Well this is certainly a wacky week for the BlogPoll. Never did I think I would see the day that I would have four Big Ten teams ranked and that group would not include Ohio State.
I promise guys and gals, I really did want to keep the Buckeyes in the rankings, but at this point in the season that offense is just not good enough to make this one of the best 25 teams in the country. Maybe in a few weeks, but not right now.
Anyway, before I throw myself to the hounds for having Michigan (gasp) ranked while the Buckeyes take a seat on the bench this week, here's the 11W Week 4 BlogPoll Ballot. Get at it folks.
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The Sooners went down to Tallahassee and return to Norman still holding the #1 ranking after a 23-13 win against Florida State. QB Landry Jones struggled with a good FSU defense, but still added a score both on the ground and through the air in the win. OU hosts Missouri in another challenging game next weekend. | -- |
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The Tigers' defense and running game continue to be the recipe for success, as they move to 3-0 on the year after a 19-6 win at Mississippi State. The Tigers are still awaiting the return of Jordan Jefferson and Russell Sheppard and will be tested once again this week on a road game against West Virginia. |
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Alabama trades spots with LSU once again, but the Crimson Tide did nothing wrong in a 41-0 win against North Texas. Trent Richardson had 167 yards and 3 TDs on just 11 carries, leaving Bama fans saying "Mark who?" Arkansas comes to town next week in what should be a good test for Bama. |
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Stanford continued their championship campaign with a 37-10 win in Tuscon against Arizona. Andrew Luck threw for 325 yards and 2 scores and Stepfan Taylor added 153 yards on the ground for the Cardinal. | -- |
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Toledo was a trendy pick going into Friday night's contest against the Broncos, but BSU showed the nation how you take care of an inferior team after struggling with the Rockets in the first half. Boise State's 40-15 win on the road was a statement, especially for Kellen Moore, who threw for 455 yards and 5 TDs. | -- |
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Wisconsin played a rare game at Soldier Field in Chicago and beat Norther Illinois easily by a score of 49-7. Russell Wilson threw for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the air, while Montee Ball and James White combined for 182 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. |
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Brandon Weeden had 369 yards and 3 TDs, but it was Joseph Randle who stole the show in a 59-33 win against Tulsa. The running back had 128 yards and 3 rushing scores, continuing to prove the Cowboys' can beat you in the air or on the ground. OSU takes a trip down to College Station to face a very good Texas A&M team this coming week. |
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In a tune-up for their game against Oklahoma State, the Aggies beta down Idaho 37-3. Cyrus Gray had 159 total yards and 3 TDs, while QB Ryan Tannehill threw for 337 yards and 2 scores in the win. |
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Playing Washington for the fourth time in a calendar year, Nebraska beat the Huskies 51-38 in Lincoln. Taylor Martinez totaled 238 yards and 3 TDs on the day, while RB Rex Burkhead had 120 rushing yards and 2 TDs of his own. |
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LSU slowed them down, but there is no questioning how talented Oregon is on the offensive side of the ball. LaMichael James strengthened his case to be an early Heisman front runner with 204 rushing yards and 3 scores in a 56-7 win against Moorehead State. Darren Thomas added 206 yards and 3 TDs through the air in what is turning into a nice season for the Ducks' quarterback. |
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The defense gave a valiant effort, but the offense just isn't there yet and it proved in FSU's 23-13 loss to Oklahoma. The Seminoles thought they had their signal caller in EJ Manuel, but the first year starter struggled against a good Sooners team, throwing two interceptions and getting yanked in the loss. |
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As Buckeye fans know, Navy can be a challenging opponent. South Carolina found that out the hard way, as they barely edged the Midshipmen by a score of 27-24 on Saturday. Sophomore Marcus Lattimore was excellent for Steve Spurrier's team, rushing for 246 yards and 3 TDs, including the game winning score with 12:45 left in the game, on 37 carries in the win. | -- |
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Va Tech trailed Arkansas State 7-0 early, but scored 26 straight points to beat the Red Wolves 26-7. Logan Thomas threw for 292 yards and 2 TDs as the Hokies continue to survive and advance in ugly fashion week after week. |
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Ronnie Wingo had 129 total yards and 3 touchdowns as Arkansas slipped by Troy 38-28. The Razorbacks were a bit banged up this past week, but need to have a better effort next week as they head down to Tuscaloosa to take on a superior Alabama squad. | -- |
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I'm still not 100% sold on the Gators, but they advanced to 3-0 on the season with a 33-23 win against Tennessee. Caleb Sturgis knocked through 4 field goals and Trey Burton had touchdowns receiving and rushing in the UF win. Florida definitely has some weapons, but needs to find a more consistent offensive identity if they want to take home the SEC East crown this season. |
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The Big East generally gets a bad reputation, but Dana Holgersen has this WVU team playing good football right now. QB Geno Smith threw for 388 yards and a score through the air in a 37-31 win against Maryland, but don't be fooled by that score as the game wasn't really that close. LSU comes to Morgantown next week in a game that will tell us how good West Virginia really is. |
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USF had a cupcake this week and pounded Florida A&M 70-17. QB BJ Daniels had 382 yards passing and 5 total touchdowns, while Darrell Scott had 146 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns on the day. |
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Robert Griffin III may be the most exciting player to watch in America. The Baylor quarterback was 20/22 for 265 yards and 3 TDs, also rushing for 78 yards in a 48-0 win against Stephen F. Austin. Baylor is definitely a team to watch this year, as their offense can compete with anyone in the country. |
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A lack of faith in quarterback play was a big reason Texas was not included in these rankings the first three weeks. That changes now as Case McCoy is now at the helm for UT. Channeling their older brothers' spirits, McCoy (168 passing yards, 2 TDs) and WR Jax Shipley (5 rec 46 yards, 1 passing TD) helped the Longhorns take down UCLA 49-20 in the Rose Bowl. | -- |
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Many though Auburn got their heads on straight after winning in Mississippi State, but Clemson was the one showing America they were for real in a 38-24 win over the Tigers. Tajh Boyd made Buckeye fans sick, thinking about what could have been, as the young signal caller threw for 386 yards and 4 TDs in the win. | -- |
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Paul Johnson's triple option attack yielded 7 rushing and 2 passing touchdowns, as Georgia Tech took down Kansas 66-24. The Jackets are now 3-0 on the season, but head into an ACC schedule where we will see if they are contenders or pretenders. | -- |
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It makes me absolutely sick to put this team in the top 25, but as of right now, they enter this list by default. I still think the defense will struggle once again once the B1G slate comes along and the offense certainly has holes, but 3-0 is Michigan's record right now, good enough to slot them in at #22. A hungry, Brady Hoke hating San Diego State team comes to Ann Arbor next week, so UM better bring their "A" game if they want to avoid an upset. | -- |
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Illinois is another team that will end up in the middle of the pack this season, but they proved a lot in a big 17-14 win against a ranked Arizona State team. The defense stepped up big time and Nathan Scheelhaase had 151 yards passing, 67 yards rushing, and a touchdown in the victory. The Zookers move to 3-0 on the season, a year in which the veteran head coach is fighting to keep his job. | -- |
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I think Arizona State is a good team and I truly feel they can win the Pac 12 South this year. They drop 7 spots in the poll after losing at Illinois, but Brock Osweiler & co. will be just fine if they can protect the football. ASU is definitely a team you can argue off this ballot, but we leave them on one more week after a close road loss. |
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ISU has been quietly impressive, notching a win against Iowa two weeks ago and taking down UConn in Hartford 24-20 this past week. The Cyclones, now 3-0, were lead by Darius Reynolds who had 128 receiving yards and 2 TDs in the win. | -- |
| Dropouts: Michigan St. Spartans, Ohio St. Buckeyes, Auburn Tigers, Mississippi St. Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, Central Florida Knights | |||
| SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings » | |||
