We had some exciting games, especially among Top 25 opponents. There was only one upset among the Top 25, as Oklahoma State tumbled. There were some surprising scores among the teams on the outskirts of the Top 25 - I'll discuss those in my picks column.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) [1] : The offense again started slowly, but they caught on in the second half. Their defense was staunch, shutting out Ole Miss and knocking them from the Top 25.
2. Oregon Ducks (4-0) [2] : The Ducks proved how weak Cal is this season, as they blew them away.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) [3] : The Buckeyes defense held onto a victory against a tenacious Wisconsin team.
4. Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) [8] : The Sooners bumped off the Irish and vaulted into the Top Five
5. Florida State Seminoles (4-0) [5] : Boston College gave them a battle, but the Seminoles came through
6. Louisville Cardinals (4-0) [6]
7. UCLA Bruins (3-0) [7]
8. LSU Tigers (4-1) [4] : They fell to Georgia, but their offense was impressive. It takes a special defense to stop Georgia, and clearly LSU no longer has that special defense.
9. Stanford Cardinal (4-0) [10] : Despite a late sympathy score, the Cardinal held Washington State to little offensive result, making you wonder which squad is better -- offense or defense?
10. Texas A&M Aggies (4-1) [12] : The Aggies won, but questions are starting to foment regarding their defense.
11. Georgia Bulldogs (3-1) [13] : They've played nothing but close games, and they've beaten two Top Ten opponents. Those are characteristics of quality teams.
12. Michigan Wolverines (4-0) [11]
13. Clemson Tigers (4-0) [18] : Another huge victory, as Tajh Boyd racks up four more touchdowns.
14. Miami Hurricanes (4-0) [14] : South Florida scored three touchdowns? Miami needs to tighten that defense a bit, or they may find themselves behind against teams like Clemson and Florida State.
15. Washington Huskies (4-0) [15] : Excellent battle against the Wildcats. Don't discount the Huskies in the Pac-12 title race.
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) [16] : Not an impressive win, but a win is a win in the stiff SEC
17. Northwestern Wildcats (4-0) [17]
18. Baylor Bears (3-0) [19]
19. Wisconsin Badgers (3-2) [20] : They nearly tied the game late against Ohio State. They proved that they can put together a passing game, even if Jared Abbrederis is their only reliable receiver.
20. Oklahloma State Cowboys (3-1) [9] : The Cowboys were shocked by the Mountaineers, adding to their woes in the same week Sports Illustrated finishes a scathing expose about their program.
21. UCF Golden Knights (3-1) [21] : The Knights fell to the Gamecocks, but they made an exciting game of it. It was closer than most people expected, proving that my Top 25 placement (as I am the only Top 25 that I know of that had UCF in it) was not unwarranted.
22. Maryland Terrapins (4-0) [25]
23. Arizona Wildcats (3-2) [22] : Washington beat them big, but losses and poor performances by team below Arizona keep them in the Top 25 for another week.
24. Fresno State Bulldogs (4-0) [NR] : They slaughtered Hawaii, but that's not so tough this season.
25. Northern Illinois Huskies (4-0) [NR] : The Huskies are the first MAC team to beat two Big Ten teams in the regular season.
Dropped out: Notre Dame Fighting Irish [#23], Ole Miss Rebels [#24]
On the Edge: Florida Gators (3-1), Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1), Missouri Tigers (4-0), Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-0), Houston Cougars (4-0), Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1), Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1), Auburn Tigers (3-1), Utah State Aggies (3-2), Arkansas Razorbacks (3-2), Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1)
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