NCAA Football Rankings: Breaking Down the Week 15 AP Poll Rankings
Isn't it sad? The college football regular season is officially over.
For most of us, this simply means more attention goes to NFL football, but for some, this is the end of the road until next August.
There will still be plenty to talk about for the next few weeks as bowl season begins, but most teams are done for the year, and we bid them a fond farewell.
So, then, let's break down the final college football AP poll of the 2010 regular season.
1. Auburn Tigers
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The Auburn Tigers looked very impressive in their win over South Carolina in the SEC Championship; that much I will admit.
As far as earning the No. 1 spot goes, though? By all accounts, the Oregon Ducks deserve this spot.
We will see who the real champion is when the National Championship comes up, but it seems to me like the Ducks play better offense, better defense, and there really hasn't been a team that can hang with them for all four quarters (I'm not counting Cal because of the whole injury faking ordeal).
2. Oregon Ducks
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It's incredible what Chip Kelly has been able to do with this program.
The Ducks play fast, exciting football, and it is reflected in their ranking. At 12-0, the Oregon Ducks are headed to the BCS National Championship, where they are heavy favorites to take home the hardware.
3. Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
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TCU has been quietly brilliant this year. They are ranked No. 1 in the FBS in points against, No. 4 in points for, and No. 8 in rushing yards per game.
They may not have a player that really sticks out, but they have really been getting it done so far this year, and it is a little tragic that they aren't headed to the BCS National Championship. They are headed to a BCS bowl, though, which is a great way to end the Mountain West Conference career of the Horned Frogs.
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4. Wisconsin Badgers
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The Wisconsin Badgers really play into my favor. They play great defense, and they have a great running game.
The Badgers have been a lot of fun to watch this year, which is why it is a little unfortunate that they may barely miss the guaranteed BCS bowl slot on account of Stanford.
5. Stanford Cardinal
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Three shutouts on the year.
The best quarterback in college football.
A completely rejuvenated defense.
If there is one coach that has been doing as well or better as a head coach than Chip Kelly in Oregon, it's Jim Harbaugh.
In the span of four years, the Cardinal has gone from 1-11 to 11-1, and they are headed to a BCS bowl. Well done Stanford, well done.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Their loss against Wisconsin all those weeks ago is now looking as good as it possibly could be as the Badgers sit at No. 4 right now.
Ohio State may have benefited from a relatively easy schedule this year, but they proved once again that they are one of the best in the Big Ten, and one of the best in the FBS at that.
7. Michigan State Spartans
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Their blowout loss to Iowa looks bad, but Michigan State has done a lot right this year, and they deserve their spot at No. 7.
Interesting bit of information, though: With Michigan State hitting the No. 7 spot, the Big Ten will end the regular season with three teams ranked in the top 10 in the AP poll, beating out the mighty SEC and the PAC-10, who both have two teams in the top 10.
8. Arkansas Razorbacks
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It really surprises me that the Razorbacks are in the No. 8 spot over Boise State. While Boise State may have one not-so-good looking loss on their record against Nevada, it was a close game, and it was their only loss.
Arkansas, on the other hand, lost two games this year, at home against Alabama and against Auburn.
Regardless, though, the Razorbacks ended the season by capping a six game winning streak with a win over then-No. 5 ranked LSU, which is pretty impressive.
9. Oklahoma Sooners
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Oh boy, was that a good Big 12 Championship game or what?
The Sooners edged it out against Nebraska, who has really put together a great season, but attacking defensive studs like Prince Amukamara effectively and by completely shutting down Taylor Martinez.
Oklahoma deserves a lot of credit for the way they wrapped up the season, and now they have another great game to look forward to at the Fiesta Bowl.
10. Boise State Broncos
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It's nice for the Broncos to end the season ranked in the top 10. They absolutely deserve it.
After losing a heart breaker to Nevada, Boise State came out and reasserted their dominance in a 50-14 blowout of Utah State.
They played great football all season long, and by all accounts they deserve a higher ranking and a better bowl game, but the BCS rankings are not quite as forgiving as they should be.
Biggest Winner: University Of Connecticut
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A hearty congratulations to the University of Connecticut for climbing into the rankings this week at No. 25 after winning the Big East Championship.
For a team that started 10 years ago, UConn has done wonderful things as a program, and they show a lot of future promise.
Here's to hoping they come back strong next year, despite the fact that they will have to contend with TCU for the conference championship.
Biggest Loser: Nebraska
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Considering that there weren't many major shifts in rankings this week, this one has to go to Nebraska.
They dropped a close game in the Big 12 Championship, which would make you think that this might be unfair, but take a closer look at a game.
The Sooners played dominant defense, shutting down quarterback Taylor Martinez, and they would've run away with this game had it not been for some embarrassing miscues.
No. 17 isn't bad to start the career of Taylor Martinez, but it isn't quite where Nebraska thought they would be at the end of the regular season.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
13 of 13Go ahead and comment. I don't mind.
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