B/R Top 25 College Football Poll: Week 1
I want to welcome everyone to the inaugural Bleacher Report College Football Top 25!
This is a one of a kind poll based on the votes of 20 B/R writers. Not only are we releasing the poll on the same day the AP and USA Today Coaches polls come out, we are releasing ours first.
So grab a seat and take a look at the B/R Top 25!
Note: We did not create a preseason poll, so please don't base judgment against any of the other polls. This is completely unique.
Others Receiving Votes
1 of 26Here are all the teams that also received a vote for the Top 25:
TCU: 32
Georgia: 30
Auburn: 25
Texas: 21
Utah: 14
Michigan: 11
Houston: 9
Iowa: 8
Central Florida: 6
Notre Dame: 6
Hawaii: 5
BYU: 5
Cincinnati: 5
Tennessee: 4
Northwestern: 4
Clemson: 3
Miami: 3
Navy: 3
UNC: 2
Georgia Tech: 1
No. 25: South Florida Bulls
2 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 39
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Notre Dame, 23-20
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Ball State
Notes: South Florida went into Notre Dame as a heavy underdog and came away with an upset. Although Notre Dame had twice as many yards as South Florida, 508-254, the Irish were unable to put the ball in the end zone.
Bulls quarterback B.J. Daniels had 128 yards passing and another 37 rushing in the win against the Fighting Irish.
No. 24: Penn State Nittany Lions
3 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 40
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Indiana State, 41-7
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Notes: Penn State gained 245 yards on the ground and another 114 through the air, as it beat the Sycamores with ease on Saturday. Penn State's defense held Indiana State's offense to just 170 total yards while forcing three turnovers.
Everything changes next week, though, when No. 2-ranked Alabama comes to visit Happy Valley.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 23: USC Trojans
4 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 44
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Minnesota, 19-17
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Utah
Notes: Wide receiver Robert Woods did everything he could, catching 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Too bad the rest of the offense struggled as USC held off Minnesota, 19-17.
USC was able to pass all over the place but struggled mightily at running the ball, gaining just 68 yards on 28 carries.
If the Trojans want to stay in the Top 25 or compete in the Pac-12, they better find some balance in their offense.
No. 22: Arizona State Sun Devils
5 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 48
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 1 beat UC Davis, 48-14
Next Game: Sept. 9 vs. Missouri Tigers
Notes: The Sun Devils manhandled the Aggies on Saturday night with a balanced attack. Arizona State had 300 yards passing and 217 yards rushing.
Quarterback Brock Osweiler threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils.
No. 21: Baylor Bears
6 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 75
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 2 beat TCU, 50-48
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Stephen F. Austin
Notes: In the most exciting game of opening weekend, the Baylor Bears showed the TCU Horned Frogs that they were for real. Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III took the Heisman lead from everyone in the country, as he threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns.
Baylor moved from the unknown to the Top 25 in just one game. If no one can find an answer for Griffin, it will stay here for a very long time.
No. 20: Missouri Tigers
7 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 107
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Miami (OH), 17-6
Next Game: Sept. 9 at Arizona State
Notes: Missouri quarterback James Franklin had massive shoes to fill this year after Blaine Gabbert left last year.
Unfortunately he didn't fill them very well, throwing for just 129 yards, a touchdown and an interception on opening weekend. Although the Tigers beat Miami (OH), they didn't look very good doing it.
Next week will be a much harder challenge, as they face the Pac-12's Arizona State.
No. 19: West Virginia Mountaineers
8 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 115
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 4 beat Marshall, 34-13
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Norfolk State
Notes: There is no doubt that West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is going to be a good one, but if the Mountaineers are not able to run the ball effectively, it is going to be a short stint in the Top 25.
They ran for just 42 yards on 26 carries against Marshall and ended the game with just 291 total yards.
No. 18: Florida Gators
9 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 148
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Florida Atlantic, 41-3
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. UAB
Notes: Even though the Gators were playing an easy Florida Atlantic team, they showed two things. They have a great running game in Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, who combined for 184 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Quarterbacks John Brantley and Jeff Driskel, though, struggled in the new pro-style offense with one touchdown and three interceptions.
The defense was as good as ever, holding the Owls to just 137 yards.
No. 17: Michigan State Spartans
10 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 193
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 2 beat Youngstown State, 28-6
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Florida Atlantic
Notes: Michigan State struggled with Youngstown State but still was able to show off its balanced offensive attack, passing for 237 yards and rushing for 159 yards.
The Spartans should be able to work more on their chemistry next week against the Florida Atlantic Owls.
No. 16: Ohio State Buckeyes
11 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 196
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Akron, 42-0
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Toledo
Notes: Even with a handful of players suspended and the unexpected leaving of its star quarterback and head coach, OSU dominated Akron, holding it to just 90 total yards.
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, had 517 total yards, including a three-touchdown receiving performance from tight end Jake Stoneburner.
Next is another cupcake team, Toledo.
No. 15: Mississippi State Bulldogs
12 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 198
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 1 beat Memphis, 59-14
Next Game: Sept. 10 at Auburn
Notes: Senior running back Vick Ballard burned Memphis for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries as Mississippi State racked up 645 yards of total offense.
Next week will be a totally different story, as the Bulldogs go to Auburn to face the defending national champions.
No. 14: Oregon Ducks
13 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 254
Record: 0-1
Last Game: Sept. 3 lost to LSU, 40-27
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Nevada
Notes: Oregon may not want to play an SEC team again for a while, as the Ducks are finding out the hard way that their uptempo rush attack is no match for the SEC. LaMichael James was held to just 54 yards on 18 carries.
Oregon could not overcome the four turnovers it had in its second straight loss to an SEC school.
No. 13: South Carolina Gamecocks
14 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 256
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat East Carolina, 56-37
Next Game: Sept. 10 at Georgia
Notes: South Carolina had to come back from a 17-point deficit in the first half to beat East Carolina. The Gamecocks had to rely on running back Marcus Lattimore, who had 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Next week they go to Georgia to play a very confident Bulldogs team that put up a great fight in a loss against the No. 5 Boise State Broncos.
No. 12: Arkansas Razorbacks
15 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 260
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Missouri State, 51-7
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. New Mexico
Notes: Just like all the other SEC teams, defense dominated once again, as the Razorbacks held Missouri State to just 163 yards of total offense.
Arkansas quarterbacks Tyler Wilson and Brandon Mitchell threw for a combined 364 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 11: Virginia Tech Hokies
16 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 288
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Appalachian State, 66-13
Next Game: Sept. 10 at East Carolina
Notes: Virginia Tech made sure that an FBS school was not going to beat it this year, as it totally manhandled Appalachian State on Saturday. The Hokies racked up 256 yards rushing and put the game away early.
Things will get much harder next week, as they go on the road against a good East Carolina team.
No. 10: Nebraska Cornhuskers
17 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 319
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Chattanooga, 40-7
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Fresno State
Notes: Quarterback Taylor Martinez rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for 116 yards. Nebraska outgained the Mocs, 364 to 234 total yards.
No. 9: Oklahoma State Cowboys
18 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 326
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 61-34
Next Game: Sept. 8 vs. Arizona
Notes: Oklahoma State gained 666 total yards on offense as it cruised by the Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday night. Quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns but also threw three interceptions. Heisman hopeful receiver Justin Blackmon had 144 yards receiving on eight catches.
No. 8: Wisconsin Badgers
19 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 357 (1)
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 1 beat UNLV, 51-17
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Oregon State
Notes: North Carolina State transfer quarterback Russell Wilson started his career as a Badger in great fashion. Wilson completed 10 of 13 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown. He also had 62 yards rushing on just two carries, including a 46-yard touchdown.
Wisconsin's defense must improve next week, as it gave up 292 yards to UNLV, a team coming off a two-win season.
Next week should be a better game, as the Badgers will welcome Pac-12 team Oregon State.
No. 7: Texas A&M Aggies
20 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 368
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 4 beat SMU, 46-14
Next Game: Sept. 17 vs. Idaho
Notes: Running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael made sure there were not going to be any upsets, as they combined for 217 yards and four touchdowns against SMU.
No. 6: Stanford Cardinal
21 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 395
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat San Jose State, 57-3
Next Game: Sept. 10 at Duke
Notes: Andrew Luck and the rest of the Cardinal didn't have enormous numbers against the Spartans but did score plenty of touchdowns in beating San Jose State, 57-3.
Luck had just 171 yards and two touchdowns, as well as rushed for a touchdown.
No. 5: Florida State Seminoles
22 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 415
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Louisiana-Monroe, 34-0
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Charleston Southern
Notes: Florida State came into the season as one of the most highly touted teams in the country but didn't really live up to the hype.The defense did its part in holding the Warhawks to under 200 yards of total offense.
The offense, on the other hand, had 372 yards, but the rushing attack was held under 100 yards.
No. 4: Boise State Broncos
23 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 439 (2)
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Georgia, 35-21
Next Game: Sept. 16 at Toledo
Notes: Kellen Moore and the Broncos came into a very pro-Georgia stadium and showed why they belong in the Top Five.
Boise State gained almost 400 yards of total offense against the SEC school.
No. 3: Alabama Crimson Tide
24 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 465
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Kent State, 48-7
Next Game: Sept. 10 at Penn State
Notes: Even though Alabama was missing a lot of starters from last year's team, everyone knew that its defense was going to be dominant. The Crimson Tide proved it on Saturday, as they held the Golden Flashes to 90 total yards, while racking up 482 themselves.
Although Trent Richardson only had 13 carries for 37 yards, he did score three touchdowns.
No. 2: LSU Tigers
25 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 466 (3)
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Oregon, 40-27
Next Game: Sept. 10 vs. Northwestern State
Notes: Oregon's offense was no match for LSU's defense. LSU held the highly potent rush game of Oregon to just 95 yards. LSU, on the other hand, gained 175 yards on the ground.
LSU wasn't even at full strength on the offensive side, missing a wide receiver and its starting quarterback.
No. 1: Oklahoma Sooners
26 of 26Total Points (First Place Votes): 488 (14)
Record: 1-0
Last Game: Sept. 3 beat Tulsa, 47-14
Next Game: Sept. 17 at Florida State
Notes: The Sooners offense was just as expected—dominant—gaining 663 total yards against the Golden Hurricane. Landry Jones started his Heisman hype, throwing for 375 yards and a touchdown.
Next week will really show everyone in the country if the Sooners deserve the No. 1 ranking, as they head down to Tallahassee to play Florida State.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
