraska (16) – The Big 12 is a mess. So here is how I ranked the five teams that I felt deserved to fall into the middle of the top 25. I took the five teams and compared their records against the other four. Nebraska and Missouri both went 2-1, but Nebraska beat Missouri. So that sorts out No. 12 and No. 13
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13. Missouri (14) – See above.
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14. Oklahoma State (13) - Then Texas A&M and Oklahoma State each finished .500, but Oklahoma State beat Texas A&M. So that settles No. 14 and No. 15.
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15. Texas A&M (15) – See above.
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16. Oklahoma (17) - And then Oklahoma is 1-2, putting them at No. 16, with a chance to move up if they beat Nebraska in the Championship Game.
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17. Nevada (18) – Nevada lost to Hawaii, so I can’t justify ranking them much higher than this. But they’re a legitimate top 20 team.
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18. Boise State (5) – Boise State is probably more talented than the 18th-best team, but they have to be ranked behind Nevada.
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19. Florida State (25) – I have Florida State ahead of Virginia Tech, despite having more losses, because the Hokies loss to James Madison is far worse than losses to Oklahoma, N.C. State and UNC.
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20. Mississippi State (22) – The Bulldogs don’t have any great wins, but they also don’t have any bad losses. Two close games (17-14 vs Auburn and 38-31 vs Arkansas) proved they are a legitimate top-25 team.
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21. Virginia Tech (23) - As I’ve said all season. No team that loses to James Madison at home will ever be deserving of a top-20 ranking. Their 10-2 record counts for very little with that blemish on the résumé.
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22. West Virginia (NR) – The Big East returns to the top 25, but really just by default.
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23. Maryland (NR) – After knocking off N.C. State, Maryland made a statement and enters the top 25 for the first time this season.
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24. North Carolina State (24) – The Wolfpack are more talented than some teams ahead of them, but their résumé doesn’t deserve anything more than this.
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25. Connecticut - (NR) – With decent wins over West Virginia and Pitt, it’s time to move UConn up despite a four-loss season. That could easily change if they lose to USF this weekend.
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Dropped out: USC (19), Arizona (20), Iowa (21)

1. Auburn (Last week: 1) – It all comes down to this for Auburn. 2 games left, but both are very losable.
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2. Oregon (2) – Arizona shouldn’t pose much of a threat, but you never know. The Ducks aren’t exactly known for being clutch down the stretch.
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3. TCU (3) – Only New Mexico stands between the Frogs and another undefeated regular season.
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4. Stanford (4) – The Cardinal made a statement in a blowout of Cal, which has one of the best defenses in the Pac-10.
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5. Boise State (5) – Nevada is Boise State’s final test. Should be a high-scoring affair, but the Broncos should still win easily.
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6. LSU (6) – The Tigers are nowhere near the 6th-best team in the nation. But somehow they’re 6-1 in SEC play and deserve to be rewarded for their impressive résumé.
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7. Michigan State (7) – I like to honor head-to-head matchups, at least when the teams in question have the same record. MSU beat Wisconsin, so they have to be ranked ahead of the Badgers.
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8. Wisconsin (8) – And since Wisconsin beat Ohio State, they have be ranked ahead of the Buckeyes.
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9. Ohio State (9) – See above.
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10. Alabama (11) – Alabama may have lost two games, but the difficulty of their schedule makes it easy to justify a top-10 ranking.
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11. Arkansas (12) – Arkansas seems to be the forgotten team in the SEC, but they’re quietly closing in on another 10-win season.
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12. South Carolina (14) – The Gamecocks are starting to make a believer out of me. I think they have a fighters chance against Auburn.
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13. Oklahoma State (13) – I have very little respect for the Cowboys. They’re 10-1 but Texas A&M is their only win vs a currently ranked team.
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14. Missouri (15) – Missouri is technically alive in the Big 12 North, but they need Nebraska to stumble again.
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15. Texas A&M (16) – I think they Aggies are the 2nd-best team in the Big 12 right now, but with three losses I can’t justify ranking them any higher.
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16. Nebraska (10) – The Huskers are a mess right now. They’ve had too many close calls it finally caught up to them against A&M.
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17. Oklahoma (17) – The Sooners may be 9-2, but they have a losing record against ranked teams.
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18. Nevada (22) – The Wolfpack will try to play the role of spoiler against Boise State on Friday.
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19. USC (18) – It’s been a wild season in the Pac-10. USC has four losses, but I still think they’re the 3rd best team.
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20. Arizona (20) – I decided to leave Arizona just behind USC. They have fewer losses, but lost at home to the Trojans.
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21. Iowa (21) - Iowa is clearly better than their record indicates, but it’s tough to rank a four-loss team much higher than this.
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22. Mississippi State (19) – Two straight tough losses for the Bulldogs. They have a losing record in the SEC, but they’re among the best four-loss teams.
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23. Virginia Tech (23) – Technically they have only two losses. But a home loss to James Madison counts for at least two or three in my book.
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24. North Carolina State - (24) – The Wolfpack control their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic.
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25. Florida State - (25) – The Seminoles needs help to win the ACC since they’ve already lost to N.C. State.
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Dropped out: none

1. Auburn (Last week: 2) – Controversy can’t stop Cam Newton. The Tigers will head into the Iron Bowl with a perfect season on the line.
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2. Oregon (1) – Cal’s defense is solid, but shouldn’t have slowed LaMichael James and the Ducks as easily as they did.
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3. TCU (3) – That win over Utah suddenly doesn’t mean much, but I still think they’re the 3rd-most talented team in the nation.
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4. Stanford (4) – The Cardinal aren’t nearly as good on the road, but Andrew Luck finds ways to win.
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5. Boise State (5) – The Broncos have two potentially tricky games ahead against Fresno State and Nevada.
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6. LSU (6) – Sure, it was only Louisiana-Monroe. But at least their offense showed signs of life.
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7. Michigan State (7) – I don’t think Michigan State is the most talented Big Ten team, but of the one-loss teams they beat Wisconsin and Wisconsin beat OSU. So I have to rank the Spartans ahead of the others.
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8. Wisconsin (8) – See above.
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9. Ohio State (9) – See above.
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10. Nebraska (10) – After a great start, I’ve lost a lot of respect for Nebraska. Too many close games against inferior opponents.
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11. Alabama (11) – Alabama showed they still have a lot of fight left in them by taking down Mississippi State.
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12. Arkansas (12) – It’s been a memorable season, but the Razorbacks could easily lose their last two games (Miss. State, LSU)
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13. Oklahoma State (13) – Oklahoma State has a clear path to the Big 12 title game, and I like their chances in a rematch against Nebraska.
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14. South Carolina (18) – Great win for the South Carolina program on Saturday. They can now play the role of spoiler in the SEC Champ Game.
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15. Missouri (16) – Missouri rebounded after two tough losses but it’s probably too late to make a move in the Big 12 North.
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16. Texas A&M (19) – If not for that tough 7-point loss to Arkansas, the Aggies would be knocking on the door of the top 10.
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17. Oklahoma (20) – Despite having only two losses, I don’t have a lot of respect for Oklahoma. Too many close calls against inferior opponents.
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18. USC (NR) – “USC upsets Arizona” just sounds strange. Doesn’t it?
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19. Mississippi State (15) – The Bulldogs were put in their place by Bama, but it’s still been an impressive season for Mississippi State.
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20. Arizona (21) – After Iowa’s loss, I had to move Arizona up to rank them ahead of the Hawkeyes who now also have three losses.
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21. Iowa (14) - Northwestern simply has the Hawkeyes number. Now they have to avoid another tough loss against Ohio State.
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22. Nevada (25) – Just two weeks away from a huge showdown between Nevada and Boise State.
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23. Virginia Tech (24) – I’ve been saying all season, I refuse to rank a team that lose at home to James Madison any higher than 20th.
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24. North Carolina State - (NR) – The Wolfpack control their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic.
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25. Florida State - (NR) – The Seminoles needs help to win the ACC since they’ve already lost to N.C. State.
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Dropped out: Florida (17), Utah (22), North Carolina (23)

1. Oregon (Last week: 1) – Oregon is the most complete team in the nation right now and it’s tough to envision them losing in the regular season.
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2. Auburn (2) – Auburn got lucky with Chattanooga on the schedule following these Newton allegations. Will be interesting to see how they respond against Georgia if any more news breaks in the investigation.
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3. TCU (4) – I’ve been saying since Week 2 that TCU was better than Boise State. I think now most of the country will agree.
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4. Stanford (7) – Enjoy it while it lasts Stanford fans. I have a feeling both Luck and Harbaugh will be elsewhere next season.
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5. Boise State (5) – Boise is good, but not deserving of a trip to the National Championship Game. Their defense is nowhere near championship caliber.
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6. LSU (11) – LSU might be the worst SEC team to ever start 8-1. But you have to give them credit for pulling it off.
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7. Michigan State (10) – Michigan State beat Wisconsin, who beat Ohio State, giving them the edge. Iowa has two losses and nearly a third to Indiana, so they’re not factored into my ranking of the top Big Ten teams.
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8. Wisconsin (7) – Wisconsin should have little trouble running the table against Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern.
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9. Ohio State (8) – Ohio State has the toughest remaining schedule of the Big Ten contenders.
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10. Nebraska (12) – The ‘Huskers have proven to be a fraud. Their loss to Texas looks worse each week and they nearly were upset by Iowa State.
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11. Alabama (3) – Alabama is still the best of the two-loss teams, but they’re out of title contention now.
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12. Arkansas (15) – It’s been a memorable season, but the Razorbacks could easily lose two of their last three (Miss. State, LSU)
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13. Oklahoma State (18) – Suddenly Oklahoma State is in the drivers seat in the Big 12 South.
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14. Iowa (9) – The Hawkeyes were nearly embarrassed by Indiana this weekend.
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15. Mississippi State (20) – Bulldogs only losses are at LSU and a three-point defeat against Auburn.
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16. Missouri (14) – After a second straight loss the Tigers need a lot of help to get back into Big 12 title contention.
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17. Florida (NR) – Gators control their own destiny in the SEC. And suddenly that loss to Mississippi State doesn’t look so bad.
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18. South Carolina (16) – Gamecocks also control their own destiny in the SEC. Spurrier needs to work some magic against his former team.
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19. Texas A&M (21) – Aggies are back on track after a midseason slump and still alive in the Big 12 South.
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20. Oklahoma (17) – I can’t believe anyone ever voted the Sooners No. 1. This is a mediocre team.
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21. Arizona (19) - The Wildcats looked like a very poorly coached team against Stanford, especially on defense.
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22. Utah (13) – I never had Utah rated higher than 13th, so I wasn’t at all surprised to see them get blown out by TCU. They’re good, but not a top-10 team.
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23. North Carolina (NR) – Tar Heels ability to rebound from off-field distractions is a nice story. They can make a statement against Virginia Tech next week.
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24. Virginia Tech - (24) – The Hokies lost at home to James Madison. I can’t justify ranking them any higher than this.
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25. Nevada - (NR) – The Wolfpack rejoins the top 25 by default. I just couldn’t think of anyone else worthy of being ranked.
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Dropped out: Oregon State (22), Baylor (23), N.C. State (25)

1. Oregon (Last week: 1) – USC isn’t what it was two years ago, but the Ducks throttling of the Trojans was still impressive.
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2. Auburn (2) – The Tigers have allowed 30+ points in three of their last four games. Not exactly the stats of a defense in contention for a title.
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3. Alabama (3) – Bama was idle this week.
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4. TCU (4) – The Horned Frogs held their opponent to single digits for the 5th straight week. Up next is Utah.
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5. Boise State (5) – Boise cruised to another easy win against Louisiana Tech and should do the same this week against Hawaii.
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6. Wisconsin (7) – The Big Ten is a mess, so I have to throw the head-to-head records out the window and judge the overall body of work. Wisconsin comes out on top.
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7. Stanford (8) – Andrew Luck looks better each week, but a BCS bowl looks unlikely thanks to Oregon.
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8. Ohio State (9) – The Buckeyes offense is cruising. They have been the most impressive team in the conference with the exception of their loss to Wisconsin.
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9. Iowa (14) – Ricky Stanzi has quietly emerged as the best quarterback in the Big Ten.
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10. Michigan State (6) – Despite beating Wisconsin, MSU’s overall résumé just isn’t as impressive as the top three Big Ten teams.
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11. LSU (11) – LSU was idle this week.
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12. Nebraska (12) – Nebraska made a statement in their win over Missouri, but their loss to Texas looks works each week.
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13. Utah (13) – The Utes keep winning, but they haven’t played anyone. They finally face TCU on Nov. 6.
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14. Missouri (10) – A letdown at Nebraska was expected. The schedule should allow Missouri to run the table from here.
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15. Arkansas (15) – Arkansas took care of business against Vanderbilt and now has a big showdown against South Carolina.
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16. South Carolina (16) – South Carolina’s résumé is nearly identical to Arkansas. They face off this weekend.
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17. Oklahoma (17) – The Sooners have a tough road ahead with games at Baylor and at Oklahoma State to decide the division title.
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18. Oklahoma State (18) – The Cowboy offense struggled to get back on track against Kansas State this weekend.
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19. Arizona (19) – The Wildcats keep winning, but I suspect they’ll end losing three of their last four (Stanford, USC, Oregon)
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20. Mississippi State (23) – The Bulldogs don’t have a great win, but both losses are to top-12 teams (Auburn, LSU).
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21. Texas A&M (24) - All three of their losses are to ranked teams, and two were decided by a touchdown or less.
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22. Oregon State (NR) – Oregon State actually controls its own destiny in the Pac-10, thanks to remaining games against Stanford and Oregon.
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23. Baylor (NR) – If Baylor wins out, the Bears will head to their first Big 12 title game.
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24. Virginia Tech - (25) – The Hokies have won seven straight, but that home loss to James Madison will prevent them from rising much higher than this.
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25. N.C. State - (NR) – The Wolfpack rejoins the top 25 after knocking off Florida State.
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Dropped out: USC (21), Florida State (20), Miami FL (22)

1. Oregon (Last week: 1) – The Ducks made a statement by hanging 60 on UCLA on Thursday night.
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2. Auburn (2) – Auburn should now coast to a 11-0 record entering the regular-season finale against Alabama.
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3. Alabama (3) – Bama pounded Tennessee and now has two weeks to prepare for LSU, their last test before the Iron Bowl.
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4. TCU (4) – The Horned Frogs held their opponent to single digits for the 4th straight week.
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5. Boise State (5) – Boise was idle this week.
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6. Michigan State (9) – If Michigan State knocks off Iowa next week I’ll have to move them ahead of TCU, Boise State and Alabama.
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7. Wisconsin (10) – Wisconsin now has two big wins and their lone loss suddenly doesn’t look so bad.
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8. Stanford (13) – Of the one-loss teams, Stanford’s is to the best opponent. But Wisconsin and Alabama have better wins.
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9. Ohio State (11) – Wisconsin’s win against Iowa hurt OSU’s chances at another Big Ten title.
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10. Missouri (17) – Nice win over Oklahoma, but the Sooners were overrated. I’m not sold on Missouri as a title contender.
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11. LSU (6) – With an offense like LSU’s, running the table just wasn’t a possibility.
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12. Nebraska (8) – Suddenly their loss to Texas looks a lot worse than it did a week ago.
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13. Utah (13) – The Utes keep winning, but they haven’t played anyone. They finally face TCU on Nov. 6.
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14. Iowa (12) – The Hawkeyes are so close to being undefeated. They won’t win the Big Ten this year, but they’re the best of the two-loss teams.
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15. Arkansas (16) – With losses to Auburn and Alabama, their résumé is still impressive despite two defeats.
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16. South Carolina (15) – It’s been two straight weeks of let-downs since beating Bama. They had no business struggling with Vandberbilt.
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17. Oklahoma (7) – After struggling with Utah State, Cincinnati and Air Force, was anyone really surprised to see them lose at Missouri?
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18. Oklahoma State (18) – Not moving Oklahoma State this week because they did exactly what I expected they’d do against Nebraska.
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19. Arizona (19) – The Wildcats keeps winning, but I suspect they’ll end up losing three of their last five (Stanford, USC, Oregon)
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20. Florida State (21) – The Seminoles were idle this week.
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21. USC (22) - The Trojans were idle this week.
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22. Miami FL (NR) – By knocking off UNC, Miami now controls its own destiny in the ACC Coastal.
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23. Mississippi State (NR) – Can’t say I was impressed by the Bulldogs struggling to beat UAB, but there just isn’t anyone else worth ranking higher.
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24. Texas A&M - (NR) – All three of their losses are to ranked teams, and two were decided by a touchdown or less.
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25. Virginia Tech - (NR) – The Hokies have won six straight, but that home loss to James Madison will prevent them from rising much higher than this.
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Dropped out: Texas (20), North Carolina (23), West Virginia (24), Kansas State (25)

1. Oregon (Last week: 1) – Oregon was idle this week.
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2. Auburn (7) – Cam Newton is the Heisman favorite, and Auburn is now the favorite in the SEC.
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3. Alabama (4) – Despite one loss, Bama’s overall résumé is more impressive than many of the undefeated teams.
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4. TCU (5) – I just can’t justify putting TCU ahead of a one-loss Alabama team.
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5. Boise State (6) – See above.
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6. LSU (10) – I think LSU will end up losing three games, but as of now they’re worthy of a top-10 ranking.
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7. Oklahoma (12) – Anyone who has Oklahoma higher than this apparently forgot how they sleep-walked through games vs Utah State, Cincy and Air Force.
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8. Nebraska (3) – I still think Nebraska is the favorite in the Big 12, but Oklahoma deserves the higher ranking fornow.
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9. Michigan State (13) – A favorable schedule (no Ohio State) makes MSU the new Big Ten favorite.
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10. Wisconsin (20) – It’s been a roller coaster season for Wisconsin, but they back on the right track after taking down OSU.
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11. Ohio State (2) – Special teams has killed the Buckeyes this season, which is a very un-Tressel-like quality for the Buckeyes.
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12. Iowa (16) – Iowa may be the best team in their conference, but they have the worst résumé of the top four Big Ten teams as of now.
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13. Stanford (9) – Stanford falls only due to other Big Ten teams rising.
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14. Utah (14) – We still can’t truly judge Utah until they face TCU in two weeks.
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15. South Carolina (8) – The loss to Kentucky hurts, but their résumé is easily the best of the two-loss teams.
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16. Arkansas (11) – If Mallett stays in the game, they may have beaten Auburn and moved back into the top 10.
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17. Missouri (22) – The Tigers don’t have much on their résumé, but they are currently in 1st place in the Big 12 North.
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18. Oklahoma State (23) – Their résumé is almost identical to Missouri’s. I don’t think they’re very good, but they deserve this ranking for now.
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19. Arizona (19) – The Wildcats’ schedule is shaping up for another late-season disappointment.
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20. Texas (NR) – The Longhorns are beginning to find their identity as a power-running team.
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21. Florida State (15) - I have no respect for the ACC, but Florida State is the best of the bunch.
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22. USC (NR) – The Trojans two losses have been by a combined three points. It’s scary how close they are to being undefeated despite their disappointing performances.
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23. North Carolina (NR) – Now that the off-field distracts have mostly been sorted out, UNC is starting to get back on track.
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24. West Virginia - (NR) – I’m not sure if West Virginia is actually decent, or if the rest of the Big East is just that bad. It could be the latter.
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25. Kansas State - (NR) – A favorable schedule could lead the Wildcats to 9 or 10 wins this season.
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Dropped out: Florida (17), Nevada (18), Air Force (21), N.C. State (24),

1. Oregon (Last week: 2) – The Ducks have to be the favorites now that Alabama has lost. They have just one game remaining against a ranked opponent (Arizona).
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2. Ohio State (3) – The Bucks could have their toughest test of the season at Wisconsin next week.
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3. Nebraska (5) – Taylor Martinez looks like a serious Heisman contender after his performance on Thursday night.
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4. Alabama (1) – Tough road loss, but they still have a great resume and are still alive in the national title hunt.
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5. TCU (4) – TCU has rattled off two straight shutouts. Not that anyone really cares what they do against Colorado State and Wyoming.
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6. Boise State (6) – I’m not moving Boise State any higher than this until they play Nevada.
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7. Auburn (9) – Win over South Carolina looks better now, but they almost lost to Kentucky.
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8. South Carolina (10) – Upset of Alabama was the biggest win in school history. They’re now a contender in the SEC.
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9. Stanford (7) – Stanford should have handled USC easier than a last-second win.
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10. LSU (14) – Les Miles is a moron when it comes to play calling. But that was a still a great win in the Swamp.
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11. Arkansas (8) – Nice road win for the Hogs at Texas A&M.
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12. Oklahoma (13) – Oklahoma was idle this week.
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13. Michigan State (17) – I’m still not completely sold on Michigan State, but a win in the Big House is always impressive.
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14. Utah (18) – The Utes continue to earn style points with big wins. They should be undefeated heading into their matchup with Air Force.
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15. Florida State (19) – If the Seminoles play like they did at Miami, the should be heavy favorites in the ACC.
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16. Iowa (16) – Iowa was idle this week.
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17. Florida (10) – Two straight losses, but Florida played well enough to beat LSU.
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18. Nevada (20) – Surprisingly close game this week against San Jose State.
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19. Arizona (15) – Disappointing home loss against Oregon State tarnishes their resume.
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20. Wisconsin (21) – The Badgers can make a major statement with a win over Ohio State this upcoming weekend.
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21. Air Force (22) - Imagine where Air Force would be if they had pulled off that upset at Oklahoma.
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22. Missouri (22) – It’s been an easy road for Missouri so far, now they have three straight tough weeks.
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23. Oklahoma State (25) – The Cowboys are undefeated, but they may not have the defense to be serious Big 12 contenders.
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24. N.C. State - (NR) – Wolfpack rebounded from their first loss with a big win over Boston College.
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25. West Virginia - (NR) – The Big East returns to the top 25.
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Dropped out: Miami FL (12), Kansas State (23)

1. Alabama (Last week: 1) – With wins over Arkansas and Florida, Alabama has proven they are definitely still the team to beat.
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2. Oregon (4) – After dismantling Stanford, Oregon has proven they’re a serious title contender.
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3. Ohio State (2) – The Buckeyes fall a spot only because Oregon’s resume is now more impressive after beating Stanford.
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4. TCU (3) – The Frogs defense flexed its muscles with a shutout of Colorado State on the road.
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5. Nebraska (5) – Nebraska was idle last week.
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6. Boise State (6) – 59-0 win over New Mexico State. Yawn.
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7. Stanford (6) – There’s no shame in losing to the No. 2 team on the road. Stanford is still a legitimate top-10 team.
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8. Arkansas (8) – Arkansas was idle last week.
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9. Auburn (11) – Cameron Newton has established himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate.
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10. South Carolina (12) – South Carolina was idle last week.
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11. Florida (10) – The Gators are still a top-15 team, but only because of their defense.
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12. Miami FL (13) – Miami knocked off Clemson on the road, but weren’t as dominant as expected.
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13. Oklahoma (15) – This year’s win over Texas doesn’t mean what it has in years past.
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14. LSU (14) – LSU’s offense is just plain ugly. But with their defense, they’re capable of hanging with anyone.
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15. Arizona (16) – Arizona was idle last week.
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16. Iowa (16) – The Hawkeyes have a week off before an exciting matchup against Michigan.
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17. Michigan State (NR) – I can’t deny Michigan State any longer. I’m a believer after they convincingly beat Wisconsin.
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18. Utah (18) – Utah was idle last week.
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19. Florida State (19) – The Seminoles have a chance to make a statement this weekend against Miami.
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20. Nevada (20) – Nevada could easily be undefeated heading into a Nov. 26 showdown with Boise State.
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21. Wisconsin (9) - I expected a lot more from the Badgers against Michigan State. Their just too inconsistent to be a contender.
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22. Air Force (22) – Navy gave Air Force a battle, but they survived one of their tougher tests of the season.
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23. Kansas State (24) – Kansas State was idle last week.
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24. Missouri - (25) – Missouri was idle last week.
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25. Oklahoma State - (NR) – The Cowboys have a very realistic, and very rare, shot at the Big 12 South title this year.
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Dropped out: Texas (21), USC (23)

1. Alabama (Last week: 1) – Arkansas outplayed Alabama for three-and-a-half quarters, but in the end Bama’s defense proved why they’re still number one.
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2. Ohio State (2) – Never thought I’d see the day that Jim Tressel allowed his team to score 73 points.
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3. TCU (3) – Andy Dalton hasn’t quite looked the same this year. His mistakes allowed SMU to hang around longer than they deserved to on Friday.
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4. Oregon (4) – Arizona State proved to be a more difficult test than expected, but the defense stepped up and forced seven turnovers to lead the Ducks to a win.
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5. Nebraska (5) – Only 17 points against South Dakota State? Perhaps the Huskers got a little cocky after their blowout win over Washington.
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6. Stanford (8) – The Cardinal visits Oregon on Saturday in the biggest game they’ve been a part of in a long time.
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7. Boise State (7) – The Broncos took care of business against Oregon State. Now they just need the Beavers to avoid any major upsets.
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8. Arkansas (9) – Arkansas actually looked good enough to move up. A close loss to No. 1 is nothing to be ashamed of.
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9. Wisconsin (12) – Can’t read too much into a win over Austin Peay. But at least the Badgers offense finally got rolling.
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10. Florida (10) – Finally Florida’s offense showed some signs of life. And just in time for the showdown with Alabama.
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11. Auburn (20) – Great win over South Carolina on Saturday. The Tigers schedule is very favorably from here on out.
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12. South Carolina (10) – The Gamecocks nearly pulled off an impressive road win against Auburn. Now they have to regroup for a battle with Bama in two weeks.
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13. Miami FL (13) – Miami stepped up with a nice win at Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The defense looked as good as it has all season.
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14. LSU (15) – LSU hasn’t had a convincing win yet. But they keep on winning and that’s really all that matters.
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15. Oklahoma (11) – I’m struggling to explain how the Sooners can dismantle Florida State and then barely squeak past teams like Utah State and Cincinnati.
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16. Arizona (16) – The Wildcats nearly suffered a major setback against Cal, but their schedule now sets up nicely. They could potentially be 8-0 heading into a showdown at Stanford.
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17. Iowa (5) – The Hawkeyes took their frustration out on Ball State. I expect more of the same next week against Penn State.
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18. Utah (18) – Utah should have no problem improving to 7-0 entering an October 30 matchup against Air Force.
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19. Florida State (19) – Florida State took care of business with a shutout against Wake Forest.
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20. Nevada (22) – BYU may be down this year, but a win in Provo is always impressive.
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21. Texas (6) - Something just isn’t right with Texas’ offense. Garrett Gilbert hasn’t lived up to expectations.
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22. Air Force (23) – Wyoming gave them a scare, but the Falcons pulled out a win. They should now rattle off three straight before consecutive weekends against TCU and Utah.
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23. USC (25) – Perhaps a scrimmage against Washington State was just what USC needed to get back on track.
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24. Kansas State - (24) – The Wildcats barely slipped past UCF, but they remain undefeated heading into their showdown with Nebraska.
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25. Missouri - (NR) – The Tigers remain undefeated and are now the third Big 12 North team in my top 25.
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Dropped out: Oregon State (21)