NCAA 2014 Week 1 results and Top 25

It was an interesting opening weekend to the college football season.  We started off with an upset, as Texas A&M rolled over South Carolina.  The Aggies don't miss Johnny Manziel at all, but the Gamecocks seem to be missing a defense.  Temple also engineered an upset on Thursday evening, demolishing Vanderbilt.  Ole Miss rolled over Boise State in a game that most people thought would be much closer.

Bowling Green was one of my favorites to win the MAC, but they have started the season with a loss to mediocre Western Kentucky.  We did see one FCS upset, as North Dakota State had no trouble posting 34 points against Iowa State.

Two playoff-expectant teams struggled in this opening weekend.  Alabama had difficulty putting away West Virginia, winning only by ten, and Florida State nearly stumbled against Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys rolled up 31 points against the defending National Champs.  Both performances launch them into my first Top 25, despite losing records.

Before any newcomers to my blog look at my top 25 and think I have lost my mind, I will remind everyone of my rules:

1.  Top 25 rankings are based on THIS SEASON'S performance on the field, not how teams have historically performed or how they were predicted by national "experts" to perform (which is why I never have a preseason Top 25).

2.  Games against FCS teams count on the team's record, but not for any other statistical measure for my Top 25.  Thus, teams who played FCS teams this week are ineligible for consideration, because they haven't faced REAL FBS competition.

3.  Strength of schedule, a major factor, is based on the opposing teams' performances over the past four years.  Thus, teams that have recently done well but have traditionally been losers, like Utah State, are considered stronger than teams who play in power conferences but usually stink (like Vanderbilt).  Obviously, this helps a team like Tennessee and hurts a team like Temple.

4.  Margin of victory is not an important factor (it is considered, but not highly regarded).  Thus, beating the tar out of a wimpy team does not guarantee a team a high ranking.

That said, this week's Top 25 is below.  Since so many teams played FCS teams this week, I won't even consider this week's positions when making next week's Top 25.  In other words, this is like an "Exhibition Week" Top 25, and next week will be the first official ranking, considering FCS play over the first two weeks of the season.

Top 25
1.  TEXAS A&M AGGIES (1-0) :  Johnny Who?  The Aggies pulverize South Carolina to show they haven't lost any offensive power
2.  Georgia Bulldogs (1-0) : Once the Bulldogs figured out Clemson's scheme, they couldn't be stopped
3.  USC Trojans (1-0) : Fresno State might be considered a contender for the Mountain West title, but the Trojans showed the gap between top Mountain West teams and top Pac-12 teams.
4.  Ole Miss Rebels (1-0) : Perhaps the only time the Rebs will be in the Top Ten.  Of course, if they play like they did this week, perhaps not

5.  Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) : Didn't skip a beat with the loss of Braxton Miller
6.  Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0) : The Bulldogs don't produce shutouts too often
7.  Auburn Tigers (1-0)
8.  Baylor Bears (1-0) : QB Kyle Perry is now questionnable, so they will likely drop, but they had a stellar performance to open the season

9.  Tennessee Volunteers (1-0) : It's a whole new ball game for this team
10. Louisville Cardinals (1-0) : They proved they could manhandle Miami even without Teddy Bridgewater
11. Oklahoma Sooners (1-0)
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)
13. Arizona Wildcats (1-0) : Who would have thought that the best Pac-12 performance would come from Arizona?
14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) : Nice start to their season. Golson didn't seem cold at all
15. Texas Longhorns (1-0) : Nice start, but the loss of QB David Ash may slow them down
16. Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
17. Florida State Seminoles (1-0)
18. Boston College Eagles (1-0)
19. UCLA Bruins (1-0) : It was a win, but it wasn't what Bruins fans expected, especially for the team favored to win the Pac-12

20. LSU Tigers (1-0) : They beat Wisconsin, but only after the Badgers' only experienced defensive linemen were injured.  The Badgers roster may be too thin to get them into the Top 25, but the Tigers' inability to move the ball against their young defensive squad threatens to shorten the Tigers' Top 25 life span.

21. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-0)
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys (0-1) : They really gave the Seminoles' defense fits
23. BYU Cougars (1-0)
24. Virginia Cavaliers (0-1) : They made it tough for the Bruins
25. West Virginia Mountaineers (0-1) : The Mountaineers scared the Tide