Top 25 Poll - Week 9 - Number 1 - Auburn, Just Barely, Over Oregon
The AP Top 25 and Coaches Top 25 College Football Polls are nationally recognized, but after 50+ years of watching and/or covering college football games, and being a former sports editor for a daily newspaper, here is another view: Auburn and Oregon just keep scoring and winning so they remain the top two for another week.
1) Auburn (9-0) - Takes down Mississippi 51-31.
Just continues to win behind Heisman favorite Cam Newton.
Where will Auburn be if Cam Newton gets injured? The Tigers do not want to find out.
Auburn has a cakewalk against AA Chattanooga this week.
Are you kidding me? No, really.
The Tigers are not out of the jungle yet; they must face Georgia and then Alabama on the road.
Trust me, the Crimson Tide is hiding under the radar in the deep brush, waiting to strike like a diamondback rattlesnake.
2) Oregon (8-0) - Exploded on Southern Cal, 53-32, after the Trojans led in the 3rd quarter.
Held SC scoreless in last 25 minutes while scoring 4 times.
The Ducks have outscored their opposition 180-38 in the last half.
They lead the nation in scoring offense (54 points a game) and total offense (572 yards a game).
Go ahead, try and stop them.
Hosts Washington next.
Yikes, the Huskies are going to be road kill.
3) Wisconsin (7-1) - Idle this week.
Has played a schedule about as weak (67th) as Boise State (74th), TCU (72nd) and Utah (98th), but has done something that the Broncos, Horned Frogs and Utes have not done, and that is beat 2 top-ranked teams - Ohio State and Iowa on back-to-back weeks.
That is why they are No.
3.
The Badgers travel to Purdue next, and had better win big.
4) Boise State (7-0) - Just beat Louisiana Tech 49-20.
Hosts Hawaii and the Warriors aerial attack next.
Hawaii leads the nation in passing offense, averaging 395 yards a game.
The Bronco passing defense ranks 8th nationally.
Let's see who is the fraud.
5) TCU (9-0) - Trashed UNLV 48-6.
Travels to unbeaten Utah (8-0) next.
Finally, this should be a good test for the Horned Frogs.
Utah is 3rd in scoring offense, TCU is 9th.
TCU is 1st nationally in scoring defense, Utah is 6th.
Someone is going to suffer their first loss of the season.
6) Utah (8-0) - Barely beat Air Force, 28-23.
TCU beat Air Force 38-7.
Utes have the home field against TCU.
What more can they ask for? 7) Alabama (7-1) - Idle this week.
I had the Crimson Tide at LSU this week when they really travel to LSU (7-1) this coming week.
Had 'Bama not lost to South Carolina earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide would be 8-0.
They have had to bide their time, and it is now that they must win and dominate.
8) LSU (7-1) - Like Alabama, idle this week and just waiting for its chance to move up.
9) Nebraska (7-1) - Just knocked off visiting Missouri, 31-17.
Travels to Iowa State next and must win big to remain here.
10) Oklahoma (7-1) - Ripped Colorado apart, 43-10.
Now must travel to Texas A&M.
The Aggies just hammered Texas Tech, 45-27, and could care less how good the Sooners might be.
11) Stanford (7-1) - Just traveled to Washington and shut out the Huskies, 41-zip.
Next up is Arizona (also 7-1) in a huge Pac-10 showdown on the Cardinal turf.
12) Arizona (7-1) - Managed to get by UCLA 29-21 at LA in a not so impressive win, but a team of substance nonetheless.
Has golden opportunity to move up by beating Stanford.
13) Iowa (6-2) - Huge upset win with ease over Michigan State, 37-6, ruining the Spartans perfect season.
Has lost to Arizona and Wisconsin, two good teams, but if you think they are an easy mark, play them at home.
Travels to Indiana next.
14) Michigan State (8-1) - Spartans got their lunch handed to them by Iowa, but only 5 other teams have 8 victories this far into the season.
Spartans host Minnesota next, and must win big over the Golden Gophers to regroup and regain some early-season steam.
Too much success proved hard to handle, but now must try to win out the rest of the season to qualify for an important bowl game.
15) Ohio State (8-1) - Just hammered Minnesota 52-10.
Only loss was at Wisconsin - not too shabby.
Will be idle next week, and then hosts Penn State the week after.
16) Missouri (7-1) - Lost to Nebraska on the road, but still a strong team.
Travels to Texas Tech next, and must rebound and win to stay here.
17) Oklahoma State (7-1) - Slipped by Kansas State 24-14 in an away game.
Has really played no one; only loss was to Nebraska.
Faces another tougher opponent this week when Baylor (7-2) arrives.
The Bears just beat Texas 30-22, which is good for their ego even if this is a down year for Mack Brown and the Longhorns.
The Cowboys had better be ready for the Baylor Bears.
18) South Carolina (6-2) - Just beat Tennessee 38-24.
The Gamecocks are 18th just for beating Alabama earlier in the year.
South Carolina has lost to Auburn (like 8 other teams) and the Kentucky Wildcats.
19) Mississippi State (7-2) - Beat Kentucky 24-17.
Has only lost to Auburn 17-14 and in an away game at LSU.
Not many other teams with 7 wins can say that.
Has a bye week and then must travel to Alabama and face the Crimson Tide, which will tell us much about the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
20) North Carolina State (6-2) - Just knocked off 16th-ranked Florida State, 28-24.
Must have something going on.
Lost to Virginia Tech and in an away game at East Carolina.
Has played the 45th toughest schedule among the 120 major teams.
Travels to Clemson next.
21) Hawaii (7-2) - Put a 45-10 whipping on Idaho, and boasts the nation's best passing offense.
Gets a real change to do some major damage in visit to Boise State next.
Boise State has the nation's 8th best pass defense so let the battle begin.
22) Baylor (7-2) - Beat Texas on the road, 30-22.
Has played a tougher schedule than Boise State, TCU and Utah.
Does not have a signature win; lost to TCU and Texas Tech.
Travels to Oklahoma State (7-1) next - a perfect opportunity to advance in the polls.
23) Nevada (7-1) - Won a shootout against Utah State, 56-42, which isn't saying much, but does have 7 wins with only loss at Hawaii.
24) Oregon State (4-3) - Put a 35-7 beating on visiting California.
Best 4-3 team in the country.
Lost to TCU 30-21 and Boise State 37-24, but has beaten Arizona, Arizona State and crazy Washington.
The Beavers have played the toughest schedule among all teams, and Sagarin has them rated No.
15 nationally.
Travels to UCLA next.
25) Illinois (5-3) - Beat Purdue 44-10.
Has wins over Penn State and Indiana, and has played the 26th toughest schedule.
Travels to Michigan for an interesting match-up.
Week 10 will find another unbeaten team losing as TCU (9-0) travels to Utah (8-0) in a key Mountain West Conference clash.
Other top games include Alabama at LSU, Arizona at Stanford, Arkansas at South Carolina, Baylor at Oklahoma, and Hawaii at Boise State.
Copyright © 2010 Ed Bagley
1) Auburn (9-0) - Takes down Mississippi 51-31.
Just continues to win behind Heisman favorite Cam Newton.
Where will Auburn be if Cam Newton gets injured? The Tigers do not want to find out.
Auburn has a cakewalk against AA Chattanooga this week.
Are you kidding me? No, really.
The Tigers are not out of the jungle yet; they must face Georgia and then Alabama on the road.
Trust me, the Crimson Tide is hiding under the radar in the deep brush, waiting to strike like a diamondback rattlesnake.
2) Oregon (8-0) - Exploded on Southern Cal, 53-32, after the Trojans led in the 3rd quarter.
Held SC scoreless in last 25 minutes while scoring 4 times.
The Ducks have outscored their opposition 180-38 in the last half.
They lead the nation in scoring offense (54 points a game) and total offense (572 yards a game).
Go ahead, try and stop them.
Hosts Washington next.
Yikes, the Huskies are going to be road kill.
3) Wisconsin (7-1) - Idle this week.
Has played a schedule about as weak (67th) as Boise State (74th), TCU (72nd) and Utah (98th), but has done something that the Broncos, Horned Frogs and Utes have not done, and that is beat 2 top-ranked teams - Ohio State and Iowa on back-to-back weeks.
That is why they are No.
3.
The Badgers travel to Purdue next, and had better win big.
4) Boise State (7-0) - Just beat Louisiana Tech 49-20.
Hosts Hawaii and the Warriors aerial attack next.
Hawaii leads the nation in passing offense, averaging 395 yards a game.
The Bronco passing defense ranks 8th nationally.
Let's see who is the fraud.
5) TCU (9-0) - Trashed UNLV 48-6.
Travels to unbeaten Utah (8-0) next.
Finally, this should be a good test for the Horned Frogs.
Utah is 3rd in scoring offense, TCU is 9th.
TCU is 1st nationally in scoring defense, Utah is 6th.
Someone is going to suffer their first loss of the season.
6) Utah (8-0) - Barely beat Air Force, 28-23.
TCU beat Air Force 38-7.
Utes have the home field against TCU.
What more can they ask for? 7) Alabama (7-1) - Idle this week.
I had the Crimson Tide at LSU this week when they really travel to LSU (7-1) this coming week.
Had 'Bama not lost to South Carolina earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide would be 8-0.
They have had to bide their time, and it is now that they must win and dominate.
8) LSU (7-1) - Like Alabama, idle this week and just waiting for its chance to move up.
9) Nebraska (7-1) - Just knocked off visiting Missouri, 31-17.
Travels to Iowa State next and must win big to remain here.
10) Oklahoma (7-1) - Ripped Colorado apart, 43-10.
Now must travel to Texas A&M.
The Aggies just hammered Texas Tech, 45-27, and could care less how good the Sooners might be.
11) Stanford (7-1) - Just traveled to Washington and shut out the Huskies, 41-zip.
Next up is Arizona (also 7-1) in a huge Pac-10 showdown on the Cardinal turf.
12) Arizona (7-1) - Managed to get by UCLA 29-21 at LA in a not so impressive win, but a team of substance nonetheless.
Has golden opportunity to move up by beating Stanford.
13) Iowa (6-2) - Huge upset win with ease over Michigan State, 37-6, ruining the Spartans perfect season.
Has lost to Arizona and Wisconsin, two good teams, but if you think they are an easy mark, play them at home.
Travels to Indiana next.
14) Michigan State (8-1) - Spartans got their lunch handed to them by Iowa, but only 5 other teams have 8 victories this far into the season.
Spartans host Minnesota next, and must win big over the Golden Gophers to regroup and regain some early-season steam.
Too much success proved hard to handle, but now must try to win out the rest of the season to qualify for an important bowl game.
15) Ohio State (8-1) - Just hammered Minnesota 52-10.
Only loss was at Wisconsin - not too shabby.
Will be idle next week, and then hosts Penn State the week after.
16) Missouri (7-1) - Lost to Nebraska on the road, but still a strong team.
Travels to Texas Tech next, and must rebound and win to stay here.
17) Oklahoma State (7-1) - Slipped by Kansas State 24-14 in an away game.
Has really played no one; only loss was to Nebraska.
Faces another tougher opponent this week when Baylor (7-2) arrives.
The Bears just beat Texas 30-22, which is good for their ego even if this is a down year for Mack Brown and the Longhorns.
The Cowboys had better be ready for the Baylor Bears.
18) South Carolina (6-2) - Just beat Tennessee 38-24.
The Gamecocks are 18th just for beating Alabama earlier in the year.
South Carolina has lost to Auburn (like 8 other teams) and the Kentucky Wildcats.
19) Mississippi State (7-2) - Beat Kentucky 24-17.
Has only lost to Auburn 17-14 and in an away game at LSU.
Not many other teams with 7 wins can say that.
Has a bye week and then must travel to Alabama and face the Crimson Tide, which will tell us much about the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
20) North Carolina State (6-2) - Just knocked off 16th-ranked Florida State, 28-24.
Must have something going on.
Lost to Virginia Tech and in an away game at East Carolina.
Has played the 45th toughest schedule among the 120 major teams.
Travels to Clemson next.
21) Hawaii (7-2) - Put a 45-10 whipping on Idaho, and boasts the nation's best passing offense.
Gets a real change to do some major damage in visit to Boise State next.
Boise State has the nation's 8th best pass defense so let the battle begin.
22) Baylor (7-2) - Beat Texas on the road, 30-22.
Has played a tougher schedule than Boise State, TCU and Utah.
Does not have a signature win; lost to TCU and Texas Tech.
Travels to Oklahoma State (7-1) next - a perfect opportunity to advance in the polls.
23) Nevada (7-1) - Won a shootout against Utah State, 56-42, which isn't saying much, but does have 7 wins with only loss at Hawaii.
24) Oregon State (4-3) - Put a 35-7 beating on visiting California.
Best 4-3 team in the country.
Lost to TCU 30-21 and Boise State 37-24, but has beaten Arizona, Arizona State and crazy Washington.
The Beavers have played the toughest schedule among all teams, and Sagarin has them rated No.
15 nationally.
Travels to UCLA next.
25) Illinois (5-3) - Beat Purdue 44-10.
Has wins over Penn State and Indiana, and has played the 26th toughest schedule.
Travels to Michigan for an interesting match-up.
Week 10 will find another unbeaten team losing as TCU (9-0) travels to Utah (8-0) in a key Mountain West Conference clash.
Other top games include Alabama at LSU, Arizona at Stanford, Arkansas at South Carolina, Baylor at Oklahoma, and Hawaii at Boise State.
Copyright © 2010 Ed Bagley
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