Back for our third season, and just in time for the third week of the season, it’s the B/R Top 25, our site’s official college football rankings.

In the continuing battle against preseason polls, we’ve waited to see every Bowl Subdivision team play at least once—in most cases, twice—before ranking college football’s best programs.  We’ll have an ever better feel for where they stand after this week’s slate of games.

Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida all hit the road for the first time to face BCS conference opponents.

No. 10 Wisconsin visits No. 21 Fresno State, with the Bulldogs hoping to run the table and become the latest BCS Buster. 

After a long week to bask in the Tennessee upset, can No. 25 UCLA take down another ranked opponent in No. 19 BYU?

And of course, the main event—No. 6 Ohio State and No. 1 USC.

The Trojans are our top-rated team, but we have the Buckeyes lower than any other major poll.  Take a look at the rankings to find out why.

Click on team names to read voter comments on each program.

Number of Voters: 66

1. USC  (1-0)

Last Week: BYE
This Week: No. 6 Ohio State (+10.5)

You know that old football adage: The biggest improvements are made from Week One to Week Two?

If that’s true, why not give yourself two weeks to make those improvements?

That seems to be the philosophy of the Pete Carroll era at USC, and it’s paid huge dividends.  For the fifth year in a row, the masters of early season scheduling will benefit from an open date in Week Two.

In 2006 and 2007, that extra week to prepare resulted in a convincing non-conference wins over Nebraska.  The year prior, the Trojans made luau pigs out of the Arkansas Razorbacks after giving themselves two weeks following an opening win at Hawaii. 

Next in line, Ohio State. 

College football is such a copycat enterprise, and USC has had such success with this scheduling formula, it’s a wonder every Division I team hasn’t scheduled a Week Two bye.

2. Georgia (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Central Michigan 56-17
This Week: at South Carolina (+7)

With 101 points through two games, this is the highest-scoring offense in recent Georgia history.

In fact, this weekend at South Carolina, the Bulldogs will attempt to rack up at least 45 points in three straight games for the first time ever.  

Unfortunately, the Gamecocks have become Georgia’s stingiest opponent.  In a home loss to South Carolina last year, place kicker Brandon Coutu was the only Bulldog to score.  You could argue that loss cost Georgia a chance to play for the national championship.

In 2006, Mark Richt’s defense pitched a shutout in a win at Columbia, but still the Bulldogs managed just one touchdown.

Consequently, 45 points seems a bit lofty—even as an over/under—especially considering five of the seven games between these two teams under Richt have been decided by six points or fewer.

Given Georgia’s national championship aspirations again this season, don’t expect another slip-up against Steve Spurrier and company.

3. Oklahoma (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Cincinnati 52-26
This Week: at Washington (+20)

Bob Stoops has been at Oklahoma for a decade, and Sooner fans worry he might consider an NFL job if OU wins a national championship this season. 

Tyrone Willingham has spent time at three schools in the last decade and will be lucky to have a job by the end of this season.

The two coaches don’t have much in common.  But they’ll agree on one point: Neither wants to see a Pac-10 officiating crew on the field this weekend in Seattle.

Jake Locker’s excessive celebration penalty—which cost the Huskies a chance to win last week’s game against BYU—has become the most controversial call since 2006, when another Pac-10 crew cost the Sooners a chance to play for a national championship.

The conference apologized that year and suspended field and replay officials for awarding Oregon an onside kick that led to a winning touchdown against the Sooners.  Pac-10 officials continue to insist they made the right call last weekend in Seattle.

4. Florida (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Miami 26-3
This Week: BYE

An open week provides a nice opportunity to draw attention to one of the smallest—yet most impressive—items in the postgame notes from Saturday’s win over Miami.

Tim Tebow has now thrown 130 passes without an interception, surpassing Danny Wuerffel’s mark of 121 for a new Florida record.  In fact, the Gators have not committed a turnover in each of their last four outings.

Their next outing will be in Knoxville, and here’s another interesting tidbit: Urban Meyer is 23-3 when having more than a week to prepare for a game.

5. Missouri (2-0)

Last Week: Beat SE Missouri St. 52-3
This Week: Nevada (+26.5)

Chase Daniel will become Missouri’s all-time leader in passing yards this weekend against Nevada, a game that should give the Tiger defense a test similar to what they saw from Juice Williams and Illinois in the opener.

Wolf Pack quarterback Colin Kaepernick has thrown for 386 yards and run for 143 more and three scores.  He leads a Nevada offense that nearly matches Missouri’s firepower—both rank in the top five nationally in total yardage. 

Without question, the Tigers have the offensive talent to compete for a national championship this season.  This weekend will be a good indication of whether or not they have a defense that can withstand the onslaught that even a relatively light Big 12 schedule will certainly offer.

6. Ohio State (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Ohio 26-14
This Week: at No. 1 USC (-10.5)

It’s a national championship game in September—at least for the Buckeyes.

If USC loses, there’s still a very good chance that an 11-1 record will send the Trojans to Miami in January.

If Ohio State loses, the Bucks might as well book Rose Bowl reservations on Monday, because there is zero chance that the subjective component of the BCS will allow another team from Columbus to play in a third consecutive national championship game.

It will also be the first meeting between arguably the two best coaches in the college football—Pete Carroll and Jim Tressel. 

What jumps out at you in that tale-of-the-tape?  The alma maters.

Tressel went to Baldwin-Wallace, and the Yellow Jackets lost to Franklin last weekend.  But University of the Pacific, Carroll’s old stomping grounds, hasn’t fielded a football program since the mid-'80s.

Take the Buckeyes and the points.

Ha!  I knew I could get through that without mentioning Beanie Wells...whoops.

7. LSU (1-0)

Last Week:  Postponed vs. Troy
This Week:  North Texas (+41.5)

The plan was to take LSU to task for exceeding the maximum allowable number of games against the Sun Belt conference—one. 

But since Gustav postponed last weekend’s game against Troy, this Saturday’s contest with North Texas is technically the Tigers’ first against the preseason scrimmage league.

Seriously, LSU.  Coming off a national championship season, you go Appalachian State, Troy, North Texas, and Tulane non-conference? 

And all of those are home games!
   
You’re exploiting the system and your fans—who are good enough to show up no matter what team you play, no matter where you play. 

If Hurricane Ike forces Saturday’s game to be relocated, they’ll give up their weekend to travel to Texas Stadium or the Georgia Dome or Independence Stadium in Shreveport, if necessary.

They deserve better than North Texas.  And no program deserves eight home games.

8. Texas (2-0)

Last Week: Beat UTEP 42-13
This Week: Arkansas (+24)

All summer Colt McCoy heard the names.

Bradford.  Harrell.  Daniel.  Reesing.  Even Robinson.

After an injury-ridden, disappointing 2007 season for McCoy and the Longhorns, most of the college football world had forgotten about his record-setting freshman season.

But through two games, you could make the case that Colt McCoy is once again the best of the bunch.   Seven touchdowns, just one interception, a top 10 passer rating, and most importantly, two resounding Texas wins.

The Longhorns are one of five Big 12 programs in our rankings, and the third in our top 10.  If McCoy continues to play like a freshman—in this case a compliment—his team might once again be the best of the bunch.

9. Auburn (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Southern Miss 27-13
This Week: at Mississippi St. (+10)

Opening week injuries aside, the Tigers are right where they hoped to be at the start of the conference season: unbeaten, dominant defensively, and with a clearly defined starting quarterback who fits their new spread attack.

Making his first start, junior college transfer Chris Todd went 21-of-31 for 248 yards and didn’t throw an interception in last week’s win over Southern Miss.  Now he’ll dive into the shallow end of the SEC pool, a road game at 1-1 Mississippi State, with a sink-or-swim test against LSU looming.

10. Wisconsin (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Marshall 51-14
This Week: at No. 21 Fresno St (+1.5)

First the cheese, now the football.

California continues its assault on all that Wisconsin holds dear this weekend when the Badgers travel to Fresno.

Wisconsin is the highest-ranked team to ever visit Bulldog Stadium, where Pat Hill is 10-1 in home openers.

I’m not sure why the Badgers are currently regarded as a top 10 team, and I was even less convinced after they fell behind Marshall by two scores at home.  But 51 unanswered was very impressive, and if Wisconsin is the only team to win in California this weekend, the Badgers will be the conference’s top-rated team.

11. Alabama (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Tulane 20-6
This Week: Western Kentucky (+28)

12. Texas Tech (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Nevada 35-19
This Week: Southern Methodist (+36.5)

13. East Carolina (2-0)

Last Week: Beat West Virginia 24-3
This Week: at Tulane (+13)

14. Penn State (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Oregon St. 45-14
This Week: at Syracuse (-27)

15. Kansas (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Louisiana Tech 29-0
This Week: at South Florida (Friday, -3.5)

16. Oregon (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Utah St. 66-24
This Week: at Purdue (+8)

17. Arizona State (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Stanford 41-17
This Week: UNLV (+23)

18. South Florida (2-0)

Last Week: Beat UCF 31-24 OT
This Week: Kansas (Friday, +3.5)

19. BYU (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Washington 28-27
This Week: UCLA (+8.5)

20. Wake Forest (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Ole Miss 30-28
This Week: BYE

21. Fresno State (1-0)

Last Week: BYE
This Week: No. 10 Wisconsin (-1.5)

22. California (2-0)

Last Week: Beat Washington St. 66-3
This Week: at Maryland (+14.5)

23. Utah (2-0)

Last Week: Beat UNLV 42-21
This Week: at Utah State (+24.5)

24. Illinois (1-1)

Last Week: Beat Eastern Illinois 47-21
This Week: Louisiana-Lafayette (+24.5)

25. UCLA (1-0)

Last Week: Beat Tennessee 27-24 OT
This Week: at No. 19 BYU (-8.5)