Thayne's Top 25, October 3, 2007

1	Previous 3	LOUISIANA STATE 5 - 0 The Bayou Bengals looked slow and sluggish during the first half of their game with Tulane, but the came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. They deserve to jump over USC.
2	2	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 4 - 0 They keep winning, though they don’t look great. They beat Washington, but it wasn’t pretty. They have some tough games ahead of them.
3	6	CALIFORNIA 5 - 0 Cal was in a defensive struggle against the Ducks, but they came out ahead. Desean Jackson was outstanding in the second half, and if they continue like this, they may climb higher than they’ve ever done before.
4	9	BOSTON COLLEGE 5 - 0 This might be high for the Eagles. I don’t know if I feel totally comfortable with them here, but until they lose, or somebody looks better, BC will be in the top 5.
5	12	KENTUCKY 5 - 0 No, this isn’t a basketball ranking. Kentucky is playing phenomenally. Their quarterback is possibly the best in college football right now, though he doesn’t put of the numbers of others, he doesn’t need to.
6	11	OHIO STATE 5 - 0 Another team that I don’t feel comfortable ranking this high. They are still undefeated, but for how long?
7	15	SOUTH FLORIDA 4 - 0 This team is on a high that they may never come down from. They haven’t been in existence nearly as long as most of the teams in football, yet they are the class of the Big East.
8	16	MISSOURI 5 – 0 Class of the Big 12 North, and that’s no longer a laughing matter. I don’t think any more needs to be said.
9	1	OKLAHOMA 4 – 1 I don’t think that the Sooners that played on Saturday are the same Sooners that we’ve been seeing all year. They also have two years of frustration to take out on the team down south. Look out Texas, Oklahoma is in a good position still for this season.
10	8	OREGON 3 – 1 I can’t drop Oregon too far after their game. They played nearly to a tie with Cal, and were it not for the attempted heroics of Colvin, it would have gone into OT. Dixon made his first mistakes of the year, and he will learn from them.
11	4	FLORIDA 4 – 1 Disappointing loss at home at night. Florida knew this was a trap game and lost it anyways. You would think they would want some revenge on the team that spoiled their record last year, but I guess not.
12	14	WISCONSIN 5 - 0 They aren’t pretty. They don’t win big, but they win. They keep finding ways to beat their opponents, and that is more than can be said than many other teams.
13	17	GEORGIA 4 – 1 Bulldogs rolled up the score on Mississippi. Everyone expected they would. This week is a rivalry game against Tennessee. How will they fare up at Rocky Top.
14	18	SOUTH CAROLINA 4 – 1 They win behind a new Freshman quarterback. He performed well giving SC the best performance through they air this year. They face Kentucky this week, and could throw a wrench into the SEC race.
15	5	WEST VIRGINIA 4 - 1 This is the second year in a row that they’ve lost to South Florida. That should kill the hopes of a Heisman for White or Slaton. Now they face another team that could beat them, Syracuse.
16	21	ARIZONA STATE 5 – 0 Dennis Erickson has put them team on a good track. I didn’t think it would happen this quickly, but they are actually going to compete for the Pac 10 this year.
17	20	VIRGINIA TECH 4 – 1 They might be ranked too high. The only team that they’ve played that has a winning record, besides 1-AA teams, they lost too.
18	7	TEXAS 4 – 1 What is going on in Texas? We saw them struggling against teams they should beat, and then get destroyed by Kansas State. They don’t look good going into a game versus their rival.
19	19	HAWAII 5 – 0 I think I might have this team a little high. They haven’t played anyone at all. Brennan set another Hawaii record, but this was for most interceptions thrown in a game, set against Idaho.
20	10	RUTGERS 3 – 1 They were the class of the Big East, but then to lose to Maryland? That maybe shows that the Big East is a little overrated this year.
21	24	CINCINNATTI 5 – 0 Another Big East team. Cinci or Rutgers will fall after this week. Why? Because they play each other. This gives the Bearcats a chance to show how good they really are.
22	25	PURDUE 5 – 0 Haven’t played a big game this year, but they’ve beat everyone they’ve played. Winning creates confidence. They should be confident against Ohio State this week.
23	13	CLEMSON 4 – 1 And there it is. They lose a game that no one cared about. Clemson you are so predictable. Now go out there and win a big game against Virginia Tech.
24	NR	KANSAS STATE 3 - 1 Showing that they are back, at least for this year. How long has Kansas State been irrelevant? It’s been a while, but beating Texas showed that they can play some football.
25	NR	NEBRASKA 4 - 1 This is the third team from the Big 12 North to enter the rankings. For years they’ve been the South’s whipping boys, but now they Big 12 Championship game could actually mean something.

Dropped out: Michigan State, Alabama

Receiving Consideration: Michigan State, Michigan, Connecticut, Tulsa, BYU