Top 25 Poll, Week 6: Thinning the herd (EDITED W/ COMMENTS)

Submitted by Ian on October 6, 2008 - 11:44.

Now that we're in conference play, it's logical to think the SEC, Big 12 and Big 10 team will start knocking themselves down a peg or two.

I've had time to go back and add in my thoughts on each of the top 25. Again, you'll notice a theme. The big conference's best (LSU, Oklahoma, Bama, Texas, Missouri) are truly rising to the top, while some of the pretenders from those same conferences (Auburn, Kansas) are dropping quickly.

Takes O' Ian:

  1. Oklahoma (5-0) -- Anyone else giddy about the Sooners' showdown with Texas?
  2. LSU (4-0) -- Four games for tailback Charles Scott: 71 carries for 535 yards (7.5 a carry), six touchdowns. Not too shabby of 1/3 of a season.
  3. Missouri (5-0) -- Psst... gamblers... take this over this week in the Tigers' game against Oklahoma State.
  4. Texas (5-0) -- I know what Colt McCoy's jock smells like. The answer? Victory.
  5. Alabama (4-0) -- If you want to be a top-three team in the country, you beat Kentucky by more than three points.
  6. USC (3-1) -- Methinks Oregon might as well been wearing orange and black uniforms against a pissed off Trojans team.
  7. Penn State (6-0) -- When you're "worst" win is a 12-point victory over a pretty good Illinois team, things are going well.
  8. Florida (4-1) -- Tim Tebow has to return to Heisman form if Gators want to knock off LSU.
  9. Ohio State (5-1) -- Todd Boeckman, thanks for playing.
  10. BYU (5-0) -- Quarterback Max Hall is slipping; the junior is now averaging fewer than 4 TDs a game. Slacker.
  11. Georgia (4-1) -- Five of the next six Bulldogs' games are either against Top-20 teams, on the road -- or both. Ugh(a?).
  12. Texas Tech (5-0) -- Red Raiders will soon be 8-0; their next three games (Nebraska, TAMU, Kansas) are essentially gimmes.
  13. Utah (6-0) -- Halfway to an undefeated season is pretty damn good. Now only if Utah played in a better conference.
  14. Michigan State (5-1) -- Sparty's schedule from hear on out is absolutely brutal -- possibly the hardest in the country during that span.
  15. Virginia Tech (5-1) -- Hokies keep making East Carolina (remember them?) look better and better.
  16. Vanderbilt (5-0) -- Ok, I can admit it: I was a bit late to the Commodore show.
  17. Oklahoma State (5-0) -- 41-year-old Gundy gets a chance to prove his team isn't fluking early at Missouri.
  18. California (4-1) -- Remainder of Bears' October schedule (@ Arizona, vs. UCLA) favorable; November (vs. Oregon, @ USC, @ Oregone State), not so much.
  19. Oregon (4-2) -- Oregon's refusal to throw deep is understandable. At the same time, not having a QB to do so is going to catch up to the Ducks.
  20. Auburn (4-2) -- Auburn could turn out to be the best 8-4 team in the country this year. A couple more losses aren't out of the picture.
  21. Tulsa (5-0) -- I don't care if you're playing Little Sisters of the Poor, 56.4 points is damned impressive. Could Golden Hurricane crash BCS?
  22. Wisconsin (3-2) -- Big 10's fourth-best team is teetering on falling out of the rankings. One more loss or a bad win will do it.
  23. Boise State (4-0) -- Broncos might have best shot in the country of a 12-0 regular season. 
  24. Georgia Tech (4-1) -- Apparently Paul Johnson does know how to throw the football, even if it is only to one receiver.
  25. South Florida (5-1) -- Losing to Pittsburgh isn't a good thing. Not. At. All.

Dropped out: Maryland (4-2), Fresno State (4-2), UConn (5-1) -- Hey Maryland, way to stay level. One week, you beat a talented Clemson team; the next, you lose 31-0 to a Virginia team whose previous victory was against I-AA Richmond.

On Deck: Kansas (4-1), UNC (4-1) -- If UNC can knock off Notre Dame, they Heels will earn a special spot in my heart... and in the rankings. And Kansas, next time I put you on deck, don't squeak through a game at powerhouse Iowa State.