Where we don’t rank 0-1 teams no matter what
1. Oklahoma – This is what good teams do to bad teams in Week One. My lord, up 49-0 at halftime, the Sooners still scored 30 more points in the second half. Thank you, Bob Stoops, for showing these other teams what they should have been doing right out of the gate.
2. Louisville – Like the Sooners, the Cardinals put on a clinic in Week 1. They clearly are the team to beat in the Big East (and they can play defense, too).
3. Florida – Another good example of a woodshed beating from the get-go. Beating a directional school 49-3 is expected of a Top 5 team, and they didn’t have to wait to get it started, either. Up by 14 after one quarter, leading 28-3 at halftime … good enough for my Top 5.
4. Wisconsin – Doubling up a decent BCS opponent (sit down, LSU) first game out is impressive. Depending on perspective, this might have been the most impressive win of the weekend. After a close first quarter, the Badgers dominated for three quarters.
5. Boise State – Let’s see, they finished last season in the Top 5. They have the longest winning streak in Division 1-A (FBS). They won a conference game with a 49-0 halftime edge. Yeah, I’ll keep them in the Top 5 until they fail to impress.
6. Georgia – Close behind Wisconsin’s quality win, the Bulldogs turned a close game at halftime into a solid victory by shutting out a decent BCS opponent in the second half. If you’re going to schedule a BCS team to start the season, this is the way to beat them.
7. U$C – I am not sure a 38-10 win at home was good enough to put the Trojans at No. 1, but they were up 21-0 after 18 minutes of play. It was also 38-3 after three periods. They didn’t keep their first-quarter pace into the second quarter, but at least they buried their opponent early enough.
8. LSU – They did what they were supposed to, but it took them too long to establish themselves. You have to play more thoroughly than being up 3-0 after 21 minutes against a bad team. I don’t care if it was a road game. You don’t get a Top 5 ranking playing like that; not in my rankings, at least.
9. Virginia Tech – They get one free pass for the emotional challenge of Week 1. But they have to play better than that to stay in the Top 15. I suspect we’ll see them play a bit better in Week 2, win or lose.
10. Penn State – A big shutout win over a nobody team is what you’d expect from a Big Ten team. Very good start to the 43rd season of JoePa.
11. tOSU – It was basically 14-0 after one quarter, but then the Buckeyes (like U$C) didn’t sustain their success well enough. Considering the opponent, they should have rolled by more at home. Up only 24-6 at the end of three quarters just isn’t good enough for the Top 10.
12. Rutgers – Up 21 after the first quarter, the Scarlets cruised to a 35-point win. Good, but you need to be better to win the Big East.
13. UCLA – Up only 14-7 at halftime, the Bruins got it going in the second half. A conference road win early is good, but then again, it was only Stanford.
14. West Virginia – Great offense, but giving up 14 first-half points to a MAC team isn’t the way to BCS glory. This isn’t going to be a Top 10 team unless they fix that defense ASAP.
15. California – Nice win, but they should have won by more. The defense isn’t good enough to sustain a season-long schedule against very good offenses. I see them as a Top 15 team, at best.
16. Miami (FL) – I am a big Randy Shannon fan, and Miami started its season the right way with a dominant win over a solid middling team. I suspect this team is only going to get better, too.
17. Alabama – This is how you beat a bad team to start the season. Impressive return for Nick Saban, but will it last?
18. Michigan State – Scoring TDs on your first six possessions while shutting a Conference USA team out leads to a 42-0 lead and cruise control the rest of the way. Impressive return for Sparty, but can it last?
19. Hawaii – Is Northern Colorado a Division 1-AA team? It’s hard to win in Hawaii, but this was just ugly. Maybe Michigan can get this UNC on their schedule for next season …
20. TCU – The defense was there, but the offense needs to show more soon.
21. Wyoming – Beating a BCS team (even a weak one) in Week 1 is a good start for a non-BCS team. Defense? Good. Offense? Needs work.
22. Arkansas – Too close at halftime, Hogs. Great finish, but your engine needs to be warmed up sooner, especially with that RB duo. Or maybe it’s just your defense?
23. Boston College – Tied at halftime, you pulled away at home in the second half. A good win, but hardly a great win. At least it was over the defending ACC champs, though.
24. Missouri – A big road win over a trendy BCS team on the rise. Can’t complain there.
25. Nebraska – It took them awhile to shake a weak team, but in the end, the score looked nice. Just what you might expect from a team on the bottom ledge of the Top 25. Not what you expect from team that claims to have MNC aspirations, of course.
** Just for the heck of it, here are 18 more teams **
26. Texas Tech – A blowout win on the road against a lame team. Just what the doctor ordered for an unranked team. Even though they were only up 14-6 until right before halftime, this is how you win your first game when you’re unranked. Notice the similarities between this win and LSU’s …
27. Kansas – That is how you beat a MAC team.
28. Auburn – Perhaps the best example of the SEC’s perennial blowhardness. While it’s nice they beat a BCS school to start the season, struggling to beat them at home in the fourth quarter does not a good team make.
29. Georgia Tech – I am not ranking them high based on a whitewashing of a bad Notre Dame team. In essence, the Wreck should have beat the Irish last year, too. So I ain’t impressed.
30. Clemson – So you beat F$U again. Big deal. You never should have let them back in the game, either.
31. Arizona State – Big blowout win over a bowl-winning team from last season. Solid start for an unranked team.
32. Oregon State – Solid win over a solid (albeit not BCS) opponent. Nothing special, nothing negative.
33. Purdue – You have to be up more than 14 points at halftime over a MAC team, even if you are on the road.
34. Oregon – The final score hides the three-point halftime lead the Ducks held at home. I suspect the Wolverines will play a bit tougher in this next game, too.
35. Washington – So you beat Syracuse by a lot. So what?
36. Maryland – Is Villanova FBS or FCS? You need to beat them by more, either way.
37. Texas – Wow, you’re no Top 5 team. An eight-point win over Arkansas State at home? Sit down and shut up, Longhorns. You’re going to have to earn some respect this year.
38. Texas A&M – What was that halftime score again? 17-7 over Montana State? At home? Please: you’re not worthy right now.
39. BYU – You need to beat Arizona by more than that at home.
40. Pittsburgh – You beat a MAC team by 24 points at home. Not good enough.
41. Iowa – Weak win over a weak team. Why am I even including them on this list? I have no idea.
42. Colorado – Beating your in-state rival is a good win, but in OT against a MWC team? Well, I guess it’s better than last year’s start, right?
43. South Carollina – A 14-point win at home over a former directional? I thought the ol’ ball coach said this team was good. Evidently not.
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