Top Ten- Week 7

1. Ohio State (6-0, @ Wisconsin)
2. Oregon (6-0, Bye Week)
3. Boise State (5-0, @ San Jose State)
4. TCU (6-0, vs BYU)
5. Oklahoma (5-0, vs Iowa State)
6. Nebraska (5-0, vs Texas)
7. Auburn (6-0, vs Arkansas)
8. LSU (6-0, vs McNeese State)
9. Alabama (5-1, vs Ole Miss)
10. Michigan State (6-0, vs Illinois)

Utah (5-0)
South Carolina (4-1)
Arkansas (4-1)
Iowa (4-1)
Stanford (5-1)

Wow... what a shake up in college football. It is always the weeks where you wake up and say "this will be a boring day of football" that the craziness happens and the upsets ensue. Obviously the headlining loss featured Alabama, who had their secondary FINALLY exposed by South Carolina. All the credit in the world goes to the Gamecocks who refused to let their lead slip even though there were plenty of opportunities for Bama to strike back. Arizona, who had struggled the past few weeks to win games, lost to a scrappy Oregon State team to fall out of the top ten and ultimately my top 15. Which teams helped their cause the most? For starters LSU certainly did by beating Florida in the Swamp (how many lives does Les Miles have??) and seizing control of the SEC West -- but wait! Auburn also benefits by the Alabama loss, meaning that Auburn and LSU are tops in the division, with Alabama and Arkansas keeping chase. The East is a mess at this point with South Carolina the top team at this point. Oregon benefits along with the undefeated Big 12 teams in Oklahoma and Nebraska. Boise and TCU believe just a little bit more that they can somehow sneak their way into the championship game. Last, but not least, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now the #1 team in college football.

Half of the season is over, so most of this means absolutely nothing. Stay tuned for the rest of the season to see where things are heading going into the bowl season.

Game 6- #2 Ohio State (5-0,1-0) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (3-1,0-1)

Where: Ohio Stadium
When: Noon EST
TV: ESPN

There isn't too much to say because it is Indiana and OSU does not lose to Indiana. However, there are a few things to talk about that don't surround the game itself. It seems as if a lot of Buckeye fans are starting to think that this isn't as good of a team as most people originally thought early on in the year. Why? Because they had one rough game? That isn't a reason to throw away your high hopes. The offense was missing Stoneburner and simply was out of their element in a conservative offense, while the wind heavily contributed to the lack of points. Plus Illinois played some good football - let's not forget that part. I still think that this is a top two team and it should stay that was for the rest of the season. Losing safety Tyler Moeller for the year hurts but if there is one thing that the Bucks are good at it is finding guys to step in and contribute. That player should be true freshman Christian Bryant, who played significantly last week vs the Illini in relief of Moeller. Oh and about the running game: it will get better. All Tressel teams improve as the year goes on, and as the progression goes so will the improvement of the running attack. I am hoping that sophomore Jordan Hall gets more carries, but I digress.

In my opinion, this will be a very pesky Hoosier team in the Shoe tomorrow and OSU won't just step onto the field and obliterate them. It will take time but the passing attack will take its course, with Pryor hitting Sanzenbacher and Posey for two big touchdowns, while the defense, running game and special team (I'm calling for a special teams score!) will take care of business. Indiana gets in the endzone twice, but it won't matter as the home team moves on to Wisconsin week after a substantial victory in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium.

Prediction:

Ohio State- 45
Indiana- 14

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 6

#1 Alabama (5-0) @ #19/20 South Carolina (3-1)
- I am fully confident that Alabama will win every game on their schedule as long as they do not beat themselves. After seeing them play against Florida I am very certain of that, meaning that they should beat South Carolina. It will be a hostile environment, but I think that the Tide will slip away and hold on to beat the Gamecocks.

Alabama- 27
S. Carolina- 17

#9/12 LSU (5-0) @ #12/14 Florida (4-1)
- If you saw how LSU beat Tennessee this past weekend and your heart didn't break for the UT players then I do not think that you have a soul (unless you hate Tennessee). That being said, I haven't been a fan of Les Miles' boys all season long. They beat a North Carolina team missing half of their starters and still almost let them comeback and have a shot at winning, then proceeded to have three straight games where QB Jordan Jefferson failed to throw for over 100 yards. They are not a top ten team, although they are a very talented and solid team. Florida needs a win and I think they'll get it in the Swamp. It won't be because of the offense either; as a matter of fact, I think that both offenses will play very poorly, but LSU's is more inept at this juncture. The Tigers go into Gainesville and lose a very sloppy, close game.

LSU- 10
Florida- 16

#23/24 Florida State (4-1) @ #13/14 Miami, FL (3-1)
- Miami has been a very impressive team to watch since they lost to Ohio State, but the QB play has been simply abysmal at times. Multiple interceptions won't get you anywhere in life, Jacory... just a tip. Florida State had their chance in the spotlight against Oklahoma and got crushed (as did Miami against OSU after putting up only 10 offensive points). Who wins: an FSU team that blew a golden opportunity to prove its back, or a Miami team that blew its big opportunity to prove that they are back? I am going to go with Florida State in this one, although I think that Miami is the better team. Christian Ponder will provide better QB play for the Noles, and that will be the X-factor.

FSU- 31
Da U- 28


Big Ten Rundown-
Indiana @ #2 Ohio State- TBA

#16/17 Michigan State (5-0, 1-0) @ #17/18 Michigan (5-0, 1-0)
- It should be extremely interesting to see how this game plays out. It is a rivalry game, so I would throw everything the two teams have done this season out the window. What will win this game: solid all around play defensively and on offense, or the Heisman frontrunner single handily taking over the game? Common sense would say that Sparty will win, but my gut it telling me otherwise. I'm going with Denard Robinson and the Wolverines to win and catapult themselves to 6-0. Michigan keeps winning games despite having one of the worst defenses in the nation, and the world keeps spinning round and round. Scary.

Minnesota (1-4, 0-1) @ #19/20 Wisconsin (4-1, 0-1)
- When the Badgers lose, it is usually because they are unable to run the ball effectively forcing their defense into undesirable situations. That is exactly what happened to them against MSU and ultimately they lost. I like them to get back on track in the Battle for the Ax and stick it to the Gophers.

Purdue (2-2) @ #25/NR Northwestern (5-0, 1-0)
- I am just not a fan of Purdue this season. I called for them to lose to Toledo, and they looked pathetic in doing so. They have lost their starting quarterback for the season, and simply don't have nearly as much energy as they did last season. Considering they won five games last season, that speaks volumes about Danny Hope's team in his second year as head coach. Northwestern creeps closer to being ranked in both polls en route to a win over Purdue.

Illinois (2-2, 0-1) @ Penn State (3-2, 0-1)
- I think that the Illini will come out and play a strong game defensively, however a few costly turnovers will spark two touchdowns from RB Evan Royster and Penn State will ultimately win this game by a few scores. It should be a close one due to two young, ineffective quarterbacks.

Buckeye Fans: CALM DOWN!!!!

Here is a question for OSU fans: have you ever seen the team "struggle" but still win before in your lifetime? If you answered no, then you are an idiot.

I have been watching Buckeye football for many years now, and under Tressel you'll see at least one game per season where the team looks lethargic, disinterested and plays ultra-ultra-ultra conservative. Illinois was a prime example of this, yet Buckeye fans are quick to say that we have HUGE problems, that our coaching staff sucks and that Ohio State doesn't look like a championship team.
But what about the previous four games? I'd say that aside from special teams issues -- which appear to have been straightened up -- the team played extremely well defensively and looked very in sync offensively through the first four games, especially against the Hurricanes.

Bad games happen. Games where the opponent plays up to the talent level of the other team happens all the time. Conservative game plans due to strong winds are common under Tressel. I was wrong to think that they would kill Illinois, but I'm not panicking and saying that this team is in trouble. There is no identity crisis to speak of and there is no reason to get worried. If there is cause for concern, we will find out when the team travels to Wisconsin in a week and a half.

I love Ohio State and all the fans and everything about the football program, but sometimes we as fans can be a joke when it comes to understanding what happens during a game. Learn more about the game, don't jump to quick conclusions and actually take time to absorb what has happened, and calm down!!!!

That is all...

Top Ten- Week 6

1. Alabama (5-0, @ South Carolina)
2. Ohio State (5-0, vs Indiana)
3. Oregon (5-0, @ Washington State)
4. Boise State (4-0, vs Toledo)
5. Oklahoma (5-0, Bye Week)
6. TCU (5-0, vs Wyoming)
7. Nebraksa (4-0, @ Kansas State)
8. Auburn (5-0, @ Kentucky)
9. Arizona (4-0, vs Oregon State)
10. LSU (5-0, @ Florida)

Outside Looking In...

Utah
Miami, FL
Michigan State
Arkansas
Iowa

Alabama is the #1 team in the nation. It is official. There is no debate. Until they lose or start looking pathetic winning football games then I have no right to keep them behind OSU. As evidenced yesterday, and for the first time all season long, the Crimson Tide are the superior team.

There was quite a shake up in the polls for me yesterday, with Florida, Stanford and Wisconsin all losing. To replace them, Auburn, Arizona and LSU move into the top ten.

The top seven is pretty fairly ranked in my opinion. Boise State may not be the #4 ranked team in the nation (according to my rankings) but they certainly have two wins that are worth noting...to an extent. Whatever, I don't really know how to justify ranking them that high, nor do I even want to have them there in the first place. It is just something that I am going to do for now until a team below them proves to be vastly superior.

I want to talk about LSU for a moment here, because I haven't felt as if they are top ten worthy since the beginning of the season. As of now they are in my top ten due to the team that they have beaten, however that can all change in a heart beat. I am not sold on the Tigers and need to see that offense prove a lot to me. The defense is good, but not great; all great defenses earn my respect, and they don't have it quite yet from me. Let's see what happens when LSU visits the Gators. A win in the Swamp would justify a few things for me, but let's not get too excited over a team that will certainly not be in the championship race.

Game 5- #2 Ohio State (4-0) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1)

Where: Ohio Stadium
When: Noon EST
TV: Big Ten Network

After a 73-20 victory over Eastern Michigan, the two main topics of conversation revolved around how great the offense is so far this season and how many points the defense gave up against the winless Eagles from the MAC. I completely agree about both points, but what about the way the defense played against Miami and the teams not named Eastern Michigan? They will be fine... no, more than fine actually because they will be great. Both the defense and offense are ranked in the top ten in the nation, so I'd say things are pretty good right now. Now, finally, it is off to the Big Ten schedule.

This isn't what you would necessarily call a "thrilling" conference opener, but it is on the road and against a familiar opponent, nonetheless. It is always a good feeling when October rolls around and it is time to prepare for Big Ten foes each and every week. The first two games, Saturday at Illinois and Indiana, can be excused from the schedule please. These should both result in victories whether they look pretty or not. The real fun begins October 16th at Wisconsin, with three of the final five games after that coming against current top 25 teams. It will be a lot of fun this season in the Big Ten (soon to be a member larger with Nebraska joining), and it all kicks off Saturday in Champaign.

There isn't much to say... Illinois will try to run the ball with their backfield of QB Nate Scheelhaase and RB Mike Leshoure in order to set up a more easy-going passing attack in hopes that they can shock the #2 and unbeaten Buckeyes. I highly doubt that happens, and OSU will win this game.

Illinois will commit at least three turnovers, with OSU scoring on each of them to run up the score in what will otherwise be a snoozefest. Pryor will have at least one score on the ground to complement a couple throws into the endzone, which should open up the running game for Boom, Saine and the younger Hall and Berry. I'll call for a comfortable - if not sexy - win over Illinois. Bring on Indiana!!!! (SIGH)


Prediction:

Ohio State- 41
Illinois- 13

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 5

#8 Oklahoma (4-0) vs #16/21 Texas (3-1) in Dallas
- The Longhorns embarrassed themselves last week against UCLA, turning the ball over left and right and failing to provide any threat offensively. They looked like a team that was disinterested and used to relying on the arm of Colt McCoy to win them football games. Oklahoma has played exceptionally well in these types of games lately against good opponents. I want to say that Texas will bounce back and win, but I just don't see it happening as the Sooners are too good offensively and should have plenty of defense to take care of QB Garrett Gilbert and the Texas offense. The Red River Shootout should be anything but a shootout. It'll be close, but the Sooners will be the better team.

Oklahoma- 21
Texas- 17

#7 Florida (4-0) @ #1 Alabama(4-0)
- This is one of the those games where you get the feeling that Florida might be clicking at the right time before they take on the team that destroyed them en route to a national championship last December. Despite the improvements that the Gators have made, I also have a feeling that Alabama won't lose at home this year; they are just too good as of right now. I will say that it should be entertaining, but the Crimson Tide will roll to a victory in T-Town.

Florida- 20
Alabama- 28

#9/13 Stanford (4-0) @ #4 Oregon (4-0)
- I am highly intrigued by this game, and it has nothing to do with how good the offenses have been so far this season. It all has to do with the fact that Stanford was the only team in the Pac 10 to beat the Ducks last season, and it seems as if the Cardinal might be even better in 2010 (they certainly are more physical). I think that Stanford will be able to control the line of scrimmage, which will give QB Andrew Luck all kinds of time to throw and make plays. Stanford will score a lot of points... but Oregon is playing at home in the Autzen "Zoo", and I simply can't ignore that. Oregon wins a shootout in a revenge game. Believe it or not, like it or not, Oregon is a national championship contender. I don't think they are that great but the offense is certainly good which usually gets you far in the Pac 10. As long as that defense takes the field then I will continue to say that if the Ducks played 'Bama or OSU today that they would get KILLED.

Stanford- 45
Oregon- 48


Big Ten Rundown-
#2 Ohio State @ Illinois- TBA

#9/11 Wisconsin (4-0) @ #21/24 Michigan State (4-0)
- I want to say that Michigan State will pull off the upset here, but I just don't see MSU being able to slow down the Wisconsin running game for four quarters. It will be the closest Big Ten game of the day, however the Spartans will come up just shy of the upset. I like Michigan State a lot, for the record.

#20/22 Penn State (3-1) @ #17/18 Iowa (3-1)
- Unfortunately for PSU it requires a seasoned quarterback, generally, to pull off an upset against a nasty defense that will look to pin their ears back and blitz you all day long. Penn State features a true freshman at QB, and Iowa has a crazy good defense. I know that Arizona did what they did against them, but they are still a good group. Iowa will win by at least 10.

#19 Michigan (4-0) @ Indiana (3-0)
- I could go either way on this one, but UM is playing very well offensively right now, and I do not anticipate the Hoosiers being able to slow down QB Denard Robinson all day long. Indiana will score over 20, but this one will go to the surprising Wolverines.

Northwestern (4-0) @ Minnesota (1-3)
- I personally think that Northwestern should be ranked here pretty soon. They will be a tough out in whatever bowl game they play in and have an outstanding head coach. There is no doubt in my mind that they will beat the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.