Bleeding Orange

Who and how do they come up with this stuff?

2011-11-14T00:29:00.002-06:00

Okay, I know it has been awhile since I have added anything to the blog, bottom line is I have been busy working on other things, and I have not felt like writing anything cause there just isn't any good things to write about Tennessee these days. However, something was brought to my attention today about strength of schedule and how polls such as www.collegefootballpolls.com understands it.
Lets for example look at Tennessee's strength of schedule, we all know that the first two weeks of Tennessee's schedule will be non-conference games and will usually be teams that are not ranked in the top 25.
This was the case when the Vols started their season against Montana and Cincinnati. It may not be important to some, but I feel as though it bears mentioning that Cincinnati has since been ranked and has been as high as 23rd in the AP Poll. They just fell out of the top 25 after losing to West Virginia by a field goal last week. This means that the Vols gave the Bearcats their only other loss of the season. Then we played our nemesis (as of late) the Florida Gators as our first conference game. Florida at that time was ranked 16th in the AP Poll. Then a weak team and weak non-conference game with Buffalo at home. Now here is where things start getting interesting regarding Tennessee's schedule. Georgia who was not ranked at the time, but is now ranked 14th in the AP Poll, then LSU ranked of course at #1 in the nation. Then we go to Alabama ranked #2, who is now ranked 3rd in the nation after losing to LSU. I could just stop there with my argument, but I won't. We then went on the next week to play 10th ranked South Carolina, who are now ranked 14th. Middle Tennessee State was next on the schedule and a well needed rest of competition for Tennessee, because the very next week Tennessee had to go back on the road to face 8th ranked Arkansas. Tennessee now faces an up and rising Vanderbilt team and then finishing off the season at Kentucky.
Now looking at the Tennessee Volunteers schedule and seeing that they played the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation. You would think that their strength of schedule would not only be note worthy but place them at least in the top 5 toughest schedules. Oh wait, not to mentioned that 5 other teams on their schedule were either ranked at the time the Vols played them or became ranked in the top 25 after the Vols played them. This means that the Vols scheduled had them playing against 7 teams that are either currently in the top 25 or have been in the top 25 this season. Do I need to mention here that it is a 12 game season? This would be about 60% of Tennessee's season that has been or is currently ranked in the top 25.
Tennessee has a strengh of schedule ranking of 19th by the website mention above. Here is something else, according to this same website, Alabama has a strength of schedule of 40th. I am still scratching my head on this.

IT'S FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE !!!!

2011-09-07T16:36:00.008-05:00

Welcome to another year of Tennessee Football! The Vols opened up this past weekend with a win at home against Montana trampling them by the score of 42-16! Tyler Bray continues to impress after a terrible outing in the spring game earlier this year. Tyler was 17 for 24 with no interceptions. Tennesse had two recievers break the century mark in yards in this game, which has not been since 2007. In addition to going 17 for 24, Tyler also threw for 293 yards and 3 TD's in this game! This marked the seventh consecutive game with 2 or more TD's for Tyler, which tied a record set back in 1997 by no other than Peyton Manning! It was a great start for the Volunteers!

Tyler Bray, who enters this season as a Sophmore, will lead the Vols this season at QB with Matt Simms backing him up. Tyler, even though he did not start the entire season last year still manage to be ranked 3rd in the nation in total passing yards among rookie QB's. Helping Tyler with the offense will be Tauren Poole, who we came to know last year at this time as he had his first 100 yd game in lasts year season opener against Tennessee-Martin. Poole contributed to the win with a ground attack in which he totaled 98yds on 24 carries.

I am hoping that the Vols offensive line makes some improvements going into the season, Tyler was sacked 3 times and it appeared that the offensive line had trouble opening up holes for Poole to run through. Tennessee will play Cincinnatti next week.

Tennessee is Making Music

2010-12-20T17:55:00.007-06:00

The Music City Bowl scheduled for December 30th in Nashville, TN has been played since 1998. It places the Atlantic Coast Conference versus the South Eastern Conference. Tennessee has never played in the Music City Bowl until now. Tennessee will be facing The North Carolina Tarheels, Tennessee and North Carolina are both unranked.

North Carolina will also make it's first appearance in the Music City Bowl this year. UNC finished the season 7-5 with a 4-4 record inside the ACC. This will be UNC's Third straight bowl game appearance, who finished their last two seasons appearing in the Mienke Car Care Bowl in which they lost. They are looking for their first bowl win since 2001, when they beat Auburn 16-10 in the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl in Atlanta. This would also be the last time that North Carolina beat an SEC team.

This should be a close game in spite of this basically being a home game for Tennessee. The Vols have not beaten a ranked opponent all season, and they have struggle with being young and inexperienced. Tyler Bray is still coming into his own as the team's starting Quarterback, but seems to be developing quite well considering he has not lost a game since being named the starter over quarterback Matt Simms. The Vols enter this game with a 6-6 record and a 3-5 conference record and they go into the Music Bowl with a 4 game winning streak, which is the longest winning streak of any other team in the SEC East. I look for Tennessee to come out on top in this game by a touchdown.

Volunteers Destroy Ole Miss

2010-11-18T22:08:00.005-06:00

The Vols opened it up this past week at home against the Ole Miss Rebels. The Vols have a 2-game winning streak going for the first time this season and their first win in the SEC! Tennessee took care of Ole Miss by shockingly beating them 52-14. The question that is beginning to be asked is who is this Tennesse quarterback, and where did he come from? He is Tyler Bray from Kingsburg, California and he is a freshman, yes that's right he was playing highschool football this time last year, and people are whispering that he may be the next Peyton Manning. His stats have been eye-popping since he was introduced as the starting quarterback about 3 weeks ago. Bray's first game he threw for over 300 yds and 5 Touchdowns in a 50-14 rout. Oh wait did I mentioned that those numbers where just in the first half of that game? As good as those stats were for his first start in college, it was still against a struggling Memphis team. Then came his first SEC opponent which should have been a little tougher test for him going up against a determined Houston Nutt program, we all know how that turned out. Bray again threw for over 300 yds and another 3 touchdowns! The Vols are going up against in-state rival Vanderbilt this week and then have Kentucky the following week. If Tyler Bray continues his success, he could lead the Vols to three straight SEC wins and we could be talking about a bowl appearance this season, which is something that seemed unreachable just a couple of weeks ago when they were sitting at 2-6.

Top 25

2010-10-30T22:12:00.002-05:00

1. Auburn- scoring 51 points against another SEC team puts you in the top spot over Oregon this week. I am impressed with the offensive output but why is an Ole Miss team putting up 31 points against your defense. I am looking forward to the Alabama game at the end of your season.
2. Oregon - just as predicted handle USC. This game did however, raise an eyebrow at the fact that USC was able to take advantage of a couple of turnovers, which is the main reason this game remain as close as it did so long into the game.
3. Ohio State - Destroyed another Big Ten opponent this past weekend. Ohio State is now looking at a possible 6th straight Big Ten Title even though they lost against Wisconsin due to the fact that Michigan State lost this past week. They have been a team on a mission since losing to them blowing out Purdue and Minnesota.
4. Alabama - Had the week off.
5. TCU - Is setting the stage with Utah for next week. I look for TCU to expose all of Utah's weakness.
6. Boise State - Had the worst defensive performance of the year this past week. These guys can not afford to play like they did this past week with such a weak schedule hurting their chances of playing for a national championship. However, with Michigan State and Missouri losing they still remain a viable option to enter into the national championship picture.
7. Nebraska - These guys put together a huge upset of Missouri this week and they look to be the front runner for the Big 12 North.
8. Oklahoma - Destroyed Colorado this past week after losing to Missouri.
9. LSU - Only loss of the season coming at the hands of the #1 team in the nation. They have a week off to prepare for Alabama this coming weekend.
10. Michigan State - Loss to Iowa this past week.
11. Utah - Just barely escape an unranked Air Force team this past week.
12. Stanford
13.Missouri
14. Iowa
15. Oklahoma State
16. Arkansas
17. Arizona
18. Florida State
19. South Carolina
20. Baylor
21. Nevada
22. Mississippi State
23. Virgina Tech
24. Syracuse
25. Oregon State

My Top 25 for the week.

2010-10-23T19:55:00.004-05:00

1. Oregon- Right now their offense is second to none. Yes, their strength of schedule is an issue, but it is not like they have the schedule of Boise State. Their offense has not scored less than 42 points in any game this season! They should face their toughest opponent this weekend when the go to USC. However, even though I think this will be their closest game of the season, I still see Oregon on top.

2. Auburn- Defeated LSU this past weekend. I knew that Auburn would be good and would finished no less than 3rd in the SEC West at the beginning of the season, but I have to be honest, I did not see them putting themselves into the national championship picture. I believe that they have some areas on defense to improve on, but not a big enough concern to think that they could not handle the rest of their schedule. Auburn is (in my opinion) a better team than Boise State.

3. Ohio State- As a team, they are better than the rest in the top 25. The lost at Wisconsin was an issue that they went in too confident and it may have cost them a national championship. However, I believe that the #2 team in the national championship will have one loss on their record.

4. Alabama - Same as Ohio State. I still believe that they are the best team in the SEC.

5. Missouri - Defeated #1 ranked Oklahoma this past week.

6. Boise State- Even though they continue to win against their opponents convincingly, their strength of schedule is a huge problem for them and their national championship hopes. I just can not ranked them any higher because I just can not see them winning against a top 10 team.

7. TCU - Also continues to win, but I just can not ranked them any higher due to their strength of schedule.

8. Michigan State- Ummm.. I did not see these guys on my radar at the beginning of the season. These guys are in a position to win the Big Ten. Go up against a very tough Iowa Team this weekend, and these guys could get their first loss of the season.

9. Wisconsin - Only one loss on the season, with a great win against Ohio State.

10. Nebraska - Put up 51 points against Oklahoma State.

11. LSU

12. Oklahoma- Loss to Missouri this past week to lose their top ranking.

13. South Carolina

14. Stanford

15. Arkansas

16. Oklahoma State

17. Iowa

18. Utah

19. Arizona

20. Mississippi State

21. Virgina Tech

22. Florida State

23. Florida - Should finish strong, and could still have a chance for the SEC Championship coming out of the east depending on what South Carolina and Georgia do with their remaining schedule.

24. Miami

25. Baylor - Welcome to the top 25! I just can not believe these guys keep winning games that they are not suppose to!

Time for my updated Top 25.

2010-09-30T14:45:00.016-05:00

Please keep in mind that this top 25 in the nation is strictly my opinion. I do not consider myself an expert analyzer of college football. I do however, conduct research to support my rankings. I also reference the AP Poll and the Coaches poll but these polls are only a reference and do not always match my personal rankings. With that said here are my top 25 in nation:

1. Alabama - These guys had a great test at Arkansas. They face off against Florida this week. Yes, there is always a possibility that Florida could upset them, but not just because its Florida, but because it is the SEC. Alabama should be able to handle Florida due to the fact that Florida's offense is not good enough to keep up with Alabama's, and of course they will be playing in front of the Crimson Tide fan base.
2. Ohio State - Okay, you guys finally get into Big Ten play! You should handle up on Illinois, but this will be your biggest test since playing Miami in the second week of the season. Ohio State has outscored their opponents in the first 4 weeks of play 197-58. I look for Ohio State to win a close one, due to the fact that they are opening up their BIG TEN play on the road and will probably underestimate the Illinois defense.
3. Oregon - These guys can put some points on the board. They have scored 231 points in the first 4 weeks. I fully expect Stanford to compete and provide Oregon with their biggest test of the season.
4. Boise State - Again your strength of schedule is hurting you and that is why I have dropped you from 3rd to 4th. However, you did impress a little to maintain your top 5 ranking against Oregon State last week.
5. Oklahoma - I have moved these guys up in my rankings, even though they just barely escaped in Cincinnati last week. Cincinnati has a great offense and believe that they are better than a UCLA team, yeah you know where I am going with that. Oklahoma goes up against Texas this weekend, Texas and Mack Brown will give Oklahoma all they can handle even though they lost last week against UCLA. Texas will be out to redeem themselves in a big way, Oklahoma should be on upset alert!
6. TCU - These guys continue to find a way to win, the problem is they are not winning convincingly, and against sub-par teams such as the University of North Texas.
7. Nebraska - Has the week off. I am concerned that they did not blow out a weak South Dakota State team. They will open up the Big 12 schedule with Kansas State. I hope that they got their wake-up call against South Dakota State, if they play like that against Kansas State they will be looking at their first loss of the season.
8. Florida - Going up against top ranked Alabama this weekend. I like the fact that your offense is coming together, however, I am still not sold on it. You should be looking at your first loss of the season after this weekend.
9. Wisconsin - These guys have found a way to win every week so far this season. Their lack of dominance in their games however, will shed some light on how the rest of their season goes. I look for them to finish behind Iowa in the Big Ten, which means I do not see them holding on to their top 10 ranking very long. I have a ranked them at #9 due to the fact that they seem to be getting it together on offense as of late. However, there is still much to learn about this team and whether or not they will be able to "weather the storm" of the Big Ten as they open up the Big Ten schedule going into Michigan State, who also seems to be improving and who has motivation provided by their coach's illness.
10. Stanford - They will face off against Oregon this weekend. Oregon needs to be on upset alert with Andrew Luck going against them. I have been saying this all season long, Stanford is for real, and they have a good chance of winning the PAC-10 depending on how things go with Oregon.
11. Auburn - Will and should win convincly this week over a sub-par opponent.
12. LSU - Plays the Tennessee Volunteers this week. LSU will more than likely come out on top in this game, especially since they are playing at home and over half of the Volunteers have not played an away game before. However, LSU needs to be ready for anything, the Vols will have Gerald Jones back at receiver and if Matt Simms can get into a rhythm then the Vols will be setting the stage for a great upset.
13. Arkansas - I felt that the AP Poll and Coaches poll ranked you too low, with your only loss coming at the hands of the #1 team in the nation and the defending national champions. I believe that you will be able to finish 2nd in the SEC West as long as you do not allow this loss to affect your play throughout the rest of the season.
14. Texas - They will have their hands full with Oklahoma, their win against Okla. will depend on how much Mack Brown can motivate them to overcome their loss to UCLA.
15. Arizona - You guys are the one team that has taken me by surprise this season. You are much better than I thought you were going to be. I am still uncertain as to what to think of your team, but you have got my attention.
16. Utah - Strenth of schedule does not provide you with a higher ranking, but I like your offensive line strength.
17. Miami - Should be able to handle Virgina this week. I have Miami picked to win the ACC this season.

18. Michigan - will have their hands full with Indiana, no one seems to realize that Indiana is also undefeated. Michigan's defense has some major issues as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Indiana upsets them this week.
19. Penn State - Not encourage by your offense this season. I do not believe that you will be able to survive against Iowa.
20. Missouri - Has the week off.
21. Michigan State - Has a unique motivation to win, which they could upset Wisconsin this weekend.
22. South Carolina - Should finish 2nd in the SEC East this season behind Florida.
23. Oklahoma State - Should win a shoot-out tonight against Texas A&M.
24. Kansas State -Has the week off. It may be worth mentioning to those who do not know, but Kansas State is also undefeated and currently at the top of the Big 12 North. Their biggest test of the season will come next week when they face-off against Nebraska.
25. NC State - These guys are much better than the nation thinks that they are, I believe that with Virgina Tech's problems they will be in direct contention with Miami for the ACC championship.

Vols put up 50 over UT-Martin!

2010-09-04T20:57:00.006-05:00

Tennessee rolls over University of Tennessee-Martin Saturday, in a very one-sided victory. Even though I am excited about the fact that Tennessee scored 50 points and could have even scored more if they hadn't put their 2nd and 3rd team in the final 5 minutes of the third quarter, I still have my doubts against a team like Oregon next week. Tennessee's offensive line looks good and solid, which allowed the running-game to explode Saturday, however, I thought that Tennessee look very one-sided just like their victory. Matt Simms, QB for Tennessee seemed to look over-anxious and had trouble controlling his adrenaline. He over-threw half of his passes, and then other passes were behind the receiver. He did show a couple of glimpses of greatness throwing down-field. It is obvious that Simms has great arm strength, but I am still looking for the consistency of accuracy from him. If Tennessee can not get their passing attack together, then the running game that they do have will not matter. Tennessee going into this week had a pre-season ranking of 49th. I have moved them up a few spots to 45th. As far as Oregon is concerned, they put up 72 points themselves on Saturday against New Mexico, and unless Dooley can address the passing of quarterback Matt Simms, Tennessee will be climbing Rockytop rather than singing it against Oregon next week.

Top 25 Teams in the Nation!

2010-09-04T18:49:00.006-05:00

1. Alabama - Rolls over San Jose St. 48-3 without Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram.

2. Ohio State - Wins 45-7 against Marshall. Ohio State Continues to show that their offense is a force to be reckon with. Yes, I know it was against a MAC team, but you still can not ignore the way that their offense came together.

3. Boise State - Hmmm.. Okay Now you are officially in the conversation concerning the BCS Championship. Going on the road and into Virgina Tech's house and winning 33-30 shows that you are indeed worthy of being in the top 10 in the nation. However, I am still not comfortable ranking you higher than #3. I truly believe that the teams ranked above you could beat you on neutral turf.

4. Texas - Won 34-17 against Rice. I saw several things that bothered me about this game. Mack Brown has even admitted that there are several things that they need to work on, even though they won by 17 points they should have probably won by 30. I believe that Garrett Gilbert can do some great things this season with Texas, I am concerned about Texas' running game. I believe that the blame for the lack in a running game against an opponent like Rice is not just directed at the running-backs. The offensive line needs to take some of that blame too. For example not being able to score from the 4 yard line, tells me that the offensive line is not getting the push on the line that they need to be getting.

5. Florida- Wins against Miami,OH 34-12. Yes, this does raise a an eyebrow. I would figured that you would have blown out a team like Miami. I do not care what the experts are saying about your offense, which is give them time, we are talking about the present and your offensive production is horrible. As a matter of fact about half of the points that you did score was not based on offensive output, but rather defensive output and luck.

6. Iowa - I do not believe that you are receiving the respect that you deserve, which is why I have you ranked higher than the AP or coaches poll. Strong offensive line along with a decent defense equals a very high winning percentage.

7. Oklahoma - I give you credit for the win, but wow that game was too close for comfort. It was far too close for me to consider you for a national championship with the lack of either effort or motivation against an unranked Utah State team.

8. TCU - Faced off against Oregon St, which was ranked 24th in the nation, one of the few teams in the top 25 to face off against another ranked opponent. TCU's defense was the difference maker in this game and their conditioning. TCU's defense held Oregon State's offense in the 4th quarter to win 30-21.

9. Oregon - I am very interested in seeing this match-up Saturday with Tennessee. Oregon absolutely destroyed New Mexico last week 72-0, and with Tennessee destroying UT-Martin 50-0, it should be a great game to watch. I would not rule out a Tennessee upset in this situation.

10. Miami - Took care of business this past week by beating Florida A&M 45-0 as expected. These teams that play each other in the first week of the season make it difficult to assess what a team is made of when push comes to shove, so to speak. However, I still like the overall dominance and balance of play that is coming from Miami and feel that they are currently deserving of a top 10 ranking.

11. Nebraska - Shucked Western Kentucky by 39 points this past Saturday. Their schedule will increasingly get tougher as the season goes on. They will be going up against Idaho who took out North Dakota 45-0.

12. Virgina Tech - If Boise State can continue their dominance this could actually help you throughout the rest of the season if you can win out. Your defense showed its inexperience Monday night, but you were also up against a high powered offense. If you can get back to playing "Beamer Ball" , which means refrain from making more special teams mistakes, then you should be able to bounce back from this lost.

13. Penn State - A very impressive win against a very unimpressive team. You now hold the key to the biggest upset of the year this coming weekend. If you are asking me if I think it is possible that Penn State can upset the Great Crimson Tide, Absolutely! They have all enough talent and coaching ability and experience to do just that. Alabama needs to make sure that they do not underestimate Joe Pa's Nittany Lions.

14. Wisconsin- Took care of UNLV this past Saturday by beating them 41-21. I really hope that San Jose St learned something from playing Alabama, cause I am afraid that this game is going to get ugly for them too. Of course on the up-side, you have to give credit to San Jose St. for their scheduling of non-conference opponents. If they had won last week against Alabama and again this week against Wisconsin then the whole nation would be talking about them on every station. Yeah so that didn't happen, I was just saying.

15. LSU - I had a feeling that your defense was going to be too tough for North Carolina to handle, however that win was helped out by the suspensions on the North Carolina team.

16. Florida State- Will go into Oklahoma this upcoming weekend.

17. Georgia Tech - Will go into Kansas this upcoming weekend.

18. Auburn - Will be going up against Mississippi State in Mississippi this upcoming weekend.

19. Utah - Very nice win against Pittsburgh! Will be playing against UNLV this upcoming weekend.

20. West Virginia - shut out a very unimpressive Coastal Carolina team 31-0 this past weekend. West Virginia's schedule gets a little more difficult this weekend against Marshall, however, let me emphasize here "little".

21. Georgia - I have drop you a few spots even though you destroyed Louisana-Layfette, due to the fact that the NCAA handed down it suspension of A.J Green.

22. South Carolina - Welcome to the top 25. I look for you to upset Georgia this upcoming weekend.

23. Pittsburgh - Yeah, I know that you lost in overtime to Utah, but I am not ready to drop you out of my top 25 just yet. I beleive that you will bounce back from that lost.

24. Arizona - I am giving you the benefit of the doubt here, I am not sure that your 41-2 victory over Toledo was because you were just that good on offense and defense or if Toledo is just that bad.

25. Stanford - Took Sacremento State to the woodshed this past week beating them 52-7. This is a very underated Stanford team and you should improve on this ranking this weekend against UCLA.

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-08-07T15:37:00.010-05:00

No, I am not referring to Christmas. I am talking College Football! It has been a rather interesting off-season with coaching changes and teams leaving and changing conferences. However, it is now time for the first poll of the 2010 season. My Pre-season top 25 Rankings!

1. ALABAMA - coming in at #1 is really no surprise. They are the current defending FBS Champions. and have Saban at the helm. They only lost 3 offensive players and of course they have Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returning! However, the question is their defense, after having one of the top rated defenses last season, they only have one defensive player returing that started every game last season.
2. Ohio State - These guys are the favorites to win the BIG TEN this year. Why? well for starters they have 25 seniors on their roster for this season. Terrell Pryor has more experience under his belt with a great supporting offensive line.
3. Boise state - Yeah, I know what you are thinking... But they have got my attention this season. they have won 26 of their last 27 games,went 14-0 last season, they defeated TCU in the Fiesta Bowl last year, and they have 22 starters returning. The first game of the season will determine if they can maintain this high ranking. They will play Virgina Tech on national TV.
4. Florida - They have several questions, the first of many is what is their offense going to look like without Tim Tebow at the helm. Urban Meyer took time off during the off-season to address health concerns, however, this is still Florida and Florida has been dominating the SEC for the last decade.
5. Texas - Colt McCoy is not throwing down field passes, but Garrett Gilbert showed several glipses of greatness during the National Championship game. Gilbert enters this season as a sophmore, and even though Texas and Gilbert fell short of a National Championship they did gain one thing, and that Gilbert now has experience in high pressure situations. Mack Brown should be able to build on this and continue his dominance in the BIG 12.
6. TCU - Some may think I should have Virgina Tech ranked above TCU, but record speaks for itself sometimes, and TCU managed an undefeated season(12-1)last year. Only losing to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, if you go straight by strengh of schedule I would place Virgina Tech in this spot.
7. Virgina Tech - Frank Beamer's offense has improved in several key areas this past off-season, which should help take some of the pressure off of their defense. Virigina Tech should win the ACC this season, if they can get by Boise State in the first week they should be able to meet up with Miami as an undefeated team later in the season.
8. Oklahoma - Oklahoma's offensive line is healthy! They made some mental errors last season which knocked them out of the BIG 12 Hunt, if they can managed to stay away from those errors and based on their schedule they should be meeting Texas in the Cotton Bowl as an undefeated team. They have one question that remains, can Landry Jones fill Sam Bradford's shoes? Jones is coming in this season as a sophmore, who has had very little playing time.
9. Miami - The Hurricanes are a forced to be reckoned with in the ACC. I fully expect them to be in direct contention with Virgina Tech for the ACC title this season. They have an attitude in which they want their swagger back. Men on a mission. This kind of attitude can overcome certain areas of lesser talent against opponents. However, they play Ohio State in the second week of the season and that kind of an opponent may be too much for them to handle, but that is the only game that I see them losing until they at least play Virgina Tech later in the season.
10. Nebraska - Finished last season with a 10-4 record. I had figured that they would be the sleeper in the Big 12 last season and came within a second of winning the BIG 12 Championship! Okay, Nebraska congrats on the 2009 season, but that was then and this is now. You have Zac Lee who is coming off elbow surgery during the off-season and whole bunch of other questions at Quarterback. I am not even going to start on their offense as a whole, which ranked 99th overall last season. Nebraska relied mainly on their defense to pull them through games.
11. Iowa - Should be in contention for the BIG 10 title again this year. They play all of their major opponents at home, and we all know how difficult it is to win on their turf.
12.Oregon - These guys are the early favorite to win the Pac-10, I mean come on, have you look at their schedule? It's no wonder that the Pac-10 has been looking to add more teams. They are currently only scheduled to play against ONE ranked team! However, they are going up against an SEC team in September and are going into a rather hostile environment in Neyland Stadium, however, it is against a mediocre Tennessee team.
13. Penn State - One name: Paterno. Is this guy ever going to retire? Probably not. Jo Pa will probably die from old age on the sideline doing what he loves. This is exactly why I believe that Penn State seems to stay in the top 25 throughout the season. His players believe in him, and his message. Sometimes having the heart to play football can trump talent. Penn State has a very tough schedule, they will be up against the National champs in the second week of the season,and this is not to say anything about the regular BIG TEN schedule and going up against Ohio State and Iowa.
14. Wisconsin - Wisconsin can take the place of Iowa this season as the Big Ten sleeper. They have all but one returning starters on offense, and only Iowa and Ohio State stand in their way of going to the Rose Bowl this season. The big question for the Badgers will be their defense. They only have one player returning from last season on their defensive line, and I really hope for their sake that they made some improvements in their secondary, otherwise it could get bad real fast against a high powered offense like Ohio State.
15.LSU - Finished last season with a 9-4 record. I believe that they have an opportunity to improve on that record, but not by much, with Alabama and Florida on their schedule I look for them to finish 10-3 at best.
16.Georgia - It will be interesting to see how Georgia does this season. You know, with Mark Richt that they will be in a position to compete, but there is just so many unknowns about Georgia, such as starting a freshman quarterback and whether or not their best receiver A.J Green will miss time from a possible suspension or what?
17. Georgia Tech - I like these guys at No. 17 they have an offense that can put up points on opponents extremely fast, but the reason they are not ranked higher is their defense. The toughest part of their schedule is at the end of the season when they will face-off against Virgina Tech, Miami, and Georgia.
18. Pittsburgh - I believe Pitt can win their conference this season, however, we are talking about the Big East. Pitt has made up some ground in their non-conference scheduling by picking up Miami and Notre Dame. I still think there will be a repeat situation from last season with the conference being decided in the last game against Cincinnati, but I do look for Pitt to come out on top this season.
19. Arkansas- This could be the year that Arkansas will compete with the SEC BIG DOGS! Speaking of dogs, they will be going to Georgia next month to play between the hedges. This is the kind of game that can make or break a team's season. If they win this game it could be just enough encouragement to propell the team to give Alabama all they can handle. Arkansas has an offense that can compete with any in the SEC, however, it is their defense that remains suspect, and could keep them out of the SEC Title game. I do however, expect Arkansas to definately improve on their 8-5 record from last year and make a bigger bowl game.
20. Auburn - I am referring to this team as the sleeping tiger of the SEC West! They are on a mission, and I believe that they have enough talent and depth to not only finish better than 8-5, but actually make a race for the SEC West Title. I can not wait to see the SEC West in action this season, the only problem I see for teams like Auburn is if they are able to survive the gauntlet of teams that are bidding for the SEC West title. Again, like Arkansas, Auburn has some questions with defense, however, if the defense can stay healthy and continue to improve throughout the season then the sleeping tiger could be laying in wait to pounce on their opponents.
21. North Carolina - I am sorry, it is too bad that right off the bat you have to play LSU. I believe that you will be playing catch-up the rest of the season from this loss. You have a tough schedule that I am not too sure that you will be able to survive through. You do however, have enough talent to manage an upset over a Georgia Tech or Florida State team, but you know the saying seeing is believing and I have just not seen it.
22. Florida State - I definately can not say that you are the same team from last season. It appears that just about everything has changed for you guys. However, you will also be tested early with going into Oklahoma. You know that Oklahoma will be prepared, and even though I believe you have the offensive talent to make it a great game, I am just not convince that your defense will be able to withstand the Oklahoma offensive talent. It is unfortunate that this is so early into your season, which could not only put a damper on the rest of your season, but could hurt your QB's chances of being a Heisman hopeful.
23. Oregon State - The Rose Bowl?? Hmm If you can get by TCU and Boise State in the first half of the season, then we can talk Rose Bowl. I am not sure that even if you get by one you won't get by the other, besides I havent even made it to Oregon at the end of the season yet. Rose Bowl hopes? Really? It would make for a great story if you did, just not seeing it.
24. Cincinnatti - I fully expect these guys to be in contention again this season with Pittsburgh for the BIG East Title. They start off the season with Utah, which should set the stage for their season. The Utah defense just seems to vulnerable to withstand the offensive power that Cincinnatti brings, again we look to defense to monitor their success through the season.
25. West Virgina - It will be hard to improve on your record from last season. You have improved in areas and have taken a step back in others, your schedule will and should allow you to remain in contention and in the conversation through the year. LSU, we be a major test, which goes without saying. If you are able to get through an SEC Defense like LSU's then I believe that will propell you into winning the Big East!

Vol Vindication

2010-06-10T22:12:00.005-05:00

Lane Kiffin is finding his decision to go to USC a bit troubling these days. I am sure that he would never admit that he regrets his decision, but with USC looking at sanctions from the NCAA he is going to have an up-hill battle at recruiting and finding success at that program. However, I figure that he was going to have trouble anyway without the sanctions, so I will be surprised if he wins 7 games this coming season.
In case you are wondering what I am referring to, the NCAA has disciplined USC for its recruiting practices and especially the recruiting of Reggie Bush. There are several sanctions that will be implemented on USC, but the two that will hurt the most for Lane Kiffin will be the 30 scholarships taken away over the next 3 years, and USC being prohibited in participating in bowl games for the next 2 years. In addition to that sting that I am sure Kiffin is feeling USC will also be on probation for the next 4 years! This means that Kiffin's questionable recruiting techniques will be under scrutiny for the next 4 years. To make sure the kick in Kiffin's and USC's butt stings for awhile the NCAA has also taken away it's 2004 National Championship, in which they played Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl Game.
You can't help but chuckle at Kiffin, I mean you know Pete Carroll is!

Eric Berry Tops Vols In NFL Draft!

2010-04-30T10:29:00.004-05:00

Eric Berry who who played Defensive Saftey for the vols, tops all other Tennessee Vols in the draft by going to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round and 5th overall. There was a total of 6 Tennessee Volunteers selected in this years draft. The most surprising of course came in the 5th round with the 159th pick overall, by the San Diego Chargers. Yes, I am talking about Jonathan Crompton. I did not see that coming, but hey I guess that is why I am writing a sports blog and not working as a coach or GM in the NFL.

The other Vols selected to this years draft were:

Dan Williams selected in the first round with the 26th pick overall to Arizona.

Montario Hardesty selected in the second round with the 59th pick overall (to my favorite NFL Team) Cleveland.

James McClendon selected to in the fourth round with the 129th pick overall to Indianapolis

Chis Scott selected in the fifth round with the 151th pick overall to Pittsburgh.

2010 Football Schedule

2010-04-01T00:44:00.005-05:00

Tennessee's Orange and White Game
April 17th 2010 @ 2:00pm Eastern

2010 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:

09/04/10 vs. Tennessee-Martin Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
09/11/10 vs. Oregon Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
09/18/10 vs. Florida * Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
09/25/10 vs. UAB Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
10/02/10 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. TBA
10/09/10 at Georgia * Athens, Ga. TBA
10/23/10 vs. Alabama * Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
10/30/10 at South Carolina * Columbia, S.C. TBA
11/06/10 at Memphis Memphis, Tenn. TBA
11/13/10 vs. Mississippi * Knoxville, Tenn. TBA
11/20/10 at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. TBA
11/27/10 vs. Kentucky * Knoxville, Tenn. TBA

SEC Championship

Tennessee Basketball Makes History !

2010-03-31T19:09:00.003-05:00

Bruce Pearl has done an outstanding job as coach for the Tennessee Volunteers Basketball program. Tennessee advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time EVER! This is the closest the team has ever been to a National Championship in Basketball. Even though Tennessee lost to Michigan State 70-69,they achieved the second best record in school history with a 28-9 mark on the season. Congratulations on an outstanding season.

Tennessee Selects Derek Dooley As 22nd Head Football Coach

2010-03-11T20:10:00.000-06:00

On January 15th The University of Tennessee hired Derek Dooley. Dooley, who is 41 years old comes to Tennessee as the 22nd Head Football Coach for the University of Tennessee. Dooley spent the last 3 years as the Head Coach for Louisiana Tech. There are several things about Dooley that concern me and makes my eyebrows raise a little at the decision of Mike Hamilton to hire Dooley.
First, as you can see Dooley only spent 3 years with Louisiana Tech, and he only achieved a 17-20 record. He was just hired in March of 2008 as Louisiana Tech's Athletic Director in addition to being the head football coach.You have to ask the question why would a guy who not only just achieved a first Bowl win and just newly hired as Athletic Director decide to leave. This has the appearance of another man that is lead by money rather than commitment to a program.
Now, on the plus side Derek Dooley did lead Louisiana Tech to its first bowl game in 30 yrs last season, and their first Bowl victory by winning the Independence Bowl. He did finish his last season at Louisiana Tech with a winning record, and had obviously changed the course of direction for that program for the better.
As far as what he will do for Tennessee... well to be fair, before I make that kind of judgment, I would like to see how he does with a full recruiting season. He was hired only days before the national signing day, which does not fully show his capability or lack there of at recruiting. If he can stay longer than one season with the Vols then he will be heading in the right direction in regards to the Tennessee fan.

LANE KIFFIN RESIGNS !!!!

2010-01-12T23:52:00.000-06:00

umm lets see, Kiffin is young and arrogant. Much of his success has been determined by his father Monte Kiffin, who really was in my opinion the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers this past season. Kiffin, who apparently does not know what a contract is or knows what the meaning of loyalty is, has decided to go to a high profile program in USC. I believe that Kiffin will either resign or be fired within 3 years of this latest appointment, due in fact to his inability to coach (hiding behind his Dad) and the instability that he brings with him to that program. I hope that Tennessee can recover from this soon, it was hard letting go of Philip Fulmer and a big part of me wishes that he was back. I would like Tennesse to hire someone with extensive experience and not a young coach just starting out in the industy that wants to make a name for himself. Kippy Brown will be the interim head coach, who was the assist coach/wide receiver coach under Philip Fulmer back in 1993.

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

2010-01-06T17:18:00.001-06:00

Alabama vs. Texas ! This will be a great game. I believe in Colt McCoy, I believe that Colt can beat the Tide. However, Colt needs help, and I am not sure that he will get it. Please understand I would like to see Texas win cause I would like to see Colt get his Championship. Texas' big issue that needs to be address in this game is the offensive balance. Colt has great accuracy and mobility in the pocket which can create havoc for a mediocre defense. The problem is, is that Alabama's defense is anything but mediocre. Alabama has had one of the top run defenses for the past 2 years, and is currently ranked #2 in the nation in TOTAL defense. Texas needs a running game in addition to Colt's passing game if they are going to beat Alabama. If Texas can achieve this then they will give Alabama all they can handle. If you are looking for a prediction here, this is difficult because Alabama is stronger in areas that Texas is not and Texas is stronger in areas that Alabama is not. The Bottom line: If Texas can establish a running game early and often to compliment the passing attack, and Texas' defense can shut down the run, Texas will win easily. I believe based on competition, Alabama's strength on the defensive line and Mark Ingram gives Alabama the advantage in this game. The Coaching edge is going to go to Nick Saban also. I love Mack Brown and he is and will become a legend at the coaching position, but Nick Saban has a commanding presence about him on the football field, and it shows with the way that his players respond to him. I believe that Nick Saban will have every conceivable angle of victory meticulously analyzed. I will be surprised if this game is not a defensive struggle, rather than an offensive show-down.

Tennessee Gets Plucked In Chick-Fil-A Bowl

2010-01-03T21:26:00.000-06:00

As expected Tennessee was not talented enough to handle the 11th ranked team in the nation. The Volunteers were beat 37-14 by Virgina Tech. The only good thing here is that this season is over and now Lane Kiffin and the Vols can start looking forward to next year. What concerned me the most about this game was not the fact that they lost, it was the way that they lost. I could only imagine what was going on in Monte Kiffin's mind as he watched his defense completely fall apart in the second half. The defense was supposed to be the one thing that the Vols had going for them against Virgina Tech. A lost became a blow-out when the offense decided to follow suit with the defense and could no longer take advantage of opportunities , whether it was because of the lack of accuracy from Jonathan Crompton or drop passes that should have been caught, bottom line is they lost focus and their determination to win. Virgina Tech is a great team and based on their talent should have beat Tennessee, but Tennessee gave them the game in the second half without a fight.

Final Regular Season Top 25

2009-12-08T13:44:00.001-06:00

1. Alabama - SEC Champions. Not much to say here except that they got the job done.

2. Texas - BIG 12 Champions. The worst I have seen Texas play all year. They still manage a win.

3. TCU - I believe these guys should be ranked above Cincinnati based on their margin of victories for the entire season.

4. Florida - I just can not drop these guys below Cincinnati, I still think that they are a better team, and we could have quite possibly already seen the national championship when they played Alabama.

5. Cincinnati - BIG EAST Champions. Got a win, but barely.... It was a great game to watch though. They will have an opportunity to prove that they are better than Florida in this year's Sugar Bowl.

6. Oregon - PAC 10 Champions. Did not expect these guys to be Pac 10 Champs this year. Should be a good game in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

7. Ohio State -BIG TEN Champions. Finished the season strong, their biggest win came against Iowa down the stretch.

8. Georgia Tech - ACC Champions. These guys have a great offense, but their most questionable mark on their season is losing to Georgia in the final week. I am not sure if that happen due to the fact that they knew that they already had the ACC Championship locked-up or not, but it does raise an eyebrow going into a BCS Bowl Match up.

9. Iowa - An amazing season, kinda lost your footing a little down the stretch, with a healthy QB you should make it a great Bowl Game, Congrats on your first BCS appearance.

10. Boise State - If it is respect your looking for you won't find any here. I guess finishing the season undefeated should at least give you an opportunity to prove yourself in a BCS Bowl, but you guys really need to work on your non-conference scheduling if you want a legitimate bid for a National Championship.
11. Penn State - Finished the season with a 10-2 record, and 3rd place in the Big Ten. Only losses on the season came from 2 teams in the top 10. If I was Penn State I wouldn't be complaining about this record. Good Job Joe Pa
12. Virgina Tech - Finish its season with 10-2 record with one of those losses to the current #1 team in the nation. To rank these guys any lower would be illogical.
13. LSU - From my view-point this is not really a disappointing season for you, considering I was thinking that you would be lucky to be in the top 25 at the end of the season, let alone ranked as high as 13th. You survived the SEC West Gauntlet better than I thought you were going to, with a win against Mississippi, and Arkansas.
14. Miami - (The U) You guys had an opportunity to shock the nation this season, and just could not hold it together. You and Virgina Tech had just as much of an opportunity to win the ACC as Georgia Tech did. I believe the talent of these 3 schools are very similar.
15. Nebraska - Yes I have you ranked 15th in the nation. I take issue with the fact that your not ranked any higher in the AP Poll. I knew that you would be a sleeper in the Big 12 this season. However, the only reason and the ONLY reason that you did not win the Big 12 this season is that your offense went dormant. Your offense had it moments throughout the season, but was not consistent enough to finish.
16. Pittsburgh - What a finish! You guys made a statement, and Wannstedt is loyal and a good coach. I would like to wish you congratulations on being the 2010 Big East Champions.
17. BYU - Finished the season with a record of 11-2, however I believe that there are several 9-3 teams out there that if they played you head-to-head they would get the best of you.
18. West Virgina - Finished the season 9-3. I believe that a match-up with the above mentioned BYU would be a good game, since I think that these two teams would be evenly matched.
19. Oregon State - Nice season, really did not expect you to be that close to going to your first Rose Bowl appearance in decades! I am not sure what to expect anymore out of the PAC 10.
20. Oklahoma State - Finished the season right where I thought you would be. It must be discouraging that you just can not win the South in BIG 12, like I said before it is just too bad that you guys are not playing in the BIG 12 North.
21. Stanford - The question here: would you be as good and ranked here if you did not have Toby Gerhart? Ummm..
22. Utah - Finished the season with a 9-3 record, which would be a great if you had a stronger schedule.
23. Wisconsin - Finished the season with a 9-3 record. I wasn't sure if I should rank you higher than Utah, since you have same record with a stronger schedule, so if makes you feel better consider yourself interchangeable with Utah as far as this ranking is concerned.
24. Arizona - Are you kidding? Your record is 8-4, but you just beat USC. You finished the season strong, I do not have you ranked here because of your win against USC, but rather because you finished strong and have something to build on. The AP has you ranked a little higher but I think that they are basing some of that ranking due to the fact that you beat USC, which has been dominate for the last decade. Never mind the fact that they clearly have issues right now and were on a downward spiral when you played them.
25. TENNESSEE - I have waited all season long to put into my top 25, and besides just being a complete and total fan, I have tried to base this ranking on the following without basing this on the fact that I bleed orange. I have ranked you here due to the fact that you are obviously clicking as a team and have become more comfortable with Lane Kiffin's offense. You have finished the season strong and are currently ranked second in the SEC East behind Florida. Your key wins were against Georgia, and South Carolina. You have a lot to build on for next year and fully expect you to improve on you current 7-5 record. Even though you have 5 losses on the season 3 out of 5 losses came to teams ranked in the top 25. Hopefully you can surprise the college football world in the Chick-fil-a Bowl against Virgina Tech.

Tennessee Edges Out Kentucky !

2009-11-29T09:33:00.000-06:00

Tennessee takes Kentucky into Overtime last night to finish 2nd place in the SEC East! I have to admit I did not figure that Tennessee would finish the season ahead of Georgia and South Carolina in the East this year, but Jonathan Crompton must have drank his corn from a jar on Rockytop a few weeks ago, cause he has been a different quarterback the second half of the season. It is too bad that Tennessee did not beat Mississippi a couple of weeks ago, if they had won that game they would have broken the top 25. This win against Kentucky now makes the Vols winning streak against the Wildcats 25 straight. Kentucky has not beat Tennessee since 1984!

Here are the final Sec Standings going into the College Post Season:

EAST - OVERALL / CONFERENCE

FLORIDA 11-0 / 8-0

TENNESSE 7-5 / 4-4

GEORGIA 7-5 / 4-4

SOUTH CAROLINA 7-5 / 3-5

KENTUCKY 7-5 / 3-5

VANDERBILT 2-10 / 0-8

WEST - OVERALL / CONFERENCE

ALABAMA 12-0 / 8-0

LSU 9-3 / 5-3

OLE MISS 8-4 / 4-4

ARKANSAS 7-5 / 3-5

AUBURN 7-5 / 3-5

MISS ST. 5-7 / 3-5

My College Football Top 25 Analysis

2009-11-23T17:38:00.000-06:00

1. Texas - Yes, I still have Texas as the Number 1 team in the Nation! They routed Kansas this past week 51-20 to win the Big 12 South and guarantee a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. Colt McCoy is playing like a Heisman winner throwing for 4 TD's and almost 400 yds in that game.

2. Florida - Is just slightly out performing Alabama in the SEC to be ranked at #2 in the Nation.

3. Alabama - Has had this ranking for most of the year. I would not be surprised if they surprise Florida in the SEC Championship.

4. TCU - Continues to not only stay undefeated but is winning against their opponents convincingly. They are the only true BCS Buster out there. I do not believe that they deserve a shot at the national championship, but if they remain undefeated however, they are more deserving of a BCS Bowl than a Boise State team.

5. Cincinnati - is impressive and has a better schedule than TCU, but Cincinnati could be upset by Pittsburgh later in the season. They have played some close games that should not have been close.

6. Georgia Tech - These guys are currently 10-1 on the season, and they are riding an eight game winning streak going into Georgia this coming weekend. These guys are Orange Bowl bound barring any major problems in the ACC Title game against Clemson scheduled for Dec. 5th.

7. Pittsburgh - I like these guys, they have been below the radar all season long, due to Cincinnati getting all of the attention in the Big East because they are undefeated. Pittsburgh has only one loss on the season and they are red hot right now. They are currently riding a 6 game winning streak going into West Virgina. Their remaining schedule is tough, but if they win out will be the Big East Champions.

8. Ohio State - I know these guys have 2 losses on the season, but they could not be playing better right now. They have won the Big Ten and will be playing in the Rose Bowl. They finished their season with 5 straight wins that included beating Iowa and Penn State.

9. Penn State - I do not believe that they will be going to a BCS Bowl this year, but did give the bowl committee out there something to think about by blowing out Michigan State in their final game of the season 42-14.

10. Boise State - Ugh... that word pretty much describes how I feel about you this season. I know if you played Ohio State or Penn State you would get to see the inside of a wood shed! You barely escaped Tulsa and Louisiana Tech, and so you beat a 3-8 Utah State team 51-21 this past week. Are you Kidding? You should have annihilated Louisiana Tech and should have beat Tulsa by at least 3 touchdowns to even be considered for a BCS Bowl. Your Defense can not handle a high powered offensive line like that of a Ohio State or a Penn State team, let alone anyone else in the top 10. Umm and your remaining "killer of a schedule" is against Nevada and New Mexico State!

11. Oklahoma State - You have made a pretty good statement that you need to be taken seriously in the Big 12 this season. Even though you just barely escaped Colorado this past week, you have convincing wins against Texas Tech, and Missouri.

12.Iowa - Great season! Your lost against NorthWestern killed you hopes of obtaining a BCS Bid. If you had not lost to Ohio State you could have gone to the Rose Bowl by default. Iowa be proud that you have 10 wins on the season and relish in the fact that you are going to go to a prominent bowl game.

13. Oregon - I believe that if you played Boise State again you would probably beat them this time, however the reason that I do not have ranked above them is that they still have the win Head-to-head on you and your performance last week just barely got you by Arizona. Of course, you still have a pretty good resume this season, by beating USC and California convincingly.

14. Virgina Tech - Your biggest problem this season was the lost to North Carolina. Not only did you lose to an inferior team when it comes to talent, but it was a team in your own conference. The other 2 loses on your schedule where against top 10 teams, which in itself makes a statement. You have one opportunity left to impress the bowl committee this week against in state rival Virgina. I fully expect you to handle these guys, but I said the same thing against North Carolina.

15. Clemson - Congratulations on your entrance into the ACC Championship Game! However, you have to play a very dangerous South Carolina team this coming week.

16. LSU - Well, I knew that you would not be able to survive the SEC West this year, however, you did compete better than I thought you would. I believe that you are good enough to overcome Arkansas, but not good enough to take them lightly.

17. Miami - You have an opportunity to have 10 wins season for the first time since 2003. Even though your hopes of a BCS Bid have fallen by the way-side, you can still take pride in the fact that you are going to go to a bowl game this season, and should finish out your regular season schedule with 9 wins.

18. USC - A promising season, and great coach, and alot of talent it sucks to have you just fighting for a prominent bowl game. No Rose Bowl, No BCS game, and you have to win out just to accomplish a good bowl at that. I can not remember the last time that you were not either in a Rose Bowl or BCS game. The lost Stanford put the nail in the coffin for your Rose Bowl Hopes. You need to win out just to avoid a complete disaster of your season.

19. Oregon State - These guys are on a 4-game winning streak after losing to USC, not to mention the fact that they have won convincingly in those 4 games as well. They play Oregon on Dec. 3rd which should be a good game.

20. Mississippi - The other polls have these guys ranked lower, but seeing them play LSU this past week, it is obvious that their opponents have no answer for their Running-Back Dexter McCluster. He has moves like Hershel Walker! Ole Miss finishes out their regulare season against Mississippi State, which they havent beaten since 2003. I would be completely shocked if they did not get some long awaited revenge in that game this coming weekend.

21. BYU - Umm lets see you have an 9-2 record all of your wins have come from teams that are currently unranked, not to mention a loss by a team that is also currently unranked. The only team that you played that is ranked (TCU) destroyed you. You have an opportunity to make a statement this coming weekend by playing a ranked Utah Team, who I wouldn't be surprised in the least gave you another upset.

22. Utah - Currently at 9-2 on the season just like BYU, the only difference here is that BYU has had a little tougher schedule than you, but I believe that you have enough talent on this team to upset BYU at their house this coming weekend.

23. Nebraska - These guys did not do as well as thought they could have done this year, but look out! Here comes Nebraska heading into the Big 12 Championship against Texas! I knew that you were the best team in the Big 12 North this season, even though no one seem to give you any respect. You took care of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas which propelled your way to the Big 12 Championship. Colorado gave Oklahoma State all they could handle this past week, so even though your already in the championship game do not take these guys for granted, You need to beat Colorado to tell the nation that you at least deserve to be in the big 12 Championship against Texas.

24. Houston - Continues to impress, but with 2 loses now on the season and the weakening of the schedule does not help your ranking. The loss against UTEP was the worst loss of the season for you. You lost more than just that game!

25. North Carolina - You guys just do not quit and I like that! DEFENSE! is what has kept you in your games. You are riding a 4-game winning streak into N.C. State, and being that it is an in-state rivalry this should be a great game to watch. I look for a defensive struggle thoughout.

Top 25

2009-11-08T20:36:00.000-06:00

1. Texas- is still in my opinion the best in the Country, their strength of schedule, the margin of victory, the balance on offense, and of course the ability to remain undefeated.

2. Florida - being in the SEC and still remaining undefeated is something to be proud of. They have won the SEC East, which of course has lost some of its thunder with Georgia and Tennessee not performing as well as they have in the past. I have been a little concerned with their margin of victory over some lesser opponents.

3. Alabama - Is on a collison course with Florida for the SEC Championship, they have won the SEC West, with thier win this past week against LSU. I am also concerned with their margin of victory against Tennessee. Tennessee came as close to upsetting a team as you can get without the upset. Tennessee is obviously climbing in the polls and is a much better team than they were a few weeks ago, but Alabama should have still been able to dominate especially in Alabama.

4. TCU - Let me introduce you to this year's BCS Buster. These guys may have a weaker schedule than anyone else in the top 5, but you can not ignore the margin of victory that these guys are winning by. TCU is a very dangerous team and should be taken seriously.

5. Cincinnatti - Continues to remain undefeated, however I am concerned that they only won by 2 points against UConn this past week. Their defense is suspect right now, and I am not sure what has brought on this change, because their defense has been strong all season until this past week. They are currently on a collision course with Pittsburgh who has only one loss on the season and they are obviously getting better as the season continues. Cincinnatti will have to bring their A-game against Pitt scheduled for December 5th.

6.Georgia Tech - Their only loss of the season is against Miami. They will destroy Duke this upcoming week, but will be tested in their home-state rivalry against Georgia.

7. Pittsburgh - I feel as though I may be giving you the benefit of the doubt here at this ranking, I like the kind of numbers that your offense is putting up, However, your defense is a little suspect. I think you have enough talent to beat Cincinnatti

8. Iowa - I really had to think about putting you here. You only have one loss on the season, but it was too a very mediocre NorthWestern. However, you have already turned heads this season and have made the best start in your history, if you have a healthy QB you are very hard to beat. I believe that your Rose Bowl hopes will fade though against a resurgent Ohio State team.

9. Houston - I am just not convince that there is a FBS team out there that can compete defensively against your explosive offense when your offense is focused. The only loss on the season came from an inept Utep! The only reason that you lost that game is because you lost focused and took that team too lightly. You should win the rest of your games this season, which you could have an outside shot at a BCS game depending how the teams above you fair in the final weeks of the season.

10. Boise State - I know your saying where is my respect! My response to that is where is your competition? your undefeated schedule is a weak schedule, You have only beaten 3 teams with even a winning record, and only one team in the top 25. You Play Idaho next week who is 7-3, will see...

11. Ohio State - Probably could beat Boise State, and if they play like they did this past week against Penn State, they should win the Big 10 and play in the Rose Bowl.

12. LSU - Have actually surprised me this year. You are playing better than I thought you would be at this time of the season. Your key wins this year were against Georgia and Auburn. I did not think that you would beat them. You still have Ole Miss coming in acouple of weeks.

13. USC - You have lost the National Championship and now you may have lost a BCS Bowl Game with that lost to Oregon.

14. Utah - Only one loss on the season, but lack of strength on your schedule is a problem.

15. Miami - The Clemson lost has really hurt you. If you win out you could have an outside shot at a BCS Bowl, but don't hold your breath.

16. Oregon - USC win very impressive - Stanford lost just as Unimpressive. Who are you? We never know what team is going to show up?

17. Penn State - Still a very strong team and more than likely could be a Boise State team, in spite of losing 2 on the season.

18. Oklahoma State- It is too bad these guys are not in the Big 12 North they would be in the Big 12 Championship.

19. Wisconsin - your most impressive win was against Purdue 37-0.

20. South Florida -No longer a contender for the Big East, however you have an opportunity to move up in the rankings if you take down #15 Miami.

21. Arizona - Have a very tough remaining schedule. 3 of your final 4 games are against top 25 teams.

22. West Virgina- Still hanging around in the Big East

23. Auburn - Not a bad record considering your schedule. (7-3)

24. Virgina Tech - The only other 3 lost team in my top 25

25. BYU - not much respect here, I hate your schedule, but you only have 2 losses on the season.

Tennesse is climbing the polls and if they beat Ole Miss this coming weekend I would expect them to break into the top 25.

New Top 25

2009-11-02T13:21:00.000-06:00

1. Texas

2. Florida

3. Alabama

4. Iowa

5. TCU

6. Cincinnatti

7. Oregon

8. LSU

9. Georgia Tech

10. Penn State

11. USC

12. Boise State

13. Utah

14. Ohio State

15. Pittsburgh

16. Houston

17. Miami

18. Oklahoma State

19. Oklahoma

20. Notre Dame

21. California

22. Wisconsin

23. Arizona

24. Virgina Tech

25. South Florida

Climbing on Rocky Top!

2009-10-26T20:15:00.000-05:00

Tennessee lost this past week to Alabama, but "Holy Rockytop, Batman!" The Volunteers came within inches of upsetting the nation's #1 ranked team. The Final score: 12-10. Bama blocked a last minute field goal to secure their win.

Even though Tennessee lost, I am moving them up in my overall rankings, Tennessee arguably has the toughest schedule in all of college football. What other team has played the top two teams in the nation in one season. Not only that, but Tennessee still has to play another top 25 team in South Carolina, and remember even though Georgia is spiraling down, they started the season ranked 3rd in the nation. Georgia spanked Vanderbilt this past week, which Tennessee took it to Georgia. Ummm....

Tennessee has obviously gotten better as the season has gone on. I am not sure who is talking/coaching Jonathan Crompton, but the last 2 games Crompton has been playing SUPER! I have never seen him play better in all the time he has been at Tennessee. I am not sure what has lit a fire under him, but I hope it will last throughout the remaining season. Tennessee who is currently 3-4 on the season now has the hardest part of its schedule behind them, with the team and Crompton playing better, I am very encouraged. If they continue to play the same way as they have played in the last 2 games then Tennessee will return to a bowl game this season.

Top 25

2009-10-19T15:04:00.000-05:00

Before I post this top 25 I would like to send out a special thank you to Ohio State and Virgina Tech. You have made the National Championship picture a little clearer by making a statement this past week that you want nothing to do with the National Championship. Both of you should have won and have the talent to do just that, but no... your lack of concentration and over-confidence showed that you are not mature enough to handle the national spot-light.

1. Texas - Had a hard fight against the best 3-loss team in the nation. However, found a way to win again.
2. Alabama - Played a good game against the #22 team in the nation this past week. Yes, I have officially now ranked you ahead of Florida.
3. Florida - Stays undefeated, but came very close to being upset by an unranked team, this win still keeps you in the National Championship picture, but you lose a spot in my rankings.
4. USC - Will be returning this season to a BCS bowl game. Nice win against Notre Dame in their house this past week.
5. Iowa - You know I thought that you did not have enough talent and discipline to acheive a Rose Bowl appearance, but seeing how Ohio State does not have any interest in being there it has completely open the door for you to finish the season with the best record in your history, and the highest ranking you have ever achieved.
6. Miami - Currently the front runner in the ACC, with the Virgina Tech Loss.
7. Cincinnatti - Still Undefeated, but your strength of schedule is hurting you a little, need to win the Big East to have a shot at the BCS.
8. TCU - Still winning and still undefeated. BCS Buster in waiting out the Mountain West Conference.
9. LSU - So far the only lost on your record is Florida, but you still need to prove that you hang with the top teams in the SEC before you get ranked any higher.
10. Boise State - Still undefeated, better hope that you don't lose a single game or you will be out of a BCS Bowl. Your strength of schedule is killing you in the rankings!
11. Penn State - Your only loss of the season is against Iowa, who appears to be for real.
12. Georgia Tech - just when I thought you were done, you have had some very impressive wins as of late.
13. Oklahoma State - Only one loss. You still have the possiblity for a run at the BCS if you win out.
14. Oregon - Only 1 loss on the season, but I am concern about strength of schedule not sure if you can reach BCS status with USC in the mix.
15. Utah - Strength of schedule in question, do not see them advancing to much higher in the polls even if they do win out.
16. Ohio State - See opening comment.
17. Virgina Tech - See opening comment
18. Houston - Only one loss on the season and has a strong out-of-conference schedule. Boise State needs to take notice.
19. Pittsburgh - Keeps winning -only 1 loss on the season thus far. I do not see them making a BCS run but, could be a nice bowl game in their future.
20. BYU - Okay, you have been winning since your lost, but unless the 19 teams above you start to lose, you will not move up any in my rankings base on your schedule. I still think that I am giving you the benefit of doubt by ranking you this high.
21. Kansas - Lost this past week, which stopped their run at the undefeated season. You guys have the best team that you have had in quite a while but I look for you to drop out of the top 25. You just are still not talented enough to withstand the BIG 12 schedule.
22. West Virginia - The Moutaineers are making their presence felt in their conference.
23. South Carolina - Tough loss, but considering it was against the new top team in the FBS, you will not drop any further than this ranking. I look for you to bounce back next week.
24. Oklahoma - tough to see you guys lose, knowing how much talent you have the fight that you put up against Texas this past week. There could be still a decent bowl game in your future.
25. Texas Tech - knocked off Nebraska this past week convincingly.

TOP 50 in College Football

2009-10-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Ohio State
6. Virgina Tech
7. Iowa
8. TCU
9. Cincinnatti
10. Boise State
11. Miami
12. Penn State
13. Kansas
14. Oklahoma State
15. South Florida
16. Nebraska
17. LSU
18. Oregon
19. Oklahoma
20. South Carolina
21. Georgia Tech
22. BYU
23. Missouri
24. Notre Dame
25. Auburn

26. Houston
27. Mississippi
28. Wisconsin
29. West Virgina
30. Michigan
31. Pittsburgh
32. Arkansas
33. Utah
34. Oregon State
35. Georgia
36. UCLA
37. Tennessee
38. California
39. North Carolina
40. Stanford
41. Minnesota
42. Central Michigan
43. Florida State
44. Texas Tech
45. Boston College
46. Wake Forest
47. Tulsa
48. Washington
49. Idaho
50. Marshall

A State of Concern for VOL Nation....

2009-10-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

It goes without a saying that we all are a little concerned about Tennessee this season and just as concerned about next season. Jonathan Crompton is a senior and we will not have to worry about him after this season, just as long as Lane Kiffin does not make him a Quarter-back coach or something. The question has been asked of me lately, with as bad as Jonathan Crompton has been playing who is the back-up Quarterback? Well, the back-up to Crompton is also a senior named Nick Stephens. Honestly these two guys are pretty much inter-changeable there is not much difference they are both 6'4" and both weigh 228 lbs. their accuracy is well NEVERMIND!

So the real concern here is the fact that beyond Stephens, who is a senior, it is wide-open. Tennessee and Lane Kiffin have been ranked by the SEC as having the 5th overall recruiting class for the 2010 season. However the question still remains, is there a quality true freshman out there that will lead Tennessee next season. Well, the response to that question, is yes and no, meaning anything will better than facing next season with a Jonathan Crompton, but no in the fact, that it will be unreasonable to expect a freshman QB to handle the SEC Conference without a learning curve. That Learning curve unfortunatley could keep Tennessee out of a bowl game for 2010.

A lot will depend on other recruits such as any additions to the offensive line that could help protect an inexperience QB. There are also questions regarding the receiver corp, hopefully there will be improvement with them also to help out the new QB.

As for this season, as much as I hate to say this, I believe it will be very difficult for Tennessee to get a single win in the SEC. They have Georgia this week, I would love Tennessee to get this win, but Tennessee just has not shown that they have the offense to compete with them. If Tennessee wins it will be because of their strength at defense. This could also be the year that Tennessee will lose to Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the same season, which has not happen since 1964.

My Top 25

2009-10-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

1. Texas - There is no reason that these guys should'nt be ranked #1 in the country. Please do not confuse this ranking with my love for Texas, cause there isn't any. Oklahoma is actually my favorite team in the Big 12. You just can not ignore the fact that Colt McCoy is (in my opinion) the best QB in College Football right now. Texas plays Colorado this week and I fully expect Texas to handle them. This of course will set up the big match-up with Oklahoma for Oct. 17th.
2. Florida - Is coming off a much needed bye week to help with the healing of QB Tim Tebow. Tebow is not the normal QB and his need to compete and the passion he has to win will not allow him to protect himself on the field, he never slides, and because of this is always going to be an injury risk. If Florida does not have Tim Tebow this week against LSU it could be a lot closer game, but still expect Florida to win.
3. Alabama - I have seen this offense and I do not see a defense that can stop these guys. I will not be surprised nor should you if Alabama ends up as the SEC Champion at the end of the season.
4. USC - These guys proved that they are still the team to beat in the Pac 10. California was supposed to give these guys problems, the only problem that USC had was whether or not to put their 3rd string in the second half of this game. USC has their starting QB back, of course he still is a true freshman, but this guy has been forced to grow up fast, as another test for USC will be this week against the resurgence of the Irish.
5. Ohio State - Even with one loss on the season, it is hard to argue the fact that since Penn State's loss to Iowa it appears that Ohio State is in the driver's seat for the Big Ten if they win out.
6. Virgina Tech - Is a much improved team since the lost to Alabama, let alone that their only lost of the season is against an undefeated #3 team in the nation, which could be competing for the National Championship.
7. LSU - These guys continue to somehow remain undefeated on the season. They have played 2 SEC teams now and they have won both in the last minute of the game. I fully expect their luck to run out against Florida this week, they may be able to keep the game close due to home-field advantage, and the fact that Tim Tebow may not play.
8. TCU - I have these guys ranked above Boise State due to their strength of schedule. It is just a little bit better than Boise State's. The defense tells the story this year, they recorded 5 sacks last week against SMU. TCU will win the Moutain West Conference this year and could be a BCS Buster.
9. Boise State - Still undefeated, but as the season continues expect these guys to start slipping in my rankings due to lack of strength of schedule.
10. Iowa - These guys have proven that they are a team in the Big Ten that needs to be taken seriously. They have quietly reached a 5-0 record, and would probably still be off of the radar if they had not played a very good Penn State team.
11. Cincinnatti - Also currently undefeated at 5-0. Big East Conference just does not seem to be able to produce anyone that has a chance against their high powered offense. However, a very good test for this team will come next week against South Florida.
12. Auburn - Did you know that these guys are undefeated at 5-0? well apparently this is news to everyone in the country. Like Iowa these guys have been playing below the radar. The newest team to enter the SEC West gauntlet.
13. Miami - Continues to surprise, after getting beat to death by Virgina Tech, beat Oklahoma, which in my mind was a big upset and did not see coming. I am officially impressed. Now I look for consistency before ranking you higher. I am just not sure which defense is going to show up.
14. Kansas - 4-0 undefeated
15. South Florida - 5-0 undefeated - also defeated Florida State this past week.
16. Wisconsin - another Big Ten Team playing below the radar at 5-0.
17. Missouri - Probably will not survive their schedule, yes they are undefeated at 5-0 but they have the bulk of their schedule in the BIG 12 coming up, They play Nebraska this coming week followed by Oklahoma State and then Texas. Uh Good-Luck with that!
18. Oklahoma State - will play Texas A&M this week, A&M is going to get burned without a bon-fire in this game!
19. Penn State - I think that Iowa has their number and I am looking forward to the Penn State vs. Ohio State game. The winner of this game will go to the Rose Bowl, Iowa is a good team this year but, not Rose Bowl good.
20. Mississippi - Still hanging around, Honestly they will have a good win or two this season but do not look for them to compete seriously for the SEC West.
21. Oklahoma - The fact that this team is the only team in the AP Poll right now that has 2 losses on the season and is still ranked in the Top 25 should tell you how much respect that this team has even without their starting QB.
22. Oregon - 4-1 on the season.
23. Nebraska - 3-1 on the season, I will not be surprised to see them hand Missouri their first loss on the season.
24. Georgia Tech - Rebounding from the loss to Miami, but do not see them be able to put themselves in a position to compete for the ACC let alone a BCS bid.
25. South Carolina - A very dangerous team, in the SEC East, I can see them finishing second only to Florida this season in the SEC East.

MY TOP 25 IN THE NATION !!

2009-09-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

1. TEXAS - Colt McCoy will be up again for a Heisman Trophy and I will be surprised if he does not win it, the closest contender will be Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman as a Sophmore. Texas destroyed UTEP as expected this past week.

2. FLORIDA - I still have you at # 2 in the nation right now, but Alabama is a very close #3.

3. ALABAMA - Winning convincingly against Arkansas this past week, which was expected. Arkansas fans need to be thanking the Crimison Tide for not running up the score, it could have easily been a lot worse for them if Nick Saban hadnt decided to just basically run out the time in the 4th Quarter.

4. OKLAHOMA - Creeping back into the national picture as more top 10 teams lose, as the season continues it appears that it is possible that the #2 team playing in the National Championship game could have a loss in the season.

5. USC - Still a very strong team, Yes they have QB issues, and Yes it will keep them out of the National Championship, but still expect them to be representing the PAC 10 in a BCS game this year.

6. OHIO STATE - Also creeping back into the National Spotlight, I do not expect them to play for a National Championship, but they will be playing for the BIG TEN Championship, which you do not want to miss the Penn State/Ohio State Game.

7. VIRGINA TECH - Front runner currently in the ACC. Unless Florida State gets their act together they will represent the ACC in the BCS.

8. LSU - I have drop LSU one spot this week even though they won. They are exactly what I thought they were this season. Like I stated a few days ago, there is no way they will be able to survive the SEC West this season. They came within a foot of losing against Mississippi State this week. They remain in my top 10 due to the fact that in spite of almost losing they are still undefeated.

9. BOISE STATE - ugh! I can't believe I have these guys ranked at #9. They are up 2 spots from last week, only because they remain undefeated and teams in the top 10 keep losing.

10. PENN STATE - Lost a shocker to Iowa at home. I look for Penn State to rebound next week. They drop only 5 spots due to all the other teams losing this week as well.

11. Georgia - They lost to a very good Oklahoma State team, and they are slowly rebounding from the season opener. I still do not think that they will finish any better than second in the SEC East. They should be able to make it to the top 10 if they keep winning.

12. TCU - Also is winning and these guys could actually be very dangerous for a powerhouse program.

13. Oklahoma State - is currently on a mission to avenge their lost to Houston. Do not expect them to be in a BCS Bowl nor do I expect them to be in the BIG 12 Championship, but could finish 3rd in their conference.

14. Cincinnatti - Continues winning Best in the Big East right now. They have moved up 4 spots in my rankings, they remain undefeated- their strength of schedule will hurt their National Championship hopes, but very easily could be representing the Big East in the BCS again this year.

15. South Carolina - I know I have moved them fast in my rankings, but any team that beats a top 10 team deserves to be ranked here. South Carolina is not done either, I look for them to possibly beat out Georgia for the 2nd place in the SEC East this season.

16. California - their one-demensial offense that I had mention last week has already caught up with them, an unranked Oregon team beat the snot out of them this past week.

17. Mississippi - You guys have a lot of work to do. You have the talent to continue to be ranked in the top 25, but you cant just go through the motions in the SEC, Not to mention that I think that you underestimated South Carolina. Drop 11 spots for their performance Thursday night.

18. Houston - These guys are for real. If you thought that the Oklahoma State win was a fluke then think again. Their defense still needs improvement, but they were able to keep the explosive offense of Texas Tech to reasonable yardage. Houston moves up 6 spots from last week in my rankings.

19. Michigan - winning a very close game this past week, nice win but way to close for an unranked team to be. Defense needs some motivation. Up 2 spots from last week.

20. Miami - took a beating today from Virgina Tech, the game was not even close, makes you wonder what the heck happen?

21. Iowa - Beats a very good Penn State team at Penn State! Iowa has their number or their playbook, cause this is the second straight year that they have beat them and 7 of the last 8 years.

22. Nebraska - Rebouded from their lost last week, by scoring over 50 pts. today against Louisana Layfette. The Big 12 better not underestimate this team.

23. Notre Dame - Up one spot from last week as they squeezed out a win against Purdue this past week.

24. Washington - Beating out USC and with all the top 25 teams that have lost this week they have entered into my top 25.

25. Oregon - beating a #6 California team, you deserve to be in the top 25.

Teams on the Bubble this week - Georgia Tech, Utah
Dropping out of my top 25 this week... North Carolina, Kansas, and Utah

Tennesee wins this week 34-23. Tennessee's rank this week is 42.

SEC UPDATE

2009-09-24T20:55:00.000-05:00

I see that South Carolina and Ole Miss are playing tonight. Like I stated earlier this week in my top 25 I would not at all be surprised if South Carolina beats Ole Miss tonight. I just do not see Ole Miss as strong as the AP Poll suggests that they are. The AP Poll has Ole Miss ranked at #4, as you can see I have them ranked at #7 .. and I still think that I am giving them the benefit of the doubt at #7.
Tennessee plays Ohio University this coming weekend, expect Tennessee to have no problem with these guys even with a Jonathan Crompton at the Quarterback Position.
Georgia plays an out of conference game against Arizona St. I fully expect Georgia to handle them. Florida and Kentucky play this weekend, Kentucky does not have as good a defense as Tennessee, I expect Florida to score big against Kentucky barring an injured Tim Tebow. Arkansas and Alabama also playing against each other this coming weekend, umm this is going to be just awful for Arkansas, get the children out of the room for this barn burner... Alabama is going to have a Crimson Hog Feast. The bottom line is I feel that Florida and Alabama will roll again this weekend over their SEC opponents and I expect Ole Miss to struggle if not lose against an underrated South Carolina team. Georgia wins and Tennessee wins. Looking forward to the Tennessee/ Georgia game. in a couple of weeks.

My Top 25 In College Football....

2009-09-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

1. Texas - Yes, I know. Texas appears to me to be a more complete team right now than Florida. If Florida lost Tim Tebow to injury I believe that they would be unable to compete with anyone in the top 10. Even though Texas did not blow out Texas Tech, I believe Texas deserves to be the top rank team in the nation.

2. Florida - If Tim Tebow stays healthy and continues to play at the level that is expected they will continue their dominance in the SEC.

3. Alabama - I expect Alabama to be the team competeing in the SEC Championship game against Florida at the end of the season. Nick Saban is just too good of a coach and recruiter not to be there, and the way that Alabama is playing right now it is hard to find a weakness.

4. Penn State - Currently the front runner in the Big 10. They have not played anyone in the Big 10 yet, but do not see anyone but maybe Ohio State and or Michigan competing with them.

5. California - is ranked this high due to default. I have alot of questions about Cal's Offense. Cal's offense is one-dimensional. They have an amazing running-back in Jonathan Best, but that is the best. Their QB appears to be lacking in talent, and appears to be only one step up from Tenn. QB Jonathan Crompton.

6. Oklahoma - I know your thinking Jason, why do you have Okla. ranked this high, because even though they have played non-conference games the last 2 weeks they have completely killed them, without Sam Bradford. It is way to early to be giving up on Oklahoma. I also believe that if they played an LSU, Mississippi, or Boise State team right now they would win. Okla is more balanced than any of those teams.

7. Mississippi - I have reservations about ranking them this high. They have not played anyone in the SEC yet! However, they are currently undefeated and have been winning by large margins against non-conference teams. and the teams that were currently ranked above them lost this past week.

8. LSU - Same with Mississippi. LSU has been good with non-conference teams but have not played in the SEC yet. I do not believe that LSU will survive the SEC West gauntlet this year.

9. USC - Lost a surprising game to Washington this past week. I knew they had QB issues, but did not expect them to lose against an unranked Washington team. I have only drop them 5 spots in their rankings because USC will still be competing for the Pac 10 Championship. and I believe that they could beat a Boise State team with their eyes closed.

10. Ohio State - Remember these guys? Well yeah they just shut out a very good offense this past week against Toledo. 38-0 nice rebound from USC. I fully expect Ohio State to make a statment this season and a run for the Big 10 Championship.

11. Boise State - I hate these guys! They are self-proclaimed dominators. They have not played anyone in the top 25 yet, and they won't. There is no way that I want these guys playing for a BCS bowl they have one of the weakest schedules in FBS division. Regardless if they finish undefeated this season NO BCS GAME!!

12. Virgina Tech - I was impressed how they weathered the Nebraska storm this past weekend. I am thinking I want to watch these guys play Florida State and Miami.

13. Miami - I have shot these guys up in my rankings, they officially have my attention. They beat Florida State and now a 14th rank Georgia Tech team. They are 2-0 for the first time since 2004.

14. Georgia - Still winning but wow Arkansas really gave them all they could handle this past week.

15. Utah - Still winning also but where is their competition? Ranked this high due to teams rank above them losing and they have remained undefeated. I am just not sure about this team, I believe that they have a good enough offense to be a BCS buster, but not sure if their defense could weather a storm by a big powerhouse program.

16. North Carolina - These guys need to start playing the ACC. They remain undefeated but the going theme here is they have not played anyone in the top 25.

17. Oklahoma State - They won this past week convincingly.

18. TCU - Continues to keep winning.

19. Cincinnatti - I believe they will win the Big East this year.

20. Missouri - Maybe your not as good as a Texas, or Oklahoma, but could very easily see them upsetting an Oklahoma State or Oklahoma, or even a Texas, if these guys underestimate them.

21. Kansas - Is on my radar now with another convincing win this past week, of course it was a very awful pee-wee league type Duke team.

22. Michigan - Could make a run at Ohio State this season. Oh and by the way, don't look now but your in my top 25, which I had not anticipated this season.

23. Nebraska - I am a believer in Nebraska this season, only losing by one point in Blacksburg stills says something. I believe that Nebraska is dangerous for every team currently in the Big 12.

24. Notre Dame - Welcome to my top 25. Will see..... The jury is still out on these guys.

25. Houston - Sorry can not rank you any higher right now. You have a tremendous offense and that is why you are here, but defense is in question. Houston should have no problem winning the Conference USA this season.

Exiting my top 25 this week is BYU - your a pretender. your strength of schedule will not make up the loss this past week to an unranked team.
Teams on the bubble this week - Washington of course, knocking off the #3 ranked team, South Carolina is a dangerous team in the SEC and could be prime for an upset of an SEC powerhouse, and Florida State, who has potential to be in my top 25 this coming week again. However they have lost to Miami and they will likely lose to Virgina Tech within their own conference.

Top 25 Anaylsis

2009-09-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

1. Florida - still seems to be the team to beat. Hard to compete with an offense that keeps putting up numbers like they have. They have Tennessee coming up this weekend, it could get very ugly for Volunteers.
2. Texas - The top team in the Big 12 Conference right now, with Colt McCoy at the helm and staying healthy throughout the season they will still be the top team in the Big 12 at the end of the season.
3. Alabama - The only team that could stand in the way of a another National Championship for Florida. Nick Saban has worked some miracles with that team over last couple of years.
4. USC - Pete Carrol has continued to motivate this team and has made some serious gaines in recruiting. However, in spite of beating Ohio State in Columbus I am still not ready to rank them any higher right now. I saw several offensive misques in the Ohio State game and they still have an inexperience freshman at Quarterback.
5. Penn State - Will be competing for the Big 10 Conference champion this season again.
6. LSU - I will be surprised if LSU can keep their ranking this high throughout the season. I would be paying attention SEC West this year, there is going to be a fight for second place in this division since the emergence of a talented Mississippi team now in the mix.
7. BYU - I am not much of BYU fan, but they did beat Oklahoma. It is hard to rank them any lower just because I believe Oklahoma will be still be competing for the Big 12 Championship and they obliterated Tulane this past week blowing them out 54-3. Florida State is going to have their hands full this upcoming weekend.
8. California - California has put up some ridiculous numbers offensively in the last 2 games. However, they really have not played anyone yet and do not deserve to be ranked any higher than where they are now until they have proved they can beat a power house program.
9. Boise State - Like California they may be 2-0 right now but they haven't played anyone. I do not like their schedule. They will be tested this coming weekend against Fresno State, but that is going to be the toughest it is going to get for them. If they lose just one game they do not deserve to be ranked in the top 25.
10. Mississippi - They had a very good recruiting class, but have not proved they can compete in the SEC yet. I am not ready to rank them as high as the AP Poll has them just yet.
11. Oklahoma - despite losing against BYU, I believe that they would have won that game in the end if they had not has lost Sam Bradford to injury in that game. They completely destroyed Idaho last week without Bradford.
12. Ohio State - A tough lost to USC but played them very well and better than even expected. They showed that they can compete with the best in the nation, which was in question before that game.
13. Georgia Tech - Hello!! where did these yellow jackets come from? They are 2-0 and surprisingly beat a tough Clemson team last week. However, being in the ACC their strength of schedule will also be in question. However, they will play Miami this coming weekend which show how good they are.
14. Virgina Tech - rebounded this past week after losing to a very strong Alabama team.
15. Georgia - After losing to a very good Oklahoma State team in the first week, they won a shoot out with a up and coming South Carolina team. I expect South Carolina to make it into the top 25 before the end of the season.
16. TCU - Waiting for them to play someone. Virginia was a good win, but Virginia is not very impressive this season.
17. Oklahoma State - had alot of misques on defense, but Houston was primed for the upset with their explosive offense, which obviously caught OSU off guard. Unless they make some serious improvements in their defense they will, at best finish 3rd in the Big 12.
18. Nebraska - Could this be the season that Nebraska returns to the national stage? Ummm. They could be the sleeper in the Big 12 this season. They play Virgina Tech this coming weekend.
19. Utah - a great team with good coaching, but lack of strength of schedule is going to hurt them.
20. North Carolina - Still in question as to how good they are. Looking forward to the game in a couple of weeks against Georgia Tech.
21. Cincinnati - Best team in the Big East right now.
22. Miami - nice win against a determine Florida State team.
23. Missouri - Once again proving that they should not be overlooked in the Big 12
24. Kansas - if Kansas can keep winning in the big 12 the Big 12 could overtake the SEC as the best conference in college football.
25. Houston - has proven that they deserved to be in the top 25. This could be the best offense in college football. I would put their offense up against any division one team in the nation.