Oregon Ducks Or Ohio State Buckeyes: Who Follows Tide In Top 25 Power Rankings?
The fifth week of the season is usually a good place to start evaluating who the "haves" and the "have nots" are in any college football season.
Alabama, Boise State, and Oregon have all already faced some of the toughest tests of their seasons in Florida, Virginia Tech, and Stanford respectively and teams like USC, Notre Dame, and Penn State have proven as always that preseason expectations were far too high.
By this point in the season most teams have played a couple cupcake games, a couple conference games, and maybe a marquee matchup against a non conference opponent.
With that in mind and the fact that its never too early to start the National Title debate here's a look at the top 25 most talented teams in College football through week 5.
25. Virginia Tech Hokies
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Probably the most interesting selection in this rankings' top 25, the Hokies are just too talented not to be included.
Remember that this was a team that came into the season as top ten in the nation and they have not suffered any major injuries. Losing to Boise State in their opener hurt, and the wounds seemed to linger as they inexplicably dropped their next game to James Madison University as well.
After their horrific start however, the Hokies have begun to piece things together and have since reeled off three straight victories, two of which were convincing wins against quality East Carolina and Boston College teams and one come from behind effort against the ACC's last undefeated team, North Carolina State.
While the Hokies still have no place in the AP Rankings, remember that they played Boise State as close as humanly possible and still have a team loaded with talent.
That is why even with two losses on the season—this Hokies team still makes the list as one of the nation's top 25 most talented teams.
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
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Like the Hokies, West Virginia has a very talented roster that has yet to mesh and reach its potential. Having posted a 3-1 record thus far, the Mountaineers needed overtime to knock off an inferior Marshall team, but then beat Maryland convincingly.
Their one loss came at the hands of No. 15 LSU in a game that was tight most of the way.
While West Virginia, and the Big East in general have no business being anywhere near the top 15 teams in the nation, being the conference's best team and having the lightning fast Noel Devine in the backfield every play are enough to place the Mountaineers at No. 24 in the power rankings.
23. Florida State Seminoles
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It has been a disappointing season for the ACC thus far as Miami, Virginia Tech, and Florida State all dashed hopes and expectations by dropping marquee non conference matchups.
Florida State has won four of its five games, but unfortunately has an ugly lose to Oklahoma on their resume. While the Seminoles do not look quite ready to catapult back into the National Title race this season, new head coach Jimbo Fisher has them pointed in the right direction.
Senior quarterback Christian Ponder has posted a nice QB rating of 131.24 and has not been intercepted in his last three games. It appears the Oklahoma game was a wakeup call for the Seminoles whose offense and defense are now both ranked in the top 30 in the nation in terms of scoring.
With a big game on the horizon against cross state rival Miami—the Seminoles could be much higher up on next week's ranking if their offense keeps clicking.
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22. Wisconsin Badgers
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Wisconsin entered Week 5 as one of the seemingly endless number of undefeated teams in the Big Ten.
They entered the week No. 11 in the nation but fell behind the No. 24 Michigan State Spartans in the first half and were never quite able to catch up.
After scoring in bunches during non conference play, including putting up 70 points on the poor Governors of Austin Peay—Wisconsin's offense only managed 24 points Saturday.
Most disheartening for the the Badger faithful however should be the overall lack of production through the air. Senior quarterback Scott Tolzien was only able to manage 127 yards through the air which really crippled the Badgers' ability to score points, especially while playing from behind.
Wisconsin entered the season with high hopes and BCS Bowl potential but to survive in the Big Ten, teams need to be able to both score points on the ground and through the air. Unless Wisconsin's passing game gets back on track look for them to drop out of the top 25 with games against Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan on the horizon.
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Oklahoma State has been largely untested this season with all four of their wins coming against weaker opponents, but with their scoring offense ranked No. 2 in the nation they simply cannot be ignored. Junior Quarterback Brandon Weeden has posted absolutely prolific numbers including a meteoric passer rating of 169.69 through this seasons first four games.
Regardless of opponents the stats have been impressive and the Cowboys offense which is averaging 52.3 points per game has been effective both through the air and on the ground. Running back Kendall Hunter has averaged over 100 yards per game and seven yards per carry.
With an offense like theirs, the Cowboys could be a threat to compete with just about anybody this season and with top ten opponents Oklahoma and Nebraska on the schedule they will have chances to prove their mettle.
20. Michigan Wolverines
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Many people, including those who vote in the AP and USA Today polls, would argue that Michigan should be a few rungs higher in the rankings. However, aside from the school's storied reputation and that of head coach Rich Rodriguez, this Wolverine team has done little to justify such high praise.
Yes, Michigan is unbeaten through the first five games of the season but a closer examination reveals that their two convincing wins against the University of Connecticut and Bowling Green have been canceled out entirely by too close for comfort victories over Notre Dame and Indiana.
Their other victory was a narrow escape against the University of Massachusetts which left much of the state of Michigan having painful flashbacks to the embarrassing 2007 loss to Appalachian State.
While Michigan's offense has been prolific it is far too reliant on star quarterback Denard Robinson. In fact Robinson has accounted for nearly 70 percent of their yards from scrimmage and over half of their rushing yardage this season.
The defense has been almost as lackluster as Robinson's supporting cast and will be overwhelmed in upcoming games against Big Ten powers if they do not improve.
19. Nevada Wolf Pack
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Like Michigan, Nevada is another team with a high octane offense that has yet to be truly challenged this season. The difference is that while Michigan has already played in a number of close games—Nevada has won every game by at least 14 points.
Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, there is only one true test on their schedule this year and that comes when Boise State visits in late November. Until that point, it will be difficult to truly gauge just how good this Nevada team is.
They are 4th in the nation in points per game and even playing in shootout atmospheres their defense is still ranked 40th overall in points allowed.
Pair the impressive statistics with a blowout win over the University of California, a team which almost upset Arizona on Saturday, and the result is a team that will likely remain unbeaten until they play Boise State. With this in mind, their talent, system, and margin of victory will likely keep them ranked in the upper teens for most of this season.
18. South Carolina Gamecocks
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So far this season South Carolina has looked solid, winning three before dropping one to Auburn headed into this week's bye week. The Gamecocks have been effective on both sides of the ball but seem to lack star power in a conference dominated by big names.
In many other conferences South Carolina would have a good shot at the conference title, but this year Alabama, Florida, Auburn, LSU, and Arkansas will likely prove too much—even for a Steve Spurrier coached team.
While the Auburn game was close, South Carolina was definitely outplayed and that was apparent in the final results. Quarterback Stephen Garcia is a solid player, posting a 71 percent completion percentage against Auburn, but even with that remarkable effort the Gamecocks came away on the losing end.
Look for South Carolina to continue to mesh and improve in ways that will make them a serious problem for SEC opponents down the road. Unfortunately for Gamecock fans, however, the grind of the SEC season will likely take a large toll on them as well and lead to a couple more conference losses down the stretch.
17. Miami Hurricanes
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The Miami Hurricanes and quarterback Jacory Harris have been one of the hardest teams to figure out this season. At times they have looked phenomenal, especially when Harris has used his prowess as a dual threat quarterback to deceive the defense and take every last yard given to him both on the ground and through the air.
The bad news is that Harris has been woefully inconsistent and has paired his ten touchdown passes with eight interceptions. Turnovers lose ballgames as the Hurricanes found out when Harris was picked off four times during a twelve point loss to the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.
If Harris continues to struggle with consistency, especially in big games, look for the Hurricanes to struggle, but if he can improve his throw selection and exploit his athleticism—look for the Hurricanes to be playing in the Orange Bowl come bowl season.
16. LSU Tigers
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The LSU Tigers are top to bottom one of the best teams in college football. They have an incredibly staunch defense, which is allowing only 12.4 points per game, and a host of speedy options on offense.
Why then are the Tigers only ranked No. 16 in the power rankings?
The reason, their absolute lack of a quality option at quarterback. The Tiger's quarterback play has been absolutely dreadful up until this point. Both Jordan Jefferson and backup Jarrett Lee have struggled and the Tigers have been forced to rely on their defense and a little bit of luck to stay undefeated this season.
LSU has an absolutely loaded defense and enough talent on offense that any improvement at the quarterback position could launch them into the top ten.
However, with games against Florida, Alabama, Auburn, and Arkansas coming up the Tigers will certainly be out of the top 25 if the passing game remains at this level of ineptitude.
15. Iowa Hawkeyes
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Iowa has looked good so far this season with their only loss coming in a close contest against a highly talented Arizona Wildcat team. The Hawkeyes handled Penn State Saturday, beating them by the same margin that undisputed number one Alabama defeated Penn State by earlier this season.
Iowa is second in the nation in scoring defense and look like a team that could cause some serious trouble in the Big Ten this season. Look for their late season clash with Ohio State to go a long way towards determining who the conference champion will be at year's end.
Their offense has also been solid as they have relied heavily on the proven throwing ability of quarterback Ricky Stanzi who has compiled over 1,200 yards through five games while throwing ten touchdown passes as opposed to only two interceptions.
Look for the Hawkeyes to keep moving up the ranking as they dispatch Big Ten opponents on their way to their showdown with Ohio State.
14. Michigan State Spartans
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Michigan State has been one of the biggest surprises on the college football landscape this season. Coming into the year few had them picked to be outperforming Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa this far into the season.
Although their undefeated record is cushioned by a weak strength of schedule the Spartans proved their worth by soundly defeating Wisconsin Saturday. While the health of coach Mark Dantonio is a concern, the Spartans seem to be rallying around their leader and will look to keep the momentum going moving into the the heart of their conference schedule.
Look for their showdown with Michigan next week to be a competitive battle as Kirk Cousins versus Denard Robinson will be one of the more interesting quarterback matchups so far this season.
13. Florida Gators
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The Florida Gators have struggled all season with the task of replacing Tim Tebow. John Brantley has been improving but the offense as a whole has been anemic this season. Florida was blown out Saturday by Alabama in a game that was supposed to be a revenge game following the loss in last season's SEC championship game. Brantley was picked off twice in a game that saw Florida outgain Alabama while still losing by 25 points.
The Gators have just plain looked sloppy for much of 2010 and it will be up to Urban Meyer to whip his team into shape if they want to have any hope at seeing Alabama again in the conference title game. In many ways this is a rebuilding year for the Gators who are playing without Tebow for the first time in four years.
Considering that they are in transition, being the No. 13 team is remarkable.
This is a testament to Meyer's coaching and recruiting abilities and also to the Florida defense. It has become apparent that Florida will only be going as far as the defense can carry them. From the looks of it, that could be a BCS bowl game, and if you asked other teams in rebuilding phases like Texas how that sounds, they would be thrilled to even be ranked.
12. Stanford Cardinal
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The biggest surprise of this season has likely been the rise to prominence of Stanford football. Stanford's program has been steadily improving since coach Jim Harbaugh took over, but few saw success coming this quickly. Stanford plays a physical brand of smash mouth football that is refreshing in a game dominated by speed and spread offenses.
Their offense, led by quarterback Andrew Luck, is ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense. The Cardinal came out on fire, absolutely dominating their first four opponents which included UCLA and Notre Dame.
Their winning streak ended Saturday against Oregon, but any Pac 10 aficionado knows that Autzen Stadium is one of the most difficult venues in the country to play in.
Even playing on the road Stanford did manage to jump out to a big lead against Oregon, but they fell apart in the second half and were unable to score or maintain the lead. While Oregon revealed some of Stanford's flaws, there is no shame in losing to one of the nation's best teams.
Look for Stanford to be a potential Rose Bowl candidate.
11. Utah Utes
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With Boise State and TCU taking center stage in the non BCS conference debate many people have forgotten that it was Utah who really brought the debate to the forefront with their play at the beginning of the last decade. This Utah team is looking to reinsert the Utes into that debate by continuing to remain unbeaten.
So far they have yet to be tested, but their opening week victory over a ranked Pittsburgh team was a great way to start the season. Following their big win with three consecutive blowouts over inferior opponents has helped keep them high in the polls and also in these rankings.
Statistically, they are ranked in the top ten in both scoring offense and scoring defense.Even with an injury to starting quarterback Jordan Wynn the Utes offense did not skip a beat and now that he is healthy again look for them to only get better.
While they are likely ranked too far down to be a factor in the BCS National Championship debate look for their matchups with Air Force, Notre Dame, and TCU to have major impacts on how this season's bowl picture shake out.
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
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While Arkansas dropped in the polls because of their loss to Alabama, in terms of power rankings and just overall talent this is definitively a top ten team. Alabama has already dispatched three ranked teams and Arkansas was the only one who even had a chance to beat the top ranked Crimson Tide.
Arkansas not only had a chance, but had their defense held or their quarterback been a little more composed they most likely would have held their lead and beaten the nation's best team. Arkansas has a quarterback in Ryan Mallett who is arguably among the nation's elite.
Hopefully Mallett will learn from his three interception day against Alabama and mature further this season. Although Arkansas has an uphill fight to get into the SEC championship game due to their loss to Alabama, look for them as a potential at large BCS Bowl participant if they can knock off the rest of their SEC opponents.
9. Arizona Wildcats
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Along with Stanford and Oregon, Arizona has taken the proverbial torch from USC this season in terms of keeping the Pac 10 relevant while USC transitions through a period with a new coaching staff and no bowl eligibility. The Wildcats have relied on their defense to remain undefeated until this point in the season as they have only been giving up an average 11 points per game.
While the offense had been effective through the first three weeks of the season it was slowed Saturday in a nail biting one point victory over the University of California. Arizona is a top ten team at this point because of their victory over Iowa and look to carry that momentum into their conference schedule.
Arizona gets in done in large part through the air and rely heavily on quarterback Nick Foles. If teams can figure out how to slow down the passing game and make them run the ball, Arizona could be in trouble. Look to their games with Stanford and Oregon to reveal just how tough this Arizona team is.
8. Oklahoma Sooners
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This season's Oklahoma team has shown flashes of a team known for being a perennial national title contender while also looking woefully inconsistent at times. The undefeated Sooners seem to play to the level of their competition and this may be related to some relative inexperience.
Oklahoma easily handled both of their ranked opponents in Texas and Florida State but barely escaped in victories over now ranked Air Force and unranked Cincinnati.
They have leaned heavily on quarterback Landry Jones who already has 11 touchdown passes on the season. Running back Demarco Murray has also looked solid, racking up an average of over 100 yards per game, so look for the offense to really start clicking in the coming weeks.
Oklahoma's biggest threat in the Big 12 is normally Texas, but with Texas having a down year and no game scheduled with fellow top ten team Nebraska—look for Oklahoma to cruise into the Big 12 Title Game.
7. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Many sports fans would have the Cornhuskers behind Oklahoma due to strength of schedule, but simply based on production it did not feel right. Oklahoma has had long stretches of games where they appeared to out of sync and too many close games.
The Cornhuskers started the season on fire and have not cooled off with their smallest margin of victory being 14 points so far this year. Like Oklahoma, Nebraska benefits from not playing the each other during the regular season which makes an undefeated regular season almost probable for this team.
Nebraska is extremely tough on both sides of the ball this season and the two headed monster of Taylor Martinez and Roy Helu Jr. in the backfield has them rushing for over 300 yards per game. This level of dominance on the ground allows Nebraska to control the clock and set the tempo of the game.
Paired with an excellent defense, there was just no way to not put Nebraska ahead of the Sooners.
6. Auburn Tigers
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The 2010 Auburn Tigers are very quietly one of the nation's most dominant teams as well as one of the last remaining real threats to Alabama's undefeated season. Auburn has played in a few close games which have them ranked below Oklahoma and Nebraska, but it just did not feel right to have two Big 12 teams ahead of the SEC's second best option.
Auburn defeated Clemson in overtime and looked very very good in taking out No. 12 ranked South Carolina in their first SEC game. Auburn will only go as far as Junior star quarterback Cameron Newton will carry them which from the looks of it could be a BCS bowl game.
While more of a runner than a thrower at this point, Newton has proven himself to be an excellent game manager with 12 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions. This Auburn team has tremendous potential and the more they play the better Newton and the team as a whole will get.
5. TCU Horned Frogs
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With all of the hype surrounding Boise State it is easy to forget that TCU is another non BCS conference school that would love a shot at the National Championship game. TCU struggles from their lack of schedule strength but being a top five team in their conference is very impressive.
TCU has been as impressive as always statistically but they will have trouble really moving up in the rankings unless teams above them begin to lose. They have Air Force and Utah left as far as challenges go and will need to win both games convincingly in order to ensure themselves a spot in a major bowl game.
4. Boise State Broncos
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The Boise State debate will likely rage on and on until either Boise gets a shot at a national title or makes drastic improvements to its strength of schedule.
As far as this season goes the Broncos have been impressive to date, but are receiving very little help from Virginia Tech who dropped a game to James Madison after being Boise's first marquee win of the season.
Boise is difficult to handle in these debates because who is to say how they would hold up if they were say playing in the SEC or Big Ten every week. For this reason they come in at fourth because although they look like a top five team and potential title contender—they just have yet to prove themselves like Oregon, Alabama, and Ohio State.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Dropping the Buckeyes to third is probably the biggest break from convention in these rankings. Although they are widely regarded as the nation's second best team with a strong defense and explosive offense, they have yet to be tested as much as some of the country's other best teams.
The Buckeyes only real test of the season came against Miami and ACC football just is not what it used to be. That said the Buckeyes are still one of the nation's best teams and are in a dead heat with the rest of the top five for a spot in the BCS National Championship game.
The Buckeyes have a great team but in the hyper competitive world that is the college football national title race, they will need a Heisman caliber year from quarterback Terrelle Pryor if they want to take home the crystal ball at year's end.
Pryor's worst game came against Miami in which he completed less than 50 percent of his passes and only threw one touchdown pass.
If Pryor struggles against good teams, as he has in the past, there is a chance that the Buckeyes could be knocked off before season's end. In a year that has an extraordinary potential for multiple undefeated teams jockeying for position at year's end, Pryor's consistency will go a long way in determining who plays for the national title.
2. Oregon Ducks
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The Oregon Ducks were this weekend's biggest winners. Coming into the weekend everyone was talking about the revival of Pac 10 parity and how the winner of the contest between Stanford and Oregon would be an instant national championship contender. Well now Oregon is reaping the benefits of that victory.
Oregon did not just beat Stanford they did it by coming from behind and looking like a national title contender in the second half. If Alabama and Ohio State were watching the second half of that game, in which Oregon shut out Stanford and put up 28 points, they likely started looking over their shoulders.
Oregon has the nation's most prolific scoring offense and second best rushing attack. Running back LaMichael James ran for an absurd 257 yards in the victory and looks like a worthy opponent for just about anybody in the Heisman race.
Oregon can score on and with anyone in the country so expect every game they play to be a shootout or a blowout, and to this point in the season they have just been too prolific to not be the No. 2 team in the power rankings.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Five weeks into the season and Alabama already looks better than expected.
They have compiled three victories over ranked teams including two top ten teams in Florida and Arkansas. In their biggest matchup against the No. 7 ranked Gators, Alabama turned a divisional grudge match into a walk in the park.
Alabama just seems to have too many weapons on both sides of the ball. Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Greg McElroy have been prolific on offense and seem to make a play whenever Alabama needs one.
On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama is better than any team in the country and their No. 1 overall ranking in scoring defense only reinforces that point.
Alabama has too much starpower and playmaking and as of right now it does not appear that anybody on the college football landscape can play with them. For that reason, Alabama is this week's undisputed number one.
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