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The SportsRatings Weekly Top 25 is a subjective ranking of the top 25 college football teams in the style of the AP or USA/Coaches poll. Our rankings properly reflect head-to-head results and give additional consideration to teams who have victories over other top 25 teams.
There was a considerable shakeup among the ranked teams this week, with eight teams in the top 25 losing games, mostly to other ranked teams. The top seven teams didn't lose but we move Alabama to the top, displacing Stanford to #2. For the second straight week the Tide dominated a top ten opponent, beating former #9 Florida 38-10 on the road, and now hold two top 25 wins while Stanford, Oklahoma, and Boise State have none.
#2 Stanford drubbed UCLA 45-19, comparable to the beating Texas gave the Bruins; Oklahoma actually exceeded expectations in destroying Ball State 62-6; and Boise State got revenge on Nevada for last year's season-destroying upset, 30-10 (for comparison, Oregon beat Nevada 69-20). #5 Louisiana State took it easy on Kentucky, winning just 35-7 (Florida beat Kentucky the previous week 48-10).
The big game of the week was supposed to be #6 Wisconsin vs. #14 Nebraska, but it turned into a 48-17 rout as the Badgers got a win over their first live opponent of the season. #7 Oklahoma State was idle.
The real big game of the week turned out to be Clemson's 23-3 shutdown of Virginia Tech. For the second straight week the Tigers beat the supposed best team in the ACC, and for the third straight week they beat a top 25 foe. With Auburn's re-introduction into the top 25, Clemson now holds two top 25 wins, the only team other than Alabama to do so, and they leap from #16 to #8 in our rankings. Oregon slides up a spot to #9, and Illinois moves into the top ten after their third straight 3-point victory. The Illini have won all 5 of their games at home.
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SportsRatings Top 25 - week 5 2011 (thru 10/01/2011)
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Team
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Losses/important wins
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| 2 | 1 | Alabama | 5-0 | wArk 38-14, @FLA 38-10 |
| 1 | 2 | Stanford | 4-0 | |
| 3 | 3 | Oklahoma | 4-0 | |
| 4 | 4 | Boise State | 4-0 | |
| 5 | 5 | Louisiana State | 5-0 | wOregon 40-27 |
| 6 | 6 | Wisconsin | 5-0 | wNebraska 48-17 |
| 7 | 7 | Oklahoma State | 4-0 | [email protected] 30-29 |
| 16 | 8 | Clemson | 5-0 | [email protected] 23-3, Auburn 38-24 |
| 10 | 9 | Oregon | 3-1 | [email protected] 40-27 |
| 12 | 10 | Illinois | 5-0 | wASU 17-14 |
| 20 | 11 | Arkansas | 3-1 | [email protected] 38-14; w=TexAM 42-38 |
| 23 | 12 | Michigan | 5-0 | |
| 9 | 13 | Florida | 4-1 | L Alabama 38-10 |
| 17 | 14 | Arizona State | 4-1 | [email protected] 17-14; wUSC 43-22 |
| 25 | 15 | Georgia Tech | 5-0 | |
| -- | 16 | Kansas State | 4-0 | wBaylor 36-35 |
| 11 | 17 | Virginia Tech | 4-1 | L Clemson 23-3 |
| 14 | 18 | Nebraska | 4-1 | [email protected] 48-17; wWash 51-38 |
| 19 | 19 | Washington | 4-1 | [email protected] 51-38; wCal 31-23 |
| 22 | 20 | Southern Cal | 4-1 | [email protected] 43-22 |
| -- | 21 | Auburn | 4-1 | [email protected] 38-24; [email protected] 16-13 |
| 8 | 22 | South Carolina | 4-1 | L Auburn 16-13 |
| 13 | 23 | Baylor | 3-1 | [email protected] 36-35; wTCU 50-48 |
| 24 | 24 | California | 3-1 | [email protected] 31-23 |
| -- | 25 | Texas | 4-0 | |
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| 15 | -- | South Florida | 4-1 | [email protected] 44-17 |
| 18 | -- | Texas A&M | 2-2 | L OKst 30-29, =Ark 42-38 |
| 21 | -- | TCU | 3-2 | [email protected] 50-48, SMU 40-33ot |
Arkansas bounced back from last week's loss to Alabama with a comeback win over Texas A&M, 42-38. With most of the losing teams in the second ten, the Razorbacks jump back up to #11, followed by 5-0 Michigan who beat Minnesota 58-0—but like Illinois have yet to play a road game. Florida (this week's Alabama victim) dropped to #13 while Arizona State moved up three spots after handling Oregon State 35-20.
Georgia Tech and Kansas State, both undefeated, make big moves. The Yellow Jackets beat North Carolina State and are now 5-0 as they leap past many fallen teams from #25 to #15. Kansas State upset Baylor 36-35 and are 4-0; they debut at #16.
Virginia Tech's loss drops them from #11 to #17, and Nebraska falls to #18, remaining ahead of Washington as they beat they Huskies three weeks ago. Washington beat Utah 31-14 this week and holds at #19. Right behind them is Southern Cal; they outlasted Arizona 48-41.
Auburn re-enters the top 25 at #21 after beating former #8 South Carolina 16-13, knocking the Gamecocks all the way down to #22. Auburn lost earlier in the year to Clemson; this is the third close game they've won this season.
It wasn't a good week for Baylor. They drop ten spots to #23 for their loss to Kansas State; they also lose bragging rights as TCU drops out of the top 25 after being upset by SMU, 40-33, in overtime. Former #15 South Florida drops out after losing to unranked Pittsburgh, 44-17, and Texas A&M's 2nd loss puts them out to pasture as well.
The Texas Longhorns debut in our top 25 this year at #25, right behind idle California. The Longhorns beat up on previously undefeated Iowa State, 37-14, a week after beating up on UCLA, giving them two road victories in a row over teams that beat them at home last year. They've got a tough road ahead of them in the Big Twelve, though, starting next week with #3 Oklahoma.
Two other undefeated Texas teams are still left out: Texas Tech (4-0) and Houston (5-0). Neither has played a tough schedule and both have had close calls. We're not going too far out on a limb by excluding them, as they are also the only undefeated teams absent from the AP and coaches polls this week.
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So right now its LSU #1, Bama #2, and people are demanding a rematch like that's going to solve anything. All things considered, I wanted to see Bama get creamed at home, but just beat is ok.
Posted by: Ray Cambridge | November 11, 2011 at 11:58 AM