TGULP Week 3

Woo-hoo, alright, here's the actual combined TGULP poll with thoughts from B2 and Champ combined, this should streamline the whole poll thing a tad:

1. USC (2)
2. Oklahoma (4)
3. Georgia (7)
4. Florida (8)
5. Mizzou (9)

B2: USC is obviously the best team in the country given the body of work and overall "wow look at those guys" factor. Oklahoma is murdering people as well, and since I had them at 3 before, they get the bump. Florida was idle, and was ripe to be passed by Georgia, but Georgia looked really vulnerable against the other USC, and that USC is not particularly good. Mizzou jumps Penn State, if only because I can't have an already overrated by me (but slowly proving me right) Penn State team in the top 5.

Champ: Only points that B2 and I disagree on here are where Mizzou and Florida shake out... Missourah has whipped the ever-loving hell out of everyone* this year, and as such I have them ranked higher than Florida who has not looked nearly as good. I continue to be VERY skeptical of Georgia, and am otherworldly confident that USC would beat Georgia by at least three TDs. USC looked very good, but beware the over-inflated-opinion-making that will no doubt pollute our airwaves for the next two weeks. USC is darn good, but they aren't unbeatable.

* by everyone I mean two tackling dummies and Illinois...

6. LSU (13)
7. Penn State (15)
8. Texas (16)
9. BYU (21)
10. Wisconsin (22)

B2: Ohio State drops, but not precipitously (in my poll, at least). They will still win the Big Ten (probably), and will still play in another BCS bowl. Also, I just think that they beat every team below them here. Beyond the top 5, this year's teams don't really impress me much. I think Ohio State is still probably the 5th best team in the country, if only because everyone else isn't really that good either. Plus they play Penn State, so that'll get sorted out. LSU and Texas were idle, USF beat Kansas, which for me is a big "whatever" but they were still hovering in the top-25, so I suppose they get a bump into the top-10, despite the fact that I think they'll lose one or two games before it's all said and done.

Champ: You may note that Ohio State falls outside the TGULP Top 10 thanks to my disagreement here, it's really pretty simple right now: I am not going to give OSU the "well they lost on the road to a great team without Wells" parachute treatment for their fall in the polls. They got thoroughly blown out in a game I simply did not expect them to, and as such, they get to sit behind Penn State and Wisconsin in the Big 10 until proven otherwise. I dropped the Buckeyes to 14th in my poll. They can still climb back up, but that was a woefully bad performance... again (insert Mike Valenti here!). You'll see no mention of USF yet, thanks to the fact that I am much more down on them than B2. Then there's Penn State who, as was mentioned in our season preview of them, still has yet to play a highschool-quality football team... this will certainly get better next week when they play, errr Temple. Penn State hasn't done anything wrong, but they also have all the classic makings of paper-tiger syndrome, I still won't be convinced until they play someone who's actually competent at the sport of football.

11. Ohio State (22)
12. East Carolina (26)
13. Wake Forest (26)
14. Alabama (27)
15. South Florida (29)

B2: BYU is the big winner here because they ruined UCLA's entire season. Seriously, there is no coming back from that one - BYU destroyed UCLA's very soul. Bama gets the 12 seed, and yes, I forgot to rank them last week. Wake was idle, but whatever, I think they can beat ECU and Wisky because ECU was exposed as much as a victorious team can be by a seriously inferior opponent, and Wisky just doesn't impress me until they can prove life in the passing game. Wisky, however, gets a bump for beating a ranked team on the road - still a check in the win column despite another lackluster (in my mind) performance (and yes, I watched it.)

Champ: Wisconsin looked decidedly "uh... I have them where in my poll? Oh... hmmmm" but they won, on the road, against a ranked squad and thanks to the way we have this set up, they will sort themselves out as we move along. BYU gets a bump, and there is South Florida for everyone to look at and go... ok. Alabama has some upward potential here, I'll keep a closer eye on them as we move forward.

16. Utah (30)
17. Auburn (33)
18. Oregon (35)
19. Texas Tech (35)
20. Vanderbilt (43)

B2: Auburn is a big loser here because, like, wow that sucked. Texas Tech remains a team that I haven't watched, know nothing about except for Crabtree, and am generally ambivilent towards. I suppose that's what the 17 ranking is, really. Utah...ugh...I still think (and hope) they can contend for the MW title, but BYU looked really impressive. Oregon won against a Purdue team that is either much better than anticipated, or Oregon isn't really that good. If Oregon continues to win, I think you'll see Purdue sneak into the top 25 with what looks to be an "impressive loss." If Oregon turns out to stink, well, that'll shakeout too. Clemson gets back in the rankings, but really only because I couldn't think of anyone else who has impressed me, and Bama looks more and more to be a legit contender.

Champ: Auburn and Mississippi State sure put on a showcase of SEC football for the world to gouge their eyes out to... good GOD. Auburn technically should spend a week outside of the polls for that showing, but we're both too kind to do that. I just don't care about Texas Tech, sue me, I have them here because they win, but they impress me in no way whatsoever. Oregon struggled mightily against Purdue, but did come back from down 17 on the road to win. I've probably over-estimated them a bit, but that will sort out.

21. Illinois (43)
22. Florida State (46)
23. ***Clemson (46)
24. ***West Virginia (47)
25. ***Virginia Tech (49)
Just outside: ***Fresno State (50), ***Kansas (51), ***Arizona State (51)

B2: Ok, so West Virginia was punished sufficiently for their ECU gaffe, and are now back in the rankings, but only just. Illinois, I still think, is no better than a 7 win football team, but judging on performance thus far, they deserve a ranking. I really like this Vandy team - I think they would be about 3rd or 4th if they played in the Big Ten. Florida State is 2-0, and Arizona State lost, but whatever, they're still better than anyone outside the top-25, I think.

Champ: I did not place West Virginia back into the poll, not after that showing against ECU, they will have to serve some time in purgatory for that one. I completely agree with B2 on Illinois, they are not impressive, but at this point, neither is anyone else in this section of the poll. I also really like Vandy, I like them even more than B2, they've played nothing but solid football so far. I kept Kansas in the Top 25 at 25th because... dude what a sucky way to lose a football game... on the road no less, they played well and did not look like the potential fluke that I think both of us thought they might be in the back of our heads.

So there you go, week 3!

Also: quick props to Kirk Herbstreit for staying very objective and not allowing the slaughtering of his alma mater on the field (again) affect his commentary of the game. I really like Herbie in the booth and thought that he did a fantastic job in very dire circumstances where many of us would've incurred untold fines from the FCC and probably broken an item or two.