Your Top 5

[CrimsonNeck]

This is as of right this second and it's based on how good the team is NOW, not their record and in no particular order.

Oklahoma - Great offense, good defense.
Florida - Despite 2 losses they have an explosive offense.
West Virginia - Off this week but a very good offense.
LSU - Too much talent not to be a top five team.
Ohio State - They are undefeated and have shown they are a legit top 5 team over the past year and a half.

I might even put AU in there. Things are so wide open.

I don't like Boston College as a top 5 team because they haven't beaten a quality team. I don't like USF because I think a good defense can shut them down and that if they played WVU and AU now they'd lose both.

AU & WVU got their shots @ USF & lost - there are NO MULLIGUNS in Football... Auburn will doubtless study the LSU/KY film looking to replicate the KY feat, but I think LSU drills aubie this weekend (& my dislike for both is just about equal). I think AT THIS TIME, both USF & BC deserve the nods & DO belong in the top-5. JMHO... RTR

 

[Ironhead Bret]

1. LSU-Were it not for a tough game in BR last week they're still undefeated.
2. Florida-Aubun got lucky and LSU was only one step ahead of them.
3. West Virginia-Their offense is good but not as good as an SEC offense.
4. OSU-Michigan will probably cure what ales the buckeyes.
5. Toss up between OK and BC.

 

[CrimsonNeck]

This is -- if one takes away the personal rancor -- a very good point. USF hasn't really faced a team with a very good defense that is playing well AND a team with a decent offense that is playing well.

WVU has the offense, but no defense at all. AU had no offense to speak of at the time and its defense was remarkably average.

USF has 2-3 more "real" games in its Big East schedule. My guess is that USF will lose one or more games to Cincinnati, Louisville, and/or Rutgers.

Pope Urbane & UF would disagree on aubie not having a substantial defense because they in fact do have a fine defense that has consistantly improved from game to game. Would USF beat aubie again with au playing as well as they have for the last couple of weekends? We will never know. If USF can get through their next three opponents unscathed (@Rutgers, @UConn, & Cinncinati) USF will probably finish the season undefeated. With all the media afire with stories of collegiete parity you can bet your last buck the USF will be tagged to enter the BSC sweepstakes whether we like it or not.

 

[StoneMtnDew]

AU & WVU got their shots @ USF & lost - there are NO MULLIGUNS in Football... Auburn will doubtless study the LSU/KY film looking to replicate the KY feat, but I think LSU drills aubie this weekend (& my dislike for both is just about equal). I think AT THIS TIME, both USF & BC deserve the nods & DO belong in the top-5. JMHO... RTR

I never said there were mulligans in football. However, USF took advantage of a combined 11 turnovers in their wins over WVU and AU, and a lot of those were not caused by USF. The WVu was especially weird because WVU's center snapped the ball everywhere but to the QB and that screwed up a lot of their plays. I think USF has a better resume than either BC or OSU, but in terms of their actual ability to beat quality teams on a consistent basis I don't think they should be in the same sentence with some of the 1 (or 2) loss teams.

I am pretty certain there are at least 5 teams that would beat USF on a neutral field (UF, LSU, OU, Oregon, USC and others).

 

[IAmNotWill]

I just got off the phone with Lou Holtz, and he says his top 3 are:

1) Notre Dame - a few unlucky bounces and they are undefeated right now
2) South Carolina - actually having a good year, and more to come the longer Lou is away
3) Notre Dame again - two words, one man, Jimmy Clausen.


IMO my real top 5 are:

1) USF - They have proven they can win, this season has been all about upsets, but USF has held off the upsets and given them when needed. Sure make the argument that they played AU early on, but that goes the other way also, Auburn played USF early. Sure WVU had injuries, that is part of the modern game. The point is that USF has gotten the job done and they have done it against one of the most challenging schedules to date (week 7).

2) OSU - I am only placing the Buckeyes this high because they have survived a simple test of weak opponents and not been upset. I see them losing to a mid-tier Big 10 team before the season is over, but I give them the benefit b/c they are unbeaten.

3-5) TOSS UP (LSU, KY, USCarolina)