College Football Week 6: Report Grades For Top 25

The Oklahoma Sooners thrashed Texas in the Red River Rivalry as those young Longhorns signal callers combined to turn it over five times, two of which were returned for touchdowns off fumbles.

Landry Jones has taken a huge step toward the Heisman after his virtuoso performance that included 367 yards and three passing touchdowns.

Oklahoma still has a few challenges left on their schedule, but are they deserving of jumping atop the polls? They are already atop the Coaches' Poll, but both LSU and Alabama are slightly ahead of them in the AP Poll.

Speaking of LSU, the Tigers continued to flex their muscles by putting a beatdown of their own on the Florida Gators, 41-11.

Wisconsin was idle this weekend; however, the Boise State Broncos throttled Fresno State 57-7 on the road. Will we see a reversal in the rankings, or will the Smurfs never get inside the top three due to their schedule? 

In a week without many marquee matchups, we still learned a lot about who we think can and will contend for a BCS National Championship.

Week 6's grades are out and are ready to be discussed with the nation.

No. 25 Baylor

Opponent: Iowa State

Result: 49-26, Win

How good is RGIII? Griffin once had more touchdowns than incompletions which is a filthy good stat, but he has come down to Earth. 

In their three touchdown victory over the Cyclones, Griffin threw for just 212 yards and a touchdown. However, he also ran for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Bears gashed Iowa State for 391 yards on the ground.

The offense put an absurd 603 yards of offense and though they gave up 425 to Iowa State this team will clearly live and die by their superstar signal caller.

Going to College Station next weekend will not be easy and it will let us know how legit this Bears team is. Plus, they still have Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma still on the schedule. That could be potentially three more losses.

An 8-4 season would a remarkable achievement, but this defense must play out of their minds if they want to move up in these rankings any time soon.

Grade: B

No. 24 Texas A&M

Opponent: Texas Tech

Result: 45-40, Win

The defense did not necessarily improve from their devastating loss to Arkansas last weekend, but thank god this offense is so balanced.

They had nearly 200 yards on both the ground (221) and through the air (189). Ryan Tannehill was a bit over hyped coming into the season as many senior signal callers usually are at Texas A&M, but they still have the fireworks offensively to put up a fight against the heavyweights in the Big12. 

Jeff Fuller, Ryan Swope, Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray can all fill up the stat sheets, but this team is still a bit overrated with their pre-season top ten ranking.

Can the Aggies become serious threats to win the Big 12? Some thought so, but I think it is safe to say that this squad will lose a few more games this season with Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Baylor still on the schedule.

Grade: B-

No. 23 Florida State

Opponent: Wake Forest

Result: 38-35, Loss

Once ranked fifth in the country, the Seminoles have now lost three in a row suffering consecutive divisional losses. Clint Trickett struggled mightily in the first half until he was replaced by EJ Manuel in the final drive of the first half.

The  'Noles could not take care of the ball as their five turnovers cost them this ball game. Two picks a piece from Trickett and Manuel (five total turnovers) gave Wake Forest a five minute advantage in the time of possession and Tanner Price's four passing touchdowns was too much for Florida State to overcome.

Florida State continues to play undisciplined football and it is amazing how much hype they received in the pre-season (I am guilty) and yet they have fallen flat on their faces as if this is the identical team we saw towards the end of the Bobby Bowden era.

This defensive line is legit but they cannot wrap up quarterbacks when they have the chance. The secondary is really the unit that has disappointed me the most at least on defense. Even the great Phil Steele had Xavier Rhodes and Greg Reid as one of the elite corners in the game and they have been giving way too much cushion to the receivers they have gone against this season. 

One could argue Clemson and Oklahoma might be the two best offenses in the nation, but wasn't this defense expected to be among the best as well? The loss of EJ Manuel in the Oklahoma game could have been literally a three game swing. 

Regardless, this team has been easily the most disappointing team in the country in my eyes and they better get their mo-jo back before they end up playing in a cold climate come late December.

Grade: F+

No. 22 Arizona State

Opponent: Utah

Result: 35-15, Win

These Sun Devils had quite the hype to win their division and perhaps challenge the likes of Oregon and Stanford though they still have some improvements to make.

Are they a legit top 25 team? I think so, but they still need to make an exclamation victory and next weekend at Oregon would do the trick.

They can thread the needle with Brock Osweiler with a bevy of receivers, but their running game is still lacking. Cameron Marshall is not a speed demon runner as his solid frame (5'1"", 215-pounds) backs that up, but he clearly needs to get it going. 

Their offensive line was beat up against Illinois their lone loss and the running game is still a work in progress, but a team like Oregon will be able to pin their ears back if you attempt to throw it every down.

Arizona State does have arguably the best linebacker in the country with Vontaze Burfict laying the lumber, but the rest of the front seven could play a tad better.

The secondary was opportunistic forcing three picks on Utes backup quarterback Jon Hays, but going against Darron Thomas next week will be a different story. 

ASU had so many off-season injuries that it has been nearly amazing how they have still been productive. I just question if they have that killer instinct and the ability to hang with the big boys. This team may go 9-4 or 8-5, but to really earn respect they better bring their "A" game next weekend against the Ducks.

Grade: B

No. 21 Virginia Tech

Opponent: Miami

Result: 38-35, Win

Though Bud Foster will certainly not be happy with his defense, they found a way to get a victory thanks in large part to a breakout performance from quarterback Logan Thomas. The former tight end was able to gash and rip apart the Hurricanes defense for 338 total yards of offense. 

Thomas had the game-winning 19 yard plunge into the end zone with just 56 seconds left and Jacory Harris could not answer back despite playing great in his own right. 

Harris torched the Hokies secondary for 267 yards and three touchdowns while playing, mistake free football. This game was hyped up to be a battle between two great runners in David Wilson and Lamar Miller and they both did not disappoint. 

However, the loss of Antoine Hopkins showed right away with Miller's 166-yard performance. The Hokies were gashed against Clemson last week and though they do not play any legit team outside of Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech clearly needs to improve defensively or else they will fall short of an ACC Championship Title appearance. Allowing 519 yards to the Canes was a huge letdown especially coming off a blowout loss to Clemson at home. Their defense still has major weaknesses. 

Overall, they got the victory and it was impressive since they were down four points with under three minutes of play, but playing away from home could eventually catch up to this Hokies squad.

Grade: B-

No. 20 Kansas State

Opponent: Missouri

Result: 24-17, Win

The Wildcats may not get the most yards (going into today they had least per game in Big 12) but they certainly know how to win ball games. They are sensational at the lines of scrimmage with Collin Klein currently ranked in rushing among quarterbacks in the country.

Klein only ran for 46 yards but his starting running back John Hubert toted the rock 26 times for 126 yards. They led Missouri's James Franklin to just 214 yards, but the more impressive stat was holding Henry Josey (6th in nation) to 55 yards which was nearly 80 yards below his average.

Kansas State came into game ranking 16th in the nation against the run and although they have no played elite competition quite yet they are still among the best in the conference on defense. 

Everybody still has not been jumping on the bandwagon of Bill Snyder's squad, but their schedule is favorable the next few weeks with road games against Texas Tech and Kansas. We will know a ton about this team come November when the get Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas.

Grade: B+

No. 19 Illinois

Opponent: Indiana

Result: 41-20, Win

The Illini have the makings of becoming a serious threat in the Big Ten where maybe nobody think Wisconsin will lose. 

They smoked Indiana with four runners combing for 308 yards.  Nathan Shceelhasse, Jason Ford, Troy Pollard and Donovonn Young ran roughshod against the Hoosiers defense and I now look at this team as a serious favorite to land in a New Year's Day Bowl. 

Their passing game is not sensational, but AJ Jenkins has nearly played like an All-American this season hauling in 46 passes for 815 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The run defense is something we were waiting for Zook to give these Illini and they came into their game against Indiana ranking 17th in the nation against the run. They are one of those teams similar to Kansas State that dominated at the point of attacks and thanks to a mobile quarterback their offense is tough to defend.

What they can accomplish against Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin will decide their fate towards a possible Capital One or Outback Bowl appearance.

Grade: B+

No. 18 South Carolina

Opponent: Kentucky

Result: 54-3, Win

When Steve Spurrier decided to bench Stephen Garcia in favor of Connor Shaw many were not expecting the offense to improve dramatically. Or were they? Shaw torched Kentucky throwing for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns as he connected with Alshon Jeffery twice in the end zone.

Marcus Lattimore ran like the stud he is totaling 102 yards, but he was not the story of the game. 

That would be the Gamecocks defense which held Kentucky to a total of 96 yards of offense. They did not play with superstar defensive end Melvin Ingram, but the rest of the front four is loaded with talent and the secondary reaped benefits picking off UK quarterbacks four times while limiting them to just 17 yards!

South Carolina is not out of the SEC East as they control their own destiny, but they still have Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas on the schedule. The defense has proven to be legit as defense in their division, but depending on the development of Shaw could determine just how far this tam can go.  

Grade: A+

No. 17 Florida

Opponent: LSU

Result: 41-11, Loss

If losing starting quarterback John Brantley (ankle) was not enough to overcome the Gators were also without backup Jeff Driskel (ankle) against the top ranked LSU Tigers.

Jacoby Brissett got the start and for a true freshman he played about as good as one can expect on the road in a hostile environment against the number one team in the nation.

Brissett did throw two picks in the game, but without a healthy Jeff Demps (ankle) the rushing attack was suspect as expected against the stout Tigers.

Mike Gillislee and Chris Rainey combined for over 100 yards, but that was the only consistent offense on the day. It is hard to say the Gators were awful because I am not sure any team in the nation could do a better job with a third string quarterback leading the way.

They can still win the SEC East if they can knock either South Carolina on the road or Georgia in their annual game in Jacksonville. They have the defense to stay in nearly every ball game from here on out, but they need their horses to stay healthy on offense to make that claim.

Grade: C+

No. 16 West Virginia

Opponent: Connecticut

Result: 43-16, Win

Geno Smith can spin it for the Mountaineers and he showed off his skills in their victory over the Huskies. Smith threw for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns as he found Stedman Bailey early and often.

Bailey hauled in seven passes for 178 yards along with 2 touchdowns. The running game is not very good, but they can still win the Big East with their aerial attacks and solid defense.

That defense held the Connecticut to just 82 yards rushing and they led 43-9 before a late garbage oick-six defensive touchdown at the end of the game.

The schedule certainly favors WV until they go to Cincinnati and South Florida towards the end of the season. Until somebody other than LSU can score a boatload of points on this defense I like the Mountaineers to represent the Big East in the BCS.

Grade: A-

No. 15 Auburn

Opponent: Arkansas

Result: 38-14, Loss

Auburn had a great road victory over South Carolina last weekend, but did you really expect their brutal defense to limit the high flying Razorbacks?

Tyler Wilson had his way with the pass defense of Auburn and the Tigers could simply not answer back with their own passing attack due to some injuries (Emory Blake and Travante Stallworth).

Michael Dyer has shown that he is among the elites in the game after gashing Arkansas for 112 yards and a score, but without a balanced offense in the SEC losses will start to mount.

Now this still is a legit bowl contender, but with Alabama, LSU and Arkansas all flexing their muscle at the moment the SEC West race is all but lost for the Tigers.

With such a young offense and defense you could not have expected these Tigers to eight or nine games. They still have the talent to pull off an upset or two down the road, but it will be tough with the likes of LSU, Alabama and Georgia still on the slate.

Overall, their performance was a bit disappointing however I can't see I did not see it coming since I had the Razorbacks by two touchdowns.

Auburn used several quarterbacks throughout the game to try to get a passing game going, but nothing worked as they struggled all night. I appreciate the character and the effort that Gene Chizik has these young men playing with, but at the end of the day it may not be enough to keep these Tigers ranked in the Top 25.

Grade: C-

No. 14 Nebraska

Opponents: Ohio State

Result: 34-27, Win

In what is the greatest comeback in Nebraska's storied program history makes the current Huskers ranking in the polls look legit! Or does it?

Nebraska survived against an Ohio State that was anemic on offense all season and yet they were able to hang 27 points and 351 total yards of Nebraska's questionable defense.

The injury riddled season that Jared Crick has suffered has played a major factor in those skewed but truthful numbers.  

Is Nebraska going to win their division and get a rematch against Wisconsin? Everybody wants to know if Taylor Martinez can avoid the collapse he had against Wisconsin were he threw picks left and right.

Rex Burkhead and Martinez once again combined to rush for over 200 yards. Burkhead actually totaled for 178 yards with two touchdowns.

Lavonte David is making huge plays behind the line of scrimmage and the secondary is doing just enough to avoid disaster. The schedule is favorable outside of trips to Ann Arbor and Happy Valley which could grant them their wishes to play the more than likely a top five Badgers squad in the Big Ten Championship. 

Grade: B

No. 13 Georgia Tech

Opponent: Maryland

Result: 21-16, Win

Tevin Washington is starting to look like a tremendous options quarterback who can is a great duel-threat.

Having one of the toughest rushing attacks in the country is also a positive note. They had an off game against Maryland rushing for just 272 yards and three rushing touchdowns, but they continue to improve on defense. 

Maryland had 333 total yards of offense, but the Yellow Jackets forced two picks and it goes to show how an opportunistic, bend but don't break defense can go places. Well, at least in the ACC and right now Georgia Tech has to be considered the favorites in the Coastal Division over Virginia Tech.

Their defense needs to continue to improve since they lack that next level slate of players, but a ball control offense that is extremely productive will always find ways to win.

Grade: B

No. 12 Michigan

Opponent: Northwestern

Result: 42-24, Win 

Many thought Michigan was on upset alert going into Ryan Field against a decent Northwestern and trailing at halftime was a concern.

However, after forcing a few turnovers and pitching a shutout in the second half makes Michigan a legit top ten team! Or does it?

Michigan has not knocked off any ranked teams as of yet though Notre Dame should be ranked soon, but we still have yet to find out everything there is to know about the Wolverines.

Their schedule in November will determine if they can play in the Big Ten Championship. They have a crucial rivalry game in Eats Lansing next week against Michigan State. If they manage to be at 8-0 before they go on the road against Iowa and Illinois then this truly has the makings of becoming a ten win team.

Illinois look eerily similar to Michigan and we will find which of the two can stay on fire in time. Denard Robinson is easily the guy who carries this offense on his back, but he needs to avoid throwing picks.

His arm is shaky at best as he continues to miss open targets down field which is often intercepted, but he might be the most explosive player in the country with that said. 

It sounds weird to say it, but the Wolverines defense could give them a shot to perhaps reach a BCS Bowl as an at-large bid. Nebraska is awful right and Iowa/Ohio State are not exactly explosive on offense. They avoid Wisconsin at least in the regular season and don't be utterly shocked if the Michigan Wolverines are 12-0 before they play in the Big Ten Championship!

Grade: A-

No. 11 Texas

Opponent: Oklahoma

Result: 55-17, Loss

Can you say overrated!? Texas has had an amazing season thus far in the season and heading into their primetime tilt with Oklahoma many were wondering just how legit this young team is.

We found a out a lot about this Longhorn team today. They have have a ton of young talent and the future looks bright, but with a tough Big 12 schedule they may not be able to reach double digit wins like some anticipated. 

David Ash and Case McCoy both split time under center, but they were both lit up against an impressive Oklahoma defense. Both signal caller coughed up the three times on fumbles and they threw a few interceptions as well. Make no mistake about it they got manhandled by Oklahoma.

The Longhorns offensive needs to bulk up a bit because they were continually getting beat off the edges by the likes of Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis.

Their young receivers are going to be very good in the near future, but the offense is not consistent enough to hang 30 plus points on the elite Big 12 teams (Oklahoma State, Oklahoma).

The schedule does not do any favors to Austin faithful and if they cannot bounce back quickly in time for Oklahoma State then we could be looking at a team than drops out of the rankings all together. 

Their two road trips to Texas A&M and Baylor will truly give us an inkling of whether next season could be a special season, but going up against the Cowboys next weekend will really tell us if they have chance at remaining a threat in the Big 12 this season.

Grade: D+

No. 10 Arkansas

Opponent: Auburn

Result: 38-14, Win

When Ryan Mallett left the Razorbacks for the NFL Draft most "experts" thought this offense would not become more explosive. Boy, were they wrong!

Tyler Wilson is easily the best quarterback in the SEC right now as he is putting up video game numbers every single weekend. The kid has ice water in his veins and having one of the most talented receiving corps certainly is a plus.

Wilson threw for 262 yards and 2 touchdowns in their route over Auburn. Give some props to Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright who have gone bonkers throughout the season.

After they took a whipping by Alabama most did not think they could show up with Texas A&M and Auburn on the schedule, but they lit up the scoreboard on both occasions combining for 80 points!

The most underrated unit in the SEC might just be the defense of the Razorbacks. They may give up a ton of yards, but they are your typical bend but don't break defense.

They forced three picks on Auburn quarterbacks and though they have up 290 rushing yards I wonder just how far this team can go with the schedule opening up a bit.

They have LSU on the road in the season finale and before that they must beat a solid South Carolina team at home in a few weeks. Tramain Thomas is a stud in the secondary that can matchup with arguably any receiver out there and the speed in the front seven is clearly the best Bobby Petrino has ever had.

As long as Tyler Wilson stays hot this team will continue to stay in the top ten in the near future.

Grade: A

No. 9 Oregon

Opponent: California

Result: 43-15, Win

Despite dislocating his elbow, LaMichael James went bonkers rushing 239 yards in their rout over Cal. Things started out slowly trailing out of the gates 15-14 at halftime, however the defense did not break down and the offense racked up 365 total yards of offense.

When they gave up a few field goals in the first half to Cal as they trailed 15-14, the offense started to steamroll the Bears defense like any other Pac-12 team.

The Ducks are as explosive as any team out there, but the healthy of LaMichael James could put a damper on the season in the near future. They host a legit top 25 Arizona State team next weekend, but will James be effective as a runner. Mr. Burfict has been known to take some violent hits on the running backs through the years so the game could turn into a bit of a defensive battle.

I still like the Ducks chances because their defense can roam sideline sideline better than any Pac-12 team out there at the moment. They have a ball-hawking secondary with John Boyett and Cliff Harris licking their chops back deep. 

The true story of the season besides James has been the true growth and development of quarterback Darron Thomas. Even without Jeff Maehl, the Ducks have been able to prove time after time to be able to torch opposing pass defense's with ease. 

Cetainly they should be tested by Washington and Stanford down the road, but they will remain the favorites in my books.

Grade: B+

No. 8 Clemson

Opponent: Boston College

Result: 36-14, Win

Whenever you rack up 500 yards in a conference game there needs to be some happy thoughts going on with Tiger nation. Clemson has continually stunk it up in games they are expected to win, but something is different about this team.

Tajh Boyd was dinged up (hip) in their route over Boston College though he expected to give it a go next weekend. Sammy Watkins has been playing like a man possessed and arguably like the best receiver in the country as well.

He is quite the physical specimen and is able to beat you deep whenever he chooses to. There are a bevy of playmakers on this Tigers offense it just makes your defense play perfect gap assignment football.

Their pass defense is the only small concern I have at the moment though it did not show against Boston College. They have an SEC caliber defensive line with Brandon Thompson and Andre Branch wreaking havoc on ACC quarterbacks.

They still must travel to Atlanta against a solid Georgia Tech squad but outside of that and a trip to College Park I am not sure anybody can come close to knocking them off in the ACC. We very well could be looking at a regular season finale against South Carolina that decides the BCS National Championship aspirations for these Tigers.

Grade: A

No. 7 Stanford

Opponent: Colorado

Result: 48-7, Win

Andrew Luck wants you all to come out and play! Yikes, nobody has even been able to compete with the Cardinals right now. The best player in the country led his Stanford to 553 yards against a very suspect Colorado defense.

Forget how bad the Buffaloes are for a minute because Stanford might be the most underrated team in America. I understand they have not played anybody, but I said the same thing last season and they made me look clueless in thinking Virginia Tech could hang with them in the Orange Bowl. 

Stanford lost their all-everything linebacker Shayne Skov and thanks to Chase Thomas and the rest of the front seven they have not missed a beat.

Scoring 40 points in all but one game is impressive, but we are about to find out just how dangerous this squad is. Going out to the Pullman against a sneaky Cougars team should not be a stiff challenge, but hosting a solid Washington and then going on the road against a USC team that can score a ton of points will let us know if Stanford can run the table.

They also have to play Oregon team who I think is good? They can easily sneak into a BCS Bowl if they were to go 11-1, but they would really love to play in the Rose Bowl if not for all the marbles in Louisiana. 

Grade: A

No. 6 Oklahoma State

Opponent: Kansas

Result: 70-28, Win

Does 70 points quench your thirst enough? Brandon Weeden did not even play a full half in this blowout victory over Kansas and the offense continues to be unstoppable thus far in the season.

They should get a solid challenge from Texas next weekend, but we could be on a collision course between the Cowboys and the Sooners with the Big12  and possibly a BCS National Championship berth on the line.

Justin Blackmon, Joseph Randle, Jeremy Smith, Hubert Anyiam and Josh Cooper may be the best group of playmakers in the country save those Boomer Sooners.

So, can anybody stop these Cowboys? No, I am actually serious because with the look of things I may have stones to take this team over the Sooners with the way things are going. Oklahoma may have a better defense at the moment, but remember they get to host Oklahoma in Stillwater.

Shuan Smith and Broderick Brown are legit next level players that will make an impact every weekend, outside of consecutive road trips to Texas and Missouri who is going to avoid getting embarrassed by these Pokes? 

Dealing with complacency might be the toughest challenge for Mike Gundy until they have their hated rivalry game with those potentially top ranked Sooners.

Grade: A

No.5 Boise State

Opponent: Fresno State

Result: 57-7, Win

Though the Broncos are behind four powerhouse undefeated teams I like their chances for playing in the BCS National Championship a lot better than the last two times they went undefeated ('06 & '09).

They do not have the weekly challenges like any of the teams ahead of them do save Wisconsin, they could receive a ton of help if the Georgia Bulldogs were to run the table.

Maybe that is wishful thinking, but I call what I see and Boise State just flattened Fresno State from the opening whistle (50- 0 through 3 qtrs).

Kellen Moore is the best thing we have in college football minus Andrew Luck and the Broncos offense just got a whole lot better with the addition Geraldo Bolewijn (first game since suspension).

Doug Martin is doing work in the backfield and the front four of Bill Winn, Chase Baker, Shea McClellin and Tyrone Crawford gives Chris Petersen a great chance of cracking that number two spot.

Clearly either LSU or Alabama will, but the Broncos only legit chance is if the Big Ten and Big 12 winner has at least one loss. If not, the best they can do is the Fiesta or Rose Bowl most likely.

Until the Broncos play legit teams every week their fate is put in the hands of the heavyweight teams, but the dominoes may fall in place for Boise State if they continue to hang 50 points a week along with a few top dogs faltering on the way.

Grade: A+

No. 4 Wisconsin

The only teams that look relevant in the Big Ten are Nebraska (who they just smoked), Illinois and Michigan. Many still question those three defenses and with the way Russell Wilson is rolling on offense with an NFL size offensive line, there is a great chance that the Badgers will be 12-0 before they play in the Big Ten Championship.

The only true road test they have remaining would be at Michigan State and Ohio State, though those two teams have proven to the world that they were a bit overrated base don the pre-season polls.

Until these Badgers fall on their faces and have an off game with Wilson under center it would not be smart to go against them.

Grade: N/A (Idle)

No. 3 Oklahoma

Opponent: Texas

Result: 55-17, Win

Just when we though the Sooners would falter a bit they turn on the jets and look like the best team in America! So, are they the number team in the nation right now?

I could honestly care less about the polls or the BCS rankings the very first week since you can hang around until November rolls around. 

However, the Sooners do have a valid point since they have pretty much dominated every team that has been put in front of them. They dominated the Longhorns from start to finish in their 48 point victory.

Landry Jones has elevated his play and has turned into a legit Heisman frontrunner after torching the Longhorns for 367 yards and three touchdowns. 

Kenny Stills, Ryan Broyles and Jaz Reynolds were unstoppable in pass coverage. Broyles had a featured story on ESPN College Gameday about not being touched and clearly the Longhorns failed to catch the humor in that story since they burned nearly every time No. 85 went deep past the secondary.

The Sooners defense however was the biggest story of the 2011 Red River Rivalry as they forced five turnovers turning two of them into defensive touchdowns. Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander might be the best duo pass rushers in the country right now.

Plus, those "Sharks" in the secondary can light you for dinner if you attempt to have the guts to go across the middle. Who can slow down the offense and who can consistently move the ball against this stellar Sooners defense?

Outside of a trip to Stillwater in the regular season finale, I am not sure anybody can carry the jockstrap of these Sooners. 

Grade: A+

No. 2 Alabama

Opponent: Vanderbilt

Result: 34-0, Win

After they only led the Commodores 14-0 at halftime, many wondered if Alabama was a bit high in the sky after their beatodown over the Gators last weekend.

Well, after Saban talked to his men at halftime things got ugly for poor Vandy. The Tide literally rolled with a shutout, 34-0.

The defense is loaded with NFL stars for years to come and they were able to slowly call off the dogs halfway through the fourth quarter.

AJ McCarron continues to makes plays in the passing game and is truly an excellent game manager. Trent Richardson only toted the rock 19 times but still ran for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Maquis Maze continues to carry this team as their top punt returner and receiver and it is players like Maze that makes Alabama so dangerous.

They are loaded with experience and I doubt anybody can score enough points on them to knock them off. LSU is right there with them and until their date on November 5th we will just have to make our own judgments on who should be considered the favorite heading into that heavyweight bout.

LSU-Alabama is essentally a BCS National Championship play-in game with the winner more than likely winning the rest of their games though the SEC East winner could give the West winner all they can handle.

Grade: A

No. 1 LSU

Opponent: Florida

Result: 41-11, Win

In a battle between two ranked teams. the Bayou Bengals proved to the nation why they are arguably the best team in the nation. Florida was without their top two quarterbacks but the Tigers defense allowed just 213 total yards against one of the faster teams in the nation.

LSU gashed the Gators for 238 yards rushing and Jarrett Lee just needs to continue to play mistake free football with the occasional bomb in order for LSU to maintain crushing their opponents.  

Can anybody move the ball against this defense without giving a ton of points up in the process? The Alabama-LSU may be the most anticipated regular season game in the BCS era, but what is going to happen to the loser?

Should we just drop them like a bad habit and assume they have no chance in the BCS National Championship or is there an outside shot that we could see the very first appearance of two teams from the same conference playing for it all?

LSU might be the best team in the country on both lines of scrimmage and to beat the Les Miles you better be able to protect your passer, harass LSU's and at the same time hope you can run the ball down their throats.

Alabama has the ingredients to accomplish that nearly impossible task, but time will tell who gets the slightest advantage heading into that historic game on November 4th.

Grade: A+