Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley
College football's sixth week of competition was full of surprises for the four teams which lost their unbeaten status, and for the rest of the major college teams that learned why Florida started the season on top of the polls and remains on top after the sixth week of play.
Here are this week's picks for Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll:
1) Florida - Traveled to No. 4 LSU and its mighty defense and lukewarm offense and won 13-3. Now you know why the Gators are No. 1 and LSU will be sliding in this poll.
2) Alabama - Traveled to No. 20 Mississippi to meet "the golden arm" Jevan Snead, who threw 4 interceptions as the Crimson Tide won 22-3. Here again, gone again. I am kicking Ole Miss out of my poll.
3) Virginia Tech - I thought Iowa was lame and now Texas is worse. The Hokies look more serious than Iowa and Texas put together.
4) Oregon - Lost its season opener and then got religion. Beat Utah, beat California 42-3, beat Washington State 52-6 and now ripped UCLA on-the-road 24-10.
5) Ohio State - Beat undefeated Wisconsin 31-13. Have limited their last 4 opponents to 27 points combined.
Things get really murky from here on in the poll. So many of the following teams have such weak victories over weak teams it is too difficult to see who else is a contender or a pretender.
6) Texas - Probably has more talent than Boise State, but could only beat a 1-5 Colorado team by 2 points while giving away 28 points. How can Texas be really good? Can't rank the Longhorns higher than 6th, and that is a gift they should earn.
7) Boise State - Idle this week, travel to Tulsa next.
8) Southern California - Idle this week, travel to Notre Dame next.
9) Cincinnati - Idle this week, travel to South Florida next.
10) Iowa - Got by Michigan but not by much. Travel to Wisconsin next.
11) LSU - Have a week to recover before facing Auburn.
12) South Florida - Unbeaten and just as deserving as TCU or Kansas. Host Cincinnati next, a big deal for the Bulls and coach Jim Leavitt.
13) Nebraska - Starting to act like a better team than TCU or Kansas.
14) TCU - Another lame win, this time over Air Force by 3.
15) Kansas - Another insanely lame win over by 5 over Iowa State while giving up 36 points. How long can Kansas stay undefeated? My guess? Not long. They face a pathetic Colorado team next and then get Oklahoma.
16) Miami (FL) - Beat a 1-AA team. Schedule gets easier than pie.
17) Oklahoma State - Won by 5 over Texas A&M while giving up 31 points.
18) Brigham Young - Goes to 5-1 by crushing UNLV 59-21.
19) Georgia Tech - Goes to 5-1 by outlasting Florida State 49-44. Hosts Virginia Tech next, good luck and God speed.
20) Pittsburgh - Now 5-1 after beating Connecticut 24-21. Hardly a big deal but there are some pretty unimpressive teams in anybody's Top 25 these days.
21) Notre Dame - Idle this week. Host Southern Cal next.
22) South Carolina - Goes to 5-1 by slipping past Kentucky 28-26. Travels to Alabama next. Yikes! Could easily arrive back home at 5-2.
23) Central Michigan - Now 5-1 after ripping the worse major team in the nation—Eastern Michigan—56-8. You tell me a better 5-1 team in the country. Nah, not Penn State; I am not sure they can beat Central Michigan. Penn State likes to play really pansy teams.
24) Idaho - Now 5-1 by playing the 62nd toughest schedule in the nation. The Vandals are no longer a doormat with coach Robb Akey. Idaho was 2-10 last year and has been traditionally one of the weakest teams in the nation. They don't really play a decent team until Boise State down the road, but at least I reward genuine effort and progress.
25) Penn State - My disdain for the Nittany Lions knows no bounds. Jo Pa would have them playing their opponents' grandmothers if they could get away with it. Paterno would play college JV teams at home just to pile up another "big" victory for Happy Valley.
Who have I left out? Whoever it is, let them do something so I can notice. It doesn't take any talent to blow smoke, and it doesn't take any talent to lose. Win and win big and I will put your team in my poll, until then, let the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll reward lame teams in a popularity contest, I just call some teams for what they are—lame in victory, filled with excuses in defeat.
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Read more of my football coverage, including:
Check out "Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll" for Week 6—you get rankings plus humor.
"College Football Wrap-Up - Week 5 - Only a Baker's Dozen of Teams Still Remain Undefeated"
"College Football - The Sagarin Ratings - What They Are, How to Read Them & What to Do With Them"
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