College Football Rankings 2011: 5 Ways AP Top 25 Got It Right

Much has changed from the AP Top 25 poll after the first week in college football. While there was some skepticism surrounding the preseason version of the poll, most will agree that the latest edition is more accurate.

The teams that lost took a big hit in the polls, and even some of the teams that won were bounced from the rankings.

Here are five things that the AP Top 25 got right in the second poll.

Remove Auburn from Top 25

Auburn may have won their game against Utah State, but the miracle fashion in which they did so proved that the defending national champions do not belong in the rankings.

The Tigers, who return only four starters to the team, were especially weak on defense, as they were carved up for 448 yards.

Bump LSU to No. 2

The Tigers won about as ugly as a team that scores 40 points can.

Quarterback Jarrett Lee did not make anybody forget about suspended starter Jordan Jefferson, and none of the Tigers running backs ran for more than 100 yards.

But the fact that the Tigers were able to win in this fashion showed how balanced the team is as a whole.

The absence of Jordan Jefferson may eventually catch up with the Tigers. But for now, they deserve the No. 2 spot for what they were able to accomplish without their most important player on offense.

Put Baylor in Top 20

Baylor pulled off the first upset of the season with a thrilling victory over TCU.

Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III shredded the vaunted Horned Frogs defense for 359 yards and five touchdowns through the air, putting himself on the early watch list for several postseason awards.

The win helped the previously-unranked Bears jump to No. 20. But Baylor might not be done climbing the college football ladder, as they have winnable games for the next several weeks.

Move Wisconsin to 8th

Wisconsin looked like the defending Big Ten Champions as they defeated the UNLV Rebels 51-17.

The Badgers look stronger than they did in 2010 with new quarterback Russell Wilson, who went 10-of-13 for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

They also did not miss a beat on the ground as they collectively ran for 241 yards.

The Badgers now look like a serious national title contender and deserved the three-spot boost they received in the polls.

Drop USC from Rankings

USC did not look like a Top-25 team with their performance against Big Ten doormat Minnesota.

The Gophers, who finished 2010 with the worst record of any team in the Big Ten, held the Trojans to 19 points and nearly came back to win the game.

If the Trojans were anywhere near as good as some had predicted, they would have dismantled the Golden Gophers.

But they aren't as good as most thought, and the AP poll corrected their preseason error.