Had another great day watching college football. In all, I saw 16 games thanks to College Football Pundit’s five-television set up that was enhanced by plenty of Coronas and some fine Mexican food.
Highlights of the Day:
Troy Smith‘s Fran Tarkenton-like TD throw … USC linebacker and HP preseason All-American Rey Maualuga running around like he was shot out of a cannon … Florida‘s triple flea-flicker … Nate Harris of Louisville showing his athleticism while running after a fake punt … Tim Tebow looking like the closest thing to Vince Young (seriously) …Mario Manningham playing like a Biletnikoff finalist … Colorado finally finding a defense it could execute against … the atrociousness of K-State QB Dylan Meier … that crazy interception at the end of the Michigan State game that made me think the Luck of the Irish is real … Cal’s DeSean Jackson looking like the next Santana Moss … Arizona coach Mike Stoops berating the refs despite getting his way on a call … Ron Zook straining his veins to their bursting point … Washington turning the corner … counting the number of bowl haircuts on the Alabama sideline … watching Derrick Williams break Ohio State’s heart with his exhilirating speed and moves (just kidding).
Some of the Great Plays From This Past Week:
Anyhoo, after seeing most of the top 25 in action, I think it’s pretty clear that there are no dominant teams in college football this year and very few teams that I would consider better than average.
That said, here are the teams that I think are the best right now. This is not a prediction on where the teams will end up, but a power ranking.
1. Ohio State (4-0)–The Buckeyes had their first real test of the season and escaped with a 28-6 win over Penn State. Iowa is next and will be the last real challenge until the Michigan game.
2. USC (3-0)–The Trojans dominated defensively against Arizona and won, 20-3, but the USC offense is suffering from a lack of gamebreakers and some uncreative play calling. WSU is next.
3. Florida (4-0)–Urban Meyer’s offense is starting to do what I thought it would, as the Gators lead the SEC with 465 yards per game. Schedule is looking easier now and the revenge game with Alabama is next.
4. Auburn (4-0)–Cruised to a 38-7 win over Buffalo in a game that should never have been played. Looks to have the easiest remaining schedule of the top four, as only Florida presents a legitimate challenge. South Carolina is up this Thursday.
5. West Virginia (4-0)–It’s amazing how much different the Mountaineers look on grass on the road. Steve Slaton looked human for the first time. No worries, as WVU now has two weeks to prepare for….Mississippi State.
6. Oregon (3-0)–The Ducks were off this past week, yet still were dropped by the AP. Perhaps they would have been better off squeaking by Colorado, rather than Oklahoma. They will play ASU this Saturday.
7. Louisville (4-0)–No Brohm, no Bush, no problem. I like the backup QB–with a name like Hunter Cantwell, he has no choice but to be good–and the running backs have been more than able replacing Bush. After beating K-State, the Cardinals have two weeks off to prepare for….Middle Tennessee State.
8. Michigan (4-0)–Solid win over Wisconsin, 27-13. Mario Manningham looks like the next great Michigan receiver. Next up is Minnesota.
9. Texas (3-1)–The Longhorns handled Iowa State, 37-14. It looks like Colt McCoy is hitting his stride, while Jamaal Charles should start to get more carries with the injury to Selvin Young. The Longhorns have a bye this week (a game against Sam Houston State) to get ready for Oklahoma on Oct. 7.
10. Notre Dame (3-1)–Great comeback for the Irish as they beat Michigan State in the rain, 40-37. Notre Dame now has a shot at a great season. Up next is Purdue.
On the Bubble: TCU, LSU, Cal, Oklahoma
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