AP College Football Poll: Most Dangerous Teams in the Top 25 Ranking

The AP Top 25 is fresh off the press.

Alabama jumped Oklahoma to claim second in the polls, as Wisconsin leaped three spots into fourth.

Clemson continues to roll in its climb in the rankings, moving from No. 21 to No. 13 to No. 8 in three consecutive weeks.

With close to half of the 2011 season in the books, teams are beginning to find identities and build reputations.

Here are the five most dangerous teams in the Top 25.

LSU

There may not be a hotter team in college football right now.

LSU claimed 40 first-place votes in this week's AP Top 25, and deservedly so.

The Tigers are riding a crushing defense and a balanced offense to a 5-0 mark, including three wins over ranked opponents. Impressive victories over then-No. 3 Oregon and No. 16 West Virginia highlight LSU's resumé.

Led by a surprising Jarrett Lee in the passing game, and a two-headed monster in Spencer Ware and Michael Ford in the backfield, the Tigers offense is efficient and effective.

Defensively, there may not be a bigger impact player than Tyrann Mathieu.

With No. 17 Florida next on the schedule, the Tigers have their sights set on another ranked opponent.

Nobody wants to play this LSU team right now.

Alabama

Alabama is playing Crimson Tide football, plain and simple.

Between Nick Saban's monster defense and Trent Richardson's antics with the ball, the Tide can wear down any opponent.

Richardson is heating up at the right moment—posting a career high in Bama's 38-10 rout over Florida. His ability to dance between defenders and explode through holes means that A.J. McCarron can pull a Greg McElroy and manage games while the defense and the running game dominate the opposition.

The SEC still appears to be king in college football, and 'Bama is one royal program not to be treated lightly.

Texas

The jury is still out on Texas, but the Longhorns have shown dramatic improvement going from 5-7 to 4-0 with consecutive road wins over UCLA and Iowa State.

Mack Brown's new coaching staff has implemented freshness and an attitude that was non-existent in 2010. The new philosophies have opened the doors for a horde of talented true freshmen to see significant time on the field, and the room for growth might be one of the biggest in the country.

Nobody really knows how good this Texas team can be.

The Horns have shown the talent, and they've shown the discipline to compete and improve on a weekly basis.

The annual Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma undoubtedly will be the weekend's marquee game, and if the Horns escape the Cotton Bowl unscathed with a spotless record, Texas will be in the top 10 and vying for a BCS appearance.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is good.

Scratch that, Wisconsin is really good.

We already know the Badgers boasted a stout defensive front and an even more robust running game, but enter Russell Wilson and some are throwing the words BCS National Championship towards Bret Bielema. Wilson is giving balance and a certain moxie that has been missing in Madison for some time, and through his wild antics, the Badgers are set for a Big Ten crown and more.

In their first real test of the season, the Badgers passed with flying colors and some extra credit on the side. A 48-17 throttling of then-No. 8 Nebraska catapulted Wisconsin to No. 4 in the polls this week.

Nobody wants to play LSU or Alabama right now given their great run of form.

After the beatdown Wisconsin dished out on Saturday, nobody wants to play the Badgers either.

Clemson

Whatever Dabo Swinney is putting in the Gatorade at Clemson, he needs to keep doing it.

Swinney's Tigers are rolling, moving from No. 21 to No. 13 after beating Florida State. Without missing a beat, and leaving any let ups at the door, Clemson went into Blacksburg and handled then-No. 11 Virginia Tech 23-3, pushing the Tigers to No. 8 in the most recent rankings.

That makes three consecutive wins over ranked opponents, but who is counting?

Clemson stock is hot, and with two ranked opponents left on the schedule, No. 13 Georgia Tech and No. 18 South Carolina to finish the season, the Tigers could be looking at ACC title contention. Mind you those two games are on the road, but there is something extremely special brewing down in South Carolina.

When the Tigers and Jackets meet in Atlanta on Oct. 29, we could very well be seeing a matchup of undefeated, top 10 teams.