Weekly Football Update

Week #8 Top 25:
[Thursday, October 27, 2005]

1. USC (7-0) – Two more cupcakes before you close the year with Cal, Fresno State, and UCLA. Problem is, at this rate you can’t seem to find another opponent who is going to qualify as a quality win come the end of the year.

2. Texas (7-0) – 42-17 Does a blowout victory over a team that was ranked highly but unproven mean anything? Not enough to gain too much on old number 1 up there.

3. Virginia Tech (7-0) – Good win over a solid Maryland team. You tangle with BC next for supremacy in the ACC. Watch out, they overachieve well.

4. Alabama (7-0) – This team will give you an ulcer. Enough field goal victories. I will point out that I said, “Still, a GWFG is rarely seen in Tuscaloosa and may instill a little bit of confidence in those close games that lie ahead.” Hmmmm…not bad. Good win over a perennially tough opponent. Now they host 2-4 Utah State (going to the bakery and getting a cupcake).

5. Georgia (7-0) – You squeeze out a win over Arkansas (?!), and then face Florida. This will be a solid test that you will have to pass without Shockley most likely.

6. UCLA (7-0) – Put up 50+ in the last win. Now you have another easy Pac 10 game. I think we should rename the conference the Pac 2 ½. Could it be that the best offense in California is not at USC?

7. Florida State (6-1) – Okay, nice rebound against Duke (aka rebound university). This week you face Maryland, who can be troubling. Hopefully your freshman QB comes through in the big game. He hasn’t yet.

8. Miami (5-1) – Wilma saved you from certain victory over Georgia Tech without Reggie Ball, so now you have to face him later, but for now gear up to face North Carolina. This should not be close (sorry Rell), and we are watching to see if your freshman can come through in the big game—he hasn’t either.

9. Penn State (7-1) – Didn’t let the jobbing they took at Michigan hold them down as they absolutely crushed Illinois. It appears that JoePa hasn’t lost it completely. Could Penn St. win the Big 10?

10. West Virginia (6-1) – Wilma cancelled your win over South Florida, but don’t worry, you can get it later. Once again, “BCS bound, so long as they don’t screw up against some Big East stepping stone.”

11. Boston College (6-1) – You better keep overachieving, because you need to pull of a major upset in Blacksburg if you plan on staying up top.

12. Notre Dame (5-2) – Shook off the hurt long enough to lay the wood to BYU (not so tough to do). Now they have a chance to really make some more noise in a couple of weeks by beating a serious SEC team, Tennessee.

13. LSU (5-1) – Followed up your nail-biting victory against Florida with a nail-biting victory against Auburn. In November, you face the Crimson Tide. You have surprised me thus far by not dropping one of these games. I predicted early that you would lose to the Tide, and I stand by it, but you are showing some real strength. The defense is finally shoring up into what it should look like.

14. Wisconsin (7-1) – Took care of Purdue, currently eyeing up Illinois. Congrats on over-achieving this year. Who else is waiting for the “win this one for the coach” speech that has to be a part of some close game later in the year?

15. Oregon (7-1) – The Ducks have their work cut out for them as the battle Cal for Pac 10 irrelevance. This third place team in the Pac will rightly be largely unheralded.

16. Florida (5-2) – I said, “The game against Georgia this week is a must win if there ever was one.” They have had two weeks to get ready for this, and now their hopes of being there in the SEC east hunt ride on this one game.

17. Ohio State (5-2) – Hopefully the defense can be prepared to stop the run, because you are going to face Mr. Maroney and his friends in Minnesota.

18. California (6-2) – Barely survived Washington State. Can anyone play defense on your team? How do you plan on beating Oregon…wait, I know, outscore them in a track meet. Works most of the time for you guys, good luck with that.

19. Minnesota (5-2) – With two weeks to prepare for Ohio St. who thinks the plan is still anything other than give the ball to Maroney and run right at –‘em?

20. TCU (7-1) – Re-run time: “Although it is still hard to forget their wins over Oklahoma and Utah, it is even harder to forget that those sandwiched an embarrassing loss to SMU. Still, the horned frogs should win out.”

21. Auburn (5-2) – Tough loss to LSU that unfortunately meant a whole lot…especially with Georgia and Alabama still waiting for you at the end of your schedule. Regarding games against LSU, UGA, and Bama, I predicted: “This team will lose all of those games.”

22. Northwestern (5-2) – Explosive offense and unpredictable defense is an odd recipe for success, but it seems to be tough to beat this year.

23. Colorado (5-2) – Another crappy Big 12 north opponent laid gently to waste by the Buffaloes.

24. Texas Tech (6-1) – As I always say, too many cupcakes make you sick! Back down to where you belong.

25. Michigan (5-3) – This team just won’t die. Gutty win over Iowa (who we all know I love too much), and Josh’s formal apology, puts you right back in my top 25.



Why I am so smart…
1. My thoughts on Alabama – Even though it was close, it still counts as a win. That has worked two games in a row.

2. My thoughts on Texas Tech – Don’t be alarmed people, it’s okay…they still suck.

3. My thoughts on Auburn – They are losing all of the important games I said they would.

4. My thoughts on Penn State – no characteristic JoePa heart-breaking loss followed by massive collapse. This team deserved to be where I left them ranked.

5. My thoughts on California – Tremendous Offense, no defense, and a willingness to run with anyone.


Why I am an absolute moron…
1. My thoughts on Michigan State—they fell apart so fast.

2. My thoughts on LSU – they are better than I thought, but I still don’t know how much better.

3. Still stands: My leaving Marcus Vick off of my Heisman candidates list.

4. My missing UCLA in the preseason – talk about your all-time over-looks. Sorry. Is over-looks even a word?

5. My thoughts on Virginia – why did I think that Al Groh could help you guys turn the corner?


BTW…
Chips has issues with my rankings, arguing something along the lines of”….wah wah wah, my team is underranked…they could beat any of the three teams above them, etc. etc. etc. moan. Whine. Gripe…”

Anyway…

The real issue is, Mr. Chips, that your team very well could most likely beat many teams above them, but won’t get the chance. For example: Barring a major surprise, West Virginia is simply going to win the Big Easy, I mean Big East. No matter what, they go BCS. I can’t rank them less than that. Who they actually do play, versus who they could play means a lot.

Besides, if your team had not lost the game it should have won, it wouldn’t be in this position would it.

Actually, I realize, that your argument is not really about your team, so much as other teams that you feel are more talented than those teams above them. For instance, many Ohio St. fans may feel that they are better than the teams directly above them...or they may feel that their schedule is harder, so they deserve more credit. The bottom line though is that intangibles are tough to measure. I mean, Florida played just as tough a schedule to the same record. If the two met head to head, we'd know something, but they don't play head to head, so we look at other criteria, and in my oppinion, Florida has shown a little better. Sure they could beat the Pac 10 teams, but they aren't playing them, they are playing big ten teams and getting beat more often than they should. I know it's somewhat subjective, but that's how it is.

Nevertheless, I appreciate your concern, and if you are right, I will simply adjust my poll. If you are wrong, I will demand a formal apology. Sounds fair, right?