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Week 8 AP Poll Review

It was nice to watch football and not think about the outcomes too much. I’ll have to write another Fan Post to get into some of the game I spent more time watching than any other, Kentucky versus Mississippi State. But we will wait on that… on to the new very changed AP Poll for week 8.

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Georgia remains top dog for another week after blasting their second straight over matched SEC opponent. Two weeks of ripping Auburn and Vanderbilt a new one has to do wonders for that teams psyche. Having Oregon and South Carolina as your better wins usually doesn’t do anything for a team. I guess no one believes enough in Ohio State right now. Georgia gets a week off to think about how bad they will beat Florida in the WLOCP. Good luck Gators…just kidding.

Speaking of "the" Ohio State, number two never looked so go on anyone else. They basically get another bye week with Iowa coming to the Horseshoe. No one actually thinks this game will be much of anything. If you include Ohio State, there are 9 teams in the top 25 that have bye weeks this week. I guess the Buckeyes will be on cruise control until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I hope Ryan Day has a good exit plan if they lose to Michigan for the second straight year. Speaking of having no good wins, who has Ohio State actually beat this year? Toledo is the only team with a winning record right now. Toledo also tied Wisconsin for scoring the most points against Ohio State this year.

After Alabama choked the game away, Tennessee has switched places with them in the poll moving up to number 3. Do the Volunteers have the best win so far this year? Some folks at the SEC Network think they should be number 1 after beating Alabama. Technically, they beat 3 ranked SEC teams in a row. But two of those teams are Florida and LSU. I’m not sure that either one of those teams will be 9-win teams come the end of the year. I mean, good for Tennessee for sliding by Alabama, but don’t get to high on them just yet.

Michigan moves up one spot to number 4. That brings a nice balance to the SEC/B1G conferences in the top 5. So much for Penn State being a challenge in the B1G this year. No one really expecting anything more from them, did they? Just like Ohio State, Michigan has a easy schedule up until the last 2 weeks of the season. A surprising Illinois team might be a trap game the week before Ohio State. I don’t think the world is ready for Harbaugh after another B1G Championship.

Our favorite upstate school falls one spot to number 5. Struggling against a so-so FSU team will do that, I guess. The tigers have another top 15 game against Syracuse next week. That might be their hardest game left on the schedule. Notre Dame and Miami look a lot easier now than they did earlier in the year. I’m not holding out a lot of chance for SC to beat them this year, but you never know.

Alabama falls to number six this week. Having 17 penalties and letting Tennessee’s best receiver burn your safety multiple times will lead to a loss. Plus, it looks like Alabama kicker problems are back this year. After having that little issue solved the last few years, it came back to bite them in a big way. I know everyone that played defense (or attempted to) will be getting a ear full this week in Tuscaloosa. I wonder if To’oTo’o is still happy he bailed on Tennessee? It turns out he was only 1 and 1 against his former team. He might be able to get that record on the positive side if they both make it to the SEC Championship game.

Juice Kiffin and Ole Miss come in next at number seven in the poll. A ho-hum day of beating Auburn and teams losing ahead of you works out well. With how bad Alabama’s defense looked, Lane and the boys have a shot this year. They just need to get by LSU and A&M. SC will try to soften up the Aggies for you. I hope you guys can bring back angry purple Kelly. That never gets old. You guys can be the next nail in Jimbo’s coffin also. Nothing like seeing a $10M man get canned for not winning enough.

Well, TCU you had to go and beat Oklahoma State. They were going to be my team in the Big XII this year. Did you knock their QB out with a late targeting play again? I doubt it with the score 43-40. Nice win with another ranked Big XII team next week also. You are now in the driver seat in the Big XII, and the only hope for a playoff spot. People seeing highly ranked Big XII school must think this is a basketball poll instead of football.

Welcome to the top 10 UCLA. Looky there, you are the only LA team in the top 10. And the team you just beat the week before beat your cross town rivals. You have got to love that. People haven been this high on a men’s UCLA team since Steve Lavin was your basketball coach. It’s funny how many basketball references I’m trying to throw in here this week. You are in the only top 10 game next week when you go up to Eugene to face the Ducks of Oregon. Glad you made the appearance in the top 10, I don’t think it will be a long stay. Prove me wrong if you can.

Oregon has finally made it back into the top 10. I’m not sure you could beat the 2 teams behind you, but the voters disagree with me. It’s nice having the day off and then all the chaos ensues around you. I hope you used the bye week well in preparing for those pesky Bruins form west LA. Just remember Oregon, you have been more relevant in football and basketball more recently than UCLA. Just think of this as another steppingstone to getting blown out against another SEC school.

Man, Oklahoma State, you really know how to kick a guy when he is enjoying a bye week. You just could play any defense in the 2nd half of the game, could you? Did you get caught looking ahead to Texas? I understand the game was on the road but come on man. You had the Big XII all but locked up. Now, you have to make sure you don’t lose another game just to make it to the Big XII conference championship now. I hope your defense shows up against Texas, you are going to need it.

Bottom Cal had a bad week in Utah. Nothing like taking that L to a team your rival beat the week prior. Times getting hot now, Lincoln? You under same premise that the Pac-12 and Big XII are the same conference? You always seem to lose a game you shouldn’t, just like your mentor Coach Leach. I know is sucks to look up at your rival in the standings, I guess you will be cheering for the Ducks this weekend. You also get to stew in this loss for a week before you get to play Arizona. Then you have to wait 3 weeks before you can try to smack the smile off the Bruin’s faces.

Wake Forest is another team hat enjoyed the chaos last week. They move up one spot to number 13. The voters have to keep Clemson relevant somehow. You have an up and down Boston College team this week. You shouldn’t have any issues with them unless it is a close game at the end of the 4th quarter. Just do what you should have done against Clemson and pay to win the game in regulation.

Okay, Syracuse… you are my last chance for an ACC team to beat Clemson this year. You’ve played some pesky teams so far this year, you are undefeated this year, and you have a decent offense (maybe). Don’t let Clemson’s defensive line eat you up. Clemson is worse against the pass then the run. I know you guys have a decent running back, but this might be the game your QB has to win for you. Don’t get scared about throwing the ball 40 times on Saturday. Just make them play the whole width of the field.

You bounced back this week Utah. Up 5 spots after beating Bottom Cal. It must feel good to a 4th quarter comeback this year. You should have already had one against Florida in the first game of the year. That loss has to sting even worse today than it did 7 weeks ago. You have a week off to enjoy the win before an easier part of your schedule comes up. Oregon is the only ranked team left on your schedule. You have to that game if you have any shot of playing for the Pac-12 title this year. So the best scenario you have is that UCLA loses to Oregon and Bottom Cal, you win out and somehow Bottom Cal blows another game along the way.

Penn State only drops 6 spots after being hammered by Michigan. You get Minnesota and a bye week to get ready for Ohio State. I guess a lot of people will be using you as a measuring stick between those two teams. At least you get Ohio State at home. That might be worth a few points at least. You could still be 10-2 this year. That is really good news, right? A lot of teams would be happy about that. Blow out loses to the two hardest teams on your schedule will not look good.

Kansas State missed out on the bye week fun, as they stay in the same spot in the poll. You have a chance to move on up with the TCU game this week. I don’t think you have enough offense to win the game, but don’t listen to me. I’m sure everyone else in the Big XII will be pulling for you this week. Maybe not Kansas, but we all know that will never happen. Maybe Martinez was a good QB, it was just Scott Frost was a really bad coach at Nebraska. Who knows the answer, but count me as a surprised person thinking Kansas State would be ranked with him as a starting QB.

Illinois makes a jump up to number 18 this week. Again, Coach Bielema loves him some B1G football. I have no idea why he tried to coach in the SEC. It is also nice not having to play any ranked football teams either. Maybe that is why his teams do so well up there. Michigan will be the only ranked team you face this year on your way to a B1G West title. Then you get to lose again to Michigan or for the first time to Ohio State. You might even get to go to a warm weather bowl game. I’m sure you can get a lot of fans to go to that game.

Kentucky moves up 3 spots after beat Miss State. Can I tell you that I was not impressed by either team as I did watch a lot of the game? I don’t think having Levis play the game against SC would have changed the outcome at all. I think SC would also beat Miss State this year. Kentucky has at least 2 more loses on the schedule in Tennessee and Georgia. That will make it 4 SEC loses for them this year. That means that SC can lose 2 more also and still be in 3rd place in the SEC East. I don’t think Florida will have more that 3 wins right now. They need to watch out for Missouri also.

Texas is up 2 spots after surviving Iowa State. They have another State this weekend, and the State is looking for a win to take the bad taste out of their mouths. It’s an away game, so my money is on Oklahoma State right now. Texas has a bye week and depending on the TCU/Kansas State game this week might have another 2 weeks of ranked opponents. Hopefully the big recruiting year continues for the Longhorns, at least for their sakes. It’s not like they are going to out spend the Aggies if they have anything to say about it.

Cincinnati held at number 21 after their bye week. SMU took down Navy in a high scoring affair, so I hope your defense travels well Bearcats. You are now the highest ranked Group of 5 school right now, and that will come with a good payday come bowl season. Tulane is on your heels though, so you can’t let up just yet. That game at the end of the year might be for a lot of bragging rights.

UNC makes it into the poll this week after beating a decent Duke team. It hasn’t been pretty this year for the Tarheels, but their only loss has been to a bad Notre Dame team. Pitt, Wake, and NC State are still on the schedule, but none of those are scary games. Wake will at least count toward the ACC standings this year. NC State will be without their starting QB, but the backup has plenty of time to get comfortable between now and Thanksgiving. Are you guys going to fire Chizik after 1 year as DC? You can’t waste an offense that scores 40 points a game, can you?

Speaking of the wounded Wolfpack in Raleigh. They are sliding down the poll after losing to Syracuse. At this particular time, you should be out of the poll. After losing your starting QB and losing to Syracuse… you are not a top 25 team. Beat Wake in a few weeks and then UNC at the end of the year and we will talk more about this.

Just like with NC State, I don’t necessarily think Miss State should be in the poll this week either. They are there at number 24 though. LSU should be ahead of them right now. They have the same record, and LSU beat Miss State already. That was a pitiful display of offensive football last Saturday in Lexington. I was thinking you guys would have score over 30 on Kentucky. I guess you were trying to save up some for Alabama. You shouldn’t have. You needed that win against Kentucky more than trying to keep it close against Alabama.

Tulane is in the poll at number 25. I don’t know a whole lot about the Green Wave this year. I guess it will be interesting to see how long they stay in the poll. Memphis and Tulsa can both score the ball, so it will be interesting to see how Tulane’s defense plays the next few weeks. The schedule is more back loaded for Tulane with other games against UCF and Cincinnati late this year. Good luck Tulane.

How is everyone feeling about the night game this weekend against Texas A&M? Anyone very confident that SC will finally get their first win in the series? Any thoughts on a "blackout" for the game?

As always, Go Cocks!


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