How To Bounce Back Against Colorado

Fickell wasn't happy.

Well, we lost, and are out of the Top 25 for the first time in 7 years. On Saturday night, as I watched my Twitter feed, I thought the sky was falling and the world was coming to an end. Right now, I am not sure any of us know what the right answer would be for us to bounce back. We know we looked flat, unprepared and didn't adjust at the half.

Here are my 5 keys for a more positive outcome in Ohio Stadium this coming Saturday against the Colorado Buffalo's.

5. More intensity...I've never seen Luke Fickell so collected as he has been in both the games I have watched this season. Maybe he is trying too hard to be the Senator, but he was great at getting the defense fired up on the sidelines as a coordinator...what happened to that guy?

4. Better preparation....The team looked confused as to who they were playing. I don't know if the Maryland game film and the absence/return of the suspended players for Miami caused that much confusion or if we just didn't spend our time wisely in the film rooms this week. Classes start this week so it should be interesting to see what happens.

Taking A Look At The Preseason AP Top 25

It's back again 

We are back in business, and college football is about to become the #1 story each week. Every week we all will look at the rankings and check to see who is #1 in the AP poll. Where are the Buckeyes? Will we be complaining about media or coach bias? How often will we say that there is too much SEC love in the rankings? Well let’s take a look at the first set of AP rankings that have come out. 

These are preseason rankings, so they really are not based on a lot. They are based on more what could happen that what has happened. It is almost guaranteed that by the 3^rd or 4^th week of the season these current rankings will be turned on their heads and new teams will be climbing and some of the blue bloods will have fallen. 

Sports Illustrated Releases Post-Spring Top 25

As the title says, Sports Illustrated has released some power rankings of the Top 25 teams in college football based off last year, and everything that happened during the spring. The Buckeyes currently sit 11th, the lowest they've been since the opening of the 2007 Preseason. Here's the rankings:

1. Oklahoma
2. Oregon
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Stanford
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma State
8. South Carolina
9. Florida State
10. Boise State
11. Ohio State
12. Nebraska
13. Arkansas
14. Michigan State
15. TCU
16. Wisconsin
17. Missouri
18. Auburn
19. Virginia Tech
20. West Virginia
21. Notre Dame
22. Mississippi State
23. Arizona State
24. Maryland
25. Utah

Overall not too bad of a list, but I would definitely change some things. I'm sure along the way this summer we will have a first look at a preseason poll. For now, we will just have to take a look at these rankings and hope for the best as far as when August comes around.

A Little Bit of Everything

They're winning, duh

Ed. Note: This post was written by Brady

Before I get to my weekly bitching and moaning about Buckeye football, I wanted to bring up the building excitement for the ongoing baseball season.  I know that anyone who stumbles upon this corner of the blogosphere isn’t looking for MLB updates but this is my one public forum on the internet and I’ll be damned if I don’t give a shout out to the Wahoo warriors at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

It was my 30^th birthday this past weekend (please direct all cash gifts to the Jim Tressel legal fund) and my wife organized a surprise weekend of baseball and debauchery in the great city of Cleveland for me.  The Indians managed to sweep their cross state rivals (sorry Ian) and the once unimaginable run at the AL central crown continues.  Not only do the Indians have a 7 game lead on their closest divisional foe but also sport the best record in all of baseball! Ed. Note: We'll be the one's apologizing come this post-season.

Watching this magical first two months has been a great reprieve from the endless bad news trickling out of Columbus this spring and I encourage any baseball fan to hop on that bandwagon before it fills up.  I am a huge MLB supporter and the Indians have continually punched me in the gut over the years with their near championship runs and mind numbing trades.  Finally, those player swaps are paying off this season and I can only pray that the Tribe is this year’s Cinderella.  Time will tell but almost 50 games have past us on the calendar and the Indians continue their dominance.  OK, enough baseball.  Let’s get to the Bucks.

ITS's Top 25: Week 13

#1 Oregon (-) - BYE

#2 Auburn (-) - BYE

#3 TCU (-) - BYE

#4 LSU (-) - A close win over Ole Miss moves LSU to a 10-1 record.

#5 Boise State (-) - Easy 51-0 win over Fresno. Broncos face their final test against Nevada, so we'll see where they land.

#6 Wisconsin (-) - A bigger win over Michigan than some folks realize. They've beaten Iowa, OSU, and Michigan in same season since awhile!

#7 Ohio State (-) - Big win at Iowa 20-17. Pryor had good leadership in the 4th quarter, willing their way to victory.

#8 Stanford (-) - The Cardinal demolished the Bears defense, 48-14.

#9 Oklahoma State (-) - Justin Blackmon isn't getting enough credit for this team, as they continue to roll.

#10 Michigan State (-) - The third Big Ten team in the Top Ten since about Week 5. MSU has won every game since their loss to Iowa

ITS's Top 25: Week 11

Last week, we were having trouble getting the Top 25 post up, so I apologize for that, Blogger tends to screw us over from time to time. I have the rankings, they just weren't posted, so I'll still have the teams rising from where they were and falling from where they were.

 

#1 Oregon (-) - A 53-16 shellacking (yes it's a real word) of Washington just keeps moving the Ducks forward towards a national championship.

#2 Auburn (-) - It was Chattanooga. Calm yourselves SEC.

#3 LSU (11) - It took a 4th down, but so did pretty much every other win, as the cardiac cats continued to win games, this time against Alabama. Yeah, Alabama.

#4 TCU (-) - A fantastic win over Utah would normally make them go up a spot, but LSU beat Alabama!

#5 Boise State (-) - Wow, Boise came this close to dropping out of the Top 5. They really play no one. Nevada has the best shot, and they'll probably get blown out 35-3.

#6 Wisconsin (-) - This whole Top 10 is just a big cluster of teams that could be in the championship game. I said could, calm down Madison.

#7 Ohio State (-) - BYE


#8 Nebraska (6) - A 1 point win over Iowa State isn't going to cut it for a Top 5 team.


#9 Stanford (11) - Beat the tar out of one of the better opponents they will face, 42-17. Arizona never stood a chance.


#10 Michigan State (15) - 3 Big Ten teams back in the Top Ten for awhile, it seems. Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State are all vying for the Rose Bowl. Many think Ohio State will jump Wisconsin, but I can't be too certain of that.

ITS's Top 25: Week 9

The third number 1 fell Saturday, to an undefeated Missouri that suddenly has caught the eyes of the nation. Auburn's Cam Newton is unstoppable, vying for the Heisman and a national championship berth.

#1 Oregon (-) - A crushing 60-13 win over UCLA surprised some experts that predicted a much closer finish, so now the Ducks have themselves sitting pretty, but have a tough road test against USC.

#2 Auburn (4) - A 24-17 win over an undefeated LSU wasn't as close as the score implies, because Cameron Newton was all over the Top 10 defense in the country, rushing for over 200 yards. Oh, and a Heisman Moment.

#3 Boise State (-) - BYE

#4 Michigan State (7) - A very close win over Northwestern keeps the Spartans undefeated, much thanks to Persa's failed attempts at winning a close game over a ranked team. Ugh.

#5 TCU (6) - TCU got a good win over an impressive Air Force team that almost upset Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs are starting to gain my personal respect, but they have a couple more key games to take care of.

#6 Alabama (8) - An unexpected 41-10 drubbing of Tennessee helps the Rolling Tide get that much closer to those top 5 spots. Don't be surprised if you see an Alabama team in the National Championship race once more.

#7 Missouri (15) - ITS welcomes the Tigers into the Top 10 for the first time this season, as they made work of Oklahoma's defense. This really doesn't have very many big names like Chase Daniel and Jeramey Maclin.

#8 Wisconsin (9) - A game winning drive led by Scott Tolzien led the Badgers to continue their win streak, and continue to have a share at the Big Ten Championship so far. Iowa tried their best to come back, but dumb calls and decisions by Stanzi and Ferentz were their ruin.

#9 Ohio State (10) - The crushing was met with welcome hearts as Evil Tressel let the players play for the revenge game for last year. The Buckeyes have Iowa coming up after the Gophers.

#10 Utah (11) - The Utes keep on piling on points and yardage, but get no love. They do get in the Top 10, but an undefeated team is below 3 defeated ones, which will only inspire more from this team.

ITS's Top 25 Week 8

So, the Buckeyes won't retain the #1 spot, and Nebraska also suffered an unexpected loss to Texas. Things are starting to shape up even weirder than we thought.

#1 Oregon (2) - BYE (Lucky Ducks)

#2 Oklahoma (5) - 52-0 smashing of Iowa State just makes the Sooners look even better as they continue their quest towards the crystal.

#3 Boise State (4) - More cupcakes..there are blueberry, chocolate, beating San Jose State 48-0, just all delicious choices for the Broncos.

#4 Auburn (7) - Boy, the more I watch Cam Newton, I just have to think about Pryor in a spread formation in a run-first spread attack. Sound familiar? Yes, I'm talking about you RichRod.

#5 LSU (8) - A closer than expected win over Mcnesse State, 32-10 has fans worried, but the Tigers are slowly looking a bit like the 2002 Buckeye squad.

#6 TCU (-) - Staying where they are, the Horned Frogs would love a chance at the BCS title game, especially if they faced Boise State. Fun fact: Boise and TCU have played the last 2 times against each other in a bowl game, including last year's Fiesta Bowl.

#7 Michigan State (10) - That win over Wisconsin is looking better and better, but the Spartans have to avoid the media bug, as they started out of the gates slow against Illinois.

#8 Alabama (11) - Already moving back into the BCS picture, the Crimson Tide had difficulty putting Ole Miss and Jeremiah Masoli away, but coming through 23-10.

#9 Wisconsin (16) - A win over Ohio State isn't easy. A large lead makes it even better. The Badgers move into the BCS picture for the upset, jumping from 16th.

#10 Ohio State (1) - Ohio State got rocked Saturday, and it showed. Camp Randall was rocking, but the more I think about how Pryor performed, the more I think that the rest of the season can go fairly easily. Now the attention of the coaches needs to go on the defense to overcome injuries and lapses of focus.

ITS's Top 25 Week 7

So, it's coming a little late, but better late then never right? South Carolina dropped Alabama like a sack of potatoes, Oregon does what they do, and Ohio State proved they do have a good pocket passer when they want to, just one they like to use to run.

#1 Ohio State (2) - With a good win over Indiana, the Buckeyes take over the top spot on our polls. 

#2 Oregon (3) - Started off slow, but went right back to normal Ducks play in the second half against WSU, beating them 43-23.

#3 Nebraska (4) - Earning a 2nd place vote from one of our writers, the Cornhuskers cruised by undefeated KSU, 48-13. Taylor Martinez gets better, and faster, every game.

#4 Boise State (6) - Jumping over Oklahoma to regain the #4 spot, the Broncos love them some cruise control. 57-14, against Toledo, has them undefeated still.

#5 Oklahoma (-) - BYE

#6 TCU (7) - TCU says thanks to Bama as they are 1 spot away from a Top 5 position. 45-0 over Wyoming.

#7 Auburn (9) - Beating a tough Kentucky team on the road is no easy task. The Tigers kicked a last second field goal to stay unbeaten, and the Wildcats fell to 3-3.

#8 LSU (10) - A last second touchdown over Florida's head in the Swamp is an impressive performance. The Mad Hatter called the old toss over the head on a FG try to get a critical first down, giving the Tigers a chance to win the game.

#9 South Carolina (19) - Jumping 10 spots, the Gamecocks without a doubt deserve it. An upset win that looked almost easy, South Carolina beat Alabama 35-21. Their only loss came to Auburn, a Top 10 team that's undefeated. Don't count USC out just yet.

#10 Michigan State (17) - Leaping up 7 positions, the Spartans are right on with the Buckeyes in undefeated in Big Ten, and overall. They don't play this year, so we could see a Big Ten conference championship split. MSU beat the tar out of Denard Robinson, exposing his weaknesses. Mark Dantonio has his squad ready for anything now.

ITS's Top 25 Week 6

Big weekend had great games including Oregon vs. Stanford and Bama vs. Florida. The college landscape is just that much clearer now, and we still have plenty of time for more of it.

#1 Alabama (-) - The Crimson Tide rolled, and I mean rolled over the Gators as if they were playing a MAC team! This game wasn't close, only further cementing the #1 spot for Alabama.

#2 Ohio State (-) - A scary close game along with injuries hurts the Buckeyes deeper than you think. If they don't come out firing against Indiana, pollers might have a serious problem putting them at #2.

#3 Oregon (-) - Down 21-3, the Ducks looked overrated and overpowered, much like the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl victory got even sweeter when Oregon came back to stomp all over Stanford's defense, and won big. The Ducks continue to get better, and pollers are noticing. 

#4 Nebraska (-) - Bye Week

#5 Oklahoma (7) - Jumping some pretty good teams, the Sooners appear in the Top 5 thanks to a good game against Texas. Although they only won by a touchdown, the Sooners have 1 less game to worry about, and they are continuing to get better as the season progresses. 

ITS's Top 25 Week 5

It was cupcake week for some, and for others, they still had much to prove on the big stage. They got rewarded for showing up to play.

#1 Alabama (-) - Securing another win against a very tough opponent in Arkansas, the Crimson Tide continue to prove why they were ranked the top spot at the beginning of the season.

#2 Ohio State (-) - While the 73 points were very good, giving up 20 to a horrible offense isn't great. We shouldn't be too worried about this, but the Buckeyes move into Big Ten play, and anything can happen.

#3 Oregon (-) - The Ducks also had a tough game against Arizona State, the best defense they have faced, and still scored over 40. Although they looked shaky in that ASU game, and Threet intercepted them to Victory 4, so we need to see a little more down the road from Oregon.

#4 Nebraska (-) - The Huskers got off to a very slow start, but managed to win the game and hold down this spot, thanks to the two and only touchdowns in the 2nd quarter. Nebraska is an easy contender, but they have a lot of tough games coming up.

#5 Boise State (6) - Moving up a spot after a decent performance against Oregon State, the Broncos had to overcome their own mistakes, at home, to come out on top. OSU put up a good fight, but the defense really stepped up when they needed to.

#6 Wisconsin (9) - Really jumping up are the Badgers, who had a field day along with Ohio State, as they simply overpowered Austin Peay 70-3. The defense was dominant, but the true freshman White was running all day long for the offense.

#7 Oklahoma (8) - The Sooners had a very close game against the Bearcats of Cincinnati, and barely held on for the the win. Still, a win is a win, and they did it their way.

#8 TCU (7) - A quiet win over SMU was good, but the first quarter was plenty enough to expose some of that Horned Frog defense, and could cause trouble in the future against better opponents. 

#9 Stanford (15) - Making an appearance in the Top 10 for the first time, the Cardinals took care of business in South Bend without another glance. This team is scary good, and the match up with Oregon next will tell it all for both teams.

#10 Florida (11) - The Gators are starting to gain some more momentum as they move to 4-0, and the offense becomes better with every game. An undefeated Kentucky came in and got smacked in the mouth, with style.

#11. Auburn (19) - A huge win against South Carolina has helped them in the long run, and in the current polls. The Tigers have they're own Pryor in Cameron Newton who threw for 2 TD's and ran for 3, as the Tigers came out victorious.

#12 LSU (16) - Although it was close, LSU had control for most of the game, and continued fighting until the final whistle. The offense still concerns me, but the team as a whole is getting there.

#13 Arizona (-) - Not dropping, but not moving up, the Wildcats may not be that team in the Pac 10, at least, not yet. A late TD score gave them the 10-9 victory, but how long can they go on like that?

#14 Utah (-) - An easy win over San Jose State proved to help the Utes on the way to another undefeated season, but the road is long, and they still need an identity.

#15 Arkansas (10) - The writers felt some sympathy, and know how good the Razorbacks still are. Only dropping 5 spots, Arkansas gave everything they have in the very close loss to Alabama. They are only going to get better from here, so watch out.

#16 Miami (18) - An impressive (and a bit surprising IMO) win over the Pitt Panthers have exposed Pitt as a big bust for this season. JaFOURy Harris and co. came to play to win 31-3.

#17 Iowa (-) - The Hawkeyes were a part of the Big Ten Massacre, with the win over Ball State. The defense had some chip on they're shoulder as they shut Ball State down 45-0. Kirk Ferentz will get the squad back on track, and the trip to Kinnick in November is still daunting to Buckeye fans.

#18 South Carolina (12) - A great game has to have a loser, and the undefeated Gamecocks dreams ended for an undefeated season. There is still plenty to earn, and a BCS bowl game isn't out of the question just yet, but there is a lot of football left to be played.

#19 Michigan (20) - The Wolverines are in trouble. While they are undefeated and easily took care of the Eagles Falcons, they also lost Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier. Devin Gardner is forced into action, and while not as quick as Denard, he does have the better arm. We shall see where this takes the Blue as they head to Big Ten action.

#20 Michigan State (21) - Staying on Michigan's tail, the Spartans are really starting to raise some eyebrows. A quick 4-0 start is great for momentum, and they have to take advantage of it for Big Ten season.

#21 NC State (24) - Shocking the Yellow Jackets, and maybe some College Football fans, the Wolfpack can be considered, to a point, back. They shut down and shut up the Georgia Tech team 45-28. If the defense can step it up more, this is a team that could go deep.

#22 Texas (5) - Wow. Just...wow. UCLA had 1 win coming into the game AT Texas, and only allowed 1 touchdown. The Bruins came out inspired, and the Longhorns had no answer for the offense. Mack Brown has some tinkering to do with this team.

#23 Penn State (-) - The Nittany Lions got a good scare from the Temple Owls, winning 22-13. PSU is one of those teams that starts getting upset, and wins, and you're still laughing. Bolden needs to get himself ready to take on real opponents (sans Bama)

#24 Nevada (NR) - Option offense FTW. They are 4-0 thanks to a win against BYU.

#25 Missouri (-) - A thrashing of Miami (OH) got them to 4-0, but we don't know enough about this team to rank them higher. We'll keep a close eye on them.

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Air Force

WVU

ITS's Top 25 Week 4

The college football landscape slipped a little as Iowa lost in a shocker, and Nebraska continues to dominate on both sides of the ball. Alabama took care of Duke, but the real test comes this Saturday against Arkansas and Ryan Mallet.

#1 Alabama (-) - The handling of Duke was expected, as the Crimson Tide rolled with Heisman winner Mark Ingram in the backfield. There were some plays that were scary for that Tide defense, so we'll get to see them in real action against Arkansas.

#2 Ohio State (-) - The Buckeyes easily won the Battle of Ohio, but are still looking shaky on Special Teams. They have to step it up if they want to be able to beat Alabama and the rest of the Top 5. 

#3 Oregon (4) - Oregon keeps putting up ridiculous offensive numbers, as they blew out Portland St. 69-0. You can't say they are playing bad teams, they did nearly the same thing to Tennessee! 

#4 Nebraska (7) - Alright, the Cornhuskers have proved again that they have an offense to go with a pretty stout defense. Once they start playing teams such as Texas and co. will they continue they're success under a freshman QB?

#5 Texas (-) - This is one of the least impressive Longhorn teams I've seen in awhile. The defense is good, but they still have too many questions on offense.

#6 Boise State (-) - Cupcakes for all! Really, this Bronco team has one more test, against Oregon State, and after that it's most likely Championship invite, or a Rose Bowl. That is, if they can win.

#7 TCU (9) - Rising some more in the Top 10, the Horned Frogs are making some statements early on in the season as they blast a pretty good Baylor team.

#8 Oklahoma (3) - Dropping down big time, the Sooners are lucky to have escaped Air Force with a win. The Falcons are a good team, but with all the firepower that Oklahoma has, it should have been much easier to win this football game.

#9 Wisconsin (10) - Barely leaving the Sun Devils with a 20-19 win, the Badgers will move up, but they have some explaining to do for the rest of the season. If they can win more impressively, then I don't have a problem with them being here.

#10 Arkansas (12) - The Razorbacks have been good, great with Mallet. The truth is, they need to win this game to get back into a picture of a National Championship. Last time I remember Arkansas being relevant had to be 2007. 

#11 Florida (-) - No change for the Gators, although they looked a lot better beating the Volunteers soundly.

#12 South Carolina (14) - The Gamecocks are rolling through, now to 3-0, which is the first time in 3 years. Really no big names other than Spurrier come to mind, which means that this is a total team effort.

#13 Arizona (20) - A monumental upset helps any team in the polls. After defeating Iowa, who I expected to win by a TD or two, the Wildcats have a pretty good system under the hood, and will look to run the table in the Pac 10.

#14 Utah (13) - Utah is resorting back to 2007 mode, much like the rest of college football so far, going undefeated and still rising. The Utes still have much to prove, but they aren't going anywhere for now.

#15 Stanford (18) - The Pac 10 gets more and more dangerous as the season continues, as they have another undefeated team in Stanford. Led by Sophomore sensation Andrew Luck, the Cardinals have serious weapons for him to use, and it's helping them rise in the spotlight.

#16 LSU (-) - LSU had to rely on it's kicking game for the win against Mississippi State, but a win is a win. Jerrod Johnson needs to improve NOW.

#17 Iowa (8) - A young offensive line and bad special teams does not mix well. The Hawkeyes will try and regroup for a run at the Big Ten title, but the National Championship berth might be out of reach.

#18 Miami (17) - Only dropping down for Iowa, Miami has the same problems as before, simply because they had a bye last week. This week they need to form an identity, if they want a shot at the ACC.

#19 Auburn (15) - Our writers weren't impressed with a very close win over Clemson. I think Clemson was a team to watch, but with that loss, it hurt both teams. The Tigers are still undefeated, and have plenty of chances left.

#20 Michigan (19) - UMass...this is why they drop a spot.

#21 Michigan State (NR) - The Big Ten gets another team added to the Top 25, this time in Mark Dantonio's squad. This is an inspired team already as they are a surprised 3-0, with a big win against Notre Dame. Expect some bigger things from the Spartans.

#22 West Virgina (21) - Dropping one down, I never thought I would say this, didn't have enough style points for me. For me! I hate style points. Something just doesn't feel right about the Mountaineers. I hope they prove me wrong.

#23 Penn State (22) - PSU got off to a fast start, but only scored 24. They did hold Akron to no points, but I don't see the fire in the eyes. Need more from a legitimate Big Ten contender.

#24 NC State (NR) - A 3-0 Wolfpack beat the Bearcats in an impressive manner, and the little teams are starting to show up..

#25 Missouri (NR) - A FG win against a lesser opponent holds the Tigers to a #25 spot, but they are still 3-0.

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Air Force

Nevada

Kentucky

ITS's Top 25 Week 3

The "Monster Weekend" is over, and people didn't get the close games that they wanted. We, as Buckeye fans, had our plates full of it, as the Buckeyes prevailed over a big win on Miami. Now that the Buckeyes can take a bit of a cruise control, what of the other teams? How fares Virgina Tech? Alabama had it easy, but Boise didn't play. Questions are about to be answered.

#1 Alabama (-) - Alabama came out strong, and dismantled the Penn State defense, and offense. Early turnovers ruined PSU's chances early, and Bama took control, never looking back.

#2 Ohio State (-) - An impressive win over Miami sends expectations flying in Columbus. Fans are anxious for the next big match up, which is when we travel to Camp Randall. First we go through the cupcakes, in Ohio and Eastern Michigan, and proceed to Big Ten play against Indiana and Illinois.

#3 Oklahoma (4) - Oklahoma moves up to the #3 spot in a blowout against Florida State. To say this team is back would be an understatement. They are making teams just look silly. The defense is tough, and the no name offense is providing the firepower.

#4 Oregon (9) - Another bomb on another team. This time, and SEC team in Tennesee, and Oregon is starting to gain some momentum in the polls. Masoli who?

#5 Texas (3) - Dropping in the polls a bit after a very slow start, is Texas. Gilbert might not be the stud we all thought. It's not that he's bad, it's just that he plays..boring. This Texas team needs an identity, and fast.

#6 Boise State (5) - The only reason they dropped, was 1. They didn't play. 2. Virgina Tech lost to James Madison. JAMES MADISON. Is that even a college?? It sounds like a Division 1 high school..

#7 Nebraska (8) - Moving up one more, the Cornhuskers have finally figured it out on offense, and the defense is already good. This team is showing why they we're an early darkhorse.

#8 Iowa (6) - A quick first half strike won't cut it to hold the #6 spot, while teams played big games and Iowa played for the ISU-Iowa trophy. This team is still so tough, and they'll get theirs.

#9 TCU (12) - Hopping to #12 are the Horned Frogs as they blew out Tennessee Tech 62-7. TCU is looking very impressive on both sides of the ball, and I wonder if a Boise-TCU rematch is in the mix..that would be the third time come bowl time.

#10 Wisconsin (11) - Joining the Top Ten is the third team from the Big Ten. John Clay had to carry the Badgers to victory over San Jose State, and they still have to prove they belong here. Another close win like that, and they will most likely end up like Florida.

#11 Florida (7) - It wasn't just the Miami game. Now they have a bad first half against USF? Urban needs to find a leader for this team, because John Brantley isn't a great one as it stands. Skill and talent can only go so far.

#12 Arkansas (13) - Our staff is really impressed with the Mallet-led Razorbacks as they have jumped up every poll so far. An easy 31-7 win against LA-Monroe expands Mallet's Heisman campaign, and his team is doing well. As they move closer to SEC play, can Arkansas shock?

#13 Utah (24) - Leaping and bounding are the Utes of Utah as they cruised to a 38-10 victory over UNLV. The Utes could be the real BCS buster this year, as they are gaining more and more momentum.

#14 South Carolina (25) - Skipping over teams with Utah, the Gamecocks are becoming a deadly team in the SEC. I wonder if Spurrier can lead his squad to compete with teams like Alabama, Boise State, etc.

#15 Auburn (17) - The Tigers are quickly moving up the polls as they rack on the wins, this time on a FG to win against Mississippi State. With such a close win, I have to ask the same question I did for South Carolina. Can they compete with top level teams?

#16 LSU (19) - The Bayou Bengals got a break against Vanderbilt, and move to 2-0. Jerrod Johnson is improving, and I wonder how far he can lead his team.

#17 Miami (10) - Special teams may help the Hurricanes in the future, but they need an offense that's consistent. After Harris threw 4 INT's, you've got to wonder if they can put it together at any point.

#18 Stanford (16) - Another big move for the Cardinals, after a convincing 35-0 shutout of UCLA. Andrew Luck gets better with each drive, and has a legitimate shot to win the Heisman if this team can keep it together.

#19 Michigan (NR) - The Michigan Denard Robinson's have caught the attention of our writers, and maybe a little fear for Velcro? Either way, two wins over decent teams in UConn and Notre Dame.

#20 Arizona (NR) - A blowout that put the Wildcats on our radar has moved them into the ITS Poll. Arizona doesn't have a big name to surround around, but they do have a solid team.

#21 West Virgina (22) - Barely moving up because of the overtime win against Marshall. Not too sure yet as to how deep this team can go.

#22 Penn State (18) - Dropping because a tough loss to Alabama will hurt Bolden's confidence just enough to make him rattled easier.

#23 Houston (23) - Thinking they might have crawled up to #22, the Cougars just aren't having any impressive wins. Case Keenum is a stud though, and Houston will rise eventually.

#24 California (NR) - The Golden Bears seize an opportunity at the remaining two spots, and there's not much else to say about them. Next week, maybe.

#25 Clemson (NR) - This is one team, that no matter what, I can root for. I'm not totally sure what it is, but the Tigers have something special. They are 2-0, but how long will it last?

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Oregon State
Missouri

ITS's Top 25 Week 2

Week 1 of College football is officially over, but don't fret, we've got a monster weekend ahead of us due to so many big games. Ohio State/Miami, PSU/Bama, Oklahoma/FSU, etc. Boise State was the talk of last night and today, when they came out on top 33-30 against Virgina Tech. Now we see how they did in the polls..

#1 (-) Alabama - Who needs Mark Ingram anyhow? Eddie Lacey, the redshirt freshman led the backs in yards per carry, and total yardage. Alabama was one of the few SEC schools that looked good in their opener, and are still the team to beat.

#2 (-) Ohio State - With Terrelle Pryor and Brandon InSaine, the Buckeye offense was dominating against Marshall all night long. Added with that comes the depth at all the positions. We saw Jaamal Berry second for stats, and fans are urging Tressel to get him more playing time.

#3 (-) Texas - Coming off a closer than expected win over Rice, Texas will continue to develop Gilbert more and more. I think as the season goes along, the quarterback will get better and better. The question is, can he actually lead this team to a BCS bowl?

#4 (6) Oklahoma - Coming in at #4, you might be surprised to see the Sooners, after a very close game with Utah State. If it not for the "game winning" interception, Oklahoma might have been deep on this poll. They had better get their act together, otherwise, FSU might have an upset on them.

#5 (-) Boise State - Boise State came out against the Hokies like they do against every BCS school. Attacking. VT was not prepared, and was quickly down 10 points. After a couple of questionable calls, Boise got the 33-30 win, but our writers ask, would they be up to defeating Ohio State, Bama, etc?

ITS's Top 25

Even with the loss of the BlogPoll, we would still like you all to see what are thoughts on the college football teams this year. This poll will be a combined poll from myself, SBB, Brady, and Cliff.

Example:

#1 (-) Alabama - This is where we will explain why so and so deserves this spot.
As you can see above, it has #1 and then a parentheses, with a dash. That will show the teams previous ranking the week before. Since the poll will be just starting, we can't really put something there.

A big part of this is to let you fans give us your thoughts. If you truly beleive Houston doesn't belong in the Top 25, and Akron does, tell us!

On Wedensday the 25th, the first ITS Top 25 will come out. Give us your thoughts on this idea, and we hope you enjoy!

Also, as a side note, my Facebook account got deleted for some horrbile reason, so I will do my best to get a new one. Until then, don't think I hate you guys ;)