GFB Top 25 Poll: Week 7

Merry Christmas everyone! Oh wait...it's Columbus Day and not Christmas Day? Have you looked outside? It's snowing and below freezing. We're sure this isn't late December instead of early October? Really? Ok, just checking. Some big-time statement games for the top two teams in the country over the weekend, and this weekend #3 Texas will get a chance to stake its claim to join them. Auburn was the only ranked team to lose to an unranked opponent, so like last week there's not going to be a lot of reshuffling.

As always, here's the polls that matter

Onto the Gopher Football Blog Top 25...

1. Alabama (6-0)
2. Florida (5-0)
3. Texas (5-0)
4. Virginia Tech (5-1)
5. USC (4-1)
6. Ohio State (5-1)
7. Cincinnati (5-0)
8. Iowa (6-0)
9. Miami (4-1)
10. LSU (5-1)
11. TCU (5-0)
12. BYU (5-1)
13. Boise State (5-0)
14. Kansas (5-0)
15. Oregon (5-1)
16. Nebraska (4-1)
17. Georgia Tech (5-1)
18. Oklahoma (3-2)
19. South Carolina (5-1)
20. South Florida (5-0)
21. Houston (5-1)
22. Oklahoma State (4-1)
23. Auburn (5-1)
24. Wisconsin (5-1)
25. Penn State (5-1)

Dropped Out: 23. Ole Miss (3-2) 24. Georgia (3-3)

The Top Two
Saturday left no doubt that the two best teams in the SEC, as well as in all of college football, are Alabama and Florida. I did not bump Florida over Bama for beating 4th ranked LSU because Bama's win over Virginia Tech, even on a neutral field, is still more impressive than Florida's win Saturday AND the Tide have played a better schedule thus far. I also still believe that on a neutral field-oh, say maybe the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on December 5th?- Bama would beat the Gators. They may be the only team whose defense is good enough to expose Florida's subpar passing game. Hopefully these two don't screw it up and we get to see them settle it on the field in the SEC title game.

A Distant Third
Does Texas belong in the same class as the top two? Not even remotely if we judge by what's happened thus far. And barring a blowout of Oklahoma at the ol' Texas State Fair this Saturday night, I don't see that perception changing. Texas' D is good, but not at the level of the Tide or Gators, and Colt McCoy so far has not been able to find the magic he had last year. He'll need it against the Real McCoy- Oklahoma DT Gerald and a really good Sooner defense. Oh and getting that Bradford guy back at QB certainly won't hurt OU's chances either.

The Next Three
Everybody moves up a spot with LSU's loss, and I still think Virginia Tech's the best of this group. IF Texas stumbles, Frank Beamer's team should be first in line for a shot at the national championship, although IF Texas loses, we're going to get a very interesting argument of whether we shouldn't just have a do-over of the SEC title game. USC can get a huge public perception makeover with a win Saturday against vastly overrated Notre Dame, and Ohio State, despite an offense as gruesome as the latest Saw movie, is right back in the top six thanks to another very strong defense. They were on the field for 40 minuites against a big, physical Wisconsin team, but still had their way with the Badgers. The Buckeyes won't win pretty, but they WILL win the Big Ten again because nobody in the conference has the offense to score enough on them to win- and yes that definitely includes Iowa. The Hawkeyes D is good, but not as good as Ohio State's, and their offense is about as suspect.

7-12
If Cincinnati wins out this is as high as the Bearcats will go for me- barring, of course, two losses for the top three, and another loss for the next three. Brian Kelly's team looks really, really good, but in that conference we're just not going to get enough evidence that they're better than anybody ahead of them until the bowl games. Still, whereas last year you couldn't pay me to watch Cincinnati in a BCS bowl (or anyone else for that matter, as Orange Bowl tickets last year were going for a dollar and they STILL couldn't sell them!), I'll be interested to watch them this year. Iowa has their marquee game in mid November at Ohio State, and if they win that one, they're into the top 6 for sure, but we've still got a LONG ways to go for that to happen. Miami's been more impressive than LSU, but I can't and won't drop LSU any further without another loss. I also can't see moving up TCU or BYU unless more teams ahead of them lose.

Boise State
Enjoy lucky #13, Broncos! You're not going any higher the rest of the year no matter what happens. And yes, I WILL move Oregon ahead of you if they beat USC and win the Pac 10. Deal with it.

14-18
I did do some reshuffling here. Kansas stays put while Oregon, Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma make big jumps. Why? Because they've played better than everyone below them against tougher competition.

19-25: A Bunch of Crap
Not much to distinguish anybody here. South Florida enters the poll, but could make a quick exit if they get whacked Thursday night by Cincinnati. Houston is back in because, honestly, who the hell else can you put in here right now? There are NOT 25 teams deserving to be ranked. There's a top 18 and then a bunch of crap after that. Nobody really wants to set themselves apart with their play on the field or, in Penn State's case, with their scheduling. I just can't defend the Nittany Lions scheduling any longer, which is why they're all the way down to #25. Yes, they're even behind Wisconsin, but the Badgers wins, as well as their loss, have been of better quality than Penn State's. When the Joe Pas play and beat a decent opponent, I'll move them up but not until then. Putting Houston back in the poll meant I had to drop Oklahoma State behind them. Their resumes are pretty similar, and the Cougars beat the Cowboys, and because I don't believe Houston belongs in the Top 18, then neither does Oklahoma State. For now. Obviously the Cowpokes sched is going to be tougher than the Cougs, so if OSU keeps winning, I'll move them ahead of Houston eventually. Finally, I'm not dropping Auburn or Wisconsin out of the top 25 for losing because I don't like any of the replacements any better right now.