NCAA 2011 - Top 25 from Week 2

We had fewer upsets this week, and they ALL centered around the Big Ten conference.  Minnesota, who played USC so tough in Week 1, failed to overcome a charge by the New Mexico State Aggies, a team slaughtered by Ohio University in Week 1.  Purdue's injury problems showed against Rice, as the Owls stomach-punched them for a 24-22 victory.  Lastly, the in-state rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State heated up, as the Cyclones posted a three overtime home stand and beat their rivals by three points.

Okay, on to the Top 25.  I'll review my rules for new to my column.  I consider strength of schedule more than point spreads, and I don't count the point spread in games against FCS opponents.  Any team with a losing point spread, REGARDLESS of record, will not be considered, and any team who has not yet played a FBS team will not be considered.  That said, here is the first TOP 25 of the 2011 season:

1.  Stanford Cardinal (2-0) : No real surprise here.  Andrew Luck returned for a shot at the National Championship, and they are dominating opponents.
2.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)
3.  Wisconsin Badgers (2-0): A bit of a surprise here - they have been demonstrated one of the strongest and most consistent offenses in FBS
4.  Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0)
5.  Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) : recovered nicely from their 4 INT performance in Week 1
6.  Florida Gators (2-0) : This team may be better than I gave them credit for being
7.  Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)
8.  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) : Despite suspensions, the team keeps rolling
9.  Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0) : They might even be a bit better without Ryan Mallet
10. Texas Longhorns (2-0):  Rebuilding year?  Maybe not
11. LSU Tigers (2-0):  Great victory over Oregon, but they relaxed too much this week.
12. Michigan State Spartans (2-0):  I told you last year wasn't a fluke!
13. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0)
14. Michigan Wolverines (2-0) : Impressive win over Notre Dame
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0):  Once again, the best in the Big East
16. South Florida Bulls (2-0):  Looking to give West Virginia some competition, they began the beatings against the Irish
17. Auburn Tigers (2-0) : The defending champs haven't been overly dominant, but they have been effective
18. Houston Cougars (2-0)
19. Clemson Tigers (2-0)
20. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) : Not so strong considering competition
21. Florida State Seminoles (2-0)
22. Washington State Cougars (2-0):  Whoa!  Where did all of that offense come from?
23. Baylor Bears (1-0):  Impressive upset over TCU.  They would be higher, but TCU has been struggling
24. Florida International Golden Panthers (2-0):  I have never had a Sun Belt team in my first Top 25, but the Panthers chose an excellent Week 2 opponent for strength of schedule, and then knocked them around
25. Oregon Ducks (1-1):  Nice recovery from LSU

Also in the mix:
USC Trojans (2-0), Boise State Broncos (1-0), Central Florida Golden Knights (2-0), Temple Owls (2-0), Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0), Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0), Tennessee Volunteers (2-0), Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1), Iowa State Cyclones (1-1)