The Top 25 Teams in College Football, Week 3

Alright, time to flex my evaluative muscles. With great gusto, I unveil my first weekly Top 25 College Football Poll. Unlike certain other polls, I have waited a few games to evaluate teams before releasing my decisions, although I still am influenced by general perceptions of team strength naturally. The preseason polls generally do contain the best teams in the country, after all. At any rate, on with the show!

1. Ohio State
Ohio State didn't look great against Cincinnati at first, but I think their ability to pull away for a big win said a lot about them.
2. Michigan
I'm ranking them #2 simply because they have a marquee blowout win to their credit. It could change, or maybe not.
3. USC
USC's defense may have improved over last year, and their offense isn't going to slouch all that much with John David Booty at QB.
4. Auburn
I'm not giving them as much marquee win credit as I did for Michigan, because I'm not at all impressed by their offense. You can't always win a 7-3 game.
5. West Virginia
Much as I suspect they might get killed by a true powerhouse team, you can't help but pull for them.
6. Florida
Big win over Tennessee, but I still think they have to prove themselves. Chris Leak is criminally underrated.
7. Georgia
Their defense impresses me hugely, but like Auburn, I don't see where their offense is going. Heavily hyped Matthew Stafford has been unimpressive at QB.
8. Louisville
Although they are clearly a better team than Miami this year, it was still a big deal for them to win by such a margin. It is perhaps the game that cements an unprecedented rise from mid-major school to national power. I think they can beat mediocre opponents without Brohm or Bush, but the lack of Bush (and possibly Brohm) could kill them against WVU.
9. Texas
I'm guessing Texas will settle in to become quite a strong football team this year, but we don't know anything about them yet.
10. LSU
Came out on the wrong side of a 7-3 battle. It will be a low-scoring year in the SEC.
11. Notre Dame
Obviously, commentators were too quick to praise Notre Dame's defense. Why? Well, if Notre Dame's defense were as bad as it were made out, they wouldn't have been ranked in the Top 5 in the first place. The defense was supposed to be the weak link to a national championship run, and indeed it was. Doesn't mean it's not good enough to shut down lesser opponents.
12. Virginia Tech
Haven't really played anyone yet, but have looked good doing it.
13. Oregon
Controversial win, and not really a legit title contender, but still a solid football team.
14. TCU
Get on the mid-major bandwagon! Who holds Texas Tech to 3 points??
15. Tennessee
Tennessee looks like they might have an up and down year, but they have certainly rebounded from their 5-6 campaign in style.
16. Clemson
I feel like Clemson was unjustly punished in the polls for a close loss to Boston College. This isn't a great team, but it's a good one.
17. Oklahoma
Played pretty well against Oregon, but for whatever reason, they seem to have fallen off more than temporarily from their lofty heights of the early 2000s.
18. Florida State
Is there any logic at all to having an 80-year old be the coach of your football team? I suspect his coordinators do all the coaching these days (witness the program's dropoff), but still.
19. Iowa
I don't even think Iowa is all that good, but Drew Tate is a hell of a quarterback, and the bottom parts of the Top 25 are filled with questionable teams anyways.
20. Boston College
3-0, but with so many close wins, it's some kind of courageous fluke. Nonetheless, they've eked out enough close wins already that they could easily wind up with a gaudy win-loss record.
21. Nebraska
We'll see on this team yet. I didn't expect them to do anything against USC, and they didn't, but they still may have something to say in the Big 12.
22. Georgia Tech
I thought Tech looked pretty good against Notre Dame. They at least have an exciting defense and a gamebreaking wideout (Calvin Johnson). No love in the polls, though.
23. Penn State
See Bowden, Bobby. I guess Bowden and Paterno have earned the right to stick around as long as they want, but I'm just saying, I don't trust the elderly with decisions.
24. Arizona State
3-0, and I love Rudy Carpenter, but they will break hard if they play anyone decent.
25. New Hampshire
Got to give some love to Division 1-AA, and although New Hampshire is ranked behind Appalachian State in the 1-AA polls, they certainly have the most impressive 1-AA win this year (35-17 over Northwestern). Also beat Stony Brook 62-7 this weekend, if anyone cares.

Teams to watch:

Missouri (3-0)
Rutgers (3-0)

Neither of these teams have wins important enough to get them into the Top 25, but each have chances to get off to hot starts. Missouri has home games against Ohio and Colorado, which could get them to 5-0 before a crucial road game against Texas Tech. Rutgers will most likely trip up on an upcoming 3-game road stand but it is believable that they could be 8-0 going into a home game against Louisville.