Top 25 (Week 7)

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) LW 1
For a quarter Kentucky actually hung in there.  But 24 straight points in the second open the game up and the Crimson Tide cruised to an easy peasy win.  McCarron threw for 359 yards while TJ Yeldon ran for 124.  Arkansas is up next which should be another easy win. 

2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) LW 2
In their first true test of the season, the Ducks flew past the Huskies.  While the offense continued to hum with ease, the defense made most of the noise holding a potent Washington offense to only 24 points.  That's the big difference in this team, they can actually stop opponents.

3. Clemson Tigers (6-0) LW 3
They call them trap games for a reason and the Tigers almost fell victim.  Clemson a fourth quarter touchdown to take the lead and then benefited by a bone headed decision by BC QB Chase Rettig to turn a fumble into the clinching score.  Clemson survived and now face off against Florida State in what should be the de facto Atlantic Title Game.

4. Florida State Seminoles (5-0) LW 6
Florida State had the weekend off, but got the luxury of seeing Clemson struggle to beat a 3-3 Boston College team.  Having the game at Death Valley should be difficult for the Seminoles and their redshirt freshman QB.  But the way Florida State is playing it should be a toss up.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) LW 7
After disposing of Wisconsin and Northwestern, the Buckeyes got a much deserved weekend off to get ready for the stretch run of the Big 10 season.  So far Ohio State is hands and feet above the rest of the conference and should be able to cruise to the conference title.  But they've got to avoid complacency, which tends to sneak up on them.  Especially Braxton Miller.

6. LSU Tigers (6-1) LW 9
Quietly the LSU Tigers are sneaking back up the rankings and are looking like a team that could challenge Alabama for the West Division Title. For most the year the Tigers have won games behind their improved offense, but against the Gators it was their defense that stepped up and secured the win. Up next is an Mississippi team that seems to be on a free fall.

7. Texas A&M Aggies (5-1) LW 11
My upset pick of the week was Mississippi over the Aggies. Under four minutes left in the game it looked like I was going to be right. Then Johnny Manziel happened. Manziel scramble for a TD and then lead A&M down the field for the go ahead field goal. A&M continues to get wins, but will face a much tougher Auburn team this weekend. Can Johnny pull another one out?

8. UCLA Bruins (5-0) LW 10
We are going to really find out how good the UCLA Bruins are over the next couple of weeks. After beating down the Cal Bears, the Bruins now move on to Stanford this weekend and then Oregon the next week. What was considered a tough task may have gotten a little bit easier with Stanford losing this past weekend. Either way the Bruins are going to need their young team to step up and their play makers to make plays.

9. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) LW 4
Last year they dropped a winnable game against Washington and this year that team happens to be Utah. Some may be pointing to their offensive struggles being the main issue, but it's their defense I'm more concerned about. The Stanford defense is averaging 22.2 points per game which is pretty bad considering they were thought to have one of the better units in the nation. They better get things figured out, because UCLA's coming to town and they'll be the best offense they've seen yet.

10. Georgia Bulldogs (4-2) LW 5
It would be very easy to send Georgia plummeting down the rankings for their loss to Missouri. But let's remember that this team was without their two All American candidate running backs for a second straight week. And it took a late interception that cost them their comeback. I still see them as the best team in the East and they still have a great shot at winning the division.

11. Baylor Bears (5-0) LW 13
They didn't score 70 points or put up 700 yards of offense, but the Bears got a road win against a KState team that even when they are bad they still play you tough. It's also nice to see Baylor grind out wins. Good teams do that and Baylor is one of them. Now they just have to avoid the ISU trap that happens once a year and they should continue to rule the Big 12.

12. Miami Hurricanes (5-0) LW 12
Is it me or is Miami so under the radar that you forget about them? But yet here they are ranked in the top 15 and looking for a Thursday night win over a disappointing North Carolina team. The Hurricanes should win this game, but going on the road on a week night is always a disaster waiting to happen.

13. Missouri Tigers (6-0) LW NR
I'm still hesitant to go all in on Missouri because I've seen their program fall flat on their face too many times in the past. But you have to give props when they are deserved. The Tigers went into Georgia's house and got a win. That is not easy no matter who wasn't playing for the Bulldogs. But they can't get too ahead of themselves. They have Florida and then South Carolina in back to back weeks. That won't be easy. Especially if QB Jonathan Franklin is out.

14. Louisville Cardinals (6-0) LW 8
It's pretty harsh to drop the Cardinals from 8 to 14 after a win. But what have the Cardinals done to show me that their better than Missouri, Miami, Baylor, or even A&M and Georgia? They haven't beaten anybody good. They haven't been blowing out teams. Their struggled against teams that others are blowing out. Watch out for UCF here. The Knights took it to South Carolina and the Cardinals have been known to drop home games under Charlie Strong.

15. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1) LW 15
South Carolina has to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the entire nation. One week they look like an average SEC team and then the next they are looking like a team that could win the East. They blew out an Arkansas team that has been a tough out, but move on to a Tennessee team that hasn't looked good. Which team will show up?

16. Michigan State Spartans (5-1) LW 25
Watch out Big 10, the Spartans may have just found an offense to pair up with their elite defense. For weeks Michigan State relied on their defense to generate points to win games. But in back to back weeks, QB Connor Cook has lead the Spartan offense to 400 yards plus. Add in the 42 points they scored on Indiana and you can't take them lightly anymore. They are the new favorite in the Legends Division.

17. Fresno State Bulldogs (5-0) LW 21
Here is another team that is floating under the radar and you have to wonder if that is a good thing. They beat Boise State earlier this season and don't really have another sexy game on their schedule. That could hurt the Bulldogs chances of making it into the BCS at large bid. But if they continue to win, that only helps their cause.

18. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0) LW 22
Even without starting QB Baker Mayfield, the Red Raiders offense didn't skip a beat. Backup QB Davis Webb threw for 415 yards and 3 TDs in releif. And Texas Tech needed every one of those to get out with a 42-35 win over Iowa State. Tech continues to stay unbeaten, but how much longer will it last? Can this young team and young coaching staff keep this up? Or will a team like West Virginia this weekend trip them up?

19. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1) LW 19
The Cowboys are another team that we really don't know how good they are. They really haven't beaten anybody good and dropped a bad loss to West Virginia. TCU's stout defense should give them a good test this weekend, but the Cowboys just have too much firepower. We'll have to wait till the end of November when they have Texas, Oklahoma, and Baylor in consecutive games.

20. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) LW 23
Due to their shaky defense at the beginning of the season, the Huskers fell out of the rankings. However in the past three games that young unit is beginning to take shape. That's was evident in their 44-7 route of Purdue. Sure it was lowly Purdue, but the Huskers nearly shut the Boilermakers out and controlled the game. If they continue their development, the Huskers should contend with Michigan State for the Legends.

21. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1) LW 24
The Hokies get their sixth straight win in a hard fought game against Pittsburgh. It wasn't pretty, but the Hokie defense continues to play at an elite level. QB Logan Thomas and the offense continue to struggle, but did just enough to secure the win. With a bye week this weekend the Hokies have to hope to get their offense (especially their running game) figured out before the Miami game.

22. Washington Huskies (4-2) LW 17
It's been a tough two week stretch for the Huskies. Losing to both Stanford and Oregon can't be great. Those two losses end their chances at winning the division. But let's not just discard them. They lost to two top 10 teams. It's not like they dropped games to a couple of unranked teams. The Huskies are still a very good team and could win out to get them to 10 wins. But traveling to Arizona State this next weekend won't be easy.

23. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) LW 14
Remember all that talk about Oklahoma blowing out the struggling Longhorns and cementing Mack Brown's spot in the unemployment line? Yeah somebody forgot to tell Texas about that. In a reversal of fortunes, the Longhorns were the ones who dominated and really exposed the Sooner offense. I still think that the Sooners are a good team, but they just are not as good as we thought going into the season.

24. Wisconsin Badgers (4-2) LW NR
Wisconsin's win over Northwestern was a statement game. Northwestern looked like the second best team in the Big 10, but Wisconsin wanted to show everybody that they shouldn't forget about them. Melvin Gordan ran wild to the tune of 172 yards and shows us he's one of the best players in the nation. A peak ahead on the schedules tells us that Wisconsin will be favored in every game forward. You don't want to play these angry Badgers.

25. Northern Illinois Huskies (6-0) LW NR
Being 6-0 and having a 23 game winning streak are great things to have. However the reason that I don't have the Huskies higher is who have they played? They claim a 2-0 record against the Big 10, but that was against Iowa and Purdue. Even last year their toughest game was against Iowa. This year their barely beating MAC teams. Their game against Ball State will be their toughest game period.

Dropped Out: Michigan Wolverines, Florida Gators, Northwestern Wildcats