B/R Top 25 College Football Poll: Week Five

What is this, the NFL?

What’s with all the bye weeks?  Of the teams in our poll, six have the week off.  That doesn’t bode well for holding position in the rankings.  Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Illinois all lost a spot without losing—or playing—a game last weekend.

Fresh off a road win at Arizona State, Georgia reclaimed the No. 2 spot in our Top 25.  Now the Bulldogs focus their attention on No. 7 Alabama—the SEC’s second straight top 10 matchup. 

The 'Dawgs weren’t the only team making moves in the South.  Florida and LSU both climbed over Missouri with conference road wins, so there’s been a shift in power from the Big 12 to the SEC.

Here’s how you voted.

Number of Voters: 85

Click on each team for more commentary from our pollsters.

1. USC (2-0)

Previous: 1
Last Week: BYE
This Week: at Oregon State (+26)

Do the Trojans need to root for Ohio State and Notre Dame?

That’s the popular question among college football insiders as the initial outline of a national championship picture takes form.

Last week we documented USC’s lackluster remaining schedule (read: the Pac-10 slate).  Now the concern is that lack of competition could keep Troy out of Miami if a Big 12 and SEC team are able to run the table.

Now, if the Buckeyes can win a third straight Big 11 title and the Irish come to Los Angeles in good standing, those non-conference wins should be enough to keep USC afloat.  But in addition to pulling for Ohio State and Notre Dame, Southern California might want to start rooting against teams like Florida and Oklahoma.

2. Georgia (4-0)

Previous: 3
Last Week: Beat Arizona State 27-10
This Week: No. 7 Alabama (+7)

The Bulldogs have the opposite problem—their schedule is too tough.

We knew about the road games at South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn.  All carried preseason rankings. 

But now Vanderbilt is a top 25 team.  Kentucky is threatening to crack the rankings.  The World’s Largest Cocktail Party is anything but for the teams on the field. 

And oh yeah, did anyone notice Alabama is suddenly a conference championship contender?

Georgia answered the traveling question with a resounding win in the desert.  However, sometimes the toughest part of road trips can be the ride home.  It’s the kind of thing that requires a strong cup of coffee.

That’s where the Crimson Tide comes in...led by junior running back Glen Coffee, who rushed for 162 and a pair of scores against Arkansas last week.

To extend the metaphor further than I should, the Bulldogs will take their coffee black this weekend—as in a planned blackout of Sanford Stadium on Saturday, where the fans will attempt to keep their Bulldogs unbeaten.

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