Thayne's Top 25

It took me a while to get the formatting right, but here is my inaugural Top 25 rankings for College Football. I decided to wait until after Week 4, so I could see who was really good and who was faking it (Michigan anyone?).

1	OKLAHOMA 4 - 0 The Sooners have done nothing but destroy every opponent they have faced and weren’t afraid to go into Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricanes on their home turf. Beating down two Hurricanes puts Bob Stoops’ team on top.
2	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 3 - 0 I don’t think that the Trojans will go undefeated, but they’ve done nothing yet to demote them. Were it not for the outstanding play of Oklahoma, USC would be on top.
3	LOUISIANA STATE 4 - 0 These Tigers have a bite. Even with Matt Flynn being not completely healthy, they are able to win. The Old Ball Coach gave them a fight, as I expected he would, but LSU still wins.
4	FLORIDA 4 - 0 Urban Meyer could motivate a Vegan to open a Steak House. He has the talent to compete in the SEC. With Urban, that is worth at least a touchdown a game.
5	WEST VIRGINIA 4 - 0 They have a potent offense with 3 great players. Their defense isn’t as good as it should be and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them fall to someone in the Big East.
6	CALIFORNIA 4 - 0 They could be the best team in California, but they will need to prove it. They will get their chance when they play USC. If West Virginia or Florida fall before then, that could be a game for a place in the Title game.
7	TEXAS 4 - 0 Mack Brown has had a lot of problems with his team this year. Aside from the legal trouble of his players, there are offensive line issues. That is the reason that Colt McCoy isn’t playing like he was last year. They are just under 2 weeks from a loss.
8	OREGON 4 – 0 The Ducks are playing the best they have in years. Dennis Dixon is playing like a Vince Young. The question for Oregon is whether Dixon can keep it up, or will he start to fade as the season goes by again.
9	BOSTON COLLEGE 4 – 0 Matt Ryan is making a name for himself as a quarterback in Boston. That territory normally belongs to Tom Brady. The Eagles should win the ACC, but have some tough conference games ahead playing at Virginia Tech and Clemson. At least they get Miami at home.
10	RUTGERS 3 – 0 Idle this last week. They look like a complete team, with an offense and a defense. Some of the other Big East teams should consider trying this.
11	OHIO STATE 4 – 0 I just don’t believe in the Big 10 this year. That said, Ohio State has a chance to run through it. They get Wisconsin at home, but play Penn State on the road. If they get through these games, then a trip to the Big House could pit two ranked teams again, but won’t be playing for a spot in the title game.
12	KENTUCKY 4 - 0 Two big wins in two weeks. Upsetting Louisville was big, but then winning at Arkansas showed that this team is no longer a SEC whipping boy.
13	CLEMSON 4 – 0 When will the Tigers fall? I expect it to be against a “should win” opponent. But Georgia Tech could prove to be their undoing this week. If not them, then Virginia Tech. Until they fall, they will stay put.
14	WISCONSIN 4 – 0 They struggled against an Iowa team that lost to Iowa State. I don’t think that these badgers are as fierce as they appear.
15	SOUTH FLORIDA 3 - 0 I can’t say much about the Bulls, mostly because I don’t know much about them. But playing in the Big East is no longer the joke it used to be, even just a few years ago when Pitt won it. We’ll see if they are the real deal this weekend when they play West Virginia.
16	MISSOURI 4 – 0 They are going to be 5 – 0 when they play Nebraska, likely for the right to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Missouri plays Oklahoma after Nebraska.
17	GEORGIA 3 – 1 A conference loss to South Carolina hurts. But then they beat Bama in Bama. Matt Stafford got a big confidence boost there and these Bulldogs are here to play.
18	SOUTH CAROLINA 3 – 1 I know they beat Georgia on the road. But they are coming off a loss and Georgia is coming off a win. This is why they are here. If I flipped them would anyone even notice?
19	HAWAII 4 – 0 I think I might have this team a little high. They haven’t played anyone at all. The toughest game they have on their schedule is Washington at the end of the year. Boise State could cause problems, but they are also at the end of the year. And both games are played on the island.
20	VIRGINIA TECH 3 – 1 Their offense sort of turned it on against William and Mary. That’s I guess a confidence booster. Defense and special teams outscored W&M. Their defense is what will keep them in games, but won’t win it for them.
21	ARIZONA STATE 4 – 0 They have some tough games ahead, but they look ready to compete in the Pac 10. If they can keep winning until late October, that puts them against Cal undefeated. Will Cal be undefeated too?
22	MICHIGAN STATE 4 – 0 Another Big 10 team undefeated. I don’t like their chances against Wisconsin this weekend, but they could surprise some people. I mean Iowa did.
23	ALABAMA 3 – 1 Overtime loss at home. Nothing stings worse than that. That is a tough thing to recover from. Fortunately for the Tide, they have some easier games on their plate until LSU comes to town.
24	CINCINNATI 4- 0 This team is somewhat of a surprise. They are likely to win this weekend too. They haven’t just been winning, they’ve been destroying their opponents. Outscoring their opponents by a total of 180 – 30.
25	PURDUE 4 - 0 I really don’t like that this is my fourth Big 10 team in the top 25, but they have won. Penn State could go here, but I they looked bad against Michigan. Curtis Painter can put points up on you, throwing for 16 touchdowns through 4 games and only 1 interception.