College Football Top 25

By Matt Smith

I’m not a supporter of how LSU jumped so many spots after the SEC title game, so I have decided not to alter my ratings because it played in the BCS title game. Instead, I will keep my rankings the way they were and base them on how each team did individually.

1. Georgia (11-2): I really feel the Bulldogs were playing the best football in the country for the last two months. It would have been a heck of a matchup with USC had they been the Rose Bowl, which should have happened.

2. USC (11-2): Probably playing the second best football in the country. I think a USC/Georgia game would have opened up for a lot of criticism for the BCS, which is probably why it was avoided.

3. Missouri (12-2): They took their aggression for being snubbed out on a very good Arkansas team in the Cotton Bowl.

4. LSU (12-2): I don’t support how they got to the title game and I don’t support the fact that they didn’t have to beat anyone to win the title.

5. Kansas (12-1): The fact that Virginia Tech is not very good has made Kansas look better than it really is. Still, it was a big win for the program and a great season.

6. West Virginia (11-2): West-fucking Virginia. There’s no doubt the Mountaineers are the most talented team in college football, and they looked terrific. If they could have only avoided one of the two let downs, I have a feeling they would have won the national title.

7. Ohio State (11-2): They aren’t very good, but they stayed with LSU somewhat because the Tigers aren’t all that special either.

8. Oklahoma (11-3): Compared to WV’s athletes, the Sooners looked slow. That’s saying a lot for the Mountaineers because OU has some great athletes.

9. Texas (10-3): The Horns put a hurtin’ on a pretty good Sun Devils team. It was a good way to end an up and down season for an elite program.

10. Virginia Tech (11-3): The Hokies had a great season for what they were, and that was just a pretty good team. They weren’t elite, so going 11-3 and making a BCS game should be enough for them.

11. Boston College (11-3): Held on for their seventh straight bowl win after edging Michigan State. The Eagles are turning into a pretty solid program, but now it’s time to replace Matt Ryan. That won’t be easy.

12. Tennessee (10-4): Had the Vols blown it against Wisconsin, Phillip Fulmer might have got axed, but barely holding on after dominating for most of the game bought him some time to get Tennessee where it used to be and that’s a perennial top ten team.

13. Cincinnati (10-3): If anyone would have told you before the season that Cincy was going to win 10 games, you would have thought them crazy.

14. Auburn (9-4): They showed some different things in their bowl win over Clemson, and Tiger fans should be excited for next season after slugging out nine wins in what is considered a down year.

15. Florida (9-4): I’m surprised that nobody is talking about what a horrible season Florida had after winning the national title. Four losses. It’s because everyone knows how frickin talented they are.

16. Illinois (9-4): Don’t get me wrong, Illinois is a pretty good team, but I don’t think they belonged in a BCS game and they for sure didn’t belong against a team like USC.

17. Hawaii (12-1): Georgia beat them like a red-headed stepchild. June Jones, gone. Colt Brennan, gone. The future is not bright at Hawaii after taking three lumps like that.

18. Arizona State (10-3): You think they let down after being snubbed? Their run defense did, that’s for sure.

19. Clemson (9-4): It’s a good thing Auburn beat them, because I couldn’t have dealt with the Tigers being ranked in the top ten to end the year.

20. BYU (11-2): The Cougars are one piece of the football away from being irrelevant in these rankings. They got a break, beat UCLA and end the year in the top 20.

21. Wisconsin (9-4): The Badgers nearly came back to beat Tennessee, but showed that most of the time a Big Ten team isn’t going to have enough offense. There are exceptions….

22. Michigan (9-4): Anyone of importance to Michigan football played extremely well, which I predicted would have to happen to beat Florida. They looked like the team they could have been all year.

23. Texas Tech (9-4): Heck of a comeback against Virginia. The Red Raiders have a lot coming back as well and should open the year as a top 25 team.

24. Oregon State (9-4): The Beavers quietly put together a very good season, despite having horrible quarterbacks.

25. Oregon (9-4): It was good to see the Ducks look more like the team they were in the middle of the season.