Now that everybody’s got a few games under their belt, Al Dannity is ready to start ranking the teams. Here’s the first weekly breakdown of the best of the best in College Football.
1. Oklahoma (2-0) Landry Jones made some questionable throws but the Sooners’ defense came up big in their first major test against the Seminoles. Last week: W 23-13 at Florida State. Next game: Saturday vs. Missouri.
2. LSU (3-0, 1-0 SEC) Dominant wins over Oregon and Mississippi State give the Tigers an impressive early resume. Last week: W 19-6 at Mississippi State. Next game: Saturday at West Virginia.
3. Boise State (2-0) The Broncos have opened with two impressive wins but the rest of their slate won’t help their cause. Last week: W 40-15 at Toledo. Next game: Saturday vs. Tulsa.
4. Alabama (3-0) Don’t worry Tide fans. If Bama crushes Arkansas, the Crimson Tide will leapfrog Boise State. Last week: W 41-0 vs. North Texas. Next game: Saturday vs. Arkansas.
5. Stanford (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) Was Saturday a Pyrrhic victory? Stanford’s run at the BCS is in danger after losing Shayne Skov, possibly for the season. Last week: W 37-10 at Arizona. Next game: October 1 vs UCLA.
6. Wisconsin (3-0) The implosion of some Big Ten rivals will be a cause of concern. These Badgers need a strong resume to make a case for a national title shot. Last week: W 49-7 vs. Northern Illinois (at Soldier Field). Next game: Saturday vs. South Dakota.
7. Oklahoma State (3-0) They needed a late night to beat Tulsa. Saturday sees them in a huge match-up with Texas A&M. Last week: W 59-33 at Tulsa. Next game: Saturday at Texas A&M.
8. Texas A&M (2-0) On Saturday either the Aggies or Cowboys will shoot up these rankings. The loser is out of the national championship picture. Last week: W 37-7 vs. Idaho. Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma State.
9. South Carolina (3-0, 1-0 SEC) No unbeaten team has made harder work of their wins but the Gamecocks have come through three tricky games unbeaten. Last week: W 24-21 vs. Navy. Next game: Saturday vs. Vanderbilt.
10. Florida State (2-1) The Seminoles looked good despite going down to Oklahoma. College Football betting fans should like Jimbo Fisher’s team to win the ACC Atlantic based on that showing. Last week: L 23-13 vs. Oklahoma. Next game: Saturday at Clemson.
11. Georgia Tech (3-0) I shudder at ranking a team that has only faced cupcakes, and yes the Kansas Jayhawks are cupcakes, but the Yellow Jackets look the class of the ACC Coastal so far. Last week: W 66-24 vs. Kansas. Next game: Saturday vs. North Carolina.
12. Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) The Gators looked impressive against the Vols. They may yet make it to Atlanta. Last week: W 33-23 vs. Tennessee. Next game: Saturday at Kentucky.
13. Nebraska (3-0) One more shaky showing and these Huskers are in for a big tumble. Last week: W 51-38 vs. Washington. Next game: Saturday at Wyoming.
14. West Virginia (3-0) A win over LSU this weekend would guarantee the Mountaineers make the biggest leap in next week’s rankings. Last week: W 37-31 at Maryland. Next game: Saturday vs. LSU.
15. Virginia Tech (3-0) The Hokies’ have a slate soft enough to run the table but they have been sloppy all September long. Last week: W 26-7 vs. Arkansas State. Next game: Saturday at Marshall.
16. Clemson (3-0) A big time comeback against the defending national champions is good for their standing. A win over FSU this weekend would be even better. Last week: W 38-24 vs. Auburn. Next game: Saturday vs. Florida State.
17. Baylor (2-0) Their opening weekend victory over TCU still ranks as one of the biggest of the season so far. Last week: W 48-0 vs. Stephen F. Austin. Next game: Saturday vs. Rice.
18. Oregon (2-1) Lower than one might expect but the Ducks won’t be down here for long. Last week: W 56-7 vs. Missouri State. Next game: Saturday at Arizona.
19. South Florida (3-0) The Bulls set record numbers on offense at the weekend. Needless to say there are tougher tests ahead. Last week: W 70-17 vs. Florida A&M. Next game: Saturday vs. UTEP.
20. Illinois (3-0) A big win at home over the Sun Devils earns the Illini a spot in these rankings. Last week: W 17-14 vs. Arizona State. Next game: Saturday vs. Western Michigan.
21. USC (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) The Trojans have a big road test this weekend. If they pass that we’ll pay more attention to Southern Cal. Last week: W 38-17 vs. Syracuse. Next game: Saturday at Arizona State.
22. North Carolina (3-0, 1-0 ACC) The Tar Heels impressed me greatly against a decent Virginia team. Last week: W 28-17 vs. Virginia. Next game: Saturday at Georgia Tech.
23. Michigan (3-0) Still too many questions to be confident but this team has started well enough to be ranked early. Last week: W 31-3 vs. Eastern Michigan. Next game: Saturday vs. San Diego State.
24. Iowa State (3-0) That opening week win over Northern Iowa was ugly. The victories over Iowa and UConn were anything but. Last week: W 24-20 at Connecticut. Next game: October 1 vs. Texas.
25. Florida International (3-0, 1-0 Sun Belt) One conference win, one win over a BCS school, and one win over a powerful UCF defense is enough for the Panthers to make these rankings. The schedule is soft but Cinderella will always have a place in my heart. Last week: W 17-10 vs. UCF. Next game: Saturday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
Last five out: Arkansas, Houston, San Diego State, TCU, Texas.
