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Every week Brett Harmon will bring you his NCAA Fottball Top 25. Harmon is one of the 324 voters for the reddit.com College Football Top 25 poll. You can find the rankings here.
Texas A&M did the impossible. They took down the Alabama Crimson Tide. The number one team in the nation. The one team that was definitly going to be in the national title game. The door is now open for the other three undefeated teams as the sprint to the end of the season wraps itself up.
1 (2) Oregon
Moving on up to the top spot this week the Ducks just kept rolling on blowing out Cal last week. Marcus Mariota may just be one of the best quarterback in the country that no one is talking about. Accounting for six touchdowns alone last week, and by the way he is only a freshman.
2 (3) Kansas State
Going on the road to TCU is never a fun prospect for any team. The Horned Frogs gave K-State everything that they could handle, but behind Collin Klein the Wildcats would not be stopped. Now with Alabama out of the way and no Big 12 title game to worry about tripping up on the Cats just need to watch out for Texas tripping them up the last week of the season.
3 (4) Notre Dame
How much of a paper tiger are the Fighting Irish? Although yes they are undefeated, and have significant wins, their offense continues to baffle as to if they are any good. The defense is of title caliber, but can it keep them in a game with some of the high powered offenses of the Pac-12 and SEC?
4 (1) Alabama
The Tide’s game against Texas A&M showed that any team can be caught and beaten any week. Now Alabama can still make it into the national title game even with one loss, if Oregon or K-State trip up and USC can take down Notre Dame, Bama will be in the title game.
5 (5) Ohio State
A week off for the Buckeyes last week so they should be well rested to finish of their revenge tour 2012. It is a shame that they cannot go to the postseason this year, it would be very interesting to see what The Ohio State could do against good teams outside of the Big 10.
6 (6) Georgia
A couple of off weeks here for the Bulldogs, beating up on Auburn last week and then Georgia Southern this week. Georgia could, and maybe should, have their eyes firmly placed on the SEC title game and a showdown with Alabama. But Georgia Tech could trip them up if they are not careful in two weeks’ time.
7 (8) LSU
The Tigers put the final nail in the coffin of the decline of Mississippi State last week. Taking no mercy on a Bulldogs team that is clearly in a complete free fall now. But that is not LSU’s problem; they have dreams of a BCS at large bid in their heads, and with several enticing teams ahead of them they need to make style points matter.
8 (7) Florida State
The Seminoles just keep hanging around this season. Although firmly out of any national title race Florida State just won’t go away from the top 10. However their close game with Virginia Tech last week is concerning, the final week against Florida could get ugly if the Seminole offense can’t score on the Gators.
9 (9) Florida
I would choose to look at the close game with Louisiana-Lafayette as just a close game that the Gator chose to overlook. But Will Muschamp is going to have to get his team back on track, although yes the Gators have Jacksonville State this week, who they should kill. But in two weeks’ time Florida State and their high powered offense comes to town, and if Florida isn’t careful they could get run.
10 (16) Texas A&M
Johnny Manziel earned his nickname last week, upsetting top ranked Alabama. That is the feather in the hat of the Aggies in their first season in the SEC. Kevin Sumlin now can show players that A&M can, and could be, a real threat in the SEC for the future.
11 (10) Clemson
It really is a shame that Clemson lost to Florida State, because they are a very good team. Their wins over ACC schools have been more impressive than the Seminoles. Clemson could get a BCS bowl still but it is unlikely.
12 (11) South Carolina
The Gamecocks have recovered from their two week spiral that saw them drop from national title contender to hopeful in the SEC. they can move their bowl prospects even higher next week animist Clemson.
13 (14) Oklahoma
Oklahoma has surrendered the Big 12 to Kansas State this year. But the end of this season is fast approaching and the Sooner team that we are seeing now could be an interesting team to watch next season.
14 (15) Stanford
Stanford kept pace in the Pac-12 north taking down Oregon State last week. Going up to Autzen this week for the defacto Pac-12 North title game is going to be a fun one. Stanford has been almost forgotten by many after they lost to Washington. A win over the Ducks will put them back on everyone’s radar.
15 (17) Texas
Texas gets this week off and then they have TCU at DKR-Stadium. What is more important about that Thursday night game next week is that it will give the Longhorns nearly two weeks to prepare for Kansas State the first weekend of December.
16 (12) Oregon State
Even with two losses, one of which was to Stanford last week, this season is still a wild success for Oregon State. Picked to be one of the worst teams in conference this year, with seven wins and a top 25 ranking, not to mention a chance to ruin rival Oregon’s year, can be seen as amazing for the Beavers.
17 (18) Nebraska
The Cornhuskers have a chance to win the Big 10 in their second year in the conference, not too shabby for them. Ignore the fact that Ohio State in ineligible this year and already waxed the floor with Nebraska. Take the hand you’re dealt and walk away quietly.
18 (19) Louisiana Tech
If Louisiana Tech wants to keep dreams of maybe busting the BCS they cannot be in close games with Texas St. Plain and Simple as that.
19 (20) UCLA
Could the era of UCLA in the Pac-12 south continue for another year? It very well could. Right now the Bruins control their own destiny in the conference, if they can beat USC this week they will find themselves in the Pac-12 title game once again.
20 (23) USC
At halftime it looked as if the Trojans could be headed for a third straight loss. But Lane Kiffin made the adjustments (re: ripped his team a new one) at half time and came back to blow out Arizona State. The Trojans can still earn a rematch with Oregon in the Pac-12 title game if they can beat UCLA this week.
21 (25) Texas Tech
With the hardest part of their schedule now behind them the Red Raiders will look to build back up their ranking and bowl status. Taking down Oklahoma State will be key in that endeavor as they are the last ranked team on Tech’s schedule.
22 (13) Louisville
Last week I wrote how we wouldn’t know how good Louisville truly was until bowl season because of subpar opposition in the Big East. Well now we know how good they are, they didn’t just get beat, they got steamrolled by Syracuse and were only competitive for a quarter. They are still the best team in the conference but their true colors really showed last week.
23 (24) Kent State
Took down Miami (OH) last week in unspectacular fashion, and will look to stay at one loss against amazingly consistent Bowling Green. The Falcons have scored 24, 24, and 26 points in the last three games.
24 (UR) Michigan
Michigan doesn’t know if they want to be in or out of the top 25. They’ll win a couple games and look great, but then they’ll drop one. Now with Denard Robinson’s status unknown for the rest of the season Big Blue will be looking to what they will be in the post Robinson era.
25 (UR) Oklahoma State
The Cowboys more than maybe another other team have received a raw deal on this season. Coming into it overrated and then dropping their second game to Arizona. But aside to losses to Texas and Kansas St this has been a great year for Oklahoma State.
Dropped from Rankings: (21) Mississippi State, (22) Toledo
Others Receiving Consideration: Rutgers
Biggest Rise: Texas Tech (16) – (10)
Biggest Fall: Louisville (13) – (22)
Games in the Top 25 This Week:
(14) Stanford @ (1) Oregon
(20) USC @ (19) UCLA
(21) Texas Tech @ (25) Oklahoma State
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