College Football: Report Card Grades For the Top 50 Teams After the First Month

As the college football season is ready to stretch into the second week of October, it has become much clearer who are the contenders and who are the pretenders.

For every Clemson there is a Texas A&M and the SEC is pretty much a two-team race between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.

And let's not forget the egg Nebraska laid at Wisconsin Saturday night. Everyone who was predicting the Cornhuskers would take the Big Ten by storm in their first year were way off base on that one.

It's still a long season, and we don't want to rush it.

But the time is right to grade each of the top 50 teams through five weeks.

50. Washington State (3-1)

It's still Washington State and Paul Wulff, but at 3-1, the Cougars have already exceeded expectations.

With Jeff Tuel out as quarterback, Marshall Lobbestael has stepped up to go 2-1.

The Cougars have some tough tests ahead, but they also have some projected victories (something you couldn't do the past three years).

So far it's been a very successful season for Wulff and Wazzu.

Grade: A-

49. Iowa State (3-1)

Nothing has been easy for Iowa State, but a 44-41 overtime win over rival Iowa was huge.

The Cyclones also went on the road for a quality win over Connecticut, but after a week off, Texas whipped up on them.

The win over Iowa pretty much makes up for anything this season.

Grade: B

48. Missouri (2-2)

Maybe Missouri has been too focused on finding a new conference instead of playing this fall.

The Tigers are talented, but haven't delivered.

Gary Pinkel and Missouri need to improve their concentration before the season gets away from them.

Grade: C

47. Utah (2-2)

Remember when we thought Utah could actually be a surprise winner in the Pac-12 South?

Not going to happen.

The Utes have lost to USC and Washington, and Arizona State is still on the horizon.

This is what happens when you move to a BCS conference (take note TCU, Boise State, etc.).

Grade: C

46. Mississippi State (2-3)

Dan Mullen's big breakout season at Mississippi State has gone miserably wrong.

Mullen is a great coach and he's not in any serious trouble, but he has to shoulder some of the blame of why nothing has gone right this fall.

The Bulldogs should be 4-1 right now.

Grade: F

45. TCU (3-2)

What happened to that vaunted TCU defense?

The Horned Frogs were always considered a top-notch contender with any BCS team.

But now TCU is just and run-of-the-mill Mountain West team who may be headed to the Big East or staying closer to home with the Big 12.

Neither conference will be getting the old TCU.

Grade: C

44. Brigham Young (3-2)

BYU's foray into the world of independents has gone fairly well.

Of course, the Cougars were spanked by their two biggest opponents (Texas and Utah) they faced this year.

Jake Heaps has been a bit of a disappointment.

Grade: B-

43. Ohio State (3-2)

The Buckeyes had the most offseason distraction of any program around.

But none of it explains how excruciating it is to watch Ohio State play offense this year.

Luke Fickell may be a great and even a good defensive coordinator, but he is in way over his head with Ohio State.

Grade: D

42. Southern Miss (4-1)

Southern Mississippi's run to a Conference USA championship hit a roadblock early with a loss at Marshall.

But the Golden Eagles bounced back with wins over Virginia and Rice.

So Southern Miss is an upswing, which is more than we can say for alum Brett Favre.

Grade: B-

41. Air Force (3-1)

Air Force is fresh off an overtime victory against rival Navy and now the Falcons get a shot at Notre Dame.

Troy Calhoun is one of the nation's best coaches, and his team still runs the ball about as well as anyone in the country.

Problem is the Falcons are giving up almost 30 points a game, so the defense needs to improve for Air Force to keep winning.

Grade: B

40. Iowa (3-1)

Iowa has been racking up the points this fall, but when the Hawkeyes lose to Iowa State the only thing that will get the bad taste out of their mouth is a Big Ten championship.

The odds are not good, but Iowa did bounce back after the loss with a major come-from-behind win against Pittsburgh.

There's still time to make this season memorable.

Grade: C

39. North Carolina (4-1)

Everett Withers has done an admirable job after taking over for the exiled Butch Davis so close to the start of the season.

The Tar Heels had a shot with Georgia Tech, but now they need get a shot at playing a spoiler against teams like Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Grade: B

38. Tennessee (3-1)

Tennessee has yet to completely return to the upper echelon of the SEC, but Derek Dooley might have the Volunteers on the right track.

Of course, the Vols lost at Florida in their only conference game so far in 2011.

This weekend's match up with Georgia should tell us a lot about Tennessee.

Grade: B

37. Pittsburgh (3-2)

Just when it looked like Pittsburgh was on a downhill slide, Tino Sunseri and the Panthers blew out previously ranked South Florida.

So Pitt is in a good position in the Big East.

But you can't overlook two blown opportunities against Iowa and Notre Dame.

Grade: C

36. Cincinnati (4-1)

Butch Jones' second season leading Cincinnati is looking much better.

The Bearcats played one lackluster game at Tennessee, but through five games, Cincinnati is looking as sharp as any team in the Big East.

Zach Collaros is also playing up to his potential again.

It could be an interesting second half of the season for the Bearcats.

Grade: B+

35. SMU (4-1)

June Jones' squad has bounced back nicely following a blowout loss to Texas A&M in the opener.

Last week's upset win over TCU was one of the biggest wins for Jones since he arrived at SMU.

J.J. McDermott has been a nice replacement for Kyle Padron at quarterback.

Jones is truly a miracle worker.

Grade: B

34. USC (4-1)

USC may be 4-1, but the Trojans have been unimpressive this fall.

Lane Kiffin just isn't getting it done as was evidenced by last week's 48-41 win over a horrible Arizona program.

USC was battered by Arizona State the week before, and there are about four more guaranteed losses on the schedule.

Grade: C

33. Penn State (4-1)

Penn State is the luckiest 4-1 team in the nation.

The Nittany Lions beat Temple 14-10 and Indiana 16-10. In the past, those would have been at least three-touchdown wins.

Joe Paterno is barely coaching any more and the talent is lacking in State College.

It's going to be a long second-half of the season for Penn State.

Grade: C-

32. Georgia (3-2)

Georgia has won three consecutive games, including last week's surprise win over Mississippi State.

But it's hard to overlook the fact the Bulldogs opened the season 0-2 in what were two signature games.

Georgia was pushed around by Boise State, and the Bulldogs blew the home opener against South Carolina.

However, it does look like Mark Richt just might save his job in Athens.

Grade: C+

31. South Florida (4-1)

Just when you think South Florida is ready to turn the cover, along comes October.

After opening 4-0 with a big win at Notre Dame, the Bulls began Big East play with Pittsburgh and went out a laid an egg.

Skip Holtz has his work cut out for him if South Florida is going to remain relevant in the conference.

Grade: B-

30. Notre Dame (3-2)

If Notre Dame was not so turnover-prone, the Irish would be 5-0 right now and we'd be talking about how they could make the BCS National Championship Game.

Instead, most of us just marvel at how inept Notre Dame really is.

The talent is average and Brian Kelly blames NBC for showing him ranting and raving on the sidelines.

Grade: C+

29. Texas Tech (4-0)

Texas Tech has flown under the radar to a 4-0 start.

Well, the Red Raiders have played the easiest schedule in the country as they get ready for Texas A&M.

If Tommy Tuberville's team can continue to score 47.3 points a game as the schedule gets tougher, then we'll take notice.

Grade: A

28. Washington (4-1)

Overall, it's been an above average start for Washington.

But after watching Nebraska against Wisconsin last week, the Huskies loss to Nebraska now looks worse.

Still, the first year after Jake Locker is going very well for Steve Sarkisian.

Grade: B

27. Houston (5-0)

Case Keenum is back and Houston has its groove.

Houston's timing to be really good again may be perfect as the Big 12 and Big East look for new members.

Maybe Houston gets the call. If they don't, it's likely the Cougars coach Kevin Sumlin will.

Grade: A+

26. Michigan State (4-1)

Michigan State had one disastrous game against Notre Dame.

If you look past that one, the Spartans have played a lot like last year's 11-2 team.

They probably won't blow anyone out, but they can win 10-7 games at Ohio State and make the Big Ten race very interesting.

Grade: B

25. Baylor (3-1)

Baylor let one slip away last week against Kansas State, but there's no denying the special season that Robert Griffin III has been having.

Baylor still has some pretty tough tests to pass before anyone considers them a legitimate Top 25 program.

But the Bears are enjoying their time in the spotlight.

Grade: A-

24. Texas A&M (2-2)

Could someone please explain how Texas A&M is still ranked?

After blowing back-to-back halftime leads against Oklahoma State and Arkansas, the Aggies have proven they are nothing more than a mid-level program.

Maybe by the end of the season, A&M will be at nine victories. Right now they are a team that can only beat average talent.

Maybe Mike Sherman should be on the hot seat again.

Grade: D

23. Florida State (2-2)

Florida State opened with two good wins, and even played Oklahoma well in Doak Campbell Stadium.

But the Seminoles had placed a lot of emphasis on the game with the Sooners, and when they lost it proved once again the FSU isn't ready for the big-time yet.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel's injury hurt the 'Noles in the second half and in the game the next week at Clemson.

It still doesn't detract from the expectations in Tallahassee and where FSU sits today.

Grade: C-

22. Arizona State (4-1)

If not for a hiccup at Illinois in the third week, Arizona State would be a solid A.

The Sun Devils rebounded after the loss to easily defeat USC (43-22) and Oregon State (35-20). There was also an impressive upset of Missouri (37-30 OT).

Arizona State was favored by many to be the surprise winner in the Pac-12.

With the play of Brock Osweiler and Vontaze Burfict, the Sun Devils are looking like a strong contender.

Grade: B+

21. Virginia Tech (4-1)

I'm actually embarrassed for Virginia Tech.

The schedule was set up perfectly for a perfect season, and the Hokies go and blow a home game with Clemson.

I don't care how good Clemson is playing ... it's Clemson.

Virginia Tech should win that game every time.

The Hokies haven't looked prepared all season in close wins over East Carolina (17-10), Arkansas State (26-7) and Marshall (30-10).

Grade: C

20. Kansas State (4-0)

Kansas State's 4-0 start has had potentially the quietest undefeated start this season.

But it shouldn't be.

The Wildcats had a nice road win at Miami (28-24) and returned home to upset Baylor 36-35.

Quarterback Collin Klein is playing well and the rushing game is a balanced approach with Klein and John Hubert.

Veteran coach Bill Snyder is also proving how valuable he is to Kansas State, and he's one of the best coaches ever.

Grade: A

19. Illinois (5-0)

Illinois coach Ron Zook entered the season with a moderately lukewarm seat.

No one was ready to push him out the door right away, but any signs of weakness and he was probably gone.

Give the Illinois officials credit for sticking with their two-year plan after Zook hired new coordinators.

The Illini aren't overwhelming anyone, but behind the solid play of quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois is actually contending with Wisconsin in the Leaders Division.

Grade: A+

18. South Carolina (4-1)

At No. 18, South Carolina is still ranked too high.

The Gamecocks have never lived up to the hype under Steve Spurrier, and the same is happening again in 2011.

South Carolina started the season by struggling against East Carolina, and it hasn't gotten any better.

Then there's Stephen Garcia, who just epitomizes South Carolina football. He can look so magical one moment and completely incompetent the next.

Grade: C

17. Florida (4-1)

It's become clear that Will Muschamp was the right hire for the Florida Gators.

Muschamp has instilled some fire in the UF program. Last week's loss to Alabama was not a real surprise, even though the Gators had looked much better the previous four weeks.

Right now, Florida looks like the team to beat in the SEC East, and the Gators will likely get a rematch with either Alabama or LSU in the title game.

Another positive has been the addition of Charlie Weis. Once again, he's proving to be a great offensive mind.

Grade: A-

16. West Virginia (4-1)

West Virginia is another program that dealt with some offseason drama, but you can't really tell by the way the Mountaineers have played.

WVU's offense didn't put together a full game until the Bowling Green game last week, which included Dustin Garrison's 291-yard rushing performance.

The offensive line is finally playing better, and despite a lopsided loss to LSU, the Mountaineers actually competed well with arguably the best team in the country.

The biggest shock has been the poor play on defense.

Grade: B

15. Auburn (4-1)

Auburn has to be the luckiest 4-1 team in the nation.

The defending BCS Champs should have lost to Utah State to start the season, and then the Tigers squeaked past Mississippi State.

But following last week's big win at South Carolina, you can see the young talent starting to take hold for Gene Chizik.

Grade: B-

14. Nebraska (4-1)

Nebraska entered 2011 with larger than life expectations.

Bo Pelini was returning to the Big Ten, and many believed the Cornhuskers would walk right in and dominate the conference.

Well, it hasn't quite gone that well.

Nebraska actually struggled against Fresno State and Washington, but still entered Camp Randall last Saturday at 4-0.

How did the Cornhuskers' Big Ten debut go?

It was ugly.

Grade: C

13. Georgia Tech (5-0)

Georgia Tech is back to playing Paul Johnson's triple-option attack with near precision again.

The Yellow Jackets are once again tops in the nation in rushing and second in scoring, but even more impressive is the play of quarterback Tevin Washington.

Washington has completed 31 passes, and 10 of those are for touchdowns.

After a dismal 2010, Georgia Tech is back in a position to win the ACC.

Grade: A

12. Michigan (5-0)

Hey Michigan, we've seen this act before.

Exiled coach Rich Rodriguez had the Wolverines in the same position last year at 5-0.

But there's one big difference this season—Michigan is playing defense again.

Because the Wolverines have been better on that side of the ball is reason enough to give Brady Hoke and his staff a raise right now.

Grade: A+

11. Texas (4-0)

Texas' turnaround is not totally complete, but Mack Brown's job of shaking things up around Austin have certainly helped.

We'll learn more about the Longhorns after the Red River Rivalry this Saturday. If Texas knocks off Oklahoma, then we just may have to buy in to what Brown is doing.

The quarterback situation is still a bit sketchy, but there is talent in Texas and the first five weeks have gone about as well as anyone could have expected.

Grade: A

10. Arkansas (4-1)

Arkansas is an ugly 4-1.

After being hyped as a legitimate team to knock off Alabama, the Razorbacks were whipped by their SEC West counterpart.

Then there was last week's performance against Texas A&M. The second half was impressive, but what happened in the first half?

Bobby Petrino still has a lot of kinks to work out with Arkansas.

Grade: B

9. Oregon (3-1)

Oregon has been one of the most explosive teams in the nation the past few years, but every time the Ducks run into a Top 10 team outside of the Pac-12, they seem to falter.

Well, that's how the season began for Oregon and Chip Kelly's team has been picking up the pieces since.

The Ducks have won three straight since the debacle in Dallas, but success hinges on winning the conference title.

Grade: B

8. Clemson (5-0)

Dabo Swinney should be doing some sort of Mike Gundy dance and offering spirits to Jobu for the way this season is going.

The fact Clemson survived the three-game run with Auburn, Florida State and Virginia Tech shows you this team could be for real in 2011.

Grade: A+

7. Stanford (4-0)

There are many who feel Stanford is on borrowed time and that the Cardinal won't be in the BCS picture at the end.

Stanford has shown some areas that need to be improved while notching wins against San Jose State, Duke, Arizona and UCLA. Clearly not murderer's row of opponents.

But with Andrew Luck leading the way, Stanford is always in a position to win against anyone.

The big tests remain.

Grade: B+

6. Oklahoma State (4-0)

Oklahoma State's offense can still put up points at an alarming rate, but the defense is still a huge weakness for Mike Gundy.

The Cowboys passed their biggest test to date—a 30-29 win over Texas A&M.

But until Oklahoma State beats in-state rival Oklahoma it won't be considered a serious title contender.

Of course, that game comes at the end of the season.

Grade: A-

5. Boise State (4-0)

Boise State and Kellen Moore are at it again.

They win the one big game they have to each year and then beat up on the rest of the weaklings the Broncos play.

Even TCU is pretty average this year, so expect 12-0 and a BCS bowl but not championship shot.

Thanks for watching.

Grade: A

4. Wisconsin (4-0)

Wisconsin has yet to be challenged this year.

That's partly because the Badgers played three easy games, and then we realized Nebraska isn't very good.

You can't knock Wisconsin for the last one.

What we do know is Russell Wilson would be the best quarterback in the ACC, as well as the Big Ten.

Grade: A

3. Oklahoma (4-0)

Oklahoma has done pretty much everything that could be expected of it so far in 2011, but still Bob Stoops' team is slipping in the polls.

Keep winning and the Sooners will get their chance at a title.

We'll learn even more about Oklahoma this weekend as they get it on with rival Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

Grade: A

2. Alabama (5-0)

Nick Saban's boys have lived up to their preseason hype and they have rolled through their first two SEC opponents—Arkansas (38-14) and Florida (38-10).

The only sloppy performance came at Penn State, but the Tide's defense was just too good for the Nittany Lions.

The showdown with LSU on Nov. 5 is already the most anticipated game of the rest of the season.

Grade: A

1. LSU (5-0)

Despite all of the preseason distractions and the unbelievably tough September schedule, LSU has come out unscathed so far.

Because of their impressive start, the Tigers have climbed to the top of the AP poll.

Les Miles is truly a genius. Of course it helps to have a playmaker like Tyrann Mathieu on defense and in the return game.

Grade: A+