|
|
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.
Finally. We've been waiting for this week for about a month: the week some of the very top teams are upset, shaking up the rankings. Losses by Wisconsin and Oklahoma cause the first meaningful changes in our top 10 since week one when LSU beat Oregon.
The very top spots didn't change. #1 Alabama and #2 Stanford hold steady with blowout wins over Tennessee (37-6) and ex-#14 Washington (65-21). Louisiana State jumps to #3 after blasting Auburn 45-10; contrast this with #4 Boise State's touch-and-go affair with Air Force, whom they defeated 37-26. LSU's résumé is also starting to look undeniably better even as the teams' strength looks about even.
Into the void created by Wisconsin's loss jump Clemson and Oregon, each up two spots. The Tigers keep winning regardless of how many points they give up; they beat North Carolina 59-38. Oregon's defense completely shut down Colorado, 45-2, and their offense worked just fine even without both Darron Thomas and LaMichael James. Kansas State mauled Kansas 59-21 to remain undefeated; they're up to #8 now. Arkansas had to come back from 17 down to beat Mississippi; they move up a spot to #9.
Michigan State (6-1) leaps from #18 to #10 after their upset of Wisconsin; the Badgers are right behind them, as the win was decided literally by inches on the last, crazy play of the game.
|
SportsRatings Top 25 - week 8 2011 (thru 10/22/2011)
|
||||
|
lw
|
#
|
Team
|
Rec
|
Losses/important wins
|
| 1 | 1 | Alabama | 8-0 | wArk 38-14, @PennSt 27-11 |
| 2 | 2 | Stanford | 7-0 | wWash 65-21 |
| 5 | 3 | Louisiana State | 8-0 | wOregon 40-27, Auburn 45-10 |
| 4 | 4 | Boise State | 7-0 | |
| 7 | 5 | Oklahoma State | 7-0 | [email protected] 30-29 |
| 8 | 6 | Clemson | 8-0 | [email protected] 23-3, Auburn 38-24 |
| 9 | 7 | Oregon | 5-1 | [email protected] 40-27; wASU 41-27 |
| 11 | 8 | Kansas State | 7-0 | [email protected] 41-34 |
| 10 | 9 | Arkansas | 5-1 | [email protected] 38-14; w=TexAM 42-38, Auburn 38-14 |
| 18 | 10 | Michigan St | 6-1 | [email protected] 31-13; wWisc 37-31, Mich 28-14 |
| 6 | 11 | Wisconsin | 6-1 | [email protected] 37-31; wNebraska 48-17 |
| 12 | 12 | Virginia Tech | 7-1 | L Clemson 23-3 |
| 13 | 13 | Nebraska | 6-1 | [email protected] 48-17; wWash 51-38 |
| 3 | 14 | Oklahoma | 6-1 | L TxTech 41-38 |
| 15 | 15 | Southern Cal | 6-1 | [email protected] 43-22 |
| 16 | 16 | South Carolina | 6-1 | L Auburn 16-13 |
| 19 | 17 | Michigan | 6-1 | [email protected] 28-14 |
| 21 | 18 | Houston | 7-0 | |
| 22 | 19 | Penn State | 7-1 | L Alabama 27-11 |
| 25 | 20 | Texas A&M | 5-2 | L OKst 30-29, =Ark 42-38; [email protected] 45-40 |
| -- | 21 | Texas Tech | 6-2 | L TexAM 45-40, KSt 41-34; [email protected] 41-38 |
| 17 | 22 | Illinois | 6-2 | L OhioSt 17-7, @Purdue 21-14; wASU 17-14 |
| 23 | 23 | Arizona State | 5-2 | [email protected] 17-14, @Oregon 41-27; wUSC 43-22 |
| -- | 24 | Cincinnati | 6-1 | [email protected] 45-23 |
| -- | 25 | Southern Miss | 6-1 | [email protected] 26-20 |
| out: | ||||
| 14 | -- | Washington | 5-2 | [email protected] 51-38, @Stanford 65-21 |
| 24 | -- | Auburn | 5-3 | [email protected] 38-14, @Clem 38-24, @LSU 45-10; [email protected] 16-13 |
| 20 | -- | Georgia Tech | 6-2 | [email protected] 24-21, @Miami 24-7 |
Virginia Tech and Nebraska remain at #12 and #13. The Hokies knocked off Boston College while the Cornhuskers were idle. Both teams have 1 loss to a team in the top 11. #14 Oklahoma and #15 Southern Cal both have a loss to a lower-ranked opponent. USC beat Notre Dame on the road, 31-17. South Carolina was idle at #16, and with Auburn's exit they have a loss to an unranked team.
Michigan, Houston, and Penn State slide up a few spots each. The Wolverines were idle, while undefeated Houston beat Marshall 63-28 and Penn State (7-1) handled Northwestern 34-24.
The four teams from #20 to #23 all have two losses, but hold a win over a top 25 team. Texas A&M beat Iowa State 33-17 this weekend and offsets its narrow losses to two top ten teams with a previous win at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, of course, upended Oklahoma in Norman 41-38. They lost close games to Texas A&M and Kansas State. Falling to #22, Illinois has now lost to two unranked teams: Ohio State a week ago, and Purdue 21-14 on Saturday. But they have a win over #23 Arizona State, who beat USC a few weeks ago.
The addition of Cincinnati and Southern Miss, both of whom are 6-1, means that every 1-loss team is in the rankings, along with every 2-loss team that holds a win over another top 25 team. It follows that there is no room for Georgia Tech, who lost to Miami 24-7. Their résumé is similar to Illinois' but without the top 25 win. Washington's résumé is a lot like Texas': a close loss to one top 25 team (Nebraska 51-38, Oklahoma State 38-26) and an absolute blowout loss to another (Stanford 65-21, Oklahoma 55-17). Since the Longhorns aren't ranked, the Huskies must fall out, too. Auburn is out for having three losses, but all are to top ten teams and they have a win over South Carolina, so they aren't looking that bad despite the big loss to LSU.
|
|
Comments