The SportsRatings Top 25 is our answer to the AP and coaches' polls. This subjective "poll" properly reflects head-to-head results and give additional consideration to teams who have victories over other top 25 teams.
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The top four remained the same though none dominated. #1 Alabama beat Mississippi 33-14 to hold on to the top spot. #2 LSU struggled with Towson from the FCS, eventually winning 38-22 which diminished the Tigers further in the eyes of many. But at the same time, their previous 41-3 win over Washington is now arguably the best win of the college football season, as Alabama's 41-14 Michigan win and Oregon's 49-0 win over Arizona aren't top 25 wins anymore. Besides, neither the #3 or #4 teams were all that impressive either, with Florida State topping 2-3 South Florida 30-17 and Oregon beating Washington State 51-26 after leading just 23-19 at the break.
Each team from #5 to #10 moved up a spot as former #5 Stanford dropped. Texas edged former #20 Oklahoma State on the road, 41-36; Georgia won one of the day's many shootouts, 51-44 over Tennessee; South Carolina pulled away from Kentucky 38-17; Notre Dame and Kansas State were idle; and Ohio State moved into the top ten by beating former #18 Michigan State 17-16.
Oregon State gets 3rd top 25 win; West Virginia survives shootout
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SportsRatings Top 25 - week five 2012 (thru 9/29/2012)
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Team
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Rec
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Losses/important wins
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| 1 | 1 | Alabama | 5-0 | |
| 2 | 2 | LSU | 5-0 | wWashington 41-3 |
| 3 | 3 | Florida State | 5-0 | wClemson 49-37 |
| 4 | 4 | Oregon | 5-0 | wArizona 49-0 |
| 6 | 5 | Texas | 4-0 | w@OKst 41-36 |
| 7 | 6 | Georgia | 5-0 | |
| 8 | 7 | South Carolina | 5-0 | |
| 9 | 8 | Notre Dame | 4-0 | w@MichSt 20-3 |
| 10 | 9 | Kansas State | 4-0 | w@Oklahoma 24-19 |
| 11 | 10 | Ohio State | 5-0 | w@MichSt 17-16 |
| 15 | 11 | Oregon State | 3-0 | w@UCLA 27-20, Wisc 10-7, @Ariz 38-35 |
| 13 | 12 | West Virginia | 4-0 | |
| 14 | 13 | Florida | 4-0 | |
| 17 | 14 | Northwestern | 5-0 | |
| 16 | 15 | Oklahoma | 2-1 | L KansasSt 24-19 |
| -- | 16 | Washington | 3-1 | L@LSU 41-3; wStanford 17-13 |
| 5 | 17 | Stanford | 3-1 | L@Wash 17-13; wUSC 21-14 |
| 12 | 18 | USC | 3-1 | L@Stanford 21-14 |
| 24 | 19 | UCLA | 4-1 | L OregonSt 27-20; wNeb 36-30 |
| -- | 20 | Nebraska | 4-1 | L@UCLA 36-30; wWisconsin 30-27 |
| 23 | 21 | TCU | 4-0 | |
| 22 | 22 | Utah State | 4-1 | L@Wisconsin 16-14 |
| 25 | 23 | Clemson | 3-1 | L@FSU 49-37 |
| -- | 24 | Rutgers | 4-0 | |
| -- | 25 | Texas Tech | 4-0 | |
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| 18 | -- | Michigan State | 3-2 | L NotreDame 20-3, OhioSt 17-16 |
| 19 | -- | Arizona | 3-2 | L@Ore 49-0, OreSt 38-35; wOKst 59-38 |
| 20 | -- | Oklahoma State | 2-2 | L@Arizona 59-38, Texas 41-36 |
| 21 | -- | Wisconsin | 3-2 | L@OreSt 10-7, @Neb 30-27; wUtahSt 16-14 |
Oregon State has played just three games but arguably is the most accomplished team in the nation. The Beavers have defeated three teams that were in the top 25 at the time, though only one—UCLA—remains as they knock Arizona out with a 38-25 road win. They move from #15 to #11.
West Virginia attracted a lot of attention by putting up 70 points on Baylor to remain undefeated, but they also gave up 63 points which raises big questions about their ability to beat Big Twelve teams that actually play defense—Texas for example, whom they play next week. They're up just one spot to #12. #13 Florida was idle.
Northwestern remained undefeated, beating Indiana 44-29 and moves up 3 to #14. The 5-0 Wildcats move ahead of 2-1 Oklahoma who was idle.Washington (3-1) was the top debut in the rankings after they beat former #5 Stanford 17-13 on Thursday, throwing a wrench in the top 25. With both teams 3-1, Washington deserves to be ahead of Stanford, who remains ahead of USC (also 3-1). Keeping USC (idle this week) at #12 would have necessitated moving 5 teams down unfairly, so instead we penalize the Trojans. This puts Washington (41-3 losers to LSU) at a more reasonable #16, with Stanford and USC following. You might notice that the AP has them ranked all ass-over-tea-kettle wrong, with USC at #13, Stanford #18, and Washington #23. The coaches are similar except USC is #12 and Washington isn't ranked.
UCLA took care of Colorado as expected, 42-14, and moves up 5 spots to #19, aided by the return to the top 25 of victim Nebraska. The Cornhuskers beat Wisconsin 30-27 and re-enter at #20, just 5 spots lower than where they began the season. The AP has this wrong, too, with UCLA four spots lower than Nebraska, and the Bruins aren't ranked by the coaches. Undefeated TCU beat SMU 24-16 and moves to #21; Clemson also moves up 2 spots to #23 after beating Boston College 45-31. In between, Utah State holds at #22; the Aggies beat UNLV 35-13 to go 4-1, but their loss to Wisconsin is now a loss to a non-top 25 team, the only one in our rankings.
All four teams from #18 to #21 dropped out after suffering their 2nd loss. Michigan State was #25 in our inaugural rankings and nearly beat Ohio State; Arizona was unranked pre-season and fell to Oregon State; Oklahoma State was #10 to start the year but couldn't get past Texas; and Wisconsin is the worst fall of all, from #9 pre-season. All of these teams will have ample opportunity to re-enter the rankings due to the conferences in which they play.
In addition to Washington and Nebraska, Rutgers and Texas Tech, both 4-0, debut in the rankings at #24 and #25. This means that per conference the net change was -1 for the Big Ten and +1 for the Big East. Rutgers was idle while Texas Tech topped formerly undefeated Iowa State 24-13. There are still six undefeated teams than remain unranked: Cincinnati (3-0) and Louisville (5-0) from the Big East; Ohio (5-0) from the MAC; Mississippi State (4-0) from the SEC; and Texas-San Antonio (5-0) and Louisiana Tech (4-0) from the WAC.
Next weekend there are 6 intra-top-25 games:
- #2 LSU takes on #13 Florida
- #4 Oregon hosts #16 Washington
- #5 Texas hosts #12 West Virginia
- #6 Georgia travels to #7 South Carolina
- #11 Ohio State plays #20 Nebraska
- #15 Oklahoma faces #25 Texas Tech
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