ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Final

Close the book on 2008...

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Florida (3), [13-1, Won vs Oklahoma 24-14]
2. Utah (6), [13-0, Won vs Alabama 31-17]
3. USC (8), [12-1, Won vs Penn State 38-24]
4. Oklahoma (1), [12-2, Lost vs Florida 24-14]
5. Texas (2), [12-1, Won vs Ohio State 24-21]
6. Penn State (5), [11-2, Lost vs USC 38-24]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-3, Lost vs Texas 24-21]
8. Alabama (4), [12-2, Lost vs Utah 31-17]
9. Texas Christian (12), [11-2, Won vs Boise State 17-16]
10. Oregon (13), [10-3, Won vs Oklahoma St 42-31]
11. Boise State (9), [12-1, Lost vs TCU 17-16]
12. Georgia (20), [10-3, Won vs Michigan St 24-12]
13. Iowa (21), [9-4, Won vs South Carolina 31-10]
14. Virginia Tech (22), [10-4, Won vs Cincinnati 20-7]
15. Missouri (24), [10-3, Won vs Northwestern 30-23]
16. Mississippi (NR), [9-4, Won vs Texas Tech 47-34]
17. Texas Tech (10), [11-2, Lost vs Ole Miss 47-34]
18. Cincinnati (14), [11-3, Lost vs Virginia Tech 20-7]
19. Oregon State (25), [9-4, Won vs Pitt 3-0]
20. Michigan State (16), [9-4, Lost vs Georgia 24-12]
21. BYU (17), [10-3, Lost vs Arizona 31-21]
22. Northwestern (19), [9-4, Lost vs Missouri 30-23OT]
23. Georgia Tech (11), [9-4, Lost vs LSU 38-3]
24. Oklahoma State (15), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon 42-31]
25. West Virginia (NR), [9-4, Won vs North Carolina 31-30]

Dropped Out:
Pittsburgh (18), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon St 3-0]
Ball State (23), [12-2, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
Boston College (25), [9-5, Lost vs Vanderbilt 16-14]

On the Cusp:
Nebraska (NR), [9-4, Won vs Clemson 26-21]
Florida State (NR), [9-4, Won vs Wisconsin 42-13]
California (NR), [9-4, Won vs Miami 24-17]
Pittsburgh (18), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon St 3-0]
Ball State (23), [12-2, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
Boston College (25), [9-5, Lost vs Vanderbilt 16-14]

Notes: I was very tempted to place Utah at the No. 1 slot, but that would have been out of pure bias. I'm not a fan of the SEC, but Florida did stake its legitimate claim as No. 1. I really liked what Utah had done this season. But from top to bottom, the level of competition was a little bit weaker (very little) than Florida's. It was almost too much to get over when the Gators lost to Ole Miss in the Swamp. In the end, though, clamping down on Oklahoma was enough for me. I also wanted to put USC at No. 2, but the loss to Oregon State still sticks out like a sore thumb. I still believe that USC could beat any team in the country, but they didn't. Texas was less than impressive in its win over Ohio State, which seemed too be the first real good defense the Horns faced all year. I won't get into my rah-rah speech about how Penn State played better against USC than most think, but I will say that the Lions are a much better team than the final AP/Coaches Polls show. Alabama, TCU and Oregon (kind of) barely looked like real top-10 teams, especially the Tide and the Frogs, but really, who else is going to go there? The Ducks are probably legit. The rest of the top 25 teams stunk it up this bowl season. The worst game of all being the 3-0 "win" by Oregon State over Pitt. And with that, on to 2009!

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Review: 2009 BCS Championship Game

Finally, we got a BCS title game that was worth watching after halftime. In fact, that's when it started to get good. I thought both Florida and Oklahoma played hard, but both also played sloppy. The game was still a toss up until the last five minutes, and even then, there was the feeling it could somehow go either way. Here's a few quick thoughts on the final game of the 2008-09 college football season.

Oklahoma - Oklahoma was painfully predictable on offense, particularly when inside the five yard line. I'm not going to pick apart the second goal-line stand by Florida, as it was a fluky interception that halted that scoring threat. But the first stop was inexcusable by Oklahoma and Bob Stoops' staff. After being held to no gain on a third-down run to the left side, I said to myself, "Oklahoma is going to run it to the same spot, and Florida knows it." Oklahoma did, and Florida did, too. It was the kind of goal-line stand that will go down as a key series in college football history. No, it wasn't as dramatic as the 1978 stand by Alabama against Penn State, but it was just as painful for the losing side. I'm still convinced that if Oklahoma ran it to the right, or called play action faking left and throwing right, the game would have been very different. It's a shame for the Sooners, because Sam Bradford played very well, and the offense was really able to move at will otherwise. Did anyone notice how Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis (the announcers, both of them!) had no clue it was only third down? Yeah, it's a basic concept that was lost in the shuffle, I guess.

Florida - I wasn't rooting for Florida. I'm not crazy about Tim Tebow. But I love Percy Harvin. If he decides to return for 2009, I would vote for him over Tebow for the Heisman. Harvin is head-and-shoulders above any other college player, when it comes to hitting the home run. And Harvin wasn't even fully healthy! I thought Oklahoma ran the ball with surprising ease outside of the goal lines, which told me only one thing: the Gators defense got lucky. That's not to say luck is a bad thing. Florida created its own good luck in this one, with super-timely turnovers, and benefitted from Oklahoma's disastrous play-calling inside the red zone. Tebow's two picks were terrible, and he still has a lot of work to do on his pass game. But the real star of the game was Florida's scoring defense. The game would have been ugly, if it hadn't been for (again) the goal-line stands and the incredible turnovers caused by the Gators. Outside of Harvin, the Florida offense was not impressive at all, and I'm now wondering which is the culprit: is Oklahoma's defense that good? or was the SEC offenses exposed as really "Big Ten" offenses with a better national image?

General Observations - I was shocked this morning when I heard Brent Musburger tell Mike & Mike in the Morning:

"We came to an SEC, Big XII shootout, and a Big Ten game broke out!"

I wasn't surprised that he made the observation that the game was much lower-scoring that we had expected. But I couldn't believe that he used the Big Ten as a measuring stick. It got me thinking, doesn't Musburger's statement just prove that there is really nothing wrong with the Big Ten, other than its national perception? Heading into the fourth quarter, this game was 7-7. Heading into the fourth quarter of Penn State's win over Ohio State in Columbus, the game was 6-3 Buckeyes. But that Big Ten game was viewed as two offensively weak teams, battling it out in boring, stone-aged football. Wasn't that exactly what we saw last night? Actually, Florida runs the most stone-aged of stone-aged offenses, the single-wing! Oklahoma runs a pro-style offense, with a drop-back passer and a north-south run game. I still don't understand why it's fine for two really good teams to win a shootout, yet, if it's a slugfest, something's got to be wrong.

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Preview: 2009 BCS Championship Game

No. 2 Florida vs. No. 1 Oklahoma

Florida

The Question on Everyone's Mind: Can the SEC make it three in a row?

The Answer to Everyone's question: Probably, but it's definitely a level playing field this time. In 2008, Ohio State backed into the title game, getting there only due to mammoth upsets in late November and early December. LSU was No. 1 several times during the season, and wasn't given enough credit going into the game. In 2007, Ohio State had the now-famous "50 days" from its last game until the title game, while Florida was a very underrated team. This year, Oklahoma has played a game as recently as Florida, and is just as good (on paper) as the Gators. This should be a good test for both Florida and Oklahoma.

How the Gators can win: Get to Sam Bradford. Teams all year had difficulty putting pressure on the Heisman winner, while all he needs is that split second longer to make a killer throw. Florida has to jam the Sooners' receivers, while forcing Bradford to throw sooner than he wants to, and that's no small task. I have confidence that Tim Tebow and the offense will score enough points to keep pace with Oklahoma, but if the Gators' defense can't slow the Sooner attack, this will turn into a shootout. On top of all that, Oklahoma will be without Demarco Murray, the team's leading rusher. So Florida should tee off on the one-dimensional offense.

Oklahoma

The Question on Everyone's Mind: Is the Big XII a fraud?

The Answer to Everyone's question: Again, probably. I'm still giving the edge to Oklahoma, but that's only because I think Florida's defense has had trouble with good offenses. Oklahoma's is very, very good. However, the Big XII's bowl outing this season has been more embarrassing than the Big Ten's, but no one seems to care. This was labeled as the absolute best conference this year, but has seen its best teams struggle mightily against inferior competition. Missouri, Texas Tech and Texas played terrible games against only mediocre teams. But Oklahoma could throw a wrench into that perception by beating Florida.

How the Sooners can win: Bomb away. Who cares if Bradford throws an interception, or there's a fumble? Oklahoma is fielding the most prolific offense we've seen in a long time, and the scary part of it is that it's under the pro-style scheme. Alabama was able to push around the Florida defensive front. Oklahoma's line is even better, if not the best and biggest in the country. The Sooners need to use that. Get a few quick scores, and force Florida into comeback mode. That's not to say Oklahoma should play keep away, but if the Sooners can make Tim Tebow throw more than run, and get the ball down-field, the nation's leader in turnover margin will have plenty to feed on. Considering that points might come easily in this game for both teams, Oklahoma has the early advantage. Keep Bradford upright for at least 2.5 seconds per dropback, and the Sooners win.

Predictions

What will happen: I expect both teams to come out strong, but a little sloppy. Florida will probably take a lead into the locker room, but it won't feel comfortable. Alabama led Florida at the half, but we all knew the Gators were ready to pounce. Oklahoma will try to run the ball early, but find that it's much easier to throw. Bradford will throw for a pedestrian 250 yards, but make the important plays when needed. Tebow will outplay Bradford, raising doubts as to which quarterback should have won the Heisman. But Oklahoma will settle down and take advantage of its size and talent up front to muscle its way to the BCS championship.

Score: Oklahoma 36, Florida 29

**The poll (below the posts) will be open only until the game starts, so get those votes in!

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Pre-Bowls

Who's better: The No. 1 team, or the No. 2 team that beat the No. 1 team? Wow, my head hurts.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Oklahoma (2), [12-1, Won vs Missouri 62-21]
2. Texas (1), [11-1, DNP]
3. Florida (3), [12-1, Won vs Alabama 31-20]
4. Alabama (4), [12-1, Lost vs Florida 31-20]
5. Penn State (5), [11-1, DNP]
6. Utah (6), [12-0, DNP]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-2, DNP]
8. USC (8), [11-1, Won at UCLA 28-7]
9. Boise State (9), [12-0, DNP]
10. Texas Tech (10), [11-1, DNP]
11. Georgia Tech (11), [9-3, DNP]
12. Texas Christian (12), [10-2, DNP]
13. Oregon (13), [9-3, DNP]
14. Cincinnati (15), [11-2, Won at Hawaii 29-24]
15. Oklahoma State (17), [9-3, DNP]
16. Michigan State (18), [9-3, DNP]
17. BYU (19), [10-2, DNP]
18. Pittsburgh (25), [9-3, Won at UConn 34-10]
19. Northwestern (20), [9-3, DNP]
20. Georgia (21), [9-3, DNP]
21. Iowa (22), [8-4, DNP]
22. Virginia Tech (NR), [9-4, Won vs Boston College 30-12]
23. Ball State (16), [12-1, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
24. Missouri (23), [9-3, DNP]
25t. Oregon State (24), [8-4, DNP]
25t. Boston College (14), [9-4, Lost vs Virginia Tech 30-12]

Dropped Out:
(None this week)

On the Cusp:
Mississippi (NR), [8-4, DNP]
West Virginia (NR), [8-4, Won vs South Florida 13-7]
North Carolina (NR), [8-4, DNP]
Nebraska (NR), [8-4, DNP]
Florida State (NR), [8-4, DNP]

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The BCS: A crystal football full of lies

I'm sure someone, somewhere has written or talked about this, but I haven't seen or heard it yet. Have you noticed that the garbage coming from BCS Coordinator John Swofford, has done nothing to prove that the BCS is here to help college football?

"Well, people are talking about it all the time, and that's all the justification we need to keep this system in tact for the next 10,000 years."

No, that's not a real quote from him, but it's really freaking close. The BCS has been assailed by a new wave of "what about us" gangs, mainly from the Big XII (because the Big Ten and Pac-10 aren't a bunch of whiners). Now, I have nothing personally against them, as I'm sure Penn State fans would be kicking and screaming if in Texas' position. But this isn't about them, it's about "the system."

Was there ever an intent by the BCS creators to create the most fair method to select the college football national champion? It seems less likely every day. We all know that college football is more corrupt, full of more kickbacks, favors and lobbying than the Bush Administration. It's always been like that, and always will be. I don't mind, just don't tell me it's "better" now than it was then. To who? You? Because it sure as hell isn't better for us, the fans.

I do love the quote from Swofford, after Barack Obama said he wants to see some sort of college football playoff. Swofford must go by the "Dick Cheney Majority" formula in this one: Majority = <1% of the population.

"For now, our constituencies... have settled on the current BCS system, which the majority believe is the best system yet to determine a national champion while also maintaining the college football regular season as the best and most meaningful in sports."

Of course, that formula only works if the BCS's "constituencies" are actually the fans. (They're not, but I'll get back to that in a minute)

Now, I'm not going to compare the BCS or Swofford to the Nazis or Hitler. That might be going too far. After all, the Third Reich didn't play American college football.

You know, I really wouldn't mind this system so much, if the people who run the damn thing would just admit that they are in it for the money, and have no intention of improving college football's method of naming a national champion.

Swofford better stop this bullshit of portraying us, the college football fans, as his constituencies. We're not; we never were. Those constituencies are the bowl games, presidents and corporate sponsors burning a hole in your wallet. So the BCS should stop pretending to care what we want, because it doesn't. If it or Swofford did care, we'd be saying "buh-bye BCS."

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 15

Only one more week of rankings left. College football is a crazy sport, isn't it?

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (3), [11-1, Won vs Texas A&M 49-9]
2. Oklahoma (2), [11-1, Won at Oklahoma St 61-41]
3. Florida (1), [11-1, Won at Florida St 45-15]
4. Alabama (4), [12-0, Won vs Auburn 36-0]
5. Penn State (5), [11-1, DNP]
6. Utah (6), [12-0, DNP]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-2, DNP]
8. USC (8), [10-1, Won vs Notre Dame 38-3]
9. Boise State (10), [12-0, Won vs Fresno St 61-10]
10. Texas Tech (9), [11-1, Won at Baylor 35-28]
11. Georgia Tech (21), [9-3, Won at Georgia 45-42]
12. Texas Christian (12), [10-2, DNP]
13. Oregon (18), [9-3, Won at Oregon St 65-38]
14. Boston College (23), [9-3, Won vs Maryland 28-21]
15. Cincinnati (17), [10-2, Won vs Syracuse 30-10]
16. Ball State (16), [12-0, Won vs Western Michigan 45-22]
17. Oklahoma State (11), [9-3, Lost vs Oklahoma 61-41]
18. Michigan State (19), [9-3, DNP]
19. BYU (24), [10-2, DNP]
20. Northwestern (20), [9-3, DNP]
21. Georgia (15), [9-3, Lost vs Georgia Tech 45-42]
22. Iowa (22), [8-4, DNP]
23. Missouri (13), [9-3, Lost vs Kansas 40-37]
24. Oregon State (14), [8-4, Lost vs Oregon 65-38]
25. Pittsburgh (NR), [8-3, Won vs West Virginia]

Dropped Out:
Florida State (25), [8-4, Lost vs Florida 45-15]

On the Cusp:
North Carolina (NR), [8-4, Won vs Duke 28-20]
Virginia Tech (NR), [8-4, Won vs Virginia 17-14]
Nebraska (NR), [8-4, Won vs Colorado 40-31]
Florida State (25), [8-4, Lost vs Florida 45-15]
MIssissippi (NR), [8-4, Won vs Miss St 45-0]
Tulsa (NR), [10-2, Won vs Marshall 38-35]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 14

Is that what the Big XII's "best" team plays like? Well, since they're not the best in that conference anymore, we don't have to worry. Could be a fun three weeks from now until Dec. 7.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Florida (3), [10-1, Won vs Citadel 70-19]
2. Oklahoma (5), [10-1, Won vs Texas Tech 65-21]
3. Texas (4), [10-1, DNP]
4. Alabama (2), [11-0, DNP]
5. Penn State (6), [11-1, Won vs Michigan St 49-18]
6. Utah (7), [12-0, Won vs Brigham Young 48-24]
7. Ohio State (9), [10-2, Won vs Michigan 42-7]
8. USC (8), [9-1, DNP]
9. Texas Tech (1), [10-1, Lost at Oklahoma 65-21]
10. Boise State (10), [11-0, Won vs Nevada 41-34]
11. Oklahoma State (11), [9-2, DNP]
12. Texas Christian (13), [10-2, Won at Air Force 44-10]
13. Missouri (14), [9-2, DNP]
14. Oregon State (17), [8-3, Won at Arizona 19-17]
15. Georgia (16), [9-2, DNP]
16. Ball State (18), [11-0, Won at Central Michigan 31-24]
17. Cincinnati (20), [9-2, Won vs Pitt 28-21]
18. Oregon (19), [8-3, DNP]
19. Michigan State (15), [9-3, Lost at Penn St 49-18]
20. Northwestern (23), [9-3, Won vs Illinois 27-10]
21. Georgia Tech (NR), [8-3, Won vs Miami, FL 41-23]
22. Iowa (NR), [8-4, Won at Minnesota 55-0]
23. Boston College (NR), [8-3, Won at Wake Forest 24-21]
24. BYU (12), [10-2, Lost at Utah 48-24]
25. Florida State (NR), [8-3, Won at Maryland 37-3]

Dropped Out:
Pittsburgh (21), [7-3, Lost at Cincinnati 28-21]
Miami, FL (22), [7-4, Lost at Georgia Tech 41-23]
Maryland (24), [7-4, Lost vs Florida St 37-3]
North Carolina (25), [7-4, Lost at North Carolina St 41-10]

On the Cusp:
West Virginia (NR), [7-3, Won at Louisville 35-21]
Pittsburgh (21), [7-3, Lost at Cincinnati 28-21]
MIssissippi (NR), [7-4, Won at LSU 31-13]
Tulsa (NR), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 13

Not much controversy this week. Well, except for LSU sucking, along with the rest of the SEC.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas Tech (2), [10-0, DNP]
2. Alabama (1), [11-0, Won vs Miss St 32-7]
3. Florida (3), [9-1, Won vs South Carolina 56-6]
4. Texas (4), [10-1, Won at Kansas 35-7]
5. Oklahoma (5), [9-1, DNP]
6. Penn State (6), [10-1, Won vs Indiana 34-7]
7. Utah (7), [11-0, Won at San Diego St 63-14]
8. USC (8), [9-1, Won at Stanford 45-23]
9. Ohio State (10), [9-2, Won at Illinois 30-20]
10. Boise State (9), [10-0, Won at Idaho 45-10]
11. Oklahoma State (11), [9-2, Won at Colorado]
12. BYU (13), [10-1, Won at Air Force 38-24]
13. Texas Christian (12), [9-2, DNP]
14. Missouri (14), [9-2, Won at Iowa St 52-20]
15. Michigan State (17), [9-2, DNP]
16. Georgia (15), [9-2, Won at Auburn 17-13]
17. Oregon State (19), [7-3, Won vs California 34-21]
18. Ball State (16), [10-0, Won at Miami, OH 31-16]
19. Oregon (24), [8-3, Won vs Arizona 55-45]
20. Cincinnati (22), [8-2, Won at Louisville 28-20]
21. Pittsburgh (21), [7-2, DNP]
22. Miami, FL (NR), [7-3, Won vs Virginia Tech 16-14]
23. Northwestern (NR), [8-3, Won at Michigan 21-14]
24. Maryland (NR), [7-3, Won vs North Carolina 17-15]
25. North Carolina (18), [7-3, Lost at Maryland 17-15]

Dropped Out:
Florida State (20), [7-3, Lost vs Boston College 27-17]
LSU (23), [7-3, Won vs Troy 40-31]
Tulsa (25), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

On the Cusp:
Georgia Tech (NR), [7-3, DNP]
Boston College (NR), [7-3, Won at Florida St 27-17]
Florida State (20), [7-3, Lost vs Boston College 27-17]
LSU (23), [7-3, Won vs Troy 40-31]
Tulsa (25), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 12

If parity was the goal, then I think college football has achieved it. The bottom half of the top 25 is just a nightmare. Anyway, Rose Bowl here we come. Well, hopefully.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Alabama (1), [10-0, Won at LSU 27-21 (1OT)]
2. Texas Tech (4), [10-0, Won vs Oklahoma St 56-20]
3. Florida (3), [8-1, Won at Vanderbilt 42-14]
4. Texas (6), [9-1, Won vs Baylor 45-21]
5. Oklahoma (5), [9-1, Won at Texas A&M 66-28]
6. Penn State (2), [9-1, Lost at Iowa 24-23]
7. Utah (8), [10-0, Won vs TCU 13-10]
8. USC (9), [8-1, Won vs California 17-3]
9. Boise State (11), [9-0, Won vs Utah St 49-14]
10. Ohio State 12), [8-2, Won at Northwestern 45-10]
11. Oklahoma State (7), [8-2, Lost at Texas Tech 56-20]
12. Texas Christian (10), [9-2, Lost at Utah 13-10]
13. BYU (13), [9-1, Won vs San Diego St 41-12]
14. Missouri (14), [8-2, Won vs Kansas St 41-24]
15. Georgia (15), [8-2, Won at Kentucky 42-38]
16. Ball State (16), [9-0, Won vs Northern Illinois 45-14]
17. Michigan State (17), [9-2, Won vs Purdue 21-7]
18. North Carolina (18), [7-2, Won vs Georgia Tech 28-7]
19. Oregon State (NR), [6-3, Won at UCLA 34-6]
20. Florida State (25), [7-2, Won vs Clemson 41-27]
21. Pittsburgh (NR), [7-2, Won vs Louisville 41-7]
22. Cincinnati (NR), [7-2, Won at West Virginia 26-23]
23. LSU (19), [6-3, Lost vs Alabama 27-21 (1OT)]
24. Oregon (NR), [7-3, Won vs Stanford 35-28]
25. Tulsa (NR), [8-1, DNP]


Dropped Out:
West Virginia (20), [6-3, Lost vs Cincinnati 26-23]
Georgia Tech (21), [7-3, Lost at North Carolina 28-7]
Northwestern (22), [7-3, Lost vs Ohio St 45-10]
Minnesota (23), [7-3, Lost vs Michigan 29-6]
California (24), [6-3, Lost at USC 17-3]

On the Cusp:
Virginia Tech (NR), [6-3, Won vs Maryland 23-13]
Air Force (NR), [8-2, Won vs Colorado St 38-17]
West Virginia (20), [6-3, Lost vs Cincinnati 26-23]
Georgia Tech (21), [7-3, Lost at North Carolina 28-7]
Northwestern (22), [7-3, Lost vs Ohio St 45-10]
Minnesota (23), [7-3, Lost vs Michigan 29-6]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 11

The final stretch just got really interesting. Penn State fans: don’t worry. It’s still very early.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Alabama (3), [9-0, Won vs Arkansas St 35-0]
2. Penn State (2), [9-0, DNP]
3. Florida (5), [8-1, Won vs Georgia 49-10]
4. Texas Tech (6), [9-0, Won vs Texas 39-33]
5. Oklahoma (4), [8-1, Won vs Nebraska 62-28]
6. Texas (1), [8-1, Lost at Texas Tech 39-33]
7. Oklahoma State (8), [8-1, Won vs Iowa St 59-17]
8. Utah (9), [9-0, Won at New Mexico 13-10]
9. USC (10), [7-1, Won vs Washington 56-0]
10. Texas Christian (11), [9-1, Won at UNLV 44-14]
11. Boise State (12), [8-0, Won at New Mexico St 49-0]
12. Ohio State 13), [7-2, DNP]
13. BYU (14), [8-1, Won at Colorado St 45-42]
14. Missouri (15), [7-2, Won at Baylor 31-28]
15. Georgia (7), [7-2, Lost vs Florida 49-10]
16. Ball State (18), [DNP]
17. Michigan State (20), [8-2, Won vs Wisconsin 25-24]
18. North Carolina (21), [6-2, DNP]
19. LSU (22), [6-2, Won vs Tulane 35-10]
20. West Virginia (24), [6-2, Won at UConn 35-13]
21. Georgia Tech (NR), [7-2, Won vs Florida St 31-28]
22. Northwestern (NR), [7-2, Won at Minnesota 24-17]
23. Minnesota (16), [7-2, Lost vs Northwestern 24-17]
24. California (NR), [Won vs Oregon 26-16]
25. Florida State (17), [Lost at Georgia Tech 31-28]

Dropped Out:
Tulsa (19), [8-1, Lost at Arkansas 30-23]
Oregon (23), [6-3, Lost at California 26-16]
Notre Dame (25), [5-3, Lost vs Pittsburgh 36-33]

On the Cusp:
Maryland (NR), [6-2, DNP]
Pittsburgh (NR), [6-2, Won at Notre Dame 36-33]
Cincinnati (NR), [6-2, Won vs South Florida]
Oregon State (NR), [5-3, Won vs Arizona St 27-25]

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Penn State jumped by Texas Tech in AP Poll

Well, it happened. We all had a feeling it would. The newest No. 2 team in the AP poll, Texas Tech, jumped over idle Penn State today. With the fall of previously-No. 1 Texas, Penn State now received six first-place votes in the AP. No. 1 Alabama got 46, No. 2 Texas Tech got 12, and now-No. 4 Florida got one.

On the sane, rational, BCS-relevant side of the polls, the USA Today Coaches Poll saw through the sensationalist fog, and voted Penn State No. 2, bumping Texas Tech up to No. 3. Alabama got 40 first-place votes, followed by Penn State's 14, then Texas Tech's six, and Oklahoma took the No. 4 slot, and one first-place vote.

Why don't I agree with this? This is why.

I'll have the complete weekly "Penn State in the Polls" post up later today, with all the rankings and where Penn State landed.

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ZN's Top 25 2008 :: Week 10

The top three is really boring this year, isn't it? Not for Penn State fans. We are quite happy right now.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (1), [8-0, Won vs. Oklahoma St 28-24]
2. Penn State (2), [9-0, Won at Ohio State 13-6]
3. Alabama (3), [8-0, Won at Tennessee 29-9]
4. Oklahoma (4), [7-1, Won at Kansas St 58-35]
5. Florida (6), [7-1, Won vs Kentucky 63-5]
6. Texas Tech (7), [8-0, Won at Kansas 63-21]
7. Georgia (12), [7-1, Won at LSU 52-38]
8. Oklahoma State (9), [7-1, Lost at Texas 28-24]
9. Utah (11), [8-0, DNP]
10. USC (5), [6-1, Won at Arizona 17-10]
11. Texas Christian (13), [8-1, Won vs Wyoming 54-7]
12. Boise State (14), [5-0, Won at San Jose St 33-14]
13. Ohio State (8), [7-2, Lost vs Penn St 13-6]
14. BYU (18), [7-1, Won vs UNLV 42-35]
15. Missouri (20), [6-2, Won vs Colorado 58-0]
16. Minnesota (21), [7-1, Won at Purdue 17-6]
17. Florida State (25), [Won vs Virginia Tech 30-20]
18. Ball State (23), [8-0, Won vs W. Michigan 38-16]
19. Tulsa (24), [8-0, Won at Central Florida 49-19]
20. Michigan State (NR), [6-2, Won at Michigan 35-21]
21. North Carolina (NR), [6-2, Won vs Boston College 45-24]
22. LSU (10), [5-2, Lost vs Georgia 52-38]
23. Oregon (NR), [6-2, Won at Arizona St 54-20]
24. West Virginia (NR), [5-2, Won vs Auburn 37-17]
25. Notre Dame (NR), [5-2, Won at Washington 33-7]

Dropped Out:
South Florida (15), [6-2, Lost at Louisville 24-20]
Georgia Tech (16), [6-2, Lost vs Virginia 24-17]
Pittsburgh (17), [5-2, Lost vs Rutgers 54-34]
Northwestern (19), [6-2, Lost at Indiana 21-19]
Cincinnati (22), [5-2, Lost at UConn 40-16]

On the Cusp:
Connecticut (NR), [6-2, Won vs Cincinnati 40-16]
Maryland (NR), [6-2, Won vs NC State 27-24]
South Florida (15), [6-2, Lost at Louisville 24-20]
Georgia Tech (16), [6-2, Lost vs Virginia 24-17]
Northwestern (19), [6-2, Lost at Indiana 21-19]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 9 2008

The top is really starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (3), [7-0, Won vs. Missou 56-31]
2. Penn State (1), [8-0, Won vs. Michigan 46-17]
3. Alabama (2), [7-0, Won vs. Ole Miss 24-20]
4. Oklahoma (4), [6-1, Won vs. Kansas 45-31]
5. USC (5), [5-1, Won at Washington St 69-0]
6. Florida (6), [6-1, DNP]
7. Texas Tech (8), [7-0, Won at Texas A&M 43-25]
8. Ohio State (9), [7-1, Won at Michigan St. 45-7]
9. Oklahoma State (11), [7-0, Won vs. Baylor 34-6]
10. LSU (10), [5-1, Won at South Carolina 24-17]
11. Utah (12), [8-0, Won vs. Colorado St 49-16]
12. Georgia (14), [6-1, Won vs. Vanderbilt 24-14]
13. Texas Christian (NR), [7-1, Won vs. BYU 32-7]
14. Boise State (16), [5-0, Won at Southern Miss 24-7]
15. South Florida (17), [6-1, Won vs. Syracuse 45-13]
16. Georgia Tech (NR), [6-1, Won vs. Clemson 21-17]
17. Pittsburgh (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Navy 42-21]
18. BYU (7), [6-1, Lost to TCU 32-7]
19. Northwestern (25), [6-1, Won vs. Purdue 48-26]
20. Missouri (13), [5-2, Lost at Texas 56-31]
21. Minnesota (22), [6-1, DNP]
22. Cincinnati (23), [5-1, DNP]
23. Ball State (24), [7-0, DNP]
24. Tulsa (NR), [7-0, Won vs. UTEP 77-35]
25. Florida State (NR), [Won at NC State 26-17

Dropped Out:
Wake Forest (15), [4-2, Lost at Maryland 26-0]
Michigan State (18), [5-2, Lost vs. Ohio State 45-7]
North Carolina (19), [5-2, Lost at Virginia 16-13]
Connecticut (21), [5-2, Lost at Rutgers 12-10]
Vanderbilt (20), [5-2, Lost at Georgia 24-14]

On the Cusp:
Boston College (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Virginia Tech 28-23]
Kentucky (NR), [5-2, Won vs. Arkansas 21-20]
Virginia Tech (NR), [5-2, Lost at Boston College 28-23]
Maryland (NR), [5-2, Won vs. Wake Forest 26-0]
Oregon (NR), [5-2, DNP]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 8 2008

With Oklahoma's shoot-out loss to Texas in Dallas, there's a big shakeup on top of my weekly rankings. I'm fully ready to take the worst homerism shots all year, and you'll know why in a second. Let me just say, I rarely rank teams where the "common belief" ranks them, just because everyone else is ranking them there. Sure, Texas beat Oklahoma, and the Sooners were supposedly the best team up until three days ago. But Georgia was also the best team, as was USC. So you can't tell me that there's no way, no how that Penn State can be the No. 1 team right now. If Texas wins this week, yes, I might put them at No. 1 over Penn State. But right now, treating Wisconsin like a junior varsity high school squad, in Madison, at night, looks a lot more impressive than winning a one-dimensional shoot out on a neutral field, at 11 a.m. local time.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Penn State (4), [7-0, Won at Wisconsin 48-7]
2. Alabama (2), [6-0, DNP]
3. Texas (7), [6-0, Won vs. Oklahoma 45-35]
4. Oklahoma (1), [5-1, Lost vs. Texas 45-35]
5. USC (10), [4-1, Won vs. Arizona St. 28-0]
6. Florida (14), [6-1, Won vs. LSU 51-21]
7. BYU (6), [6-0, Won vs. New Mexico 21-3]
8. Texas Tech (9), [6-0, Won vs. Nebraska 37-31]
9. Ohio State (8), [6-1, Won vs. Purdue 16-3]
10. LSU (5), [4-1, Lost at Florida 51-21]
11. Oklahoma State (15), [6-0, Won at Missouri 28-23]
12. Utah (12), [7-0, Won at Wyoming 40-7]
13. Missouri (3), [5-1, Lost vs. Oklahoma St 28-23]
14. Georgia (11), [5-1, Won vs. Tennessee 26-14]
15. Wake Forest (20), [4-1, Won vs. Clemson 12-7]
16. Boise State (16), [5-0, Won at Southern Miss 24-7]
17. South Florida (17), [5-1, DNP]
18. Michigan State (23), [5-1, Won at Northwestern 37-20]
19. North Carolina (22), [5-1, Won vs. Notre Dame 29-24]
20. Vanderbilt (13), [5-1, Lost at Mississippi St 17-14]
21. Connecticut (21), [5-1, DNP]
22. Minnesota (NR), [6-1, Won at Illinois 27-20]
23. Cincinnati (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Rutgers 13-10]
24. Ball State (NR), [7-0, Won vs. W. Kentucky (AA) 24-7]
25. Northwestern (19), [5-1, Lost vs. Michigan St 37-20]

Dropped Out:
Kentucky (18), [4-2, Lost vs. South Carolina 24-17]
Auburn (24), [4-3, Lost vs. Arkansas 25-22]
Wisconsin (25), [3-3, Lost vs. Penn State 48-7]

On the Cusp:
Tulsa (NR), [6-0, Won vs. SMU 37-31]
Virginia Tech (NR), [5-1, DNP]
Texas Christian (NR), [6-1, Won at Colorado St 13-7]
Georgia Tech (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Gardner-Webb (AA) 10-7]
Pittsburgh (NR), [4-1, DNP]
California (NR), [4-1, DNP]
Oregon (NR), [5-2, Won vs. UCLA 31-24]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 7 2008

The top remains intact. In this week's top 25, there was a ton of movement in the lower-15, but only two teams falling out of the rankings completely. I'm not sold on Pitt yet, as well as Virginia Tech. Michigan State and North Carolina enter for the first time this season. Unfortunately for Penn State, Wisconsin's taken sort of a nose-dive the last two weeks, which won't help the Lions' rankings after a win in Madison. But 2008 is still turning out to be an exciting season, and I can't wait for even more this Saturday.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Oklahoma (1), [5-0, Won at Baylor 49-17]
2. Alabama (2), [6-0, Won vs. Kentucky 17-14]
3. Missouri (3), [5-0, Won at Nebraska 52-17]
4. Penn State (4), [6-0, Won at Purdue 20-6]
5. LSU (5), [4-0, DNP]
6. BYU (6), [5-0, Won vs. Utah State 34-14]
7. Texas (8), [5-0, Won at Colorado 38-14]
8. Ohio State (10), [5-1, Won at Wisconsin 20-17]
9. Texas Tech (9), [5-0, Won at Kansas St 58-28]
10. USC (12), [3-1, Won at Oregon 44-10]
11. Georgia (11), [4-1, DNP]
12. Utah (13), [6-0, Won vs. Oregon State 31-28]
13. Vanderbilt (21), [5-0, Won vs. Auburn 14-13]
14. Florida (17), [5-1, Won at Arkansas 38-7]
15. Oklahoma State (24), [5-0, Won vs. Texas A&M 56-28]
16. Boise State (19), [4-0, Won vs. Louisiana Tech 38-3]
17. South Florida (7), [5-1, Lost vs. Pittsburgh 26-21]
18. Kentucky (14), [4-1, Lost at Alabama 17-14]
19. Northwestern (25), [5-0, DNP]
20. Wake Forest (23), [3-1, DNP]
21. Connecticut (20), [5-1, Lost at North Carolina 38-12]
22. North Carolina (NR), [4-1, Won vs. UConn 38-12]
23. Michigan State (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Iowa 16-13]
24. Auburn (15), [4-2, Lost at Vanderbilt 14-13]
25. Wisconsin (18), [3-2, Lost vs. Ohio St 20-17]

Dropped Out:
Fresno State (16), [3-2, Lost vs. Hawaii 32-29]
Oregon (22), [4-2, Lost vs. USC 44-10]

On the Cusp:
Texas Christian (NR), [5-1, Won vs. San Diego St 41-7]
Virginia Tech (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Western Kentucky 27-13]
Georgia Tech (NR), [4-1, Won vs. Duke 27-0]
Notre Dame (NR), [4-1, Won vs. Stanford 28-21]
Pittsburgh (NR), [4-1, Won at South Florida 26-21]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 6 2008

Well, I wanted to see which teams were legit title contenders, and I
got a bunch of answers. Because this was such a fantastic week of
college football, I decided to move up my top 25, and will keep it on
Mondays the remainder of this season. We all know which teams choked
Saturday. I'm a firm believer of ranking teams based on how they
played that week. I don't care if USC wins out, it will take mammoth
upsets the rest of the way (is that so far fetched?) for the Trojans
to reach the title game.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Oklahoma (2), [4-0, Won vs. TCU 35-10
2. Alabama (12), [5-0, Won at Georgia 41-30]
3. Missouri (4), [4-0, DNP]
4. Penn State (5), [5-0, Won vs. Illinois 38-24]
5. LSU (7), [4-0, Won vs. Miss St 34-24]
6. BYU (6), [4-0, DNP]
7. South Florida (9), [5-0, Won at NC St 41-10]
8. Texas (16), [5-0, Won vs. Arkansas 52-10]
9. Texas Tech (14), [4-0, DNP]
10. Ohio State (10), [4-1, Won vs. Minnesota 34-21]
11. Georgia (3), [4-1, Lost vs. Alabama 41-30]
12. USC (1), [2-1, Lost at Oregon St 27-21]
13. Utah (15), [5-0, Won vs. Weber St(AA) 37-21]
14. Kentucky (17), [4-0, Won vs. W. Kentucky 41-3]
15. Auburn (19), [4-1, Won vs. Tennessee 14-12]
16. Fresno State (22), [3-1, Won at UCLA 36-31]
17. Florida (8), [4-1, Lost vs. Ole Miss 31-30]
18. Wisconsin (11), [3-1, Lost at Michigan 27-25]
19. Boise State (21), [3-0, DNP]
20. Connecticut (NR), [5-0, Won at Louisville 26-21]
21. Vanderbilt (NR), [4-0, DNP]
22. Oregon (24), [4-1, Won vs. Washington St 63-14]
23. Wake Forest (13), [3-1, Lost vs. Navy 24-17]
24. Oklahoma State (NR), [4-0, Won vs. Troy 55-24]
25. Northwestern (NR), [5-0, Won vs. Ohio 16-8]

Dropped Out:
East Carolina (25), [3-2, Lost vs. Houston 41-24]
Colorado (23), [3-1, Lost to Florida St 39-21]
Texas Christian (20), [4-1, Lost at Oklahoma 35-10]
Clemson (18), [3-2, Lost vs. Maryland 20-17]

On the Cusp:
Michigan State (NR), [4-1, Won at Indiana 42-29]
Virginia Tech (NR), [4-1, Won at Nebraska 35-30]
Georgia Tech (NR), [3-1, DNP]
Kansas (NR), [3-1, DNP]
Maryland (NR), [4-1, Won at Clemson 20-17]
North Carolina (NR), [3-1, Won at Miami 28-24]
Notre Dame (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Purdue 38-21]
Oregon State (NR), [2-2, Won vs. USC 27-21]

Past Top 25 Rankings.

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 5 2008

The top didn't move much again. Doesn't anyone else realize that USC has had two bye weeks so far? Just thought I'd mention that. Oregon shouldn't have lost at home, even without a quarterback. Auburn choked big-time. And Colorado is emerging as a real threat in the Big XII North. But this week will tell us a lot about which teams are legit, as most of the cupcakes are gone.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. USC (1), [2-0, DNP]
2. Oklahoma (2), [3-0, DNP]
3. Georgia (3), [4-0, Won at Arizona St 27-10]
4. Missouri (4), [4-0, Won vs. Buffalo 42-21]
5. Penn State (5), [4-0, Won vs. Temple 45-3]
6. BYU (6), [4-0, Won vs. Wyoming 44-0]
7. LSU (9), [3-0, Won at Auburn 26-21]
8. Florida (8), [4-0, Won at Tennessee 30-6]
9. South Florida (12), [4-0, Won at FIU 17-9]
10. Ohio State (10), [3-1, Won vs. Troy 28-10]
11. Wisconsin (11), [3-0, DNP]
12. Alabama (20), [4-0, Won at Arkansas 49-14]
13. Wake Forest (18), [3-0, Won at Florida St 12-3]
14. Texas Tech (14), [4-0, Won vs. UMass(AA) 56-14]
15. Utah (15), [3-0, Won at Air Force 30-23]
16. Texas (16), [4-0, Won vs. Rice 52-10]
17. Kentucky (17), [3-0, DNP]
18. Clemson (21), [3-1, Won vs. South Carolina St(AA) 54-0]
19. Auburn (13), [3-1, Lost vs. LSU 26-21]
20. Texas Christian (23), [4-0, Won at SMU 48-7]
21. Boise State (NR), [3-0, Won at Oregon 37-32]
22. Fresno State (22), [2-1, Won at Toledo 55-54(2OT)]
23. Colorado (NR), [3-0, Won vs. West Virginia 17-14]
24. Oregon (7), [3-1, Lost vs. Boise St 37-32]
25. East Carolina (19), [3-1, Lost at NC State 30-24(OT)]

Dropped Out:
West Virginia (24), [1-2, Lost at Colorado 17-14]
Nebraska (25), [3-0, DNP]

On the Cusp:
Vanderbilt (NR), [4-0, Won at Ole Miss 23-17]
Illinois (NR), [2-1, DNP]
Michigan State (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Notre Dame 23-7]
Virginia Tech (NR), [3-1, Won at North Carolina 20-17]
Georgia Tech (NR), [3-1, Won vs. Miss St 38-7]

*Coming Wednesday: Check out my chat with Paint The Town Orange, an Illini blog kind enough to cross enemy lines.

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 4 2008

It's no big shocker that USC held at No. 1. BYU and Wisconsin made the biggest jumps, as the Cougars' dismantling of UCLA was mostly ignored because of USC/Ohio State. While Ohio State and Auburn fell the farthest, with the Tigers' "win" was almost as bad as Penn State's infamous 6-4 loss to Iowa in 2004. Arizona State, Cal and Kansas dropped out completely. It was a fun week.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. USC (1), [2-0, Won vs. No. 2 Ohio State]
2. Oklahoma (4), [3-0, Won at Washington 55-14]
3. Georgia (3), [3-0, Won at South Carolina 14-7]
4. Missouri (6), [3-0, Won vs. Nevada 69-17]
5. Penn State (5), [3-0, Won at Syracuse 55-13]
6. BYU (10), [3-0, Won vs. UCLA 59-0]
7. Oregon (9), [3-0, Won at Purdue 32-26]
8. Florida (8), [2-0, DNP]
9. LSU (12), [2-0, Won vs. North Texas 41-3]
10. Ohio State (2), [2-1, Lost at No. 1 USC, 35-3]
11. Wisconsin (18), [3-0, Won at Fresno St. 13-10]
12. South Florida (16), [3-0, Won vs. No. 13 Kansas 37-34]
13. Auburn (7), [3-0, Won at Miss. St. 3-2]
14. Texas Tech (13), [3-0, Won vs. SMU 43-7]
15. Utah (14), [2-0, Won vs. Utah St. 58-10]
16. Texas (15), [2-0, DNP (PPD)]
17. Kentucky (21), [3-0, Won vs. MTSU 20-14]
18. Wake Forest (19), [2-0, DNP]
19. East Carolina (20), [3-0, Won at Tulane 28-24]
20. Alabama (25), [3-0, Won vs. W. Kentucky (I-AA) 41-7]
21. Clemson (NR), [2-1, Won vs. NC St. 27-9]
22. Fresno State (22), [1-1, Lost vs. No. 10 Wisconsin 13-10]
23. Texas Christian (NR), [3-0, Won vs. Stanford 31-14]
24. West Virginia (24), [1-1, DNP]
25. Nebraska (NR), [3-0, Won vs. New Mexico St. 38-7]

Dropped Out:
Arizona State (11), [2-1, Lost vs. UNLV 23-20]
California (17), [2-1, Lost at Maryland 35-27]
Kansas (23), [2-1, Lost at No. 19 USF 37-34]

On the Cusp:
Illinois (NR), [2-1, Won vs. ULL 20-17]
Michigan State (NR), [2-1, Won vs. Florida Atlantic 17-0]
Florida State (NR), [2-0, Won vs. Chattanooga 46-7]
Virginia Tech (NR), [2-1, Won vs. Georgia Tech 20-17]
Georgia Tech (NR), [2-1, Lost at Virginia Tech 20-17]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 3 2008

There wasn't much movement this week. The biggest jumps were West Virginia (No. 8 to No. 24), East Carolina (Unranked to No. 20), and Penn State (No. 9 to No. 5). I know, you think I'm crazy for moving PSU so high, but I'm not the only one. So you can't call me just a homer. Ohio State needed a kick in the ass, so I moved them down. And yes, Georgia beat a MAC team. If a Big Ten team beat CMU, we'd hear "it's only a MAC team," but since UGA beat the Chipps, it's a "quality win" somehow. Bull. Enjoy.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. USC (2), [1-0, DNP]
2. Ohio State (1), [2-0, Def. Ohio 26-14]
3. Georgia (3), [2-0, Def. Central Michigan 56-17]
4. Oklahoma (4), [2-0, Def. Cincinnati 52-26]
5. Penn State (9), [2-0, Def. Oregon St 45-14]
6. Missouri (6), [2-0, Def. SE Missouri St 52-3]
7. Auburn (7), [2-0, Def. Southern Miss 27-13]
8. Florida (5), [2-0, Def. Miami 26-3]
9. Oregon (11), [2-0, Def. Utah St 66-24]
10. BYU (10), [2-0, Def. Washington 28-27]
11. Arizona State (13), [2-0, Def. Stanford 41-17]
12. LSU (12), [1-0, DNP (PPD)]
13. Texas Tech (14), [2-0, Def. Nevada 35-19]
14. Utah (16), [2-0, Def. UNLV 42-21]
15. Texas (15), [2-0, Def. UTEP 42-13]
16. South Florida (17), [2-0, Def. Central Florida 31-24 OT]
17. California (20), [2-0, Def. Washington St 66-3]
18. Wisconsin (18), [2-0, Def. Marshall 51-14]
19. Wake Forest (21), [2-0, Def. Ole Miss 30-28]
20. East Carolina (NR), [2-0, Def. No. 8 West Virginia 24-3]
21. Kentucky (19), [2-0, Def. Norfolk St (I-AA) 38-3]
22. Fresno State (22), [1-0, DNP]
23. Kansas (23), [2-0, Def. LaTech 29-0]
24. West Virginia (8), [1-1, Lost to East Carolina 24-3]
25. Alabama (24), [2-0, Def. Tulane 20-3]

Dropped Out:
Virginia Tech (25), [1-1, Def. Furman (I-AA) 24-3]

On the Cusp:
Clemson (NR), [1-1, Def. Citadel (I-AA) 45-17]
Georgia Tech (NR), [2-0, Def. Boston College 19-16]
Virginia Tech (25), [1-1, Def. Furman (I-AA) 24-3]
Illinois (NR), [1-1, Def. Eastern Illinois (I-AA) 47-21]
Michigan State (NR), [1-1, Def. Eastern Michigan 42-10]

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ZN’s CFB Top 25 :: Week 2 2008

Finally, we have some game results to go by. So here you go, the Week 2 top 25 for 2008. I wasn’t ready to follow the trend on all the teams, but Clemson just looked awful, Oregon looked great, and the non-BCS teams are on the prowl.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Ohio State (1), [1-0, Def. Young. St. 43-0]
2. USC (3), [1-0, Def. Virginia 52-7]
3. Georgia (2), [1-0, Def. Ga. Southern 45-21]
4. Oklahoma (6), [1-0, Def. Chattanooga 57-2]
5. Florida (7), [1-0, Def. Hawai’i 56-10]
6. Missouri (4), [1-0, Def. No. 24 Illinois 52-42]
7. Auburn (5), [1-0, Def. ULM 34-0]
8. West Virginia (8), [1-0, Def. Villanova 48-21]
9. Penn State (11), [1-0, Def. Coastal Car. 66-10]
10. BYU (10), [1-0, Def. No. Iowa 41-17]
11. Oregon (19), [1-0, Def. Washington 44-10]
12. LSU (12), [0-0, Def. App. St. 41-13]
13. Arizona State (13), [1-0, Def. No. Arizona 30-13]
14. Texas Tech (15), [1-0, Def. E. Wash. 49-24]
15. Texas (17), [1-0, Def. FAU 52-10]
16. Utah (22), [1-0, Def. Michigan 25-23]
17. South Florida (23), [1-0, Def. Tenn-Martin 56-7]
18. Wisconsin (14), [1-0, Def. Akron 38-17]
19. Kentucky (NR), [1-0, Def. Louisville 27-2]
20. California (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 18 Michigan St. 38-31]
21. Wake Forest (NR), [1-0, Def. Baylor 41-13]
22. Fresno State (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 25 Rutgers 24-7]
23. Kansas (NR), [1-0, Def. FIU 40-10]
24. Alabama (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 9 Clemson 34-10]
25. Virginia Tech (16), [0-1, Lost to E. Carolina 27-22]

Dropped Out:
Clemson (9), [0-1, Lost to Alabama 34-10]
Rutgers (25), [0-1, Lost to Fresno St. 24-7]
Oregon State (20), [0-1, Lost to Stanford 38-26]
Michigan State (18), [0-1, Lost to California 38-31]
Pittsburgh (21), [0-1, Lost to Bowling Green 27-17]
Illinois (24), [0-1, Lost to No. 4 Missouri 52-42]

On the Cusp:
East Carolina (NR), [1-0, Def. No. 16 Va Tech 27-22]
South Carolina (NR), [1-0, Def. N.C. St. 34-0]
Boston College (NR), [1-0, Def. Kent St. 21-0]
Cincinnati (NR), [1-0, Def. E. Kentucky 40-7]
Connecticut (NR), [1-0, Def. Hofstra 35-3]

Ed. note - I'm bumping the Paterno press conference stuff until tomorrow. I'll also have the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable.

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