Ah, the trials and tribulations of conference play—when the vaunted SEC and the recently renamed Slack-10 prove to be equally perilous.
Neither Florida nor Georgia was spared the Trojans' fate, and they were joined by six other top 25 teams in defeat in Week Five.
Now we find out who can regroup and keep up with the power conference unbeatens in this nationally televised game of minesweeper we play each fall.
Might as well start tracking it now...college football’s magic number (unbeaten teams from power conferences) is already down to 11. With Big 12 play kicking off this weekend, that number is sure to dwindle in a hurry.
On the strength of a record turnout at our ballot box, Oklahoma assumes the top spot in this week’s B/R Top 25, while Nick Saban and Alabama vault all the way to No. 2.
Number of Voters: 98
Click on each team for more commentary from our pollsters.
Previous: 3
Last Week: Beat TCU 35-10
This Week: at Baylor
There is only one story in Norman this week—the week before the Red River Rivalry.
Remember what happened the week before Texas in 2007.
OU went to unranked Colorado, and after cashing in a third quarter interception for a touchdown, led 24-7 in Boulder. Then the wheels came off the Sooner Schooner.
Colorado scored 20 unanswered points, including Kevin Eberhart’s 45-yard game-winning field goal as time expired—a loss that ultimately kept Oklahoma out of the national championship game.
This year, an equally unassuming Baylor is the pre-Texas opponent. Just in case the Sooners don’t remember what last year’s loss felt like, FSN Southwest has been replaying the Buffs upset.
Previous: 7
Last Week: Beat Georgia 41-30
This Week: Kentucky
Don’t let the final score fool you. Saturday’s hedge-trimming in Athens was nowhere close to being an 11-point ballgame.
This is why fan bases clamor for coaching changes, and why for the folks in Tuscaloosa, $4 million per year is a small price to pay. In less than two full years on the job, Nick Saban has catapulted the Crimson Tide to its highest ranking since 1993.
Bob Stoops won a national title in just his second season at OU. So did Jim Tresell at tOSU. Urban Meyer recently accomplished the same feat in Florida. Can Saban become the fourth head coach since the turn of the millennium to win a BCS title without recruiting a senior?
A November visit to LSU is the only remaining road game against a ranked team. But first the Tide must contend with its third straight undefeated opponent, Kentucky.
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3 months ago
BTW... just to make it clear Urban Meyer won a national title in 2006. That would be year 2 as the Gators coach, not 3. Year 3, coach Urban Meyer, and the Gators, helped produce a heisman trophy winner.
Just wanted to set things straight.
from 3 months ago
Thanks for catching that typo, it's been corrected.
3 months ago
Good rankings this week, guys.
On another note, who wants to man up and say they voted for Michigan? I can only see a Wisconsin hater doing that.
3 months ago
How can anyone vote for Michigan or Notre Dame? These teams may be good (ND has more of a chance at being good than Michigan), but it just doesn't make sense, especially Michigan. I bet no one will be voting for them when they get slaughtered by the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley in a few weeks.
3 months ago
The Slack-10? Hilarious trey. Your commentary was hilarious, and spot on! Too bad you can't watch BYU's Hall- we get those games out here and he is incredible. He should be a monster against Utah State. UGH.
Five Stars. POTD!
from 3 months ago
Can you compare him to another college QB I'm sure to have seen?
from 3 months ago
Max Hall is pretty similar to Chase Daniel, Except he is over 6 feet tall. I know I have stood next to him at practice a time or two.
Trey, you don't have Directv? The Mtn is on there.
3 months ago
PS- How many times do I have to vote Ball State in the top 20 before someone believes me?
from 3 months ago
I'm on that wagon, Lisa.
from 3 months ago
Me too. ;-) At least for this week! :-p
from 3 months ago
Max Hall is pretty similar to Chase Daniel, Except he is over 6 feet tall. I know I have stood next to him at practice a time or two.
from 3 months ago
I haven't seen Ball State play...I know they beat Indiana or something, but who else did they beat and what is their record? I can't say that I would put Ball State in the Top 20 unless I know more about them.
from 3 months ago
alot, lisa. Yes, they always seem to beat 2 or 3 major conference schools every year (mostly Big 10 teams), like indiana this season. But they are not a top-20 team.
3 months ago
Who in the world gave Clemson a vote?
from 3 months ago
I assure you that no fewer than 2 people did, else I would not have listed Clemson. Thankfully, high voter turnout negates the occasional La Tech vote.
3 months ago
Nice recap. Sounds like Colt McCoy is trying to become this year's Tebow.
I am new to blogging college football on Bleacher. In my latest post, I am trying to develop a ranking system that measures the quality of a team's wins and losses. I am looking for some feedback and ideas to improve it. Thanks, Lou
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/64110-ranking-quality-wins-and-quality-losses
3 months ago
Just a quick question. WHY THE HELL IS SO CAL AHEAD OF GEORGIA? They lost to a 1-2 team. We lost to number freaking 8. Everyone drinks the trojan kool aid ENOUGH. Georgia should have played their punk @$$es in Rose Bowl.
Go Dawgs!!
from 3 months ago
Because USC has won a big game in Ohio State.
Georgia lost at home, and hasn't won a tough game, not to mention looking weak against weak teams in the first couple of weeks.
from 3 months ago
If USC and Georgia were to play on a neutral field this Saturday, the Trojans would be a clear (but not heavy) favorite. You can debate whether that's right... but nonetheless it's true, and that's why.
More practically speaking, they both dropped the same number of spots (9). USC was just ranked higher to begin with.
3 months ago
I second Will's opinion.
USC lost to a team that got beat 45-14 two weeks earlier.
3 months ago
Good article. FYI, Jim Tressel at Ohio State also won a title in his second year so Saban could be the 4th.
3 months ago
How does Fresno move up a spot after escaping UCLA by a hair?
3 months ago
You want to know why BYU isn't on ESPN? They have a contract with the worst sports channel in the world its called "The Mountain". The analysis is horrible, they have camera men that make it look like a 12 year old controlling the family camcorder and they cover all the MWC teams. Its a shame because watching BYU play this year is a lot of fun, Max Hall is crazy good and his supporting cast great as well, they've scored 103 unanswered points and this week against Utah St I'd love to see that number grow a lot!!
3 months ago
If someone had told me three years ago that South Florida and Connecticut would be the favorites to win the Big East in football, I would have punched them in the throat. What a difference a few years makes.
3 months ago
The Georgia lost last week was a good lost. They lost early and regardless how everyone may think that the Bulldogs are weak, this lost will either wake them up of they will continue to lose again. I feel they can now relax and play ball like they did at the end of the year. I believe there will be hell to pay for the other teams because the dawgs has no more pressure on them. USC is a good team and Alabama just pray that we don't make it to the SEC championship game because we have you right where we want you. On that day we will let some air out of little Nikie Sabans team head.
3 months ago
So much for USF handling the pressure...
3 months ago
Awesome top 25. I voted.
How is Northwestern not in the top 25? They are 5-0.
Who the heck voted for duke, clemson, and colorado?!
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