Week 6 Top 25

Week 6
1. SEC	The Tide got a little bit more of a test from the Black Bears than expected.  Kirby Smart's seat may be getting warm after giving up a whopping 14 points to Mississippi.  They get an off week before travelling to the other Columbia to face Mizzou.
2. Oregon	There's not much interesting to say about Oregon these days.  They score a lot, but that's nothing new.  What may be interesting is how little an impact De'Anthony Thomas has been having lately.  Kenjon Barner has taken a firm hold of the number one ball carrier position, leaving little need for Thomas.  Washington suddenly looks like a tougher opponent this week after beating Stanford.
3. SEC	Yet again, the Tigers looked les than impressive verses a lesser opponent, but they hold at #3 for now.  They have a chance to validate themselves against the Gayta this week.
4. Florida State	Free Shoes U showed some signs of weakness against USF but avoided a letdown.  This is the stretch where we find out what the Noles are really made of.  The schedule sets up well for them to run the table as long as they stay focused.
5. SEC	The dogs get to bump up a spot this week, more as a result of West Virginia's utter lack of defense than their own dominance.  Holding on to beat Derek Dooley 51-44 is less than an impressive defensive showing, but we have to take note of the points the offense is putting up.  It's not a total surprise that the loss of Isaiah Crowell has not really hurt the team, but the performance of freshmen Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall is.  We will see if they can keep it up the rest of the way.
6. West Virginia	Speaking of West Virginia's lack of defense, the Couchburners fall one spot this week despite remaining undefeated.  They can make a living only for so long simply outscoring people, and that will be put to the test against Texas this week.  We'll get to see how tough WVU really is against a real defense.
7. Collin Klein	So far, Bye is still the only team that has managed to stop Collin Klein.  Klein has yet to record a point against Bye.  He should have an easier go at it against Kansas this week.
8. SEC	It's time for the Cocks to stand up and prove they belong in the national title conversation.  They didn't give a ringing endorsement up in Kentucky last week, and they can't afford to sleep walk through the first three quarters against the dogs this week.  Connor Shaw and Marcus Lattimore need to be at 100% if they want a chance to win.
9. Texas	The Texas defense has yet to live up to its potential, but David Ashe and the offense have exceeded expectations.  The return to the running game with Joe Bergeron is a welcome change for the Longhorns after their inability to do so recently.  Texas dropped a spot this week due to the questionable nature of their win over Oklahoma State, when Bergeron lost control of the ball as he crossed the goalline for the winning TD.
10. Notre Dame	Notre Dame took a well deserved break before resuming their murderer's row against Miami this week.  This will offer a new test to the Irish defense, as the Canes have proven an ability to score in bunches and throw the ball all over the field.  Whoever the quarterback is, the Irish will likely need to get the offense going to stay undefeated.
11. Oklahoma	Somehow, Oklahoma has only managed to play three games this year: a shaky win over UTEP; a blowout over FAMU; and a loss to Collin Klein.  It's October, and we still don't really know anything about the Sooners.  They get 4-0 Texas Tech this week looking to make a statement themselves.  This is the time for OU to take a step back towards the top ten before facing Texas.
12. TCU	TCU is getting a nice easy welcome into the Big 12.  They've feasted on the weak so far, allowing them to build up an inflated record before closing the season with Oklahoma State, WVU, Collin Klein, Texas, and Oklahoma in order.
13. Clemson	Clemson still has no trouble scoring points, but they're still having trouble stopping people too.  This week is the opportunity for Dabo to show off what all his weapons can do against a GT team that just got blown out by MTSU.  You can't fault the Tigers for losing to FSU, and they can still have a great season if they keep it together mentally, though history has been known to repeat itself in Clemson.
14. USC	The Trojans had a week off to refuel and have to get back up quickly against Utah Thursday night.  The Utes have had a rocky start to the season, so this is a chance for USC to continue to get back on track after the Stanford loss.  This is also a chance for the USC o-line to prove doubters wrong against a stout front-4 of Utah.
15. Nebraska	Nebraska responded in a way it hasn't in the past couple years by coming from behind to beat Wisconsin.  He may have been wearing a stupid looking uniform while he did it, but Taylor Martinez finally put his big boy pants on and led Nebraska to the win.  It doesn't get any easier this week with undefeated Ohio State up next.
16. SEC	The Gayta got a week off so they would have plenty of time to listen to ESPN talk about how great they are.  We'll find out for real this week when Lester and Company come to Gainesville.  I don't exactly have as much confidence in Jeff Driskel as the talking heads seem to.
17. Oregon State	Oregon State is somehow a big 3-0 with wins over Wisconsin, UCLA, and Arizona.  Washington State is up next which means there is a good chance the Beavers move to 4-0.  This team is still a bit of a mystery to me.
18. Rutgers	Ranking Rutgers this high just doesn't feel right.  Their defense, though, is one of the best in the country.  They're the first of three Big East teams bunched together here, and a lot will change before the end of the year.
19. Louisville	Louisville keeps hanging on after a close win over Southern Miss.  They get Pitt next who may or may not be any good.  This begins a tough stretch for them with USF and Cincinnati up after that.
20. Cincinnati	VPISU is the latest team to come down with a case of the Munchies.  Muchie Legeaux's last second pass to beat VPI is a leading candidate for play of the year.  With MiamiU, Fordham, and Toledo, chances are good Cincinnati moves to 6-0.
21. Northwestern	Northwestern is still undefeated after taking care of Indiana and can become bowl eligible already with a win over a surprisingly tough Penn State team.  The schedule sets up well for the Wildcats to possibly win 9-10 games this year.
22. SEC	The Bulldogs of the West got a week off before going to Lexington, KY this week.  The schedule has been weak and continues to be so this week, but Dan Mullen and the jumbotron are still unbeaten.  They won't climb much higher though until they beat somebody with a pulse.
23. Washington	The Dawgs surprised with a big win over Stanford on Saturday.  Many people left UW for dead after a rough start but that was a big step in the right direction.  Unfortunately for the Huskies, though, Oregon is up next which will likely send them a couple steps back in the wrong direction.
24. Stanford	Josh Nunes clearly isn't Andrew Luck, and he may not be the starter for much longer.  He ranks near the bottom of the Pac-12 in nearly every passing statistic.  As evidenced by the loss to Washington, the defense can only take the Dancing Trees so far.
25. Michigan State	Michigan State gets a bit of amnesty given that their two losses are to Notre Dame and Ohio State.  Notre Dame is in the top ten, and Ohio State likely would be if not for some free tatoos.  They're on their last straw, though, and risk falling out of the B1G race with another conference loss (which won't come this week against Indiana).