Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll:It's All About the Schedule

With the month of September in the books, fall is here the weather is changing and there is no doubt that the college football season is heating up. From the looks of things this is one season that could go down to the wire, so you better get your popcorn ready and hope your favorite team can hold on. In the meantime, let’s check out the latest edition of the Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll.

1) : Boomer Sooner! OU survived their trap game against Baylor and now it is time to get into the meat of their Big 12 Schedule. was focused and dialed in on Saturday against Baylor which means they were not looking ahead to their showdown with . Now it’s all about the Red River Shootout, a shot at the national title and

2) LSU: Hanging in there and just waiting for things to shake out. However, before the Tigers can put it completely into cruise mode they do have a showdown with SEC East power . And one can bet the Gators will not go quietly into the SEC night. So LSU better stop worrying about and start worrying about the job at hand.

3) Tigers: Chase Daniels may be playing the best football in the country right now. The more I see him the more I like him. However the road is about to get a little bumpier for the Tigers. Games against next week, and then after that will put this high flying offense to the test.

4) : This will be the highest you see ranked all year. Why? , , and Texas Tech those are the Longhorns next four games. If can escape that, then they should be crowned national champions right then.

5) : A hard fought hard win against a surprising squad over the weekend. is stacked and the fact that they are fifth in this poll is actually an understatement of how good they actually are. Bama will have to continue to work and play hard as there are no cupcakes on their schedule, but a big date with LSU in the near future is definitely something we will all enjoy watching.

6) : This is quickly becoming one of my favorite teams to watch in the country. They run a want to be spread offense, but it works. They discovered their defense last weekend against Purdue, and most importantly, they have what it takes to keep OSU out of the Rose Bowl.

7) Tech: If TT was a stock, I would be screaming to sell it right now. The Red Raiders are seventh in the country and may only be the seventh best team in their conference. The next month will break Texas Tech, , and is all coming down the pike.

8) BYU: This team is just waiting to see how long they can run their current win streak. Currently they are at 15 consecutive games, and that number can swell past 20 with the schedule this team has.

9) : Last season it took a lost to jumpstart the Bulldogs season, and they are hoping for more of the same this year. The Bulldogs are very much alive in the SEC race which puts them in the national title hunt as well. Just win the games on the schedule, focus on the Cocktail Party coming up and make your way to ATL for the SEC Championship, sounds like a simple formula.

10) USC: A game against was just what the Trojan’s needed. Once again a lowly team more than likely cost USC a shot at the national title, now it is time for the rest of the Pac-10 to pay. Pete Carroll just has to keep his team and he motivated enough to look at the Rose Bowl as a game worth playing in.

11) : The Gators looked shaky for much of their game against , but then in the fourth Tebow and the Gators came alive racking up 21 points and blowing out the Razorbacks. The slow start has been something the Gators are guilty of all season. It will bite them again if they are not very careful.

12) : It’s not Beanie, its Terrelle Pryor that stirs the drink in . Thanks to his efforts he got the Buckeyes over the hump against on Saturday night. Now he needs to repeat that for the next month, because is playing ranked opponents till November.

13) : It wasn’t pretty against , but found a way to get the win. That has been their M.O. all season, just find a way to gut it out and get the victory. I like that as sign of a good football team. is still very much in the mix to make their second BCS appearance.

14) : will go as far as Todd Reesing will take them. Chances are they won’t relive their BCS glory of a year ago, but this is a solid team with a great quarterback. will factor into the Big 12 Title hunt.

15) : I like this team, they are young, and so I’m not sure they can repeat their 2006 run to the Fiesta Bowl, but I think they are something pretty special. is once again destroying the WAC competition. It’s the shame the Pac 10 is not willing to expand and open up the possibility of a conference championship game. I know two teams that are ready to compete.

16) Vanderbilt: Vandy ranked? Vandy leading the SEC East? Wow! It sounds strange because it is strange. This Vandy team is tough on defense, and they know how to win gutsy football games. I’m not sure how far this ride can go but as long as they are selling tickets, hop aboard and enjoy the ride.

17) : This is a very good team. Their offense had a bad night and yet the Cowboys still put up 56 points against Texas A&M. Make no mistake about it, Bob Stoops and company have their eye on this team and the end of the season matchup between and may prove to be bigger than the Red River Shootout.

18) Virginia Tech: Defense and special teams. This is a very average Va. Team, but they find a way to get it done. And playing in a very average ACC helps out a lot as well. With the fall of Clemson, the ACC is open for the taking and the Hokies are looking to play a factor in that race.

19) : Lose to Vandy (even a ranked Vandy) and you’re going to fall in the polls. Blow a 13-point lead in the second half, and then can’t even muster a field goal, and you’re going crash like the stock market. needs a quarterback and is holding open tryouts right now, come one come all.

20) : Maybe USF just doesn’t like nationally televised games? This is the second year that USF was ready for their coming out party and laid an egg against a Big East opponent. Now the Bulls have to focus and hang in there, because they still are very much in the hunt to win the Big East.

21) : A two game losing streak will end any chance the Badgers had of factoring into the national title hunt. It looks like another year and another trip to the Capital One Bowl. Now all the Badgers can do is playing the roll of spoiler in the Big 10. At least a game against next week should get them back into the win column.

22) : After a 12 day break the Clemson Tigers will be coming to town. is very much alive and well in the ACC title hunt, beating down Clemson will pretty much end Tommy Bowden’s career and it will give WF a chance to make some noise in the ACC.

23) : Don’t look now but the Butch Davis rebuilding process is underway and doing well. The Tar Heels are ranked and they are ready to play a play for the ACC title right now. Pretty impressive if you think where this team was just a few years ago.

24) : Interesting that the Spartans would make the poll after their most unimpressive performance of the year. But that is how it happens sometimes. MSU will have to get their running game fired back up if they want to survive the rest of the Big 10 schedule. You have to score points to win that conference now.

25) Northwestern: Welcome Northwestern, we are glad to have you. Vandy and Northwestern both in the top 25, now that is something I never though I would write. The Wildcats have gotten off to a great start and took care of business against out of conference teams, now the Big 10 season is here and the Wildcats will have to take their game to a new level if they want this trip inside the top 25 to last more than a week.