They did it. The Boise State Broncos have completed the first leg of their march to the National Title. I initially was going to rank Boise ahead of Alabama in honor of their victory and because I truly believe they are the best team in the nation. However, the Crimson Tide have done nothing to show they aren't the best team in the nation and until they do I will leave them at the top. That being said, here is my Top 25 for Week 1:
25. (Last Week: NR) BYU (1-0)- I didn't take BYU seriously coming into the season and I still don't think they will remain in the Top 25. However, the beat a good Washington team with one of the best players in the country so they deserve their moment among the ranked.
24. (Last Week: NR) Oregon (1-0)- I didn't want to rank the Ducks, but its impossible to ignore 72-0 without either Jeremiah Masoli or LeMichael James.
23. (Last Week: 25) Houston (1-0)- Houston showed once again they can outscore any team in the nation. I believe they will trip up at least once, but an undefeated Cougars team could make the BCS debate even more interesting.
22. (Last Week: 23) Stanford (1-0)- Andrew Luck was just as good as advertised in the Cardinal's first game post-Toby Gerhardt. They have a brutal schedule over the next five games (at UCLA, vs. Wake Forest, at Notre Dame, at Oregon, and vs. USC) that will go a long way to showing what kind of team this is.
21. (Last Week: 21) West Virginia (1-0)- The Mountaineers looked strong across the board against Coastal Carolina. With Connecticut, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh all losing, they are now the front runners in a wide open Big East.
20. (Last Week: NR) Utah (1-0)- The Utes showed Thursday that TCU and Boise State aren't the only BCS Busters in the nation. With a few more wins, they could seriously enter the conversation.
19. (Last Week: 20) South Carolina (1-0)- The Gamecocks look fantastic in their win last Thursday and can announce themselves as contenders with a win against Georgia this weekend.
18. (Last Week: 19) Penn State (1-0)- The Nittany Lions got by last week with their first freshman quarterback in the JoePa era. This week's visit to Tusculoosa should reveal a lot more about Penn State's prospects for the season.
17. (Last Week: 15) Wisconsin (1-0)- The Badgers looked solid in their opener, but they didn't prove themselves like some of the teams in front of them. The Badgers have a light schedule until games at Iowa and versus Ohio State in October.
16. (Last Week: 14) Florida (1-0)- The Gators drop a couple spots because of their extreme offensive struggles against Miami of Ohio. They better be careful this week because South Florida has the talent to pull off the upset.
15. (Last Week: 17) Miami (1-0)- I don't like the Hurricanes this year and hate to rate them this high. Jacory Harris should come down to Earth this weekend in the Horseshoe.
14. (Last Week: 12) Oregon State (0-1)- The Beavers only drop two spots because teams shouldn't be punished for losing tightly to a superior team. They looked strong against TCU and have a great shot at winning the Pac-10.
13. (Last Week: 13) Virginia Tech (0-1)- Like Oregon State, the Hokies shouldn't be punished for losing to a superior team. Tyrod Taylor had the best game of his career, but Boise State is simply the team of destiny. Still, the season looks very bright for Virginia Tech.
12. (Last Week: 11) Oklahoma (1-0)- The Sooners got pushed to the limit by Utah State. Yes, by Utah State! They better get their act together before the Seminoles come to Norman this weekend.
11. (Last Week: 18) Auburn (1-0)- Auburn jumps because Cameron Newton looked FANTASTIC. I am very excited to see what he will do against an SEC defense.
10. (Last Week: 10) Iowa (1-0)- The Hawkeyes took care of Eastern Illinois easily. Their next two games should reveal a lot about this team before they begin their Big 10 schedule. They host in-state rival Iowa State at home and then go on the road at Arizona.
9. (Last Week: 9) Nebraska (1-0)-The Cornhuskers' freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez looked explosive against Western Kentucky. If he can give them an offense to match their defense, there are few teams in the nation that can hang with the Huskers.
8. (Last Week: 8) Georgia Tech (1-0)-The triple option looked good against South Carolina State but this offense has a long way to go before it hits full strength. Josh Nesbitt's passing looked awful to say the least.
7. (Last Week: 7) Arkansas(1-0)-The Razorback offense was as good as advertised against Tennessee Tech. And even though it should be taken with a couple grains of salt, the defense looked pretty good as well.
6. (Last Week: 5) Texas (1-0)-The Longhorns looked solid but not great against Rice. They need to get things fixed before the meat of the Big 12 schedule starts.
5. (Last Week: 6) TCU (1-0)-The Horned Frogs fulfilled all expectations in Jerryworld. They beat an excellent Beavers' squad and have a good shot at going undefeated.
4. (Last Week: 4) Florida State (1-0)-Jimbo Fisher's debut couldn't have gone better and the Noles offense looked as strong as expected against Samford. Their improved defense will get a much bigger test in Norman against the Sooners this weekend.
3. (Last Week: 3) Ohio State (1-0)-The Buckeyes continued their wide-open play against Marshall. This week's game versus the Hurricanes will go a long way to showing what kind of season they will have in Columbus.
2. (Last Week: 2) Boise State (1-0)-Last night, Boise showed they are a complete team. They jumped out to a huge lead in a hostile environment, blew that lead, and then went blow for blow with the Hokies. Kellen Moore was unflappable on their fourth quarter drive and the Broncos looked strong in all facets of the game. To quote a sign at the game last night, "The road to AZ [began] in DC."
1. (Last Week: 1) Alabama (1-0)- The Tide rolled without Mark Ingram. They look great right now and should be able to handle Penn State this week.
Dropped Out: Cincinnati, Mississippi, Pitt
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