Ranking the Top 25 As the Dust Settles

TAB BAMFORD by Senior Writer Written on September 27, 2009

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LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 26:   of the Florida Gators of the Kentucky Wildcats during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Wow! What a week!

The college football day is coming to a close, and another long week for ranked teams will create more fluid polls.

How will this week's losers realign the polls? Which conferences feel good about themselves? Who wants this week back?

I personally believe that there shouldn't be any polls until after the conference schedules begin, which was today. With that in mind, and with this weekend's crazy action fresh in our minds, let's rank the new Top 25 in college football.

1. Florida 4-0

LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Florida Gators is tended to by head coach Urban Meyer (R) and staff after Tebow was sacked by Taylor Wyndham #94 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the third quarter of the game at Commonwealth S

They're the defending champions and handled their business at Kentucky on Saturday.

But the ugly, scary injury to superstar Tim Tebow's head might cast a long shadow on the rest of Florida's season. To say he has a concussion might be an understatement, and he's the most valuable college football player of this generation.

They're next game is in two weeks at LSU. If Tebow can't go, the Gators might not get a chance at repeating as national champs.

2. Texas 4-0

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 26:  Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the UTEP Miners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Austin, Texas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

They're the next-best thing since sliced bread behind Florida, and they also handled their business on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Colt McCoy and his teammates, the Longhorns will probably stay at Number Two until someone beats Florida. But that might only take two weeks...

3. Alabama 4-0

ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 05:  Julio Jones #8 of the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Georgia Dome on September 5, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Bama is undefeated and, like Texas and Florida, they took care of their game on Saturday.

If they continue playing well, they might face the winner of the LSU-Florida game for a shot at the National Championship later this year.

4. LSU 4-0

BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 19:  Brandon LaFell #1 of the Louisiana State University Tigers celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the University of Louisiana-Lafatette Ragin' Cajuns at Tiger Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Baton Rou

They're undefeated and barely escaped Mississippi State to remain undefeated. And by barely, I mean by about a foot.

The Bayou Bengals have a dangerous trap coming up, though. They're undoubtedly staring at their home game against a now-questionable Florida team on October 10, but have to go to Athens, Georgia next week.

Overlooking Georgia could be a terrible mistake for LSU.

5. Virginia Tech 3-1

ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 05:  Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Georgia Dome on September 5, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

They lost to Alabama to start their season, and I have them ranked third. This weekend, they hosted everyone favorite rising team, Miami, and threw a beat down.

They now have their hands on the reigns in the ACC and could ride Tyrod Taylor all the way into National Championship contention. They probably won't have to worry about an upset as much as some teams, as they travel to Duke next weekend.

6. Iowa 4-0

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01:  Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a touchdown pass against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.  (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

I can't wait to field the comments for putting A) a Big Ten team and B) Iowa this high.

But's let's talk about reality here. Iowa beat a 3-1 Arizona team last week, and went to formerly-#5 Penn State and won by two scores.

It's time to respect Iowa. They took care of a good Pac 10 team last week and the top ranked Big Ten team this week. They're for real.

7. Boise State 4-0

BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 3: Quarterback Kellen Moore #6 of the Boise State Broncos sets to throw a pass in the third quarter of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Bronco Stadium on September 3, 2009 in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game 19-8. (Photo by

I slide Iowa in front of the Smurf Turf dwellers because of the win at Penn State. But Boise State's nothing to shy away from.

In case you forgot, they beat a pretty good Oregon team to open the season and haven't lost yet. In a year defining parity, they might get their shot at busting the BCS.

8. Oregon 3-1

EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 26: Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Oregon Ducks sets to throw a pass in the second quarter of the game against the California Bears at Autzen Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon.. The Ducks upset the Bears 42-3. (Photo by Ste

Kinda surprised to see Oregon as my top ranked Pac 10 team?

Consider they're only loss was at Boise State to start the year, and they've outscored Utah and Cal, both ranked when they played, by a combined score of 73-27.

They destroyed sixth-ranked Cal on Satuday, too.

If they continue playing well, and keep finding gorgeous throw back uniforms in the back of the locker room like they did for Saturday, they might sneak up on the Pac 10 and win it this year.

9. Michigan 4-0

ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 19:  Quarterback Tate Forcier #5 of the Michigan Wolverines throws a pass against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Michigan Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.   Michigan won 45-17.  (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty I

For a squad that won only three games last year, I might be dangerously close to making Michigan "the new Miami" by putting them this high on the list.

But the more Notre Dame wins, the better Michigan's comeback victory looks. And there just seems to be something to Tate Forcier that's special. The Wolverines haven't run away from anyone this year, but he's closed the deal every time.

10. USC 3-1

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12:  Head coach Pete Carroll hugs Matt Barkley #7 of the Southern California Trojans after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 18-15 on September 12, 2009 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

They went to Columbus and beat Ohio State on the road. The loss at Washington last week won't help, especially with Washington losing to Stanford, but USC seems to win games.

And they beat Ohio State, so they have to be ranked higher than the Buckeyes.

11. Miami (FL) 2-1

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Quarterback Jacory Harris #12 of the Miami Hurricanes scrambles against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Land Shark Stadium on September 17, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Yes, they got stomped on Saturday. Badly, too.

But let's not be too quick to sell short the home field advantage Virgina Tech has at Blacksburg.

Miami has played three games against teams that were, at the time, ranked in the top 20, and they beat Florida State and Georgia Tech well. They'll need to pick up the pieces from their loss quickly, though, as they have a date with Oklahoma and, probably, Sam Bradford this weekend.

12. Ohio State 3-1

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 25: Quarterback Terrell Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks for an open receiver against the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 25, 2008 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

They've pitched consecutive shut outs and their only loss was to USC.

They haven't beaten a big-time team yet, though. Their next test will be against Wisconsin in two weeks (they host Indiana next weekend).

13, Oklahoma 2-1

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05:  Quarterback Sam Bradford #14 of the Oklahoma Sooners on the sidelines after suffering an injury against the Brigham Young Cougars at Cowboys Stadium on September 5, 2009 in Arlington, Texas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty

They lost to BYU, who lost to Florida State, who lost to South Florida.

That doesn't help their case. Neither does this photo, of the reigning Heisman Trophy Winner with his arm in a sling.

They'll get their shot to step back into the elite with their game against Miami next weekend.

14. Houston 4-0

HOUSTON - NOVEMBER 17: Case Keenum #7 of the Houston Cougars passes the ball during the game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Robertson Stadium November 17, 2007 in Houston, Texas. Houston won 35-28. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

They're undefeated, and two of their wins are over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

They might be a nice sleeper for this year's BCS Buster du jour.

15. Cincinnati 4-0

PISCATAWAY, NJ - SEPTEMBER 07:  Jacob Ramsey #20 of the Cincinnati Bearcats runs the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Stadium on September 7, 2009 in Piscataway, New Jersey.   by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)  (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Im

They're undefeated, yes...

But they also haven't played anyone. They'll get a good test against South Florida, who beat Florida State today, in a couple weeks.

16. BYU 3-1

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05:  Quarterback Max Hall #15 of the Brigham Young Cougars drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cowboys Stadium on September 5, 2009 in Arlington, Texas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The loss at home to Florida State hurts, but they've beaten everyone else they've played so far.

And that includes Oklahoma.

They defeated a previously undefeated Colorado State team on Saturday, and continue to roll.

17. California 3-1

EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 26: Jahvid Best #4 of the California Bears finds little running room in the first quarter of the game against  the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

They got whooped by Oregon on Saturday but still only have one loss. They have plenty of chances to redeem the loss in a good Pac 10 conference.

18. Oklahoma State 3-1

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 08:  Quarterback Zac Robinson #11 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys during play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 8, 2008 in Lubbock, Texas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Their only loss to Houston will look better to the computers as long as Houston keeps winning. They took care of Georgia to open the season, which is a quality win as well.

They'll be tested in the Big 12.

19. Georgia 3-1

ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 12:  Quarterback Joe Cox #14 of the Georgia Bulldogs against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Sanford Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Athens, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

They lost at Oklahoma State to open the season, but have looked good since.

They get LSU at home this coming weekend, which could go a long way to showing their strength.

20. TCU 4-0

FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 16:  Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs drops back to pass against the BYU Cougars in the first quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 16, 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas.  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

They're undefeated and won at Clemson this weekend. That's good enough for the top 20. They'll need to run the table to make the top 10, though.

21. Kansas 4-0

LAWRENCE, KS - NOVEMBER 18: Quaterback Kerry Meier #10 of the Kansas Jayhawks passes the ball during the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Memorial Stadium on November 18, 2006 in Lawrence, Kansas. The Kansas Jayhawks won 39-20. (Photo by Brian Ba

They took care of a previously-undefeated Southern Miss team on Saturday, and are quietly undefeated in the Big 12.

They'll need to stay that way to move up the ranks, though.

22. Missouri 4-0

ST. LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 5: Blaine Gabbert #11 of the University of Missouri Tigers passes against the University of Illinois Fighting Illini during the State Farm Arch Rivalry on September 5, 2009 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri.  The Ti

They're undefeated, but they haven't played anyone yet.

Guess what... that's gonna change real soon.

Their next three games: Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, Texas.

Good luck.

23. Notre Dame 3-1

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 19: Jimmy Clausen #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates a touchdown pass against the Michigan State Spartans on September 19, 2009 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Michigan State 33-30.

They're only loss was to Michigan, which looks better with each passing week that Michigan doesn't lose.

They'll be tested by Washington and USC in the coming weeks, both of whom appear to be stronger than the Michigan State and Purdue teams that took them to the brink the last couple weeks.

24. South Carolina 3-1

COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24:  Quarterback Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass in the third quarter of their game against the Mississippi Rebels at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Col

The Ol' Ball Coach has his Gamecocks playing well, and they just upset the number four ranked team in Ole Miss. Standing 3-1 with that win under their belt, you bet they're ranked!

25. Georgia Tech 3-1

ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10:  Quarterback Josh Nesbitt #9 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

They defeated a ranked North Carolina team on Saturday and appear to be getting their complicated running attack together just in time for the conference schedule.

Their only loss was to Miami.

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written on September 27, 2009 Rankings/List

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